By: C. Kent, aka (Superman) I have often said that Wednesdays are play day and I had a great play day planned for today. I had planned on chasing the big dogs and when I woke up I was actually eager to have breakfast and head to the parking lot to see who and how many would show up for the ride. I knew there would be at least two bikes on the ride today and that always brings out the predator in some of the better riders. That very idea excited me as well and I was willing to dig into the pain locker to see how I would do when they dropped the hammer. Like many mornings Digger was at the parking lot as was Dragon Slayer. But unlike many mornings riders just kept showing up every few minutes making for a much larger group. Gambler, Highlander, MacGyver, Bulldozer and Bloodhound showed up almost together. Quicksilver, Closer and ME-109 pulled up as well. It was a bit of a surprise to see Papillion followed by Minotaur. The ranks swelled with Sol, (Polaris) Rooster, Surgeon and Ray1, (Cutter). Seventeen of us left the parking lot at 9am heading towards Acacia.

Once again Bloodhound took the opportunity to stretch his legs early and left us on Acacia only to catch the light at Kirby red. Once that light turned green he took off again and we followed him towards Cypress. He was well around the corner on Cypress before we crossed the railroad tracks and headed west. We didn’t make it all the way to Johnston before Bloodhound came back to join us and followed us to the light at Sanderson and Johnston. He was quite a way back when we got the light green and headed for Stetson.

I got us to Stetson and headed for the airport but I really didn’t want to pull that far. Stoll no one else seemed interested in leading so I settled into a steady easy spin of about 20 in the small ring and rolled by the airport and west to Warren. I led for about thirty yards Bloodhound rolled by and I started to follow. Then the big dogs started to hit their stride and the pace picked up quickly. I fell in after Bloodhound and Dragon Slayer were on line and soon Dragon Slayer was on ME-109’s back wheel and I was on his. We headed for the turn on Stowe and came in hot but just as I was about to drop to the inside Dragon Slayer locked up his back wheel in a half slide and I was forced wide. As I headed for the wrong side of the road and the dirt ME-109 headed for the front and I ended up having to chase Quicksilver and Dragon Slayer on the tail end of the group. I got by Quicksilver but couldn’t catch the back in of the group as it was splitting up and followed half way between the B and A group all the way to Winchester for the regroup. After a head count and an affirmation we still had seventeen riders I took us south on Winchester and to the Dump road for another turn west.

This time Minotaur pulled by me and took us part way to the Wild West Show before Bloodhound and Quicksilver got by him and headed for the rise. I closed on Quicksilver and followed then over the rise and towards Leon when once again the big dogs picked it up and this time when Bloodhound took off after them I went with him and got in the draft. I was determined not to turn loose and I ended up behind Gambler as he pulled to the front. I stayed with him to Briggs and then to Lindenburger as we started the Simpson climb to Menifee. I couldn’t keep up with the whole a Group but I was able to stay close and got onto Menifee and Down to McCall before dragon Slayer, MacGyver and Papillion. I was still feeling pretty good and felt like I could still dip into my energy stores and attack the McCall hill. It wasn’t good enough to catch Papillion on the climb but I did catch him before the freeway and joined the rest of the A group to wait for a regroup at the Chevron on Bradley. As we moved west again towards Murrieta Boulevard it would be one of the last times we were together as a complete group. we started out steady enough but the group was getting restless and starting to sort itself out do to time constraints.

As we left the light at Murrieta Bloodhound and Papillion got to the front and were soon followed by Dragon Slayer and Surgeon. I started to chase and got by Surgeon but not quite to Dragon Slayer before he turned the corner and headed for Cherry Hill. As I watched him pull away I started to chase and soon noticed Surgeon and Quicksilver closing on me. They were joined by Highlander and soon rolled by me and Quicksilver kicked it into overdrive trying to close on Dragon Slayer.

Finally after we turning on Honeyrun and began to close on Dragon slayer and were within about 50 yards as we turned onto La Ladera and headed south. Bloodhound and Papillion were still way ahead of us as we headed for the park and a nature break. All of us stopped and turned into the park except for Bloodhound, Papillion and Minotaur. They waited a few yards south towards Normandy and started to leave before the rest of us were ready. I took the rest of the group to Normandy and most of the way to Goetz before Dragon Slayer took the lead. We had to wait for traffic at Goetz and many of the group came together as we turned south towards Newport. By the time Gambler, Bulldozer, MacGyver and Dragon Slayer past me we realized we had 17 riders spread out over at least a quarter of a mile. Highlander got by me and headed for Newport before I woke up and picked it up myself. I rounded the corner just in front on Highlander and within sight of Gambler, MacGyver, Bulldozer and Dragon Slayer. I was close behind MacGyver as he past Dragon Slayer on the climb. When I sat down after the pass Rooster got by me and I had to chase him over the rise and towards the first downhill. Dragon Slayer caught me on the downhill and I got him back on the next climb before we turned at the Stater Brothers parking lot to head south east. Highlander couldn’t stop and he rode by following the A group. Quicksilver had to get back so I had Dragon Slayer and Minotaur go with her while Closer and I waited for Polaris, Cutter and Digger. Polaris had a flat and Digger fixed it before we were ready to follow everyone to Murrieta and then to Holland before getting to Haun and Newport. We took Newport to Menifee and cut over to Simpson so we could head for Winchester Farms for coffee. Polaris was riding strong but we could tell she was ready for a short break. Closer and I took turns pulling towards Winchester.

By the time we got to Winchester we admitted Polaris had been riding strong but also knew she was getting just a bit tired and would need a break before heading the rest of the way home. After turning at the light on Winchester we stopped and waited for Digger and Cutter before I took over and pulled us to Winchester farms for coffee and a short rest. Once everone was ready we got back on Stowe and headed east towards California.

It took Polaris and I almost all the way to California to catch Digger, Closer and Cutter but catch them we did and managed to turn onto California with them. We then followed then back to Warren and once again I took over and pulled us back to Sanderson for the last turn north before Lowes. As we turned at the light on Sanderson I was rather surprised at how strong the whole group seemed as we were nearing the end of the ride. They stayed right with me back to Lowes and into the parking lot to ride around at get back to Acacia.

It was a much fresher Polaris riding behind me than the one that had followed me two weeks earlier when we did Murrieta Stretch. She followed me around the back of Lowes and onto Acacia as we headed for Kirby and dropped off Cutter. We then made our way back to Gilmore and headed for the Burger King where Highlander and Minotaur were still waiting. We talked for a few minutes before we headed for our homes and whatever projects the rest of the day held.