By: C. Kent, aka (Superman) It was a Friday before I had a metric Century planned in Redondo Beach and I decided to ride anyway. What, you might ask, makes that any different from any other Friday? Well for one thing I tend to not ride the day before any long out of town rides because I always end up chasing the big dogs and paying for it the next day. Today I was determined to take it easy and make it a short ride so I would be rested for Saturday. It remained to be seen if I would be successful. I was so eager that I got to the parking lot 10 minutes before Digger. By 8 am we had our group ready, 11 riders with 11 different ideas of what the Friday ride should be.

Ferret was with us today and we spent some time talking and catching up as we moved east on Latham and then North on Lyon with the other riders behind. Today’s big guns were Bulldozer and MacGyver and Ferret if he was up to it. Bloodhound would try to stay ahead of the other riders as long as he could and so I expected a fractured group almost from the start. Sure enough Bloodhound took off but we caught him at Esplanade where he took off again but with Ferret following him. The rest of the group followed me as we worked our way towards Ramona Boulevard.

As we worked our way to Seventh Street we started to close a bit on Bloodhound and Ferret but we got slowed at Cottonwood where a car almost rolled the Blind Spot with the trees when a car coming from the other direction tried to wave us through. It is a long straight street as we got to De Anza and made the jog onto Savoy. Behind me as we got to the corner were Highlander, Digger, Huntress, Surgeon, Closer, Minotaur, Centaur, MacGyver and Bulldozer. Surgeon pulled up to take the corner at Ramona first.

We casually worked our way east after I pulled out front again. At this point the ride has been what I call a cruise. Just fast enough to keep the leaders in sight but not so fast as to burn out my legs. It seemed as if everyone but Bloodhound and Ferret were pleased with the pace even if we just missed those tow at State Street and closed in on them at every light from Ramona Boulevard to the college. After the last light at the College Bulldozer launched like a heat seeking missile and started after Bloodhound and Ferret. They had already made the turn on Soboba before we entered the trees but it was clear Bulldozer was on track to shoot them down. Minotaur started to give chase but there was no closing on either Bulldozer or the other two by the time the rest of us got to Soboba and headed east.

I did all I could to keep the group together but shortly after turning onto Soboba MacGyver took off after Minotaur and after the first roller Surgeon took off after them both. I managed to keep it steady and we did pull back up to Surgeon by the driving range. Huntress chased me up the last rise to regroup at the end of the golf course before heading to Ramona Expressway over the bridge.

Things fell apart a bit as we turned east once more to make our way to Cranston Station. We didn’t make it a block before Centaur got a flat. We waited for that one to get fixed before heading towards Hemet Street. Bloodhound stopped thinking he had a flat as well but it seems as if he decided it was ok and we started off again. Before we got to Cedar Bloodhound did have a flat and the group split again with Bulldozer, Ferret, MacGyver and Centaur stopping to help while I pulled the rest of the group after Digger and Minotaur. After we turned east on Florida I pulled for about a mile before stopping to take a message from MacGyver. It seems as if everyone in their group was heading home except for Centaur who would be meeting us. He did meet us just as we were getting ready to head back to Carl’s for coffee. Surgeon left first and Minotaur followed after him. It took me a little while to get the rest of our group lined up but by the time we got into the trees we were closing on Surgeon who was about to be passed by Minotaur. We hauled in Surgeon and went after Minotaur only to get hauled up short when Highlander got a flat. We had to wait till we got to Carl’s to catch the other two.

After a short break with lots of conversation we were ready to head back west to finish the ride. I still had Huntress, Highlander, Minotaur, Digger, Surgeon and Centaur with me and we pulled out of the parking lot together and moved north on New Chicago only to turn left and west on Lincoln. We only went a few blocks before we dropped off Huntress at her street.

We continued on Lincoln past Lake and Hemet streets and Surgeon left us at Park. I then pulled us around Park to the jog for Devonshire where Digger left us to ride home. About a block Later Minotaur left us at Yale. Highlander, Centaur and I made our way to Santa Fe and down to Latham. I stayed with the other two till I got to Lyon and then left for home myself. By the time I got home I was still feeling pretty good and knew I had been successful at saving myself for the ride Saturday.