By: C. Kent, aka (Superman) The Friday rides are supposed to be easier but then that is something that can never be counted on. We had already had two days of energetic riding and I already knew most of the group wanted to take it easy today. So I put together an easy flat ride and posted it to the group Thursday night. On Friday morning I got dressed and headed to the parking lot to see who would be riding. Digger and I were the first to arrive and we waited till Highlander and Huntress drove up. I thought it was just going to be the four of us as we got ready to leave the parking lot but just as we were pulling out onto the street to head south Ferret joined us. We rode down to Acacia to head west to Kirby.

We were moving at a very reasonable pace as we turned onto Kirby and I followed Ferret south to the railroad tracks before he took us to Cypress and headed us west towards Johnston. As we got to the corner and headed over to Sanderson I told Ferret where we were headed and he let me take us to Stetson and head west again. I got us past the airport and to the stop sign at Warren where first Highlander and then Ferret took over and headed for California.

I fell in behind Highlander and Ferret and they took me onto California and toward Stowe. Ferret was leading when we turned onto Stowe and started towards Winchester. Slowly but surely Ferret ramped it up and soon I had get out of my small ring and into my big ring just to keep up. About halfway to Winchester Highlander pulled out of line and I had to close onto Ferret and chase him to the parking lot. The hard part about that is Ferret doesn’t create much of a draft so I had to do a lot more work than I was prepared for. The rest of group was only a few moments behind us as regrouped for a snack and headed south on Winchester with Ferret pulling one more. We followed Ferret all the way to Domenigoni before turning east and getting in line behind him once more for the longest straight run of the day.

Once pointed east Ferret settled into a nice little cruise of about 22 or 23 mph and Highlander got on his wheel followed by Huntress with me tailing in third. Digger was having trouble with his knee so he fell off early while the rest of us changed places behind Ferret till we got to the dry wash. I fell back to see if Digger was in sight and then followed Highlander, Huntress and Ferret till we got close to Sanderson and the slight upslope to Searl. Highlander fell off and Huntress fell off leaving me hanging onto Ferrets wheel till we got to State Street to regroup. As soon as Digger joined us I pulled us north towards Chambers and started us east to Buena Vista before going to Thornton.

Our next move was north on Santa Fe before I took us east on Stetson. I finally got us to Columbia and turned south as Highlander continued on towards the High School. Huntress took us to Crest and then Ferret took us back to Lake before we cut back to Stetson t give chase t digger and Highlander.

We regrouped on Fairview and then digger headed for Florida and made the turn towards Carl’s. Ferret took us to Florida and we turned towards Cranston. Once again I found myself behind Huntress and Ferret as we headed east. Ferret had us moving at a good clip as we past the gas station where Highlander backed off and I followed Huntress and Ferret and Huntress past the pottery shack where Huntress fell off once again leaving me to follow Ferret like a trailer. I tried to save as much energy as I could as we rolled through the trees and got ready to make the last climb to Cranston. 200 yards from the parking lot I tried to sprint around Ferret but couldn’t hold it and he got by and away from me. We only waited till Huntress and Highlander got there before heading back towards Carl’s ourselves. We made a pretty good run as a group back through the trees and down to Fairview where Ferret left us and then down to Ramona where Huntress left us. Highlander and I stopped at Carl’s just as Digger was leaving. We had coffee and then headed for home on New Chicago and then Lincoln. When we pulled onto Park and headed west I was looking at the animals behind the fence when Highlander had to yell at me to keep me from running into someone on a Cruised riding on the wrong side of the street. I wasn’t expecting that so I made a detour into the dirt to avoid hitting the guy head on. The rest of the ride was uneventful as we rode back to Palm where I left for home and got home for lunch and a hot shower. All in all it was a great week.