3/11/2013
By: C. Kent, aka (Superman)
What a glorious morning it was as I looked outside after the sun came up. I was feeling very relaxed after a long weekend and was looking forward to getting in a longer ride than normal. I casually had breakfast and got my kit on and pockets stocked with shot blocks and fiber bars. I stuck the Heed in a bottle and put in the freezer and sat down to watch the news. By a bit after 8am I moved out to put my shoes on and snapped the Garmin in place and made sure the camera was ready and headed to Burger King. I got there to find Digger walking out with a cup of coffee. He took one look at my bike and commented on my lack of a water bottle. That turned into a sprint home and back to meet with the group by 8:15am.
By 9am there were 11 of us heading out of the parking lot and down Gilmore to Acacia. As we crossed Florida we picked up Shadow dressed like it was the middle of winter. He fell in on the back of the group and we turned west to Kirby. Heading towards the railroad tracks I could see Bloodhound, Digger, Dura Max and Bulldozer following right behind me.
We made it to Cypress and turned west so I could get a look at the rest of the group. Highlander seemed to be trying to move up on the far right as we rode through the housing tract and I could see Chinook, Artemis and Rocky just ahead of Red Rabbit. Behind then were Shadow and Dragon Slayer. We had a good sized group for so early in the year. However on a sad note it was about the last week we would have the Canadians with us. Still we were moving at a pretty good clip and we came out onto Johnston and stopped at the light on Sanderson. At the green we hit it hard towards Stetson but got stopped once again.
It was going to be interesting to see if the group could stay together on Domenigoni because for the last few weeks we have blown apart like a watermelon at a Gallagher show. Some of you will have to look up Gallagher but take my word for it the watermelon explodes. However for some reason we stuck together like glue past Warren and over the dry wash. Bloodhound made a run for it but I held back to save the pace line and before he made a big gap Shadow went by me giving chase. Bulldozer went next and Dragon Slayer started to follow. He held up however and ended up pulling us most of the way to Winchester. I came around him with Highlander on my wheel just before Winchester where I noticed Coyote was waiting for us. We caught Bloodhound and Shadow at Winchester because they caught the red and I hit it perfectly to blow by them and started to close on Bulldozer who looked to be soft pedaling. The group stayed together till the sprint up the saddle. We started to regroup and wait for any stragglers but three or four riders went ahead to the park on Menifee for a nature break.
As soon as we were all back together we dropped off the back side of the saddle and turned onto Menifee to regroup at the park. Bloodhound and Dura Max continued on towards Scott.
Once over the hill past Holland and up to Scott we broke into smaller groups and I ended up with Digger and Red Rabbit. We were following Highlander and Dragon Slayer by about 200 yards but I couldn’t chance losing Red Rabbit like I did the past time we did this ride so I didn’t push closing on the people leading us. We made it to Max Gillis and crossed Winchester and more or less cruised to Pouroy before dropping down to Benton and regrouping at the Chevron on Winchester. We found Dura Max waiting for us. We thought the rest of the group had left without us but Coyote, known to the Navajo as the trickster, took them on an extra little jaunt before bringing them back to the Chevron. After everyone had downed a energy bar or shot block we were back on our way to Max Gillis and over to Leon.
We once again got separated at a stop light and once again I had Digger, Dura Max and Red Rabbit in my group heading north on Leon. Knowing that we were riding into whatever wind we did have I was very surprised at the pace we were able to set chasing the faster group to Scott again. To my surprise they were waiting for us at the corner before we turned west toward Menifee and then Antelope.
We collected everyone but Shadow because he had extended his ride south when we left him. I started us off west and picked up Highlander as we crested the rise and got back on the flat. Red Rabbit turned onto Menifee and I pulled our small group to Antelope and started us north. Highlander took over the pull and took us to the light starting the downhill towards the College. I got us back to Newport and then to Lindenburger where Dura Max left us. I took us to Simpson and then to Leon where Highlander took over and took us to Winchester. As we got to Chris’s I noticed some of our group had stopped so I signaled for a turn but Highlander had to continue on while Digger and I stopped to visit with Rocky, Shadow, Chinook, and Artemis. We took a quick break before heading to Stowe and home.
I was still impressed with how much energy I seemed to have left after 40 plus miles. We let the speed build slowly as we moved east and soon as I got out front and started the pull. Several cars past us as we rolled along and I had to move to the far right every few moments. Riding on the shoulder didn’t seem to bother me because I still felt like I had another 25 miles left in my legs. So I was still leading as we rounder the corner onto California.
We got onto Stetson and headed for Warren with Chinook and Rocky leading the way. They got us past the intersection and to the airport road where Rocky and I stayed on Stetson and the rest of the group went past the airport to Sanderson and home. Rocky and I worked our way to Johnston and headed east towards Lyon where Rocky said goodbye and I continued on to my street and home. 53 good miles on the clock and one of the first days in months I got to ride without arm and leg warmers, at least half of the ride.
We made it to Cypress and turned west so I could get a look at the rest of the group. Highlander seemed to be trying to move up on the far right as we rode through the housing tract and I could see Chinook, Artemis and Rocky just ahead of Red Rabbit. Behind then were Shadow and Dragon Slayer. We had a good sized group for so early in the year. However on a sad note it was about the last week we would have the Canadians with us. Still we were moving at a pretty good clip and we came out onto Johnston and stopped at the light on Sanderson. At the green we hit it hard towards Stetson but got stopped once again.
It was going to be interesting to see if the group could stay together on Domenigoni because for the last few weeks we have blown apart like a watermelon at a Gallagher show. Some of you will have to look up Gallagher but take my word for it the watermelon explodes. However for some reason we stuck together like glue past Warren and over the dry wash. Bloodhound made a run for it but I held back to save the pace line and before he made a big gap Shadow went by me giving chase. Bulldozer went next and Dragon Slayer started to follow. He held up however and ended up pulling us most of the way to Winchester. I came around him with Highlander on my wheel just before Winchester where I noticed Coyote was waiting for us. We caught Bloodhound and Shadow at Winchester because they caught the red and I hit it perfectly to blow by them and started to close on Bulldozer who looked to be soft pedaling. The group stayed together till the sprint up the saddle. We started to regroup and wait for any stragglers but three or four riders went ahead to the park on Menifee for a nature break.
As soon as we were all back together we dropped off the back side of the saddle and turned onto Menifee to regroup at the park. Bloodhound and Dura Max continued on towards Scott.
Once over the hill past Holland and up to Scott we broke into smaller groups and I ended up with Digger and Red Rabbit. We were following Highlander and Dragon Slayer by about 200 yards but I couldn’t chance losing Red Rabbit like I did the past time we did this ride so I didn’t push closing on the people leading us. We made it to Max Gillis and crossed Winchester and more or less cruised to Pouroy before dropping down to Benton and regrouping at the Chevron on Winchester. We found Dura Max waiting for us. We thought the rest of the group had left without us but Coyote, known to the Navajo as the trickster, took them on an extra little jaunt before bringing them back to the Chevron. After everyone had downed a energy bar or shot block we were back on our way to Max Gillis and over to Leon.
We once again got separated at a stop light and once again I had Digger, Dura Max and Red Rabbit in my group heading north on Leon. Knowing that we were riding into whatever wind we did have I was very surprised at the pace we were able to set chasing the faster group to Scott again. To my surprise they were waiting for us at the corner before we turned west toward Menifee and then Antelope.
We collected everyone but Shadow because he had extended his ride south when we left him. I started us off west and picked up Highlander as we crested the rise and got back on the flat. Red Rabbit turned onto Menifee and I pulled our small group to Antelope and started us north. Highlander took over the pull and took us to the light starting the downhill towards the College. I got us back to Newport and then to Lindenburger where Dura Max left us. I took us to Simpson and then to Leon where Highlander took over and took us to Winchester. As we got to Chris’s I noticed some of our group had stopped so I signaled for a turn but Highlander had to continue on while Digger and I stopped to visit with Rocky, Shadow, Chinook, and Artemis. We took a quick break before heading to Stowe and home.
I was still impressed with how much energy I seemed to have left after 40 plus miles. We let the speed build slowly as we moved east and soon as I got out front and started the pull. Several cars past us as we rolled along and I had to move to the far right every few moments. Riding on the shoulder didn’t seem to bother me because I still felt like I had another 25 miles left in my legs. So I was still leading as we rounder the corner onto California.
We got onto Stetson and headed for Warren with Chinook and Rocky leading the way. They got us past the intersection and to the airport road where Rocky and I stayed on Stetson and the rest of the group went past the airport to Sanderson and home. Rocky and I worked our way to Johnston and headed east towards Lyon where Rocky said goodbye and I continued on to my street and home. 53 good miles on the clock and one of the first days in months I got to ride without arm and leg warmers, at least half of the ride.
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