Long time no ride on a Saturday, well two weeks absence anyway. Good to get back into the swing of the routine, rolling out the 6k's of empty streets to warm up to the start line. Shorty, Rocket, AvantiTrev, Wobbly Trev, Temple, Cougar, PistolPete and HBK were the only starters, Breakaways Shaz & Aimee disappearing east 5 minutes earlier. A chilled 13 degrees, a light southerly and a weekend ahead painted a perfect prologue, out to the top of Channel Rd with the Breakaways just visible 50 metres ahead. (time for some real tail-lights me thinks) The velocity rule book was ignored with the breeze behind, a small bunch seen eastward in Old Dookie became the bait for Rocket & Pistol to snap at. Over the bridge a pass was made on the tri lads and lasses (on their ritual loop of Dookie, Violet Town and back), greetings hurled at Sootie, Comet, Goose, Greendawg etc who promptly hooked on for a tow to the Emu. Plenty of Cats heading east as the younger of our lot kept up the pace west back to town. Only a small gathering at the Lemontree to chew over the TDU, superbikes and helicopters.
Not back on two wheels till Tuesday (laid low with gastric dillemas), a light northeaster attracting a good field of Couldabeens (Shorty, HBK, SuperMario, Cougar, Wozza, PistolPete, Kenworth, Jase, AvantiTrev and WobblyTrev, Nick & WhisperingJack back from hols and Rocket the last to arrive) Each turn out Channel Rd added to the tempo, fairly moving by arrival at Boundary. HBK had manoevred to get Jack's wheel, the pair on for a thrash when their turn came after River Rd. AvantiTrev wisely called to let 'em go, determination saw Jack outgun HBK, but they were left hung out to dry till we were well into Mitchell (suddenly wished to be team players again!) Wozza was well wheeled considering the 110 k he tapped out Monday, SuperMario appeared to be nodding on his efforts though beyond Mitchell's dog-leg. A good run through Central Kialla and over the highway kept the time sharp, I was quite secondhand from the weekends workout entering Conrod, Rocket & PistolPete as always leading the charge for honours at the finish line.
The hopes of a recovery on Wednesday were high, a dozen players for the Archer-Mitchell-River-Boundary-Channel lap had higher hopes for high speed though. Admittedly, WhisperingJack was kind on the opening shift, unmarked by HBK he made a considerate pace. There was no aero advantage behind the low AvantiTrev (unless I could get my chin on the headstem) , the turn into Mitchell against an ESE breeze was at least shielded. An almighty pop from the bunch was surely a burst tube, BigMat burbled "burst battery", beserk ballistics beggared belief (beckoning betterment?), big bang bought bikes briskly berthed. Entertainment finished, it was back on the gas for the revised route via River which seems to have found favour, enjoying the change of scenery. Seemed Rocket & Pistol would be taking us all the way to Boundary Rd but an eventual roll over gave everyone the privelige of battling the ESE breeze. Hurt Lockers formation seems to be popular, two other small packs single file showed imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Supercats rolled west, a brief chance for a yarn with LegalDave, Nick, Shorty, Cougar, FeltMat and AvantiTrev as we basked in easier conditions for Boundary and Channel. WhisperingJacks attack between kinder & school stretched the formation, caught the 5 Breakaways as we slowed for the bypass road, then finished the remainder of Channel below warp drive but still with a 35 average.
New Michelins on (chuffed with 7,200k's from the last pair) and an obligitory chain at 6,000 was a treat for the olde BM, ran 'em in on a quiet lap Thursday morning with Cougs, both taking a raincheck from pace for a brief seachange. Relentless heat in the evenings and at (non air-conditioned) work has drained a bit of enthusiasm, still shaking the last effects of the weekends lurgi. Half way round a dreaded bindii struck, so a pause to swap tubes to a chorus of screeching galahs as the sun rose in Raftery.
Friday dawned at 21 degrees, a light south / south-southeast begged a Wednesday circuit (always kind on the motivation to finish with a tail wind). 7 Couldabeens had a 10 minute head start, but glad my mojo has almost taken up residence again, not such a chore to head into a head wind on Archer. Very distant tail lights lured pursuit, far enough ahead to keep motivation on the boil. Sosso was the River Rd mouse for a monster Cat pack to chase, 40+ in the peleton would make tail-end Charlie a tenuous rubber band position. 51 as always in fine formation hotly at the Cats heels, a Goat group some distance back, Doc's quadrella single filed from Boundary into River. Cougar & I kept on the northbound Boundary Rd tail light chase, P&W's greeted at the bridges, heads down and pace up in Channel to identify these tail light carrots. By the cypress trees we finally reeled in Patty, Shaz & the Breakaways, persistantly persuing a petad peleton proficiently pedalling positively.........poop! pesky proliferation of prose personifies peculiar psychosis! (must take my medication)
Week 5 : 206km (Two Wells, Adelaide to Coonalpyn S.A.) YTD 1124 km
"If I had to live my life again I'd make the same mistakes, only sooner" Tallulah Bankhead (1902-1968) US actress ("Streetcar Named Desire" & "Antony & Cleopatra")
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