By: C. Kent, aka (Superman) Wednesdays are play days and this week has been climbing week. Monday had been a bust because I got a flat and a cut tire twenty-five miles into the ride and had to limp home with a booted tire. So today I had a new set of tires and a willingness to come out to play. I headed over to the parking lot and Digger, Dragon slayer and News Boy were already there. I went in to get a cup of coffee and came out to find Gambler and MacGyver had arrived. Ray1 and Rooster joined us as did Minotaur and Bulldozer. Red Rabbit stopped by t start the ride with us and Sasquatch pulled up as well. I told Digger and Ray1 to get a head start. The rest of us took off and headed over to Gilmore to head down to Acacia a few minutes later.

It was cool but not cold as we turned towards Kirby only to catch the light red before heading south again. We made our way to the railroad tracks before turning on Cypress and heading west. It was a short trip through the housing tract before we came out on Johnston and caught the light at Sanderson. we sat there for about a minute before heading south once again and catching a glimpse of Digger and Ray1 in the distance. I looked behind me as we headed for Stetson and much to my surprise Rabbit was right behind me.

He thought the look on my face was pretty funny because I hadn’t seen hom back there in at least a year. Today he followed me to Stetson, past Wally World and to the next light before falling off as we headed for Mustang and then Domenigoni.

We made it to Mustang and then to Domenigoni with Minotaur leading but he turned it over to me as we made the turn. I took us to the rise where we caught Socrates so I turned things over to Minotaur and dropped back to ride. Socrates and I talked while we were snug in the draft. As we closed on Warren and then the dry wash we came upon Bandit, Jay, Shooter and Shawn from Cast a Shadow. They joined us as we closed on Digger, Tax Man and Ray1. We did ok till we closed on Winchester where Bulldozer took off causing a sudden breakup of the pace line as one after another of the lead riders gave chase. The group exploded into three parts and Bandit came by me and pulled me up to Minotaur. I got past him and Dragon Slayer and we closed on News Boy. I pulled up to get Dragon Slayer and we caught News Boy before Leon. Then Dragon Slayer pulled me to the saddle and I came by to pull him and News Boy to the regroup point.

As we sat there and rehydrated Prosecutor joined the group and I knew the rest of the ride would be turned up a bit. We dropped off of the saddle headed to Lindenburger to set our sights on Menifee. I managed to stay close to the front of the group all the way to Antelope and then over the freeway and over to Haun. The group reformed and we headed for Murrieta with Ray1 and Digger leading the C group. When we pulled into Carl’s Jr. we let the C group roll by and get a head start. Minotaur and Tax Man went with them. We gave them about five minutes before we headed west ourselves and chased them towards Goetz. Bulldozer had to leave us at Goetz and we made the turn north to head towards Normandy.

At Normandy the big dogs took off and the pack started to string out. Dragon Slayer we pulling Sasquatch, News Boy and I almost to the first climb and when his spin fell off I pulled in front and offered to pull him up the hill. As soon as we crested the first rise Sasquatch took off on us. News Boy came around next and Dragon Slayer chased me to the top of Goetz and we took turns getting to Ethanac.

Once we had regrouped at Ethanic we headed back to Murrieta with me leading the group to the corner. I got us started south heading towards the Cemetery but Dragon Slayer took us to the corner and got us headed to Haun. When we turned south towards McCall the group took off in a sprint and raced all the way to the light were the rest of us, excluding the C group caught them waiting at the light. We turned east again and headed for hospital hill and I stayed with the lead group almost till we got to the top of the climb and I just made it to the top of the hill before Sasquatch caught me. We dropped down the hill headed to Menifee only to see Gambler on the side of the road with a flat. Jay and Shawn went back to assist Gambler and by the time the tire was fixed the C group caught us. Bandit, Jay and Shawn left us at Heritage when we turned towards Lindenburger.

I rolled around the corner behind Dragon Slayer and Prosecutor and we gapped the rest of the group pretty quickly. I was still feeling pretty good and had decided to take the B and C group to Winchester Farms for coffee before we headed back to the parking lot.

We set a pretty good pace once we turned onto Simpson and soon Prosecutor took the lead and pulled us past Leon and through the trees. The group split again and only four of us were out front as we got to the field leading back to Winchester. As we entered the last stand of trees Sasquatch rolled by us casting out a line causing first me and then Dragon Slayer to give chase. We got to the turn lane to head north and waited till some of the B group caught us before I pulled us towards Stowe. I gave things over to Dragon Slayer and he pulled us almost to the corner with Sasquatch sprinting by at the last moment. We took a break and had coffee and conversation before heading back out onto Stowe and east towards California. Dragon Slayer had a pretty good average speed and was interested in keeping it so I knew the ride home would be anything but a cool down spin.

As we got to California Minotaur came flying by us and made a run for Stetson. I closed quickly and was planning on sitting on his back wheel all the way to Stetson when Dragon Slayer came by pulling News Boy. As we turned east Dragon Slayer and News Boy took off again and finally Rooster went after them. I chased them for a while and then decided to go into a cool down spin as we got to Warren. Sasquatch took off after them as well. Minotaur and I rode together back to Sanderson and then headed north to Acacia and back to the parking lot. We joined Dragon Slayer and News Boy for a little while before Minotaur, Rooster and I rode back down to Whittier and our separate homes. It was a great day and a great ride.