By: C. Kent, aka (Superman)
4/17/13
I know we do not live in the land of the Navajo but we do live in a valley once populated by some of their North American brothers. So today’s ride report should be of no real surprise to any of you. But if it is new to you I will try to explain. Since DVV has been together we have ridden in the heat, cold, fog and even some rain. Our riders have faced the local weather spirits and come home victorious time after time. Our A Group has gotten faster and faster until they almost have the wings of Mercury on their road shoes. The B Group is about where the A group was two years ago and the C group has the steady persistence of a Locomotive moving across the plains States. In fact I think we may have gotten just a little over confident. And here is where our story begins.
I was dreaming the other night when Navajo Spirit Nilch’i (wind god) came to me and said the local weather spirits had come to the 4 corner States and asked for the Navajo wind God to come and challenge our group so that we would stop being so proud and give more respect to the local weather spirits and stay home when the weather isn’t perfect. To tell the truth Nilch’i looked a bit like Surgeon and he already stays home on most non perfect days. But I digress. I accepted the challenge with the one caveat that Nilch’i could only oppose from one direction at a time. He could not have the other three winds waiting for us if we got past the one of his choosing and that wind would have to move around us if it planned to oppose us. The deal was made and I got up and got dressed get to Burger King early.
I got to the meeting place early but I was soon joined by Digger and Dura Max. Highlander decided to join the fight as did Gambler, Bulldozer and Bloodhound. Next came Dragon Slayer, Surgeon, (proving he wasn’t Nilch’i) and MacGyver followed by Huntress and T-3. It was time to make our first move. We rolled out onto Latham and rode up to Lyon to ride north.
There was only a slight breath of wind as we moved north but we had a plan to confuse Nilch’i. We had sent Dura Max and T-3 out first to fool Nilch’i into committing early so we could organize an attack of our own. It seemed to because all the way up Lyon we seemed free to ride as if it was a perfect day. The only clue about the war about to be waged was it was cold even in the sun. Still we easily rolled past Esplanade and the Seventh and Cottonwood as if nothing could go wrong. But little did we know a lot could go wrong once we got out onto the Expressway. I took us to Ramona Boulevard and west towards Sanderson.
I took us onto the Expressway and started the pull towards Warren. I could see Dura Max and T-3 in the distance and I began to feel a breath of cold air in my face. I got about half way to Warren and signaled to give up the lead. Dragon Slayer had to come from about five riders back to take the lead and he brought several riders with him. I ended up following Digger just in front of Gambler and Bulldozer. Dragon Slayer got to Warren just about the time the light turned red. He was thinking it was a three way stop and decided to run it not knowing the close call we have had at that light before. All but 4 of us went with him and the 4 of us stopped and waited for the green. We took off again once we had the green when Bulldozer and Gambler pulled around to try and pull us up to the rest of the group.
It was about there that Nilch’i attacked us head on. We were spread out enough that he couldn’t cover us all and I don’t believe he counted on how powerful Bulldozer and Gambler were. Still Digger took it hard and we began to fall back just about the time the golden retriever tried to jump us. Dura Max and T-3 had to pull over and replace a chain so I pulled over to pick them up. I could see our group was spreading out as we headed into the teeth of a 14 knot wind. Bloodhound was failing and needed relief so I hunched over and pulled our small group towards the Valero station on Lakeview. I don’t know how far behind the main group we were but we got to the station for a regroup and a critique of the plan s far. Nilch’i couldn’t see us under the roofline of the station so he didn’t have time to move in front of us before we came out onto Lakeview and headed towards Nuevo.
We found him waiting for us at Nuevo but a quick jog on Ramona Avenue and we were hidden by the trees as we regrouped onto Central.
Central was a different story. We got hit hard on Central heading to Menifee. Here is where planning had to work or Nilch’i would swing around and hammer up all the way down Menifee and have just enough time to get us again on Simpson. We broke into three groups so that Nilch’i would have to move from front to back to get us all because he couldn’t use the east, west or south wind to help him. Here is where we win all the marbles or he stomps us into the pavement. The Fast boys hit Menifee hard and the wind moved forward to hit them on the front corner. But they were much stronger than he believed them to be and they were moving faster than he thought so when he moved back to attack those of us in the back he misjudged our position and ended up behind us. Now the chase was on.
We regrouped at Florida and Menifee while Nilch’i was still looking for the back group at Mapes. Once he realized his mistake he rushed headlong south trying to get past us and cut us off from Simpson. Dura Max and T-3 had past us by as we regrouped so they were most of the way to the railroad tracks before we got started. Bulldozer and Gambler took off on a fast sprint south and the main pack wasn’t that far behind. I started to work with MacGyver and made a hard run towards McCall with Highlander, Surgeon, Huntress, Bloodhound and Dragon Slayer close behind. Nilch’i caught us as we past Dura Max and T-3 but he had to rush on by chasing Gambler and Bulldozer. That allowed MacGyver and I to close slightly on Gambler and Bulldozer, they were already at McCall and at least one of them had started the climb. But we caught the light and had to wait. I took off on an attack of the hill after the light turned but had to slow at the top where Dragon Slayer, Bloodhound and MacGyver past me. A few strokes later Surgeon pulled in front of me and turned the corner on Simpson first.
I got back in front of Surgeon and started to Lindenburger and beyond. Highlander finally pulled Huntress up behind us just before Leon where surgeon and I turned towards the Dump road. Highlander, Huntress and Digger stayed on Simpson while surgeon and I closed on Bloodhound, MacGyver and Dragon Slayer. The five of us rode together in a wind shadow almost all the way to Winchester to regroup with everyone but Dura Max and T-3.
In all reality we had beaten Nilch’i today. Yes we had to ride down Domenigoni and Nilch’i tried to get in front of us but once again we out maneuvered him when MacGyver started to pick up the pace on the way to Warren, Gambler, Bulldozer and Dragon Slayer went with him while Huntress, Highlander, Bloodhound, Surgeon and Digger stayed with me to the dry wash. We caught MacGyver turning on Warren and continued on with a much weaker Nilch’i in out face. He couldn’t stay there so he moved back to the north to wait for us to turn on Sanderson. But it was a defeated wind that we were facing. Several personal records had been set today and we can only hope Nilch’i goes back to the 4 corner states, and stays there.
There was only a slight breath of wind as we moved north but we had a plan to confuse Nilch’i. We had sent Dura Max and T-3 out first to fool Nilch’i into committing early so we could organize an attack of our own. It seemed to because all the way up Lyon we seemed free to ride as if it was a perfect day. The only clue about the war about to be waged was it was cold even in the sun. Still we easily rolled past Esplanade and the Seventh and Cottonwood as if nothing could go wrong. But little did we know a lot could go wrong once we got out onto the Expressway. I took us to Ramona Boulevard and west towards Sanderson.
I took us onto the Expressway and started the pull towards Warren. I could see Dura Max and T-3 in the distance and I began to feel a breath of cold air in my face. I got about half way to Warren and signaled to give up the lead. Dragon Slayer had to come from about five riders back to take the lead and he brought several riders with him. I ended up following Digger just in front of Gambler and Bulldozer. Dragon Slayer got to Warren just about the time the light turned red. He was thinking it was a three way stop and decided to run it not knowing the close call we have had at that light before. All but 4 of us went with him and the 4 of us stopped and waited for the green. We took off again once we had the green when Bulldozer and Gambler pulled around to try and pull us up to the rest of the group.
It was about there that Nilch’i attacked us head on. We were spread out enough that he couldn’t cover us all and I don’t believe he counted on how powerful Bulldozer and Gambler were. Still Digger took it hard and we began to fall back just about the time the golden retriever tried to jump us. Dura Max and T-3 had to pull over and replace a chain so I pulled over to pick them up. I could see our group was spreading out as we headed into the teeth of a 14 knot wind. Bloodhound was failing and needed relief so I hunched over and pulled our small group towards the Valero station on Lakeview. I don’t know how far behind the main group we were but we got to the station for a regroup and a critique of the plan s far. Nilch’i couldn’t see us under the roofline of the station so he didn’t have time to move in front of us before we came out onto Lakeview and headed towards Nuevo.
We found him waiting for us at Nuevo but a quick jog on Ramona Avenue and we were hidden by the trees as we regrouped onto Central.
Central was a different story. We got hit hard on Central heading to Menifee. Here is where planning had to work or Nilch’i would swing around and hammer up all the way down Menifee and have just enough time to get us again on Simpson. We broke into three groups so that Nilch’i would have to move from front to back to get us all because he couldn’t use the east, west or south wind to help him. Here is where we win all the marbles or he stomps us into the pavement. The Fast boys hit Menifee hard and the wind moved forward to hit them on the front corner. But they were much stronger than he believed them to be and they were moving faster than he thought so when he moved back to attack those of us in the back he misjudged our position and ended up behind us. Now the chase was on.
We regrouped at Florida and Menifee while Nilch’i was still looking for the back group at Mapes. Once he realized his mistake he rushed headlong south trying to get past us and cut us off from Simpson. Dura Max and T-3 had past us by as we regrouped so they were most of the way to the railroad tracks before we got started. Bulldozer and Gambler took off on a fast sprint south and the main pack wasn’t that far behind. I started to work with MacGyver and made a hard run towards McCall with Highlander, Surgeon, Huntress, Bloodhound and Dragon Slayer close behind. Nilch’i caught us as we past Dura Max and T-3 but he had to rush on by chasing Gambler and Bulldozer. That allowed MacGyver and I to close slightly on Gambler and Bulldozer, they were already at McCall and at least one of them had started the climb. But we caught the light and had to wait. I took off on an attack of the hill after the light turned but had to slow at the top where Dragon Slayer, Bloodhound and MacGyver past me. A few strokes later Surgeon pulled in front of me and turned the corner on Simpson first.
I got back in front of Surgeon and started to Lindenburger and beyond. Highlander finally pulled Huntress up behind us just before Leon where surgeon and I turned towards the Dump road. Highlander, Huntress and Digger stayed on Simpson while surgeon and I closed on Bloodhound, MacGyver and Dragon Slayer. The five of us rode together in a wind shadow almost all the way to Winchester to regroup with everyone but Dura Max and T-3.
In all reality we had beaten Nilch’i today. Yes we had to ride down Domenigoni and Nilch’i tried to get in front of us but once again we out maneuvered him when MacGyver started to pick up the pace on the way to Warren, Gambler, Bulldozer and Dragon Slayer went with him while Huntress, Highlander, Bloodhound, Surgeon and Digger stayed with me to the dry wash. We caught MacGyver turning on Warren and continued on with a much weaker Nilch’i in out face. He couldn’t stay there so he moved back to the north to wait for us to turn on Sanderson. But it was a defeated wind that we were facing. Several personal records had been set today and we can only hope Nilch’i goes back to the 4 corner states, and stays there.
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