4/01/2013
By: C. Kent, aka (Superman)
I was just a bit drowsy when I had to get up this morning. After taking a week off and just getting up with nothing to do till I felt like it spoiled me. But I was looking forward to today’s dire and I was pulling for a nice day. After having breakfast and getting dressed I was out the door and went right back in to get my arm warmers. It was a lot cooler than I expected and all I could hope for now was no wind. I went back outside and headed for Burger King.
Digger was waiting for me with coffee in hand. Once Dura Max pulled up we had the parking lot to ourselves for almost 15 minutes. Before 9am we had Highlander, Tax Man, Bulldozer, T-3 and a new rider Phil heading down Gilmore towards Acacia
The problem I have with cool mornings is it takes about 15 miles before my legs come alive. Until then I am riding on pure muscle memory and I have to push a bigger gear than I like just keep up. Still I was able to lead us to Kirby and then south to Cypress and west towards Johnston and Sanderson. We made a quick stop so I could change batteries in my camera and then continued to the stop light. We didn’t have to wait long before the light turned green and we were heading south again towards Mustang and the High School.
It was here that it was clear that Bulldozer was going to turn this ride into a solo speed run, at least for him. The rest of us just watched as he smoothly pulled away into the distance. But we had been joined by Coyote back on Cypress so the group didn’t get any smaller. By the time we got to Warren Bulldozer was long gone and the group started to stretch a bit. It snapped shortly after the downhill over the dry wash where Coyote and Phil pulled away and Highlander fell back to ride sweep. I luxuriated in the draft behind Tax Man and digger all the way to the saddle. We met up with Coyote and Phil and after a short break dropped off the saddle heading for Menifee.
We got a bit mixed up at the light on Menifee but soon we were all back together and heading for the little park for a short nature stop. While Coyote and I were busy talking everyone else pulled out of the parking lot and headed for Holland and the little hill. Coyote pulled me up to the back of the fleeing group and to the top of the hill. I rejoined before we got to Garboni and started the run to Scott.
For good or bad we had a gap between the leaders and trailers by the time we rounded onto Scott so I started to soft pedal to let everyone come back together. we past the horses and the dirt jumps and headed to Antelope and just made it through the light green. We weren’t as lucky at the light on top of the freeway overpass and once we got through that light Highlander pulled us to Haun where we regrouped before starting north towards Holland again. Highlander started us out pretty fast and I took a short turn just before we crossed Holland and headed for Newport and our short refueling stop.
All we had left was the ride west to Bradley and then over to McCall. As soon as we turned onto Bradley I took over and pulled about as well as I could on Strava segment called Golf Cart Racing. I was still in the lead as we headed for Hospital Hill and as I looked back I could see we were stretched out just a bit as we came up to the Valero Station. I signaled for a stop to regroup but just as I put my foot down everyone past me as if I was a relative looking for money, everyone but Coyote because he had already turned for home. I followed and managed to catch about half of the group before we regrouped at the top of the hill. Once we were back on our way I chased Highlander through the light at Menifee and we made the turn onto Heritage. Our next stop would be Chris’s after making a group run east on Simpson.
After a quick coffee and some conversation we were back on the road heading up Winchester to Stowe and east again.
It wasn’t going to be a restful run to California it was going to be a hard pull all the way. So I simply lowered my head and pulled again till we got to California and to turned north. I stayed out front as we got down to Stetson and headed east. I pulled form a little while longer before turning it over to Highlander and Tax Man and dropping back to ride with Digger.
Once we got back to Warren I started my 3 mile spin down to rest my legs and watched Highlander take Tax Man and Digger to the airport while I had to try and close on Phil who had missed the turn. Once I got up to him I discovered he lived off of the same street that I did so we rode together to Palm and separated at my street where I got home with 40 miles on the computer.
The problem I have with cool mornings is it takes about 15 miles before my legs come alive. Until then I am riding on pure muscle memory and I have to push a bigger gear than I like just keep up. Still I was able to lead us to Kirby and then south to Cypress and west towards Johnston and Sanderson. We made a quick stop so I could change batteries in my camera and then continued to the stop light. We didn’t have to wait long before the light turned green and we were heading south again towards Mustang and the High School.
It was here that it was clear that Bulldozer was going to turn this ride into a solo speed run, at least for him. The rest of us just watched as he smoothly pulled away into the distance. But we had been joined by Coyote back on Cypress so the group didn’t get any smaller. By the time we got to Warren Bulldozer was long gone and the group started to stretch a bit. It snapped shortly after the downhill over the dry wash where Coyote and Phil pulled away and Highlander fell back to ride sweep. I luxuriated in the draft behind Tax Man and digger all the way to the saddle. We met up with Coyote and Phil and after a short break dropped off the saddle heading for Menifee.
We got a bit mixed up at the light on Menifee but soon we were all back together and heading for the little park for a short nature stop. While Coyote and I were busy talking everyone else pulled out of the parking lot and headed for Holland and the little hill. Coyote pulled me up to the back of the fleeing group and to the top of the hill. I rejoined before we got to Garboni and started the run to Scott.
For good or bad we had a gap between the leaders and trailers by the time we rounded onto Scott so I started to soft pedal to let everyone come back together. we past the horses and the dirt jumps and headed to Antelope and just made it through the light green. We weren’t as lucky at the light on top of the freeway overpass and once we got through that light Highlander pulled us to Haun where we regrouped before starting north towards Holland again. Highlander started us out pretty fast and I took a short turn just before we crossed Holland and headed for Newport and our short refueling stop.
All we had left was the ride west to Bradley and then over to McCall. As soon as we turned onto Bradley I took over and pulled about as well as I could on Strava segment called Golf Cart Racing. I was still in the lead as we headed for Hospital Hill and as I looked back I could see we were stretched out just a bit as we came up to the Valero Station. I signaled for a stop to regroup but just as I put my foot down everyone past me as if I was a relative looking for money, everyone but Coyote because he had already turned for home. I followed and managed to catch about half of the group before we regrouped at the top of the hill. Once we were back on our way I chased Highlander through the light at Menifee and we made the turn onto Heritage. Our next stop would be Chris’s after making a group run east on Simpson.
After a quick coffee and some conversation we were back on the road heading up Winchester to Stowe and east again.
It wasn’t going to be a restful run to California it was going to be a hard pull all the way. So I simply lowered my head and pulled again till we got to California and to turned north. I stayed out front as we got down to Stetson and headed east. I pulled form a little while longer before turning it over to Highlander and Tax Man and dropping back to ride with Digger.
Once we got back to Warren I started my 3 mile spin down to rest my legs and watched Highlander take Tax Man and Digger to the airport while I had to try and close on Phil who had missed the turn. Once I got up to him I discovered he lived off of the same street that I did so we rode together to Palm and separated at my street where I got home with 40 miles on the computer.
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