By: C. Kent, aka (Superman) It isn’t as if I don’t care about the Friday rides it is just that I have learned you can’t plan or predict them. I have posted easy ride, recovery rides and even hard rides and the ride hardly ever develops as I have planned. It reminds me a bit like music. There is commercial music with strong planned notes and exacting tempo. You can hear that kind of music on the radio all the time. Then there is what is called organic, tribal, natural music. Music that comes from inside and is played as the different people play it. That is what our Friday rides are like. By 9am I was going to see just how organic our ride was going to be. There were only a few of us heading down Gilmore towards Acacia. Ray, Gambler, Minotaur, ME-109, Ferret, Sasquatch and Rooster followed me to Acacia before we could turn west.

We turned west towards Kirby and I let Gambler know that I didn’t expect the A group to wait for us and they were free to go anytime they liked. However they stayed with me as we turned on Kirby and Ray led the way down to Cypress and made the turn heading west to Johnston. Ray was in front all the way to the light at Sanderson where we waited to head up to Stetson. The light changed and I got a bit of a head start to get us to Stetson and another turn west.

I was still feeling pretty tentative about the pace as we headed for the airport but everyone was still in line and no one had fallen back. Just then a big truck past us and ME-109 tried to jump into the draft. It didn’t do much good however because the truck was making a turn at the airport road and slowed considerably as we caught up and headed for Warren. As we rolled west past Warren Ferret pulled to the front with Minotaur and Gambler came up to pull me onto the back of Minotaur. We made the turn south on California heading to Stowe.

Ferret made a strong pull to Stowe and headed west again. The group strained a bit to hang onto the pull but most of us were holding up well as Ferret took us almost to the metal barn before Minotaur pulled past him. Gambler and I fell in behind Ferret and watch Minotaur pull away while we pulled up to see if Ferret needed a pull. He didn’t so we followed him to Winchester Farms for a regroup. This time it took a bit longer because we were spread out so badly. But finally we were all together and ready to head south towards the dump road.

I started us off by pulling down to the dump road and making the turn west. Ray had left early so we would have to catch him. We didn’t get far before ME-109, Gambler, Sasquatch, Minotaur and Ferret pulled to the front and I slotted in before Rooster. By the time we were even with the Wild West Arena I noticed Sasquatch pull out of line and fall back. I fell out and went back to get him and ended up pulling Sasquatch and watching Minotaur fall off of the group at the rise on the dump road. I then worked on pulling Sasquatch and gaining on Minotaur. We didn’t catch him on Leon but we were gaining and were close as we turned west on Simpson. We were close as we rolled by Briggs and managed to roll up next to him at Lindenburger. We past Minotaur and caught Ray going up the hill to Menifee. We were all four back together as we turned north and made our way to McCall. Minotaur started us towards the back side of Hospital hill. I pulled up next to Sasquatch and started to coach him on taking the hill. We found a good gear and first closed on Ray and then Minotaur to crest the hill first and regroup at the top before heading down the other side towards the end of McCall and south to Honeyrun. We made a quick run to La Ladera and then over to Goetz to head south to Railroad canyon and up the hill to the Stater Brothers Parking lot before heading left towards Holland and down the hill to Murrieta.

We finally caught Minotaur again at Holland and Murrieta and then followed him back to Haun and Newport. We then turned east towards Antelope and finally I pulled us back to Menifee and Minotaur took us to the saddle. I crested the saddle and regrouped everyone at Leon before we made the long run back towards the dry wash. By the time we got back to Warren Sasquatch was pretty much tapped out and simply couldn’t hold Minotaur’s wheel. Minotaur left us at Sanderson and I pulled us back to Lowes and onto Acacia where Ray left us. I followed Sasquatch part way home before heading home myself and kicking back for lunch and a hot Shower. Yes I would say the ride was very organic.