6/18/2012
By: C. Kent, aka (Superman)
Today was supposed to be an East ride but Saturday a fire started between here and Beaumont and I wasn’t sure we wouldn’t be inundated with ash and smoke if we headed on the Bridge to Soboba ride. So I grabbed a longer ride out to Ramona and Evans and back to Chris’s and posted it. I was a bit concerned because it has been getting warmer and we had some wind predicted. There was the extra consideration of the distance, 52 miles, and some might not be interested in that many miles on a Monday. Still we had a pretty good group at 8:30 with Surgeon, Dura Max, Von Richthofen, 501, After Burner, Coyote, Centaur, Highlander and his son Bill.
I changed the ride a bit and decided to start on Domenigoni rather than come back that way. By changing the route we could finish the ride at Chris’s and have a short ride home. The other advantage would be we didn’t have many big dogs with us so we could set the pace slow enough that we could finish the ride even if it got hot. Once we got to Kirby and Cypress we picked up Hornet and started for Sanderson. I stopped everyone on Sanderson and explained that we should keep the group together by holding the pace down to 20 or less and that is how it started.
I gave up the lead at 19 mph and most of the way to Warren that is how things stayed. I noticed Highlander and Bill dropping back so I fell back to see if they were OK but I was told they were taking a short ride today and would be turning back at Warren. I caught the group at the dry wash only to see After Burner pulling out of line and pulling away but the rest of the group held the pace. Finally Hornet got the pull and took us all the way to the bottom of the saddle before a small sprint started. We regrouped at the saddle minus Highlander and Bill.
We had two groups left and two different rides left to do. 501, Dura Max, Von Richthofen would be leaving us early while Coyote, Centaur, Hornet, Surgeon, After Burner and I would be trying the whole ride. So it was down off of the saddle and north on Lindenburger to Heritage. We were still in pretty good spirits as we crossed Simpson and headed down Heritage to McCall and then onto Menifee heading towards the AM/PM at Florida. We took a quick break to re-hydrate and took off again north on Menifee.
It wasn’t very hot yet and we still seemed to be able to keep a pretty good pace going as we did the slight grade to Mapes and got ready for the first long downhill grade. To me traffic seemed rather light as we picked up speed heading for the first stop sign. Centaur held us at a rather steady pace in the mid to low 20s as we got to Central and closed in on Nuevo.
As soon as we reached the stop sign on Nuevo one group turned west and the other east and I happened to be with the group heading west towards Evans. Well before we got there however it started to get a lot warmer and I began to feel the results of playing my hand drums for Church on Father’s day. My wrist we getting pretty sore and I called for a stop on Evans and Ramona to take some aspirin before heading over the hill to Lakeview before heading back towards Menifee. Hornet and After Burner decided to climb Juniper flats while we continued on to Menifee and Mapes. We managed to get to Chris’s before them but I was pretty sure they were going to be slower climbing Juniper than we could be scooting down Menifee. And once on Briggs and Mapes we would be going downhill so if they didn’t beat us to the light we had it made. We waited at Chris’s till they got there.
After we had coffee or cold drinks we got ready to leave while Hornet caught a ride from his sister, he had to be somewhere, and After Burner took off for Domenigoni. The remaining group headed to Stowe to start home.
We moved quickly down Stowe to California and a slight wind started to blow from the south. The turn onto California was nice and we still had a side wind as we made it down to Stetson. Coyote and I talked in the led as Centaur and Surgeon talked following and we made it to Warren and then to the airport road when I split off for home. To be honest the heat gets to me more than it used to but with all of the fluids I took in today at least I wasn’t getting cramps as I got back to Sanderson and then took Johnston to ride back home. Strava gave me 52 miles and my computer added the distance between my house and Burger King for a total of 54 miles. Not bad for a hot Monday.
I changed the ride a bit and decided to start on Domenigoni rather than come back that way. By changing the route we could finish the ride at Chris’s and have a short ride home. The other advantage would be we didn’t have many big dogs with us so we could set the pace slow enough that we could finish the ride even if it got hot. Once we got to Kirby and Cypress we picked up Hornet and started for Sanderson. I stopped everyone on Sanderson and explained that we should keep the group together by holding the pace down to 20 or less and that is how it started.
I gave up the lead at 19 mph and most of the way to Warren that is how things stayed. I noticed Highlander and Bill dropping back so I fell back to see if they were OK but I was told they were taking a short ride today and would be turning back at Warren. I caught the group at the dry wash only to see After Burner pulling out of line and pulling away but the rest of the group held the pace. Finally Hornet got the pull and took us all the way to the bottom of the saddle before a small sprint started. We regrouped at the saddle minus Highlander and Bill.
We had two groups left and two different rides left to do. 501, Dura Max, Von Richthofen would be leaving us early while Coyote, Centaur, Hornet, Surgeon, After Burner and I would be trying the whole ride. So it was down off of the saddle and north on Lindenburger to Heritage. We were still in pretty good spirits as we crossed Simpson and headed down Heritage to McCall and then onto Menifee heading towards the AM/PM at Florida. We took a quick break to re-hydrate and took off again north on Menifee.
It wasn’t very hot yet and we still seemed to be able to keep a pretty good pace going as we did the slight grade to Mapes and got ready for the first long downhill grade. To me traffic seemed rather light as we picked up speed heading for the first stop sign. Centaur held us at a rather steady pace in the mid to low 20s as we got to Central and closed in on Nuevo.
As soon as we reached the stop sign on Nuevo one group turned west and the other east and I happened to be with the group heading west towards Evans. Well before we got there however it started to get a lot warmer and I began to feel the results of playing my hand drums for Church on Father’s day. My wrist we getting pretty sore and I called for a stop on Evans and Ramona to take some aspirin before heading over the hill to Lakeview before heading back towards Menifee. Hornet and After Burner decided to climb Juniper flats while we continued on to Menifee and Mapes. We managed to get to Chris’s before them but I was pretty sure they were going to be slower climbing Juniper than we could be scooting down Menifee. And once on Briggs and Mapes we would be going downhill so if they didn’t beat us to the light we had it made. We waited at Chris’s till they got there.
After we had coffee or cold drinks we got ready to leave while Hornet caught a ride from his sister, he had to be somewhere, and After Burner took off for Domenigoni. The remaining group headed to Stowe to start home.
We moved quickly down Stowe to California and a slight wind started to blow from the south. The turn onto California was nice and we still had a side wind as we made it down to Stetson. Coyote and I talked in the led as Centaur and Surgeon talked following and we made it to Warren and then to the airport road when I split off for home. To be honest the heat gets to me more than it used to but with all of the fluids I took in today at least I wasn’t getting cramps as I got back to Sanderson and then took Johnston to ride back home. Strava gave me 52 miles and my computer added the distance between my house and Burger King for a total of 54 miles. Not bad for a hot Monday.
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