The regulars were at the carpark Saturday morning, many still rugged up for the unseasonal cool starts. The new Avanti Corsa gets Jase arriving early, Nick, AvantiTrev, Rocket, Temple, Cougar, DiscoSteve, FeltMat, FujiTrev, PistolPete and Trav completing the line-up. Nobody has moved the sun from blinding us in the first leg, just a few degrees to the right would be ok if anyone can arrange it? No early Breakaways to tempt the pace this morning, on cue HBK sides up in leg 4 for the ritual slab of sarcasm. Rocket was a little off line in leg 5, some spacial anomaly he was chuckling about? Christmas and it's load on work, shopping, parking and family seemed to dominate the chat. Nath arrived on cue in Boundary with a hint of southwesterly to propell us to the Toaster (eau de piggery turning most off bacon brekky....again) We were in pursuit of a small band of Tri club riders (good to see Sootie mobile after big knee rework) on course for a tour to Dookie and beyond, catching them by the rail line but judging best to stay behind with their trajectory right and ours left at the Emu. Shaz, Aimee, Zan & Patty came into view headed west in Lemnos-Cosgrove Rd, heads down attacking the SW breeze. HBK jumped ship to assist his boss and the crew, Nath ramped up the speed at the kennels to unhook a recovering DiscoSteve and stretch FujiTrev. (Rocket and Trav were quick to oblige a helping tow back to the bunch) Unity prevailed (a sizeable Cat pack cruised east), we'd reached Ford Rd for some rallycross action over the recent roadworks, thankfully well compacted dirt with just a few loose stones. Back onto terra firma after the rail line for a decent run to Ford's end, down Wanganui and into the breeze of Rudd. Boulevard done, then through the streets to base camp, the breakaways beating us to the prime seats. AstonMartin's, sausages, teamwork and "quiet roll arounds" were chewed over, the Lemontree on a go slow with coffee orders dragged out the pit stop.
The bike lay abandoned and neglected till Monday (such is the Christmas rush), a relaxed ride to re-aqauint limbs and limber up for the weeks few quick laps no doubt. Cougar & I set off south on Archer into a fresh southerly (breeze bunch some distance ahead on an early start), rolling a short route via Mitchell and Raftery to clock 25 and be at the coal face for the Christmas mahem. The afternoon beckoned a toaster lap with Woz keen to run in the new Scott. Nudging 30 degrees needed some climatisation to fluid intake, the strong SSW'er mocking the effort put into Conrod straight, at least some relief was had reaching Mitchell. We'd solved the worlds problems with the wind behind us, managing a decent rate of knots and a more than aerobic heart rate to boot. Maybe to justify the madness I was miraging letterboxes, walkers and rubbish bins as distant riders ; came to zero only ratifying the insanity. The honeymoon was over at the Emu, a hard push 20k's home with the heart rate hovering between 170 and 180. Wouldn't have pushed that hard on my own, but silly me picks a young fit guy to attempt to match! (thanks Woz, twas good but it did hurt!) Begging for slow moving trucks to draft off (none came of course) the road got longer and longer as the mental shovel dug deeper and deeper. Jellied legs reaching DECA, ran on raw determination to get home to an air conditioner and a cold drink (don't you just love luke warm electrolytes from a hot bidon?) A later Strava comparison showed almost identical heart rates and calorie burn.
Wondered if Monday evenings work out would wreck limbs for a Couldabeens circuit Tuesday, but I guess there's only one way to find out. Jase (early again) lined up with Temple, Rocket, Cougar, AvantiTrev, FujiTrev, FeltMat, BigMat, Trav, Kenworth, HBK and Vince. Luck had me miss the first shift, content to let others lead the way out Channel. Nick and Whispering Jack arrived on cue at Kensington's roundabout, the bunch enjoying a gradual build up to cruising speed. Beyond the cypress trees the two Trev's turn together tamed tempo turning at the S bend, Vince & HBK on the next shift added 5km/h to the rate silencing many. My next turn for the last of Boundary and first of Mitchell predicted a meltdown with the ticker at 173, but remembering survival on last nights 20k at 170-180 put a different slant on it (cheers Wozza!) Doc Paul was swallowed up at the chicane and hooked on for the ride. Whispering Jack poured on the profuse pace, stretching the pack, but PistolPete and I were well placed to assist a few on the limit glued on. All got a brief breather when the speed settled beyond Kialla central, HBK exited in Archer, but Vince picked it up again at Mt Nicolaci. A slow again at the highway then back on the gas for Raftery & Roubaix relegated many to sit back for survival. Not much urge left in my legs by Conrod, the PistolPete / Vince / Kenworth train looked a winner till Rocket launched, leaving them in his wake. A quick 37av lap handed out lots of well earned Strava trophies.
Numbers down at the hospital boom gates Tuesday night, all hiding in the shade from a 32 degree sun. Coggo, Tony, Scott, Simmo, Paul, Hamish and Kate, the only starters, off at 6 to negotiate the Verney Rd catastropy called a bike lane. (the 4x2 still there from three weeks ago, albeit now big kindling) Ford Rd has finally been sealed (coarse of course) but was negotiated with due care (fresh tar but no feathers). The warm southerly (@18km/h) turned SSW, the Machine joined in at the kennels, Sticks soon after. Just my luck I had Hamish to match into the headwind from the Emu to the church, (did my pennance at 36km/h), glad to have Tony with me to the toaster at a more considerate rate. A settled pace along Old Dookie and down Boundary (Simmo retiring down Channel) was commonsense given the perspiration over determination factor. River Rd was testing on the open plains with wind against us, paired with Hamish again bumped up the heart rate quickly, respite with Paul's and MachineSteve's speed dragging the pack along. Kate vanished home along Mitchell and turns seemed to roll over faster with one or two taking the back seat option. Coggo calmed the seas after Roubaix but excitement brewed with Arcadia Downs coming into view. Through the last kink Hamish, Paul and Sticks hooked in turning the bunch long and single file, it was fight for survival as many sucummed. I'd held onto 4th due mainly to many running out of steam with half a k left to go. Pleased the hr dropped from 178 to 129 by the bridge, allowed a yarn with the crew on the balmy tour home.
Plenty of punters at Kialla for Wednesday's "recovery" ride. SuperMario, AvantiTrev, FeltMat, Temple, Cougar (crowned QOM yesterday), Shorty, Trav, FujiTrev, Jase, Nick and Jarrod (Trav's mate) had lined up, an unknown rider waiting in the wings was all smiles (hoping for a tow?) Alll away at 6 bells, the mystery man OTA in the first 200 metres (was he a too early Adams hopeful?) Bit of a chase with Jase to latch onto the first leg, a push into 15km/h worth of southerly. PistolPete arrived as we neared the Alt route, effort a little easier headed east up Mitchell. Little recovery today when FeltMat and Temple took to the front for a 10/10ths assault, i'd managed to ease back a couple of k when it came to doing duty from the chicane to Boundary. Northbound had the Pistol packing some heat into the legs, Jase staying a wheel back as a hint (failed). A few spacial dilemmas again with FujiTrev, DiscoSteve flew into his driveway amid hoo roo's, the remaining dozen onto Channel for the 8k home. A not so sedate trip west in Channel Rd catching and passing the odd soloist, finally to Doyles Rd for the cautionary crossing. A cursory glance for traffic (to be sure to be sure, despite the trusted calls of all clear) failed to notice Temple just ahead on his 3rd attempt to engage a cleat, in a spilt second Cosmic's were rubbing and down I went, up close and personal with the tarmac. Instantly feeling like a suitable speedbump for the next Freightliner, was on my feet, then seat, cranking out of harms way with a bit of skin from elbow and knee left behind to mark the spot. It's been a while since the last 'off', hopefully a while before the inevitable next.
The silly season beckoned yet another early start Thursday, so out Channel Rd 5 minutes ahead of the Couldabeens for an anti-clockwise circuit with Cougs. Months of enduring my prose about winter woes is at an end folks, now to start sooking about the heat! A 20 degree start into an easterly is a quantum shift in conditions, I wonder if Spring came and went in a week? Dart hVader made a suprise attack at the heels at Sellmans to quicken the pulse moreso than the ride, a refreshing face wash from my bidon had him back off quickly. Relief to head up Boundary Rd with the breeze now at our sides, HBK, Stace and a small gathering of P&W's at the highway, a plethora of pussycats projecting south a few minutes behind, and a g'day from 51 train driver Nev (still with oxygen to spare in pursuit of the puddy's). Easier going pointed homeward in Old Dookie, a gregarious gathering of Goats greeted (noticing the 'rug man' JB as their inclusion) A short and sweet lap done was a great start to yet another busy day. A 41 degree afternoon was definitely for mad dogs and Englishmen, a relaxed evening upon the couch (but not eating Cheezels off my fingers) a positive prescription.
Not much snooze with a minimum 23 degrees overnight, awake in the early hours Friday pondering a lap. Went for a solo Cat track attack, how much deficit does this old engine incurr I wonder? Settled into a survivable mid 30's eastward on Old Dookie (though the NE wind resistance didn't make life easy), noticing a distance red light flashing. Quickly motivated to chase, I reset the redline to 175bpm for a lengthy pursuit (hoping there'd be something left for the rest of the lap). Slowly but surely the target was reached, the torpedo Trudy out on a solo mission. Ye olde self seemed to be coping with the pace so kept at it, close to the limit, reaching Boundary for some ease from the breeze (a glance back found Trudi tucked in for a tow) Able to manage high 30's bearing south it was on toward River Rd and to thread the line through stick city (plenty of timber from last nights gusts) wondering the suprises in store for those mid & tail of bunch on FreakyFriday. (Hope all kept upright) Legs were turning a bit rubbery by River's end, eased off a k or so till Mitchell, then back on it for the seemingly endless trip to Raftery. Plenty of caution near Arcadia Downs with busted branches commonplace, it's been nearly 5 years since "the stick" incident (in similar circumstances). Safely through on a less than straight trajectory (lessons from Trev?) the energy guage showed empty crossing the line in Conrod, pleased with a 35.4 but it's a 5 minute giveaway to Sprinter on the new Avanti stealth bomber.
Week 51 352 km (Nuytsland Reserve to Eucla W.A.) YTD 17,897km
"Behind every great man is a woman.......rolling her eyes!" Jim Carrey (1962- ) US actor & comedian
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