A smaller turn up to Saturdays lap (many excused on other duties, others plainly desserting!) but we were entertained with Dave's exhuberant verbosity (in preparation for a forthcoming role?) and the resulting sledging. Cool again for the 47k, foggy patches to contend with too. Well paced all the way to Karramomus Rd but Andrew dropped his sunnies when we headed into the sunrise. Gave him a tow back to the bunch when he'd retrieved them (undamaged) but Dave's continual yarns were opening up "chat-gaps" in the bunch, Coogs chastising brilliantly. No call for the little branch laying on the Shepp-Euroa Rd, my front wheel becoming a Mavic mulcher, without damage thankfully. Steady mid 30's northward, carving through fog laying over the Broken. By Old Dookie Rd a couple of tanks were emptying but Dave, Bo Kel & Steve were spooled up ready for the sprint. I was content to stay midfield and view a thrash between Dave & Bo for victory, Kel keeping them busy nipping at their heels. A decent 33.7 for the course, hr averaging 126. Some confusion on the course to the Butterfactory when we got to SPC's roundabout, but all eventually organised to enjoy a good yarn, the sunshine's warmth a bonus. Much prophecy with Hoffy over coffee (sorry, couldn't resist) extended the stay, a great start to the weekend.
Plans for a 100+ ride were shelved in the early hours of Sunday morning, light rain showers forced a change of plans, pondered over an extra hours slumber till the front passed. A leisurely breakfast to ensure the damp had passed then off for a toaster loop. Noticed Ruley out on a run and particularly noticed the new (&narrow) roundabout at the golf course (no more sprints to the cemetery). A north-noreast wind at 18 made for a push to the emu, the tacho over 165 all the way as testament. Relief to turn south, and suprised to see a long lost member of the circuit back after a considerable absence....Carol the emu! There were a few riders in the distance to persue, but arriving at the toaster something had clearly gone wrong, all were standing at the side of the road, a touch of wheels has brought a lass down to face plant the asphalt (a bit of bark off a cheek) a bit dazed by the spill. Resumed the course after checking all was in hand, nicer again to be headed east, still in the 150+ bpm's but now in the high 30k's, the 98% relative humidity working up quite a sweat. Eventually into Mitchell Rd I spied a pink spec on the horizon which inspired the continued push, though it was 11k's slogging for me to catch the rider which turned out to be Kylie (out on a stretch of run legs) just after Roubaix corner. A quiet roll into town (whilst Bugs rolled even quieter out) and spoilt myself with coffee and banana toast as reward for the 159bpm/33.4k average.
Wondered who would front for P&W Monday, some taking to the heated pool in preference to the chill on a bike (a few possibly tapering for Port Mac too?) Only the Fox, Meags and Coogs brave enough and tough enough for the elements today. Great company of a pair of quick chicks and the Fox (look up gentleman in the dictionary and you'll find his picture there) for the 30k's, trying to steer clear of the puddles from last nights downpour, navigating the foggy patches too. Steady paced turns by all (a fair collection of cats finally catching us 3 k from home) and a charge by the girls for the line (Coogs by a length) made for a great start to the working week. Monday night off with weather threatening, poor old bike got a long overdue clean.
An icy chill on Tuesday morning (blown straight off an ex-wife?) kept the temperature at 6 (a WNW @ 17 clicks) , a good show of Couldabeens though. No abstentee notes from Daniel, Temple or Vince (is it women and children first?) but a quality field with lots of horsepower from Rocket, young Chris, Steve, Goose and Greeny (tough as nails in short knicks) putting a halt to any form of conversation half way into Channel Rd. Trev mediated a peace treaty to the drivers on the front, a couple of k's off gave many a chance to draw breath (including Trev's guest Trevor) Great to have most of the team still soldiering on in the colder weeks (yes, a less than subtle hint to Matty, Tim and a couple of others to cast off the doona and sprinkle concrete on their porridge) Just past Arcadia Downs when the (early) Cats took a gamble at passing before the blind bend (Keeno preserved commonsense though passing just after with a clear view ahead) Funny how several went kaboom soon after to be rounded up by us, The dawg had jumped on (the pigeon amongst the cats?) taking flight in the feline sprint to steal 2nd. A united Couldabeens finish at 35.2 most satisfactory.
The early arvo rain and it's radar footprint had cleared by 5 (temperature was down to 8) so set forth to the hospital group start. Clock ticked over 6......and not one soul fronted. Just me and my mates tonite! Two choices; I'm mad or they're soft. Chosing answer 2, i set off on a quite fresh 30k, keeping well off the redline at 135. The westerly was still at 18km/h, so preserved a few jelly beans for the leg home. Back down Old Dookie Rd an ominous skyline kept dawdling off the agenda. Back dry with a 32.1 recorded, sniggering at the so called hard lads who were obviously tucked up cosy at home doing their knitting.
Fee had posted a 70k lap for Anzac day, value added with a Friars breakfast following. Who could refuse? Hardly anyone by the great turn-up at the police station. Couldabeens Temple, Daniel, Steve, Bo & Kel joined with P&W's Scotty, Meags, Grasshopper, Minto, THM, Stace, Fee, Ayto, Guysy and Hayles (dual citizenships held by Coogs, Greendawg and me) even Fitzy joined in. Minto & Grasshoper drove a flying Scotsman to Mooroopna and a lot of Toolamba Rd, a more achieveable rate of knots ensued thereafter, the icy 7 degree westerly (@20 with gusts to 32) made the Tat leg tough going. THM with spine levelled to the horizon, Meags serving out the sledges, Hayles total 51kg providing the draft of a matchstick, IronmanAyto dishing up humour in spades, an entertaining holiday on the bike. A relief to turn south in Dhurringile Rd, a better tailwind bonus heading west to Toolamba. The odd pause to reassemble the troops at some intersections, through Toolamba and onward to Union Rd. A nature break for Minto & Grasshopper (encouraging us to press on) was their excuse for a TT pursuit (not sure if Fitzy was aware of their intention) Light mist drove from the west to make Central Kialla Rd a bit miserable, the thoughts of coffee and a cooked breakfast were enough to plug away to the finish. The headwind was back to haunt us in Mitchell Rd, over the highway and onto Raftery Rd several were eager to ramp up the speed, the bunch quickly going indian file in the closing stages. Noticed a couple missing from the pack at Arcadia Downs, backed out to relieve Meags and Coogs of the wind for a tow back to town. 70 done and dusted @ 32.7 Great to enjoy coffee and a ripper 'Veg out' with the crew.
Took a calmer ride option Thursday morning, trying to i.d. 4 bunches in the dark the only pressure till the drive west back to town, Wednesday's westerly still a hangover. The BM into the pits today for a pair of 175 cranks to trial (maybe a little easier leverage than the 170's currently fitted?) Picked up the bike (ha ha, Sly had it on the unacustomed little ring and 25) but didn't get away till late Thursday night, headed out Old Dookie with the idea of catching the bunch on the way back from the toaster. Saw the group turn into Boundary but I was still 1.5k shy of the intersection. Figured a solo run wouldn't hurt and was contemplating a Channel Rd exit, but felt i maybe bridging the gap with tailights a bit closer. The 5mm longer cranks did feel a bit easier (no speedo light to verify the data) to reset the target to River Rd, but wasn't expecting to catch. Just 2k's into River Rd i'd joined the back of the bunch, Steve, Trav & young Liam, Dalton and company on a quieter paced loop. A chance for the hr to settle from a long chase and watch how this 11 year old can ride. The odd streetlight along the course showed a low 30's speed, but the customary acceleration in Raftery wasn't overlooked. It was 40's pointing into Conrod straight, Liam being shown the finer points of a sprint (and led out by dad), kicked in the dip to take a win by a wheel, a 46km/h max quite an achievement. Feeling comfortable with the longer cranks (seat height unchanged) comfortable too with the 33.7/138 average.
Friday's P&W duty had 8 in attendance but Wizz, Grasshopper, Scotty and Jeramy were keen to TT. I got the icing on the cake with 3 quick chicks as company for the regular 30 k. Headed toward the Doyles Rd roundabout to cop a verbal "maggots" sprayed from a passing ute, someone clearly in need of anger management classes (giving way to supercats at the roundabout had apparently delayed him a second or two!) Rolled steadily on to Boundary Rd with Cougs, Meags & Fee (very pretty 'maggots' in my book) then wisely went single file for the remainder, a little resistance southbound, 5 degrees not assisting muscles. Long, strong turns by the girls, eventually a dozen (not-so-super) Cats caught us approaching Central Kialla Rd. Most of the alpha-males didn't bother to give way to Area 51 howling in from the right (to the tune of some choice words from Leigh's brigade) but were quickly dealt a dose of acceleration to shake them off. We quickly rounded up a few that had been ejected from both groups, only Simon able to endure. Finished Conrod straight in the high 30's, a steady 31.7 nice to finish the week on.
Week 17 441 km 15,876 calories (176 Cappiccino's) 32.7km/h average YTD 6783km
"The mind is like the stomach, you should only ask as much as it can digest" Winston Churchill 1874-1965
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