By: C. Kent, aka (Superman) I usually like Mondays and today was no different. The predicted weather was almost perfect and my legs felt like they had plenty of rest over the weekend. I put together a little 38 mile ride and posted it just to get our week started. I headed for the bike shop and got ready to head out with friends for what I expected to be a easy run. I got to the Bike Shop to find Digger waiting and Watched Dragon Slayer ride into the parking lot. Earth Dog drove in followed by Highlander and Tax Man. Abacus rode in as well followed by Anaconda. I thought that was it till Bulldozer and Minotaur arrived making the group and even ten riders. As it turned 9am we pulled out of the parking lot and headed south towards acacia.

I don’t know why I was leading the group to Acacia nor how I got in front to Kirby but I did and we caught the light red and had to wait to turn south again towards the railroad tracks and Cypress. We got a chance to slow down and converse as we headed west toward Johnston and by the time we came towards the end of Cypress Digger, Highlander and Tax Man had pulled up next to of just in front of me as we turned onto Johnston and stopped at the light on Sanderson to wait for a green. Once the light turned I once again started to lead us south towards Wally World and then Domenigoni.

As we got close to Mustang we picked up a rider turning onto Sanderson and he fell in line with Dragon Slayer as we got to the corner on Devonshire and the turn west. I was hooked onto the back of the group as we headed towards Warren where Dragon Slayer pulled up next to me and told me about the new rider. I fell back to talk with him as the group pulled away and we lost them on the dry wash overpass. The new rider was called Bob and I filled him in on when and where we rode and talked with him as the group faded into the distance. Bob turned off at Winchester and much to my chagrin I had a long chase in front of me instead of a cushy spot towards the back of the pace line being pulled all the way to the saddle and over to the gas station. I only just managed to catch Digger at the saddle before joining the rest of the group at the gas station on Menifee.

Once we were all ready Highlander took us back out onto Menifee and got us to the light on Domenigoni. We left the light and got rolling towards Holland when Minotaur puled by and started to gap the rest of us. Dragon Slayer and Bulldozer weren’t going to let him get away so they closed on his wheel and I drafted them both. Tax Man and Highlander followed me as we crossed Holland and headed for the segment called Revive. Today I had enough energy to try and stay with the three in front of me and I did so until Dragon Slayer and Minotaur got out of the saddle as Bulldozer started to pick up the pace a bit. I jumped out of the saddle and hit the hill hard for about the first time since last October. In my case it was a good effort and I thought I had enough matches to make it to the stop sign before Bulldozer and Minotaur caught me. I was about two matches short of make the stop sign but still had my third best time on the climb. After the stop sign I slowed to get my heart rate back down and ended up chasing everyone else to Scott. As I rounder the corner I could see three riders had slipped off the back of the Bulldozer, Minotaur and Dragon Slayer freight train and I started a long chase that took me all the way back past Holland and the next two stop lights to catch up. By the time we got to Newport there were four of us watching the rest of the group pulling into the gas station for a short break. Once the light changed we joined them and waited for Digger. Once Digger joined us we got ready and headed for Bradley and the run north towards McCall. We all turned the corner about the same time and got in a group for the assault on Golf Cart Racing, another segment.

I knew that Dragon Slayer would be leaving us at Menifee and McCall and I was tod Minotaur and Bulldozer were going to join him. I pulled up behind them and followed them to McCall and west back to the Valero Station where I fell back to ride with Highlander, Tax Man and Anaconda. They all left Highlander and I at Highpoint and we regrouped with them at the top of Hospital Hill for one last time before the big Dogs left us. They left first while we waited for Digger and dropped down the hill ourselves. We decided to change the route a bit and head down McCall to Briggs and then cut over to the dump road to connect with Winchester and a coffee break.

Anaconda got us started towards Leon and a pretty good clip but as the road turned a bit before Leon and Tax Man started to pull away. I got on his wheel as he pulled towards the Flag sprint. I pulled through the sprint and he pulled us to Winchester where we turned north and waited for the rest of the group at Winchester Farms. We took a short break and I had a Banana before heading back on Stowe towards California. Earth Dog took off on us and I didn’t start chasing till we got to California. I pulled Highlander and Tax Man up to him as we got to the airport on Stetson and then fell back to get Anaconda and pull her to Sanderson and Johnston. Once we were headed back north we made our way to Lowes and around the building to Acacia.

Once we all we on Acacia Highlander and Earth Dog led us back to Kirby and the light there before making our way back to the Bike Shop where they loaded up their cars and headed for home. I rode home a few minutes later and took a hot shower before taking the dog for a walk. It was a great day for a ride.