By: C. Kent, aka (Superman) Things looked like they were going to be destined for a slow and cold day when I got up. It was overcast and slightly windy so I knew that would keep some riders home. The A group had a ride to Idyllwild planned so they would be gone and some of the B group were on vacation. So I bundled up and headed for the parking lot to meet Digger. Sure enough digger was there and we had coffee together while waiting for Dragon Slayer to arrive. The three of us were talking when a new rider, Susan, joined us just before Siren drove up. Lastly Quicksilver arrived and we had six riders, three women joining the Bling team and three men. We finally had a fifty-fifty mix as we pulled out of the parking lot and headed for Acacia.

I thought it might be a casual ride today with so many riders missing and Siren took us around the corner onto Acacia and to the light at Kirby. I took us around the corner onto Kirby and headed for the railroad tracks with Siren on my back wheel. We turned onto Cypress and headed through the housing tract towards Johnston. We followed Johnston to Sanderson and headed south towards Stetson. Once through the light at Stetson we passed Wally World and headed for Mustang and then Domenigoni to start our run west.

Once we got started west Dragon Slayer took Siren and Quicksilver west and pulled ahead of Susan, Digger and me. If I tried to close I lost part of my group so I dialed it back and followed at an ever greater distance as we got to Warren. We were able to keep Dragon Slayer in sight as they rolled through the light at Winchester. Fortunately they pulled over and waited for us at the trees after Winchester. They let us get by and followed till Dragon Slayer pulled up next to me and we worked together to pull the group over the saddle and down to Menifee. We headed south only to stop at the park for a nature break. Digger continued on over Revival to wait for the rest of us at the top.

I mentioned to the group that Huntress was going to be sad she missed a ride when the women could have outnumbered the men and promised to send her a picture of our group. I then took the opportunity to lead the group to Garbani. Dragon Slayer pulled up front and took us all the way to Scott where we had to wait for a rather long red light. Dragon Slayer pulled again and like before took Quicksilver and Siren to Keller fifty yards in front of Susan, Digger and me. We pulled up behind them at Antelope and made turn towards Baxter and the Hospital.

We were about to start the fun part of this ride. Even if the wind was in our face we were coming to the long downhill on Whitewood to drop down to Los Alamos. I put Siren on Dragon Slayer’s back wheel and told her to try and stick with him like she was a shadow. As we came up on some construction I pulled up front and got us into the bike lane. Dragon Slayer pulled us down the first drop and as soon as the wind hit Siren she popped off the back. I then took over the pull and got Dragon Slayer to Los Alamos and pointed east. We waited to everyone had joined us before starting through Los Alamos Canyon and over the first big climb. Dragon slayer and I took turns pulling Quicksilver and Siren to the top of the climb in a pace line where we stopped and collected Susan and Digger and consumed a small snack. Quicksilver wanted to pull the group to Briggs so we told her to lead out and take us east.

Quicksilver did a good job of taking us over the rollers and to the stop sign at Briggs and Leon. We regrouped once more before heading to Max Gillis. Once we turned off of Max Gillis onto Winchester we started to best part of the ride today. We were heading north with the first tailwind of the day and a wide smooth bike lane. Four of us managed to pull away from the other two and created quite a gap so just before Scott we waited till we were all back together and then sent Digger off to play rabbit and Susan after him before Quicksilver, Siren, Dragon Slayer and I gave chase. Then dragon Slayer noticed some king of big paper clip caught in my derailleur wheel and we had to stop while he removed it for me. Not the chase was really on and we had to work hard to catch Digger. We got by him at Holland and zeroed in on Susan. We caught her and headed for Quicksilver and got her just before t last climb. We were really moving as we crested the last little climb and pulled up behind Siren just before Domenigoni. We continued on as a group of four to Simpson and all six of us got together and rode to Stowe. We then headed east to start the run back to Burger King.

Siren took a big lead on Stowe and headed for California. Dragon Slayer and I pulled Quicksilver and Susan to California where I started us in a sprint to reel her in before she got to Stetson. We then made another turn towards Warren and regrouped one last time as we split up for the ride home. Siren, Quicksilver and Dragon Slayer headed for Burger King and I planned on taking Susan and Digger to the Healthy Pub for a shake before going home. Digger decided to head to the bike shop but Dragon Slayer joined us and we had a long visit before heading for home feeling like it had been a successful ride and a successful day.