By: C. Kent, aka (Superman) I got up this morning expecting another hot day. I looked outside and there was some overcast and it was a bit muggy but I was looking forward to some climbing and a chance to push myself after two days of feeling down on power. I didn’t know who would be riding today except Quicksilver who had requested Gibbel. I got dressed, had Oatmeal and Cranberries and headed for the parking lot. I was surprised to see Digger was already there and Earth Dog had already parked his car. Hacker, Bulldozer and Minotaur arrived followed by Anaconda, Quicksilver and Ferret. Yes I knew we had some climbers in the group today and I knew it could end up being a day of pain but I was looking forward to it. I was Joshua but I had missed his text message so we pulled out of the parking lot at 8:05 and headed for Acacia. To my surprise Digger took off a bit like Bloodhound does and got to Acacia first before turning making it to Kirby and once again moving off.

Once we were on Cypress we watched Digger move off again and we took a while to catch him. He made his way to Johnston and pulled in behind a car on Sanderson as we waited to ride onto Industrial and head over to Stetson. Digger put the pedal down and was off again and this time made it to Cawston and onto Stetson well in front of us. As he headed towards Warren he made a run for it and we had to chase him half way to California. Ferret and Minotaur rolled by him first and Bulldozer led Hacker and I in a Chase of the fleeing twosome. We caught them halfway down Stowe and stayed together all the way to Winchester Farms.

Once we had regrouped Quicksilver started us south on Winchester and led us all the way to Simpson where Ferret, Hacker, Bulldozer and Minotaur took over and pulled all the way to Domenigoni only to catch the light red. Once it turned green we made a run east towards the dry wash and Warren. Bulldozer pulled us all the way to the dry wash with Hacker, Minotaur, me and Quicksilver in tow. He turned it over to Hacker and he took us all the way to Sanderson before Bulldozer came back to the front and took us to Searl. As Quicksilver and I turned the corner she indicated she was low on matches so we down shifted and fell in behind Minotaur and Hacker. Bulldozer took us through the museum parking lot and back out onto seven dollar hill with Ferret leading and Hacker and Minotaur in tow. I stayed with Quicksilver till we got through the gate and I took off to chase Minotaur and Hacker. Ferret was long gone by the time I got to Hacker and I wondered if he was about to attack the hill. I jumped out in front and made a run for the big left turn. I got away from Hacker and Bulldozer paced me all the way. We made the turn and headed up the false flat and to the next right and last climb. Hacker tried to come back to me but I held him off and got to the top first sucking all the oxygen out of the air.

Ferret made a speed run up and down the hill and I dropped down next. We got back down to Searl and I led us out onto Domenigoni and east to State Street. As we crossed over onto Gibbel road Earth Dog started a run at the first rise and he was followed by Hacker. At the rise I gave chase but as I closed on Hacker Quicksilver pulled up on me and said she wasn’t trying to beat me to the top so we cruised through the flat area till she started to pull away on the slight rise. As we got to the first of the three climbs I kicked it up a bit and caught her. We made it to the second climb and Quicksilver came back at me till we crested and headed for the last climb. I had just enough juice left to stand for a quarter of the last climb and that was all I could do to keep Quicksilver from beating me to the top.

Dropping back down was almost anti-climatic because Quicksilver hates down hills so I rode back down to catch Minotaur, Anaconda and some of the rest towards the bottom of the hill. I rounded the corner with Bulldozer, Ferret, Hacker and Minotaur. I stopped to wait for Quicksilver, Anaconda and Digger. As we headed south Ferret was waiting for us and he pulled us to Chambers and Buena Vista where the leaders were waiting. We then moved to Thornton and Santa Fe before coming out onto Stetson and headed east. Ferret took us to Columbia and then back to Thornton so we could make our way to Crest.

All we had left was a flat ride to Lake and a jump back to Stetson to head to Fairview. Bulldozer and Ferret pulled us from lake all the way to Fairview and a pace line and then took us north. I waited for Digger and we followed the group back to Florida and then to Carl’s. Bulldozer left us at Casino and we regrouped at Carl’s with Hacker, Quicksilver and Anaconda leaving with Ferret and Minotaur, Earth Dog, Digger and me stopping for coffee and conversation. We headed back to Lincoln and then to Park with Earth Dog leading the way and heading for the Barn. Minotaur started pulling Digger and I in a chase to Devonshire where Digger left us and we closed on Earth Dog. Minotaur left us at Yale and I followed Earth Dog back to Lyon before heading home. A hot shower and lunch made me feel almost normal and I treated myself to some low fat no sugar frozen yogurt as a reward for suffering on a Friday.