By: C. Kent, aka (Superman)
It is almost as if winter just doesn’t want to take its boney fingers out of our spring weather. We had one great warm day this week than then today it was time to put on the arm and leg warmers and in the case of some riders, the addition of jackets at least for the first part of the ride. Still I had hopes the overcast would burn off so I headed to burger King with high hopes.
I arrived and a bit smaller group then Wednesday showed up with Digger, Dura Max, Bloodhound, Gambler, MacGyver, D’Artagnon, Highlander, Centaur and I heading down to Acacia right at 9am.
As I have said before I don’t warm us as quickly in the cold so I was more than happy to let Bloodhound set our warm up pace to Kirby and then let him do most of the work to the railroad tracks. We were only looking at a ride of about 33 miles so I knew it could turn out to be a quick ride for some. I had dedicated myself to stay on sweep all day to make sure everyone had at least one rider with them. In the early part of the ride that is both easy and unnecessary because we use the warm up period to catch up on conversations from the last time we were together. Conversation seemed to be what was on most of our minds as we headed west on Cypress.
We were still moving at a reasonable clip as we rode through the housing tract and headed to the light on Sanderson and Johnston. We didn’t have long to wait at the light before we were heading south on Sanderson towards Domenigoni. Like most days that light was red and it made sure we were all in a group as we headed east towards State Street and Cactus Valley. Bloodhound was in the lead and took the A group up the marina road as I attended to the B group and headed for State. We kept a rather normal cruising pace as we headed south towards Cactus Valley road and the golf course.
I started to feel a bit better as my legs warmed up and we aimed at getting to Sage and the little hill just before the Baptist Church. As we got close to Sage Digger kicked it up a notch as if he wanted to hit the hill a little harder and he actually was in front for half of the climb. We crested the hill only a few yards apart and Highlander pulled up next to me while Digger and Dura Max fell back a few yards to catch their breath. Our next event would be the regroup between the A and B group at the end of Cactus Valley.
We didn’t have long to wait till Bloodhound crested the rise and joined us followed by Centaur, Gambler, D’Artagnon and MacGyver. It was at this point the group split up for good. When we started back towards Sage Bloodhound took the lead and Highlander fell in on his wheel. I noticed the A group forming to answer any break the two of them might make and I sat back with Dura Max and watched them go. We didn’t see much of anyone else till we caught Highlander, Bloodhound and Digger repairing Bloodhound’s bottle cage just before McSweeney. Once back onto State I expected a regroup but that didn’t happen and Dura Max and I watched the group fade into the distance. We finally caught Digger and rode with him to Stetson and finally to Fairview and south towards Wilson Mesa. The rest of the group was already heading north by the time we got to Wilson Mesa. We ended up following about a mile back all the way to Carl’s.
Once we sat down for coffee it wasn’t long before the group broke up to head home. MacGyver and Centaur headed out first and when the rest of us mounted up D’Artagnon headed south towards Acacia and home. The rest of us went up to Lincoln and headed west where riders fell off one by one.
Gambler left, followed by Dura Max and finally Bloodhound once we got to Yale. I stayed with Highlander and Digger as we rode past the hospital and down to Santa Fe before turning west again and making it through the light at State. Digger and I split off at Palm leaving Highlander on his own. I got home will just over 33 miles on the computer and just the beginning of a clearing of the skies as finally the sun started to burn through the over cast. Still what better day can someone have than to be out with friends on a bicycle in the open air?
As I have said before I don’t warm us as quickly in the cold so I was more than happy to let Bloodhound set our warm up pace to Kirby and then let him do most of the work to the railroad tracks. We were only looking at a ride of about 33 miles so I knew it could turn out to be a quick ride for some. I had dedicated myself to stay on sweep all day to make sure everyone had at least one rider with them. In the early part of the ride that is both easy and unnecessary because we use the warm up period to catch up on conversations from the last time we were together. Conversation seemed to be what was on most of our minds as we headed west on Cypress.
We were still moving at a reasonable clip as we rode through the housing tract and headed to the light on Sanderson and Johnston. We didn’t have long to wait at the light before we were heading south on Sanderson towards Domenigoni. Like most days that light was red and it made sure we were all in a group as we headed east towards State Street and Cactus Valley. Bloodhound was in the lead and took the A group up the marina road as I attended to the B group and headed for State. We kept a rather normal cruising pace as we headed south towards Cactus Valley road and the golf course.
I started to feel a bit better as my legs warmed up and we aimed at getting to Sage and the little hill just before the Baptist Church. As we got close to Sage Digger kicked it up a notch as if he wanted to hit the hill a little harder and he actually was in front for half of the climb. We crested the hill only a few yards apart and Highlander pulled up next to me while Digger and Dura Max fell back a few yards to catch their breath. Our next event would be the regroup between the A and B group at the end of Cactus Valley.
We didn’t have long to wait till Bloodhound crested the rise and joined us followed by Centaur, Gambler, D’Artagnon and MacGyver. It was at this point the group split up for good. When we started back towards Sage Bloodhound took the lead and Highlander fell in on his wheel. I noticed the A group forming to answer any break the two of them might make and I sat back with Dura Max and watched them go. We didn’t see much of anyone else till we caught Highlander, Bloodhound and Digger repairing Bloodhound’s bottle cage just before McSweeney. Once back onto State I expected a regroup but that didn’t happen and Dura Max and I watched the group fade into the distance. We finally caught Digger and rode with him to Stetson and finally to Fairview and south towards Wilson Mesa. The rest of the group was already heading north by the time we got to Wilson Mesa. We ended up following about a mile back all the way to Carl’s.
Once we sat down for coffee it wasn’t long before the group broke up to head home. MacGyver and Centaur headed out first and when the rest of us mounted up D’Artagnon headed south towards Acacia and home. The rest of us went up to Lincoln and headed west where riders fell off one by one.
Gambler left, followed by Dura Max and finally Bloodhound once we got to Yale. I stayed with Highlander and Digger as we rode past the hospital and down to Santa Fe before turning west again and making it through the light at State. Digger and I split off at Palm leaving Highlander on his own. I got home will just over 33 miles on the computer and just the beginning of a clearing of the skies as finally the sun started to burn through the over cast. Still what better day can someone have than to be out with friends on a bicycle in the open air?
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