A cool 9 degrees headed to the weekend ritual, one exhuberant shop keeper with Christmas lights up already. Saturdays congregation had a few newcomers, Jimmy, Blacky and Craig (well, long time absent) joined Temple, Cougar, RidleyTrev (Sprinter must love the Avanti?) SuperMario, HBK, Rocket, Pom and BigMat. An incentive today with Zan, Amy & Shaz (the Breakaways) breaking away early as bait for Boundary. I inherited leg one with Rocket (straight on the griller, no simmering) then enjoyed the next two legs drafting and recovering. (BigMat and Rocket were fresh from a fast flog on Faark Friday) Exchanged the usual sarcasm with HBK and social updates with the rest of the crew, many moons since riding with Jimmy (2005 Murray to Moyne), Nath aboard in the closing metres of Channel. Swinging into Boundary, sight of the breakaway bunch was a carrot for some. Over the highway a brief slow was ammo for the girls to attach (adding a little more class to our crew) and enjoy a tow to Old Dookie. East to the toaster (breakaways north, Cougar east on a family schedule) then north to the Emu. Nath nudged the nitro to the Church (to repent his sins?) but rejoined at the channel bridge. No advanced parties to the pussycats today, just the long line of felines with Straddles and the jovial Jamie at the helm, but Matho (on Cipo) a distant green ghost. (Slept in? Boundary bound I believe) HBK had the tape measure on SuperMario and Craig had an extra Weetbix on his roll over, but a group it was (and stayed) till Fords recent reseal and extra layer of stones applied the caution. Over the highway and up to Rudd, Nath and BigMat rekindled the cemetery sprint (no other takers) to unload a little testosterone, but returned for a collective cruise to coffee. WhisperingJacks next comeback, Motorway Patrol and YouTube entertainment the agenda, good to get a social fix after two weeks missing, blessed with the belles of Breakaway joining in too.
At a special invitation, I joined the lasses Patty, Shaz, Zan, Cougar and Jan for a 30k loop of the Emu and Toaster on Sunday. Quite the harem to have but a strengthening southwester could have stayed away. A steady and smooth sojourn (better byfar than betwixt a bunch of boofy blokes busting a boiler being belted by Bomber) and was gladly put to work to lead a single file back to town into the headwind, a few echelons eastbound eyed envoiusly. Suitably impressed with their straight and smooth effort for most so new to the addiction, a caffine fix to finish made a most civilised Sunday.
A quiet roll around Monday was just the ticket, hats off to those machines who belt out fast laps each morning but this engine is getting a bit old to thrash daily. The usual line of (silent) Cats followed by vociferous P&W's were sighted, then the turn toward town where Cougar put the head down and set sights on mowing down a westward TT Trek. Flags flapping at the finish a reminder that our windy September has gone into overtime.
Seems like I'm running late with the sun up earlier each day, nearly at the point of leaving the lights at home but there's always some inatentive half wit at the wheel that needs some lumens to wake up. The little train of Mooroopnites are still zig zagging through the Shepp streets, there's nearly enough daylight now to identify some. A good collection of Couldabeens for Tuesday, 10 degrees was ok and someone had turned the wind down to an easterly idle. Temple, RidleyTrev, Jase, Cougar, FeltMat, BigMat, Kenworth, AvantiCraig (inticed by his Saturday attendance) PistolPete, Nick and WhisperingJack (yet again, warmed up with a prior lap in the wee hours) and, suprisingly last (mimicking HBK), Rocket made up a bakers dozen for a short squirt. My h.r. was a bit short, showing just 45bpm on the (rapid) warm up train drive with Kenworth. I wish there was another 150 beats left! Enjoyed the bunch tow through the twists and turns of Channel Rd, next go at the front wasn't till the approach to and first k of Mitchell. An interesting comparison of body language to those serving time at the front, Rocket the Energiser bunny (batteries never run flat) Craig the whirling dervish on the limit and Kenworth a torquey traction engine. The aforesaid engine drove out of Roubaix well, managed to keep pace with him till the horse stud (wow!, h.r. now at 123), WhisperingJack then got on the stage to belt out a big tune on the Zipp's. I stuck with the survivors in Conrod as the lead half dozen crept away, a flurry of cadence till the last dip when Rocket's signature step out and launch took the chocolates. 28 clicks in 46 minutes a good effort by all. Got home to discover the h.r. monitor was worn upside down Miss Jane!
Off to the hospital gates on Tuesday evening, a perfect 27 degrees would mean good numbers and a hot pace to suit. Nath, GT.Craig (to differentiate from AvantiCraig) Paul, Coggo, Dion, Dalton, Clive (mit der vunderbah 65mm Reynolds carbon wheels), Tony, BassoDave and BigBrad departed on schedule, had a psycho driven Falcon overtaking on the wrong side of the Verney traffic island, then swinging left into Hawkins (all to save a couple of seconds! Maybe Home & Away was the priority?) The 15k westerly propelled us toward the Emu, Kev, Mitch, MachineSteve & Sticks swelled the workforce. Eventually got a shift at the front, Dalts' and I agreeing we'd drawn the longest straw. Coggo bailed out of his duty toward the church, highly capable drivers took on the headwind in Old Dookie with little let up. Down Boundary and past the pub (mmm...nice night for a beer) was it Axel and a small faction of anti-clockwisers headed toward Channel Rd? Heads up for the header approaching the Broken bridges but courtesy ruled, farmer Fred allowing us 18 through. Wind had swung to a SSW and dropped a little which only upped the ante for River Rd, an abbreviated turn for me at the front but Nath in full bore 40+ mood with Mitch matching, short essential sentences the only talk till Central Kialla's off camber left. Full steam ahead for Mitchell Rd, another shift with Dalton from Roubaix to the horse stud burned up most of the reserves. Clive took a brief burst which triggered most to follow suit, I was soon back at the back as the gaps opened. All effort went into rejoining the front half, one by one some guns sucummed, found myself two wheels behind MachineSteve in the 50's, a good spot with 300 left. Until he stood up and left us in his dust! Suprised I managed 3rd (at the benefit of a few retirements I'll admit) 1.07.15 about the quickest time for a hospital bunch I can remember.
Not too many creaks and groans the next morning (suprisingly) on the commute to Kialla, climatising to single digit temperaures with the help of a base layer. Southward in Archer I'd intercepted the Pom on the same course, arriving at the start in the nick of time but Nick was on time, as was Rocket, Shorty, Temple, FeltMat and RidleyTrev. PistolPete had got to just a k from the start before u-turning to make up an 8. A Rabobank sunrise (lots of orange and blue) in the distance of Mitchell was good justification of an early start but Temples' puncture beyond the dogleg made an early stop. RidleyTrev (Professor Puncture) was the pronto pitcrew (aiming for a tyre sale?) and had team Temple mobile in good time. Speed was elevated a little to make up the deficit, Nick and FeltMat driving long in Boundary (both waiting for each other to call a roll over it seems, but neither broke the ice). Time was being made up in Channel too, but a broken stubby put end to Nicks' inflation after crossing Doyles. Time was my enemy so tendered my apologies to continue to the salt mine (a p.r on the mexican bonanza to avoid having pay docked).
Real summer arrived Thursday morning, 19 degrees at 5.30 and a light northeaster. Did a little stall tactics arriving at the start to get a break from doing the first shift, Nick and WhisperingJack were already on site after a windy 30k warm up. Cougar, Rocket, Kenworth, Temple, RidleyTrev, PistolPete and Vince were ready, HBK finally arrivng thanks to Temple's paging service. Trev took the pace up slowly for the first leg, excitement soon took over with Rocket, PistolPete, Vince and HBK pouring on the pace, many others approaching full tilt. Channel Rd ended quickly, the south and west legs likely to pass faster with the wind behind. A few were reaching the redline so kept an eye out to avoid dropping any of the team. 40's for Mitchell relegated a few to skip turns, the young fella's seem to have plenty to do an extra shift anyway. HBK exited in Archer, the train steamed on, down and up Mt. Nicolaci and finally slowed for Melbourne Rd (taking oxygen on board) Gaps were slowly opening toward Arcadia so slowed to lend a draft to those most in need. The mandate to look out for the team overpowers the will to win, not many join a bunch to be dropped. Rocket had the same principals, dropping back from certain victory to keep tabs on the crew, a most honourable missile. One presumes Vince was victorious, what mattered was all did a solid ride in great time, finishing united.
Weather has been as consistant as a carbon tax policy lately, Friday half the temperature of Thursday with the wind crossing the floor to the opposition. A strong SSW didn't slow Rocket passing with a grin and a g'day in Archer Rd (soon a distant speck on the landscape) , Cougar & I just rolling the legs south to end a fairly rapid week. No target to shoot at today, a solitary lass ahead was doing it hard into the head wind (lots of noddy in the body language). Passing her put a philisophical and positive perspective on one's own performance, there's always someone doing it tougher no matter how you feel.
Week 48 : 377km (Bunbury to Jerramungup W.A.) YTD 16,774
"There is no stability without solidarity and no solidarity without stability" Jose Manuel Barroso (1956- ), Portugese politician and President of the European Committee
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