7/23/2012 By: C. Kent, aka (Superman) I don’t know if it was because I did 66 miles Saturday or if it was the weather but I felt a bit tired when I got up this morning. I had breakfast and got dressed only to have to sit and watch TV news because I got up too early. I had a simple little ride planned and figured I could cruise it even if I never got up to full speed so I had some coffee and pulled out onto the street to head for Burger King at 7:30am. Coyote, Dura Max and Ocelot were already waiting for me as I got there. Not long after I said hello Highlander, Tax Man, Surgeon and Red Rabbit arrived. At 8am we hit the road to start the ride.

Latham to Lyon was rather uneventful as we made our way north. Rabbit was doing quite well for having been off of his bike for over a year. We talked briefly and then settled into a loose double pace line and worked our way up to Ramona Boulevard. Surgeon pulled us to Sanderson and we turned only to catch the light at the expressway. Surgeon let me pass once on the expressway and I pulled till we got to Warren where Highlander took over and I fell back to collect the stragglers. We turned the corner to see Highlander, Surgeon and Tax Man waiting before we continued on heading for Gilman.

I ended up pulling most of the way to Gilman and Surgeon passed just before we got to the stop sign. We regrouped and took a short break to hydrate before I once again took the lead and pulled us first to Sanderson for another regroup and then south towards the expressway and Ramona Boulevard. We turned east to work our way towards Lyon and then to State.

Once we got to State Street we once again caught the light but it didn’t hold us up for long before we were headed back north. Once again I took the lead and pulled us back past the expressway and past Jack in the Box and Del Taco. It was strange that we got all of the lights green all the way to the college and Highlander and I talked about it. I held my position all the way to Soboba and made the first turn west to head for the golf course. I gave the lead to Highlander and he started the run through the rollers splitting the group in two.

I was following the Rabbit as Highlander pulled us over the first roller and then had to close the gap as Highlander, Surgeon and Tax Man pulled away. Highlander ended up pulling way too long and had to surrender the lead to Surgeon. Somewhere before the driving range Tax man started to fall off and I had to close the gap to Surgeon. Once on his back wheel I felt pretty good except I just couldn’t get a spin on. I hit the last hill with Surgeon and made a run at him but couldn’t pull at all. I was glad we regrouped at the trees. Highlander and I led the way over the river crossing and started us on our way to Ramona and towards Cedar. We made the turn at Cedar but only Highlander, Surgeon, Tax man, Rabbit and I made the light so we were about a quarter of a mile ahead heading to the fire station.

It didn’t take long for the lead group to make it back to Florida and west towards Carl’s. About half way there I caught a draft off of the back of a bus and managed a 33 MPH sprint all the way to Carl’s. We regrouped once more for coffee and conversation before heading back west to get back to the cars. Dura Max and Ocelot went a different way and Surgeon left us at Park while the rest of us made our way to Devonshire and down to Santa Fe before turning onto Latham for the final run home. I broke off at Palm and rolled up to my house with 38 miles on the computer. Not bad for a day when felt like a engine with a clogged air filter.