By: C. Kent, aka (Superman) Normally I am glad to see Friday arrive. Today was a nice calm day and while cool it was not as cold as Monday. I posted a short easy ride because we had some wounded riders today. Once I had breakfast I got on my way to the bike shop and to meet my friends. Today we had a small group but well matched for the ride. Centaur and Dragon Slayer could run up front with Digger and Earth Dog riding trail and I could sit in the middle. My wish was that we could cruise the ride and make it easy on Digger and Earth Dog and when we left at 9am that was how it seemed as we headed north on Lyon. Traffic seemed light on Lyon but not quite as light on the cross streets on Devonshire and Menlo. I rode next to Dragon Slayer most of the way to Esplanade where we caught the light. I ended up out front after Esplanade and pulled by Seventh and then Cottonwood. The group was tight behind me by the time we got to Cottonwood and continued north.

We slowly picked up speed as we headed for Ramona Boulevard and I took us to the turn before Dragon Slayer took over and pulled us toward State Street. At the last stop sign Centaur took over and got us to State and started us north towards the Expressway. Dragon Slayer and Centaur pulled away at the Expressway and headed towards the college and Soboba. I arrived next followed by Earth Dog and Digger. We regrouped on Soboba before heading for the rollers and the golf course. I pulled over the first roller and Dragon Slayer pulled around me followed by Centaur. I fell off and started a cruise at the second roller and followed about 200 yards behind and regrouped with them at the last hole on Soboba. Digger and Earth Dog joined us before we headed for the right turn over the river bed and back to the Expressway.

Once we were ready to turn onto the Expressway Earth Dog told us he would be heading to Carl’s without heading to Cranston. I figured Digger would go with him so that left Dragon Slayer, Centaur and me to ride to Florida and east to Cranston by ourselves. We took a short break before heading back towards Carl’s to join Digger and Earth Dog. I started east first but by the trees Centaur and Dragon Slayer caught me and headed for Fairview. I picked up the pace and joined them in a rotating pace line that took us back to the Expressway and Centaur started a sprint to the driveway. We got there and took some time to tell stories and solve the problems of the world. Once we had rested we headed back towards Lincoln on New Chicago.

By the time we got to Park Earth Dog could smell the hay back at the bike shop and he started a long run west. We all made short work of the ride back to Santa Fe and down to Latham. The turn west again didn’t slacken the pace at all and we quickly found ourselves back at the bike shop before heading for home and the beginning of a nice weekend.