8/1/2012 By: C. Kent, aka (Superman) I was really looking forward to the ride today. The weather was predicted to be good and I had put together a half century than everyone seemed to like. I got up, had breakfast and did my stretching exercises while I watched some Olympics and had a bottle of water. After getting dressed I topped off my tires with air and headed for Burger King to see who would be riding with me. Coyote and Dura Max were working on a flat tire for Nike and Ocelot was riding around the parking lot. Surgeon arrived and I noticed Highlander was over talking to Nike in her car. Once Huntress arrived we had to change a tire on her bike as well so we got a late start as we left Burger King and started towards Acacia.

For some reason I was feeling pretty good as we turned towards Kirby and ended up catching the light red just as we got there. Once it turned green I found myself almost sprinting through the intersection and heading for Cypress. Soon we were over the railroad tracks and turning through the housing tract on Cypress. It didn’t take long till we were out on Johnston and waiting at the light on Sanderson. I managed to pull all the way to Domenigoni so we could make a run at the saddle.

I started the pull west and after about a quarter of a mile before turning it over to Surgeon to begin the rotation. Everyone seemed to be willing to pull a lot longer than I am used to and I was still in the number five spot as we past Warren and the dry wash. By the time Coyote took the lead and kept it all the way past Winchester. It looked like he was planning on taking us all the way to the Saddle and I started wondering if we were going to have a sprint to the top. Huntress was in front of me and Surgeon was on my back wheel so I considered just following Coyote to the top. As soon as we started up the saddle Huntress started to act a bit twitchy and then she made a great jump but not before I caught her wheel. No one else gave chase and it took me most of the way to the top to catch her. She was riding strong.

We picked up The Shadow at the top of the saddle and we picked up Puma just past Lindenburger. Now came the long grind. We started south on Menifee before cutting over to Antelope and south again. I pulled for a while before trying to give it away. But by Scott it was clear no one really wanted to fight the head wind as we headed towards Loma Linda Hospital. Finally I just put my head down and pulled like a tractor all the way to Stepp before cutting over to Whitewood and starting one of the better downhill runs we get to do. The next stop would be Murrieta Hot Springs and then the turn to Winchester and the quick climb back to the Gas Station on Benton.

We chatted for a few minutes and the gas station Mini Mart and rehydrated while checking out Puma’s new focus road bike. It was a good looking machine and it don’t look like he had missed much in training after being gone so long. He was one of the first ones mounted up as we got ready to leave. After a short break we headed back on Winchester to get up to Thompson and cut over to Leon so we could work our way back to Scott. Once again I found myself riding point and starting us along at an ever increasing pace.

The group spread out in a very long line as we moved north on Leon. As we picked up speed Highlander pulled up next to me to say we had two riders that caught the light behind us so I started to soft pedal till I got to Scott. I didn’t notice that Coyote and Huntress had closed on us as I turned west on Scott so I pulled over only to have to Chase the group all the way back to Menifee with The Shadow in Tow. But I was with them as Coyote took us back to Garboni where we waited for everyone to regroup and head for Newport. Puma Left a bit early because he lives just before Newport.

The group started to fall apart about the time we got to Lindenburger and Surgeon and Coyote pulled away for us. I talked Huntress into waiting for the rest of the group so we could pull them down Simpson. That didn’t work however because Dura Max and Ocelot weren’t planning on stopping at Chris’s so they were in no hurry and so Huntress took off after Nike and I ended up pulling Highlander to Winchester. When we got to Chris’s the ride more or less fell apart. Highlander didn’t stop and Dura Max and Ocelot stayed with him. Huntress and Nike decided to take off after them so only Surgeon, The Shadow and I stopped for coffee before heading home ourselves. We rode up to Stowe and then to California before coming out on Stetson and heading east. Surgeon left for home at Warren and The Shadow and I ended up riding together to Sanderson where we split for our own homes. I got back with 51 miles on the computer as a feeling that this indeed was a good day for a half century.