By: C. Kent, aka (Superman) It was the start of another week and one week closer to the Tour de Palm Springs. Wednesdays will be the big ride days but there was no reason we couldn’t put in a few miles to Lake Perris and back. I posted the ride and got out the Klein because it was going to be a rather flat ride. I headed for Burger King for some coffee on a rather cool but clear day. As Digger and I had coffee the rest of the riders started to show up. Sasquatch, Bloodhound, Daredevil, MacGyver, Akira, Dragon Slayer, Highlander and Newsboy were all there by 9am and ready to head down Gilmore to Acacia and then to Kirby and turn south.

Truthfully I was just a bit tired and wasn’t ready for a quick take off before warming as we seemed to be doing this morning by the time we turned onto Cypress. Bloodhound made the turn onto Sanderson with Dragon Slayer in tow while the rest of us got caught at the light. We found Dragon slayer waiting for us right past Wally World and caught up to Bloodhound by the time we got to Mustang. Bloodhound took off at the light and Newsboy followed him and Daredevil. When we rounded the corner onto Domenigoni Daredevil slowed everything down till we were all in line and then we chased Bloodhound to the rise before starting a pace line at Warren. We more or less held together to Winchester before starting the final run at the saddle. We were rolling along pretty well until Leon where I kicked it up a notch till we got to the base of the saddle and pulled off to watch the sprint to the top for a regroup.

The Lake Perris ride is a bit longer than some of our rides but it is also uncomplicated. We had Highlander lead us off of the back side of the saddle and onto Lindenburger. As we headed towards Simpson first MacGyver took off to run the segment. Soon Newsboy chased him followed by Bloodhound and Akira. Finally Daredevil took off after them. In fact Sasquatch started to chase them as well so I just pulled Higlander and Digger up to his back wheel and we caug everyone else at the light on Simpson. Next we made our way to McCall and out onto Menifee to head north to the AM/PM for a quick break.

There would be no stopping again till we got to Nuevo. Once we were ready to head north on Menifee you could almost feel the energy in the riders knowing the pace was going to get hectic once we got past Mapes. Bloodhound started us out running uphill at about 20 and right after Mapes Dragon slayer took over the pull. As we dropped off of the rise the run was on and soon we were moving rapidly north towards Central. I took my turn at the front and soon MacGyver, Dragon Slayer, Bloodhound and Daredevil rolled by me as well. I got back on and went threw the stop sign to reclose on Daredevil and follow him to Central. It was a mass sprint from Central to Nuevo with us five abreast at times. We had once short regroup at Nuevo and then headed for Evans and another regroup at the stop sign on Orange.

Things didn’t realize all that much as we headed north again to get to Ramona. After making the turn we headed for the lake entrance where Newsboy and I stopped to wait for Highlander, Digger and Sasquatch. We still had the climb to the marina and we gave Highlander a head start while Newsboy and I rode with Digger and Sasquatch up to the frontage road. Only six of us stopped at the Marina for a break and it seemed as if Bloodhound, Dragon Slayer, Daredevil and MacGyver had headed for home. My group with Highlander, Akira, Newsboy, Digger and Sasquatch headed for the bike path and out to Ramona.

Highlander and I a big jump on the rest of the group getting out onto the Expressway and so we had to wait at Lakeview till they caught up. Once back on the road heading east I started a pull that took us all the way back to Bridge where Akira and Newsboy jumped around me in a sprint. They got caught at the light on Warren and I pulled again to Sanderson and south. We stayed on Sanderson till it looked like Highlander had a flat. But it must have been a small hole because he just added some air and we were back on our way to Cottonwood. Newsboy and Akira kept jumping off at the stoplights and sprinting ahead. Finally at Esplanade they jumped off and I dropped in on their wheel till I could get a big gear spinning and pulled out front. I left everyone at Devonshire and headed for my bank before heading home for hot shower and a dag walk. It was a bit faster than a Century pace but it was a good ride none the less.