9/21/2012 By: C. Kent, aka (Superman) We have been putting some good miles over the last two weeks and I wanted to ease it up a bit this Friday. The thing is we are getting stronger as a group and everyone seems to want to put in the extra miles. Huntress had us doing Half Centuries and Metric Centuries for the last two Wednesdays and Highlander has been pushing for west rides all week. SO today I tried to make a big square going first west and then east so we could have a rather flat ride. There is a drawback to flat rides however in that sometimes the group picks up the pace when it is flat and sprints pop up when you least expect it. So with that in mind I headed for Burger King with only slightly tired legs, two bottles of water and a pocket full of Shot Blocks. The whole group showed up on time so we had Huntress, Gambler, Highlander, Bloodhound, Dura Ace, T-3 and Digger pulling out onto Gilmore and down to Acacia to start the ride.

I knew it would be a fast ride as soon as we turned onto Kirby and started towards Cypress. Gambler and Bloodhound would both be pushing the pace on the sprint points and it looked like Huntress and Highlander planned on chasing them leaving me back in the pack with Dura Ace. T-3 and Digger as the B group. As we turned west on Cypress Bloodhound pulled up next to me but didn’t pass so I knew everyone was just waiting for the right time to make their move when the first sprint popped up. We turned north on Sanderson and headed back west at the first light to ride past the Airport and back out onto Stetson but they were still willing to let me lead.

It wasn’t till we were past Warren and almost to California that Gambler rolled by me with Huntress on his back wheel. Half way to Stowe Highlander sprinted around me and the three of them started to pull away from the group. I decided I had enough steam left to close on Highlander and Bloodhound followed me to the back of the breakaway. I was still testing my legs and heart rate from the week before but I felt pretty good as we turned west on Stowe and Gambler started to increase the pace heading for Winchester. Highlander and Huntress stayed with him until he hit about 26 and one of them pulled off and I had t try and close. That only pulled Bloodhound up to Gambler and then he pulled around me and I got dropped until we regrouped at Winchester. We turned south on Winchester and quickly made our way to the Dump road and headed west again.

As we moved west on the Dump Road Dura Max took over the lead and started a run at Leon. We past the Western Arena and Dura Max was holding a pretty good pace as we came up to the rise before Leon. Neither Dura Max nor T-3 slowed down for the rise at all and son we were over it and coming up on Leon. I felt well enough to take the lead and dropped down to pull us to Briggs and head north towards Florida.

Bloodhound took us through the housing tract and then back out onto Briggs and north. He was still in the lead at Florida were we all caught the light and had to wait till a car came and tripped it so we could continue on towards the elementary school and then Mapes. Bloodhound pushed it just a bit but I couldn’t relax and let him go because Highlander and Huntress were right behind me like hungry dogs looking at a steak. So I kept the spin up and made it to Mapes just behind Bloodhound. I pushed it till I got on Bloodhounds back wheel and followed him as he tried to drop the hammer on me. It didn’t work this time because I had the draft going for me and managed to out drag race him on the way to Menifee. Highlander, Bloodhound and Huntress were in front of me and Gambler was way back as we picked up speed heading for Florida. Gambler started to drop the hammer but I saw him coming and managed to catch him just before we got the AM/PM. We refueled and rehydrated while Dura Max and T-3 kept going. We left a few minutes later and started a chase that lasted for more than 15 miles. Gambler, Bloodhound, Huntress and Digger were well out in front as we pulled away from the light at McCall and Highlander and I took a bit longer to get rolling. However I caught Digger and ended up rounding the corner on Simpson just behind Huntress. We all caught Gambler and Bloodhound at Lindenburger before we dropped down to Domenigone and over the saddle to begin the long pull east. We past Winchester with Gambler in the lead and we followed him all the way past the dry wash and Warren. Our next regroup would be at Searl but we were pretty much on a group all the way there.

While we regrouped we hydrated some more and I downed some more shot blocks to keep the blood sugar up took off for State Street side by side with Huntress. She wasn’t going to give me any rest today and she kept the pressure on all the way to State and made the turn north to start the State mile sprint. However things didn’t go as some had planned. Highlander was planning on me pulling all the way to the rise where Gambler, Highlander and Huntress would have swooped by me like I was rolling backwards as I would have been out of gas. But I fell back in the pack to talk with Gambler. Highlander tried t cover for Huntress as she got ready to make a breakaway But Gambler noticed her getting up on the pedals and started a chase. She was off the front way too early and gambler was quickly on her back wheel and building speed. But this time I was in a good position to stay in his draft all the way to the rise where I could pull around and pull away. By the time we turned onto Chambers I was getting pretty tired and wasn’t looking forward to any more sprints.

We moved out onto Stetson and stayed on that street as we past Columbia and then past the High school. Huntress tried to jump past me on the little hill and caused me to burn another of limited number of matches. As we closed in on Lake Gambler must have spotted T-3 and Dura Max well down Stetson and heading for Fairview. He pushed the pace in pursuit and I managed to hang on till we had dropped Highlander and Digger. As we rounded the corner onto Fairview Gambler continued on the chase and Huntress followed soft pedaling. I waited for Highlander and Digger and towed them to Florida where we gave chase to Gambler and the fleeing Dura Max ad T-3. T-3 flatted at the Carl’s driveway but she pushed the bike to the restaurant and we had cold drinks before fixing it and heading home.

We finally pulled out of the parking lot once we got a good tube on T-3s wheel and headed up New Chicago to Lincoln to start home. After about a block on Lincoln Gambler broke off and headed for home but everyone else stayed with us and headed back towards Park chatting away about what a good ride it had been and what kind of ride people wanted for next week.

We moved around Park and made the jog onto Devonshire and west towards Santa Fe. For a change Highlander didn’t get a chance to pull away from the rest of us at a light or stop sign so we made the turn on Santa Fe together and rolled up onto State at the red light. We cruised to Palm where Digger and I left the group heading for our homes. I got home with 46 miles on the computer and some rather tired legs. But I felt good and was happy to have been with good friends, even the ones faster than me.