8/6/2012 By: C. Kent, aka (Superman) The plan today was to take it easy and get back before it got too hot. I figured a ride of about 38 miles should work and I also thought it should be relatively flat. Things didn’t start out just like I wanted however because I first got up later than I planned and second forgot to set up the coffee pot before I went to bed the night before. I had breakfast and got dressed, no time for stretching or sit ups today and headed out of the door to ride to Burger King and meet with the club. I got to the parking lot to find Dura Max, Tax Man and Highlander getting their bikes ready. Phoenix drove up without Centaur and Nike pulled up a few minutes later. The Shadow and Surgeon rode up next with Torpedo and Goliath followed moments later. We could feel it starting to warm up so right at 8am we left the parking lot and headed for Acacia and over to Kirby to see if we could beat the heat. With little or no fanfare we were on Cypress.

We chatted easily as we moved through the housing tract and got ready to turn onto Johnston only to catch the light at Sanderson. Once we got the green I got a bit of a jump and pulled away from the group as we crossed Stetson and past by Wally World. I also knew that once Torpedo got in front of us on Domenigoni it was going to be hard to keep up with him. It didn’t matter to me because I had already decided to hold back and keep our pace down to about 20 even if others took off after Torpedo.

Much as I had suspected Torpedo and The Shadow started to pick things up to about 23 and the rest of us fell back. By Warren Surgeon, Goliath and Highlander started to pull away as well and I ended up pulling the rest of the group as we slipped farther and farther behind because 21 MPH wasn’t going to get it and 23 would blow up the rest of the group. At Winchester the three breakaway riders got the light red and the rest of us pulled up behind them. We all lined up behind Surgeon, Highlander, and Goliath and followed them to Leon where Surgeon gave up the lead and fell back. Highlander pulled us to the last light before the saddle before turning it over to Goliath. I had to work my way up behind him and catch his wheel as he started a great spin to start us up the hill. I lucked out and had the right gear as he slowed slightly and managed to slip by just before the top of the saddle. We regrouped and headed down the other side not wanting to take too long in case it got hotter.

As we coasted down the hill and closed in on Lindenburger I knew the next part of the ride is not a favorite with many of the group. There is no problem with Menifee itself and everyone is pretty relaxed as we close in on the school and Park. But once we can see the hill on the other side of Holland conversation tapers off and people start looking serious. So far I had been feeling pretty good about our climbs today and managed to stay in my big ring all the way to the stop sign at the top of what Strave calls Revive climb and waited for the rest of the group that was pretty close behind and we continued on.

With Torpedo and The Shadow gone there was no reason that I could see to press the pace as we turned onto Scott so I was more than happy to follow Tax man as he took us to Antelope and once again had to wait on the light. When it changed Tax Man and Surgeon took off and quickly rolled over the hill at the light and led us to Haun. I waited till everyone has pulled into line before moving to the front and leading us all the way back to Holland where Goliath took over and pulled us to Newport. We stopped at Circle K and then Highlander took us to Bradley and headed us to McCall.

Highlander, Tax man and Surgeon past me and turned onto McCall first and stayed in front all the way over the freeway. As we started down towards the Valero gas station Tax man took off and attacked McCall. Surgeon went with him and past him by Highpoint and I dropped in on Goliath’s wheel till we got to the false summit where I realized I should back off and regrouped with everyone else before starting down McCall and through the light at Menifee to make the turn on Heritage. We passed a hand cyclist at the corner and it was my turn to lead us towards Lindenburger.

All we had left was the run east on Simpson and a short stop at Chris’s. Phoenix let me know she wouldn’t be stopping because she had an appointment as we formed a pace line and headed east at about 19 or 20. By Leon Goliath took over the lead and took us all the way to Winchester. We managed to get through the light and head north and watched as Phoenix and Dura Max continued on towards Stowe. The rest of us stopped to meet with The Shadow and learned that Torpedo had already gone home. We sat and talked for a few minutes before we headed north on Winchester and turned on Stowe ourselves.

Surgeon, Highlander, Tax Man and Goliath were well out in front of Nike and I and pulling away. They did slack off a bit and I managed to close on them with Nike on my wheel. We all rounded the corner together and quickly rolled down to Stetson and back east. Surgeon left us at Warren and I took us to the Airport road where Tax Man started to pull away again. I stayed with him and we all came out on Sanderson together. I got us down to Lowes and we worked our way around the back to get out onto Acacia.

Tax Man took off again but we caught him at the light on Kirby and everyone came back together. Goliath had left us at Sanderson so it was just Nike, Highlander, Tax Man, the Shadow and I got back to Burger King together. I finished off my water bottle and wished everyone goodbye as The Shadow and I rode back down Latham to Palm and home. I got to my house and The Shadow continued on to Stetson and then to his home. Buy we didn’t beat the heat because it had been registering 114 off of the pavement before we got to Lowes. Still it was a good ride with good friends.