Spectrum ride - November 3rd, 07

Can I count the days since I last felt the burn of the Spectrum ride.

It must be at least 3 years since i last paid the Spectrum a visit and I was really looking forward to it. So much so that I was teh first Lycra clad lad in the parking lot. With 15 minutes to 09:00, the place was deserted of bikies except for an LG guy. I asked him what time the ride rolled and he was very precise "09:04". Fair nuff. The Boner mobile rolled in with the Sage, Jnr and Zig, Wendy came all the way from Richmond with German and Jeff G was looking mighty fine in his black and blue ensemble. Team Dr. (Brockie and Bisson) lined up and then Bill Brierson of PBP fame rode into town, a nice 22 mile warmup from Fremont.
So at 09:04 precisly the gathered masses headed west on Homestead, picking up riders along the way. The pace was quick, no easy start, a steady 22-23 mph. I made my way up to the front of the pack, riding top 20. The plan was to stay in that zone the whole way to the turn at Canada, coz if i got dropped, even with a route sheet I wrote, i knew i would not make it home for at least two days. Fear is a great motivator, and when the fast boys hit the front I turned the pedals with a real dread in my legs.
Finally we made it on to Canada and i knew it was the last stretch before the turn. I got my first sight of a team mate in several miles when Moose rolled up to the front and I stuck my nose in the wind to get ahead of him and hopefully take him to the sprint.
Boy, is Canada a long road. I thought we were close to the end when I finally made it to the front for my turn. Pace was good, i think it was around 33-34 mph. i was definatly in the 12 or 13, the Eric Wohlberg came whistling by. Frickin hell, that guy is fast. The was no way i was jumping on that Canucks wheel, so i just let him go and eventually got my breath back when about 20 guy's and some girls had passed me. The sprint opened up a couple of miles later and i just sorta accelerated to not embarrass myself.
Big U-Turn and I meet the rest of my homies for a nice spin back to Sunnyvale. Oh, and Jeff G attempted drop kick on a van that cut us up was just too funny. Way to go el presidente.
so, we made the comparison between HOP and Spectrum. I think, and so does Zig, that the HOP is harder. They just hit and go fast for 15 miles in one section and then Collier Canyon and the ride up to Blackhawk is just hell. But the roads are nicer on the Spectrum and the average speed is maybe quicker. The HOP is 15 miles longer though.