Jimmy Cook turned up to find Sydney 225 years ago, but I turned up to find Mike, Shorty, Nick, BigMat, Jase (back from holidays) Steve, Cougs, Temple, Daniel, Pom and Rocket at the Archer St shops on Saturday. All set forth in Channel Rd at 6, captainless without AvantiTrev today (layed low with back grief). Nath was found prowling nearing Boundary Rd upon a new Avanti Corsa, most stealth-like in carbon black. (as if he needs to go any faster!) A 20km/h southerly blew us northward from the Pine Lodge pub, g'day's exchanged with a large contingent of P&W's headed south en-route to Violet Town and Nalinga. With the speed police missing there were several violations (mainly the tail-wind to blame) but then hooked right at Boundary-Old Dookie for the 3k leg to the toaster (still standing). More infringements followed to the Emu, but the pushy side wind kerbed the enthusiasm for the journey west. Temple and Daniel were on the missing persons list as the 20+ Pussycats headed east, me thinks the two sharks were off to play in a goldfish bowl? Familiar sights in Ford & Wanganui soon came and went, work was to be done in Rudd Rd, a few were keen for a sprint to the cemetery and all were keen for the breakfast. Muppets and 51 went to and fro as tall tales and true were served at the Lemontree table, BigMat's carbo load tour de Toolamba an entertaining story, plans then hatched for a holiday Monday ride.
Early Sunday morning commitments scheduled an early lap , the de-rigeur ride of Channel-Boundary-Old Dookie with Cougs a good prescription to keep the legs reminded of what needs to be done. One or two were making good of a cool morning, the incessant wind dishing out some torment to the head.
A good turn up of boys and a girl for a 7 bridges lap on Mondays' holiday. Tim, Shorty, Rocket, Steve, Daniel, Temple, Cougs, Jase, BigMat and Nick took off from Harveys to grind Raftery roads head-wind, enjoy a little respite in Mitchell (picking up the Pom, running late) before a slog down Central Kialla Rd. Bridge number 4 was crossed before we reached Union Rd, the mathematics of the 7 bridges title was in early doubt. The coarse stone of Union had wheels growling (and backsides howling) over bridge 5, then the highway, and off to the suburbia of Toolamba (and over the ageing timber bridge #6) The main street was empty (some may have hoped for the pub to be open?), but westward we went with bridge #7 conquered before crossing the Mooroopna-Murchison Rd. In a windswept stretch of the Rushworth Toolamba Rd, Rocket, Temple and Jase provided plenty of steam up front (which demoted the Pom to the back), over Channel No5 to make it bridge No8. A great comfort swept over us turning into Dhurringile Rd,the tailwind enthusing Daniel and Jase to bolt, finally settling into the high 30's for 5k's to Tatura. A right at the roundabout, Steve's headlight disintegrated (bits not worth rescuing) then the 8k on Ferguson Rd in echelon against the southerly, bridge #9 at Pickworths. Shorty hit the nitreous for a while, the tailwind for the final leg to Mooroopna worth all the effort. Back to Shepp for brunch (crossing 2 bridges on the bike path) making the 7 bridges 11, but 14 via the causeway.
Afllicted with a bad case of the "Yeah, Nah, But" syndrome on Tuesday morning, the southerly wind blowing at 35 to 50km/h turned the neighbourhoods' wind chimes into a recital and the ride decision easy, but Trav and Rocket were way too keen tackling the tough stuff. Wednesday's weather was far more agreeable, joining the Couldabeens for an anti-clockwise roll kept the sanity. Rocket, Cougs, Shorty, Jase, Tim, LegalDave, Nick, Steve and FeltMat hooked into Archer Rd's head wind with Coug's driving enthusiasm for the first leg. A little easier on the effort needed pointing east in Mitchell, most of the crew had taken Tuesday as a RDO so had the reserves to make hay against the southerly. P&W's were in the last metres on Boundary, felines were appraoching River Rd and 51 were heads down off the Broken bridges. The southwesterly made work of Channel Rd, Nick and Jase had ramped up to the high 30's near Prentice Rd when Tim tore off (turboed with testosterone?) The escape was shortlived with the bunch re-uniting for the left/right at Orrvale Rd, making an early team finish back in town.
The mercury struggled to stay in double figures on Thursday morning, but a rare couple of hours without a hint of wind! A good front of Couldabeens at the start, Brent back for more, Daniel's arrival signalled the roll out, Cougs took us up to tempo, FeltMat yet another late join in and Nath bedding in the Corsa near Channel Rd's S bend. Super smooth and consistent turns made the scenery pass quickly, good to have Chris A arrive a k into Mitchell Rd (led astray on the start time it seems) We endured the chilly dips of Mitchell and bid farewells to Daniels Archer escape, onward westward for the push along Raftery. Pace was on at Arcadia Downs, i'd shared the front with Rocket for 600 metres up to the first dip of Conrod (his attack tank nearly emptied with 400 remaining). Nick set up an express train from behind to accelerate away for the closing stages, tenacious Trav took the Thursday trophy, a good effort from Brent to survive a 36.3 average for just a few months of riding.
Plenty of wind on a warm Thursday evening to thrash it out with the library group. Bomber, Robbo, Sticks, Scotty, Sly and a few others rolled out at 6, a westerly blowing at 32-48km/h made the Boulevard stretch with Robbo a rapid warm up. In Wanganui Rd it was Robbo and Bombers turn to captain the front, taking a Monopoly out on the front spot for the whole east leg to the Emu (thankfully capping the speed below 40 to preserve some muscle for the remainder of the ride) with many enlisted along the way. Sticks, leaves, dirt and twigs littered the road to keep eyes peeled and wits sharp, driving 35km/h forward with 30-52 km/h winds at our side was enough till the toaster, back to 32km/h for the slog down to Boundary. Gusts to 61km/h made the long stretch to River Rd a real chore, a long stint by Ryhs and Trent saved several souls. A lot of fluctuations in River Rd with all doing at least two turns at the pointy end, I felt ready for a long slog but DimSim called short turns to survive. Drafting in high winds highlights the fine line between comfortably close and too close for comfort, the "tilt" light was glowing on most bikes heading west into a gusty southwest, yes open for detached branches. Bomber and Sticks pulled off for home at Central Kialla, the remaining 13 took on the south wester now howling at 43-56km/h. Relief was in sight at the highway but Trent & Rhys scampered off into sunset for a workout, Robbo, Sprinter, Sly, Paul and I played tow rope for the rest till the torment to Arcadia scattered many, just enough left in me to finish in the 50's @ 195 bpm, but had inadvertantly led out a sneaky but tactical Sprinter to take 4th.
It was freaky flatulence Friday to start February, wind had eased just a whisker from Thursday night (so what drives one to tackle it again?). P&W's Al, Simon, Hayles, Choppy, Sootie and Weapon lined up in Old Dookie Rd to battle the breeze. Simon's imminent de-forrestation of the legs will earn him a "Mr Myagi" handle, wax on wax off for the aero (and comfort) advantage. Nico and Col were suprise additions half way out Old Dookie, all the better to load share for Boundary's battle with the elements. All grins from Rocket, Temple and co tailwinding near Channel Rd, heads down for us with much concentration on the wheel ahead being tossed around like a cork. Wind wore down the weary in Mitchelll Rd, I played the role of Spakfilla, plugging the gaps opened by the exhuberant to keep the bunch as one. Easier in Raftery Rd with winds mostly behind us now, faster was the order of the day approaching Arcadia Downs. Up front with Al with 500 to go seemed like a good time to make young guns suffer, launched a sprint and gapped 'em, but an overtaking car was the draft that 'superleggera' Nicolaci needed to take him to gold and Choppy to silver. I was content with the bronze, but concerned with the 235bpm at 55.9km/h. Does anyone else get 'interference' from others' Garmin data? The weeks' icing was an "amusive" (amusing and incisive) chat with Weapon on the wind assisted roll through town.
Week 5 ; 352km 11,968 calories (52 Dim sims & 139 Brussel sprouts.....a testament to the wind factor)
YTD 1,672 km
"A boo is louder than a cheer. If you have ten people cheering and one person booing, all you hear is the booing" Lance Armstrong U.S. cyclist 1971-
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