Week 28

Just 8 turned up on Saturday, the depths of winter testing most peoples' determination. Seems years ago we had 25+ rolling up for a lap. Most have just gone soft!  Todays' crew mostly the Tuesday/Thursday mob.  A gentle westerly had strengthened by the time we got to Ford Rd, just making us work harder. The god of cycling is against us? Things got a bit ugly for the dash in Rudd Rd.  Despite my big yell of car back, one or two had become totally focussed on the sprint, all over the road like a dogs breakfast. (Two very frustrated car drivers) A good yarn over coffee was a much better finish.

Sunday has become a ritual toaster loop (53km) taking the easier way clockwise with  a west-north-westerly.  The wind whipped up from 28 to 41 km/h though, just to punish us for the full length of Mitchell Rd.  I wondered why holding 30km/h was tough! See a gap between the trees, grit teeth, be blown sideways, all 9 worked hard to get home. Only a couple wanted to down a coffee and i enjoyed an extra breakfast of eggs benedict as a reward. Yum.

The mid winter blues had got to all P&W's except Chris, Stace & Scotty, so we plugged around the circuit Monday in 3 degrees with a kinder 15km/h south-westerly.  Even the half-wheel king Chris kept even! Got back to town before the Cats, the train just pipped us though. 33.4 was good work for just 4.

Most suprised to get 10 Couldabeens for Tuesday morning, a cloud cover taking the chill off the morning. The usual laughs and chat enjoyed, a great way to start the day.  (Why do so many others mope and grump their sad way through a day?)  Tuesdays' very chilly night did it's best to make me give into a lazy night on the couch....but fight it i did!  Pleased there was 12 at the hospital as motivation to complete a 45k ride. In typical form, Robbo & Bomber turned up the heat to melt the legs, 38km/h for a couple of k's in Boundary road raised the grizzles. I felt good though, happy to do long turns up front while many hid at the back.  Into the last k's of Raftery Rd, the perfect lead out came from the Robbo & Bomber train. I inherited the front with 100 metres to go and hit the nitrous for a win. Chocolates for the train drivers, i'll eat the cardboard box.

20kms in Wednesday mornings 5 degrees with my little buddy was good. But that stinker wind was at us again! Seemed like it turned whenever we did!  Finding it quite hard to get comfortable on the seat lately, the poor old leather is starting to split at a few seams. Funny...it's only had 117,000 kms of my arse on it!  Maybe the deputy commissioner of taxation will be kind to let me in Trevors "toy shop" to get a new Fizik Airione?

Reduced numbers on Thursday morning (2 degrees may have had an impact?!) took us down to 6. Missing Temple's usual cheek (awol with a damaged wrist) but Kel, Bo, Leon, Marion and Vince doing a fine job in his place! Leon turns off in Archer, Kel & Bo turn off at Melbourne Rd, Vince dissapears down Arcadia Downs, so it's left to Marion & i to defend the Couldabeens honour and beat the Cats home. Done well.  The CBF's got to me Thursday night, a lazy night indoors was bliss. Early to bed to make up for late nights attempting to absorb the TdeF, a losing battle with the eyelids!

And it was more than cold Friday!  Down to minus 2.7 for the P&W lap, but 8 other brave champions were there to enjoy the pain. Even Griffo fronted up, his first ride since the Queens birthday weekend was a mighty effort (only shot OTA in the last k). I got a win over the increasingly rapid Scotty,  King, Princess and Rhino were nipping at the heels, quick chicks Stace, Marion and Fee performing really well too.  Hats off to all though for a great lap, the banter and laughs at the end about frozen body parts was pure gold plated comedy.  And that's what real riding is all about isn't it? Bugger the speeds, who wins and what you ride, the mates and the laughs make it all worth it.  A great end to the week, and clicked over 12k for the year to date.

Week 28    396km   14612 calories (30 jumbo sausage rolls) 32.5km/h average

Thought for the week...."One man that has his mind and knows it always beats ten men who don't and haven't" George Bernard Shaw.