Cutter’s heading out ride

By: C. Kent, aka (Superman) This was one of the best looking mornings we have seen in at least a week. It was cool but clear and almost no wind. I had a shorter ride planned so we could stop for something to eat with Cutter on his last ride before heading back to Oregon. I headed to the Bike Shop with absolutely no idea who would be riding today. Digger was already at the shop and Dragon Slayer was just unloading his bike from his truck. Cutter arrived about the same time as Earth Dog. Highlander arrived with Doug and Tax Man was right after them. Merle, (Abacus) was one of the last to arrive and we were ready to go right at 9am. I took us out of the parking lot and down to Acacia and the group was strung out halfway between light as we got to Kirby. We did make the turn south on Kirby and headed towards Cypress.

I was feeling a lot better today than I did Monday and my legs even felt refreshed with just one day off. After I took a picture I fell in behind Dragon Slayer and Cutter and spent some time talking to Tax Man. He had been spending the week at the river and just kicking back. At times that is the best way to be. It was good to have him back and we rounded the corner onto Cypress together and rode through the housing tract and headed towards Johnston.

We got slowed at the light on Sanderson briefly but didn’t have to come to a stop and headed to Industrial Street and made our way towards Cawston and the turn towards Stetson. Earth Dog got us around the corner and started the pull to Warren. We all fell in line and soon were moving at close to 20 MPH just to hang on. We crossed the street and I started following Earth Dog till Doug rolled by and started to gap us. I closed in on his wheel and Dragon Slayer joined me. That move reshuffled the group and turned us into a pace line. As we turned the corner onto California Dragon Slayer and I kept the pace going and I had to work hard to get to the front to capture a quick picture.

I lost a place to Cutter and Highlander let me into third place as Dragon Slayer took us to Stowe and the typical hard run towards Winchester Farms. Dragon Slayer was keeping up the tradition and had us rolling along at a pretty good clip towards the first little rise and picked up speed on the slight down slope. The pace was just quick enough to separate Dragon Slayer, Cutter and me from the rest of the group. I was holding on for all I was worth but as I said today was my lucky day because my legs were up to the task. By the time we got to the Metal barn Cutter was just a little slow when Dragon Slayer picked up the pace a bit and I jumped up to second and rolled into the parking lot. It was time to regroup and rehydrate.

Once we were off again Dragon Slayer took us south towards the Dump Road to return to our trip west. As we turned onto the dump road we slacked the pace a bit and soon Abacus pulled in front and gapped us as we came up to the Wild West Arena. Doug pulled up front as well and I yelled to him that we would be all the way to the end of the dump road and through the dirt to Briggs south. As we crested the rise before Leon I noticed Tax Man and Digger way behind us to I fell out of line and waited for them. I pulled them to Briggs north where they headed towards Mapes and I joined the rest of the group and headed for McCall and over to Menifee. We made the turn north and rode hard for Florida knowing Tax Man and Digger had the shorter route. We just managed to beat them to Mapes and waited till the joined us before heading north again and making our way to the Nursery and the speed run to Centrial. Dragon Slayer took the first long pull and I relieved him and got us closer to Central. Earth Dog was the only one to stay with us and he pulled around just before the stop sign before I got back in front and headed for Nuevo. Dragon Slayer and I turned east on Nuevo first and made our way to the small shopping center on Lakeview and Nuevo. Most of us stopped for lunch with Cutter. Highlander, Tax Man and Doug had to leave so they said good bye to Cutter and headed north on Lakeview. The rest of us had a nice lunch and a nice visit before heading north to 9th street and Dragon Slayer’s house for a quick stop. Digger and Earth Dog didn’t stop and took off for the Expressway before the rest of us. We crossed Hansen and headed for 6th street before coming out onto the Expressway to give chase.

We turned onto the Expressway and began closing on Digger and Earth Dog. Cutter and I got together and managed to catch them before Bridge where Dragon Slayer moved up from behind us to pull Earth Dog and I took over pulling Digger. Soon Earth Dog, Dragon Slayer, Cutter and Abacus were well out in front while Digger and I followed about one hundred and fifty yards back. I took Digger onto Warren while the rest of the group headed for Sanderson and we all regrouped at Cottonwood and Sanderson. Once we got back on the road Earth Dog started a hard ride towards Devonshire and slowly but surely Dragon Slayer chased him. Digger took Cutter left on Menlo while we caught Earth Dog between Esplanade and Menlo. Dragon Slayer, Abacus and I waited for Cutter at Devonshire not knowing he was with Digger and once we discovered where he was we headed for Lyon. We turned on Lyon just as cutter got there and all of us headed for the bike shop together. It was a great ride on a great day and we will miss Cutter. But with any luck he will be back next February and we can do this all over again.