By: C. Kent, aka (Superman) It is always a day to look forward to when I post an easy Friday ride. One time you can count on such a ride is on a day when they have predicted 100 plus heat. I posted one of our old rides to LaLadera and back over McCall and headed for the bike shop just to see how many would come out to brave the heat. Digger was already inside the bike shop and Earth Dog was still unloading his bike as I rode up. We were there early and had some time to kill before Barracuda arrived followed by Hacker. Highlander arrived as we were ready to leave so we headed out onto Lyon and down to Acacia to get the ride on the road. I led the group to Kirby and south to Cypress before turning west and getting us pointed towards Johnston and Sanderson.

Highlander and I chatted as we turned onto Sanderson and headed towards Mustang. The air was warm but it hadn’t gotten hot yet and as long as you were moving it felt rather cool as the wind hit you in the face. After we got past Mustang I took over the pull and got us to Domanigoni to head west. I had Highlander on my wheel and led the group over the rise and towards Warren. I made the light and then took us to the dry wash overpass. As we started down the back side I let Highlander have the lead and fell to the back of the pace line. Highlander pulled us most of the way to Winchester before Hacker and Barracuda took the lead and pulled us west towards the saddle. The kept the lead till we were over the saddle and headed for Lindenburger. Earth Dog had to stop on the hill when his phone fell off but he joined the rest of us at the gas station on Menifee for a regroup. As we got ready to leave the gas station I discovered a goat head in my front tire just as Earth Dog and Digger pulled out on Menifee and headed west on Domenigoni towards Antelope. It took me a few minutes to change the tube but we were soon on the road and headed in the same direction and Earth Dog and Digger. As we crested the freeway overpass I say Digger and Earth Dog under a tree on the other side of Haun and they waited till we got to the light before they took off west again. We managed to catch them before we got to Murrieta and I led them to the next stop light and over to Normandy where Earth Dog took over and got us to La Ladera and north to the park. We left the park and headed north on La Ladera to Honeyrun and east.

We made the turn off of Honeyrun and headed north towards McCall. Earth Dog took off a bit and I chased him down by the time he got to Cherry Hill. By the time we turned on McCall Hacker and Barracuda had joined us and headed east back towards Murrieta. Somehow we all made the light together at Murrieta and headed for Bradley and the Freeway overpass. I stayed with the lead group till we got to the Valero station but noticed Highlander and Digger had fallen off a bit so I went back to pick up Highlander and pull him over Hospital Hill and to a regroup at the top. Digger and Earth Dog started down the back side first and the rest of the group chased them to Menifee and we all rode east on McCall towards Briggs together.

I got us south on Briggs and down to Simpson before heading east again. Hacker took over and pulled us towards Leon. It was a good pull and for the most part we all stayed together as we got to Leon. I decided that we would stay on Simpson and head to Winchester rather than turn and head over to the dump road. As we pulled throught the large stand of trees and houses Hacker kept the pace steady with Barracuda, Highlander and Earth Dog close behind me and I drafted in the number two spot. I looked back as we approached the next stand of trees before the traditional Simpson to Winchester sprint. I noticed Earth dog was pulling up to make a run at the light and I had to warn Hacker because he forgot about the sprint. After Earth Dog made the jump I came back around and got a jump on Hacker. I couldn’t hold off Hacker at the beginning of the turn lane and he got to the light first about a bike in front of me. Barracuda and Hacker took off for Stowe and Winchester Farms and I pulled Highlander up to Earth Dog as we past the dump road and regrouped at Winchester Farms with everyone else. Once we had refreshed ourselves we got back out onto Stowe and headed for California once again as a group.

Once we made the turn onto California we started to spread out a bit and I had to let Barracuda, Hacker and Earth Dog go so I could pull Digger and Highlander north to Stetson. The tree of us never closed on the three of them even tough we were close at Cawston. Two red light lost us the chase and we rode to Lowes together and around to Acacia. Digger managed to hit the like at Kirby perfect and it caught Highlander flat footed in the heat as we left the light at Kirby. I pulled Highlander to the back street to the bike shop and to the front door before getting a cold drink of water, a new tube and heading for home. We didn’t beat the heat completely but at least we only had to suffer about 45 minutes of it.