Week 14 Marshmallows and directional disasters

Had an escort job Saturday morning, newbie Eamon needing guidance to the start (been in Oz for 3 days). Behind the eight ball without Look cleats, it was going to be a big ask riding in runners, 6 years off the bike proving rusty as well. Made it too the start to meet countryman Temple and join in with Cougar, Nick, Dion, PistolPete, RidleyTrev, Weapon and Tommygun. A compact crew with a few resting legs for the Criterium, the first leg with the handbrake on for Eamon to adjust to reality.  Beyond the cypress trees my brief head count had one missing in action. I u-turned for half a k to retrieve a very breathless and OTA Eamon, offering a tow at a more sedate pace. Watching the bunch dissapearing into the distance, we eventually came across Temple waiting, who rode shotgun with Eamon on a shortcut back to coffee and recovery. Without hope of catching the vanishing pack up Old Dookie Rd, I re-routed up Boundary to Lemnos-Cosgrove Rd then west toward the Emu, a somewhat soothing solitude silently surveying scenery to intercept . The distant string of l.e.d.'s looked longer than 7, u-turning to rejoin the clan with Cougar driving at the helm, some chat on the Melbourne Triathlon with Weapon and Tommygun, the Great Otway with Dion.  A few degrees shaved off the 13 as dawn arrived, turns on the front came quickly with coffee beckoning. Temple & Eamon were the benchwarmers at the Lemontree, philosophy on co-incidence, nicknames and greater beings occupying time well. 

Had a decent gander at the Criterium Saturday arvo/evening, super effort by Weapon in the ladies event, a great 2nd (and 2nd for the series) for Rocket in the B grade. A big stack in the B grade sprint shut down the A grade race, good to hear later that no serious injuries resulted. Plenty of familiar faces having a go, some not so familiar in civvies spectating.

  
I put a spirit level on the Fizik to find reason for a persistant posterior pickle, sitting a few degrees downhill may be the clue? Back to level again. A test ride Sunday (good grief! the first Sunday ride in 12 weeks!) the sky cleared from a 3.30am shower but was still blackened at 7 by a lazy sun (looking forward to next weeks daylight saving). I'd paired with Cougar for a Channel-Boundary-River-Mitchell Rd circuit, farmer Singh navigating Channel Rd by the stars in an unlit Ferguson.There was some damp evidence of the early showers as the k's clicked over, a hint of northeasterly assistance in Boundary Rd. We decided to tour down River Rd (no fear of being flattened by pursuing bunches on a Sunday) but cresting the dip noticed a wind shift to a south wester. Darkening clouds in the south but, turning into Mitchell Rd, the grey veil of showers ahead was definite, and heading straight to us. One or two spots quickly multiplied to dampen the kit and the enthusiasm, just a hint of the aquatic rooster tail off the wheels but not enough to saturate socks (my breaking point). An escape via Archer Rd rather than endure the length of a precipitous Raftery was agreed, the shower tapering off as we reached town. Coffee at Degani's was our trophy for tenacity, finding Temple and HBK warming the seats after a similar wet and punctured ride. Sat out the next shower or two for a philisophical  session on cultural identity and it's demise, agriculture and exhuberance. I snuck homeward before the next downpour only to score a puncture, road grime all over me and bike prompting a decent cleaning session.
A take 2 with Cougar Monday morning, hoping a dry ride was in store, just a groaning chain the leftover from yesterday. A steady short lap makes faster & longer ones possible for most of the week, keeps the passion alive too.    

Assembly on Tuesday included Trav, Rocket, PistolPete, Kenworth, Cougar, Temple, Vince, Jase, RidleyTrev, WobblyTrev, Nick and Luke, thankfully the 'serial pest' was spotted leaving earlier eastward with two in tow. 18 degrees with an ESE breeze was going to make todays' Couldabeens fast. The first turn with Jase was achieveable, the next with Rocket put the needle into the red. It was head down and three word sentences when Rocket, PistolPete and Vince put the bang in the buck for a good stretch of Channel Rd, many resigning early to life at the back of the bunch. A challenging leg south with an oncoming tosser insisting on high beam plus driving lights, pace on for Mitchell Rd too into the 40's. There was good karma with a free run through intersections keeping the average up, Nick steamrolling turns, Shane pacing himself well too. I had a big haul up Mt Nicolaci with Rocket, grateful to be second wheel beyond the highway to find a breath or three. Thoughts of a Tuesday night with the hospital group retired me from rotation at Arcadia Downs, crossing the line at the rear end while the usual punters pounced, rather pleased seeing we'd finished just 24 seconds shy of the record. 

Decisions, decisions Tuesday arvo after a testing day, nearly succumbed to the sloth of a horizontal couch session, but the weeks' iffy weather prompted me to make hay whilst the sun shone (@ 28 degrees).  Robbo, Rocket, WillierTony, Paul, Stiffy, Juzza and Axel departed the hospital on cue, Bomber, Sticks, Clive, Harpo, Hamish and the machine that is Steve were added to the recipe as we speared eastward. Robbo's creaky Cannondale (crunchy crank bearings?) was well wound up into the 40's for Ford Rd, a respite in the mid 30's was all too brief when Bomber and bro turned up the wick to the Emu. (It's a clue to a fast lap when the bunch single files with just 13k covered). Wheels howled in the high 40's toward the toaster, I was baulked behind Juzza just as the drivers at the front kicked hard into Old Dookie, seperating Clive, Harpo, Juzza, some dude (with bolt on tri bars) and I from the dozen diehards by 50 metres.  Much work was to be done in a feint hope of rejoining, but Clive & I were the only committed ones driving at 40 to make good our deficit. By the pub, Juzza, Harpo and the tri-barred bloke turned to marshmallow and exited via Channel Rd (soon to be re-titled Harpo Rd?) Hopes were slipping fast at the Broken bridges, the bunch 500 metres ahead and about to race River Rd. Clive was spent at the turn, letting me soldier on at the front while I ignored the h.r. already at 175.  In the distance we could see a few being dropped but our gap had widened to lose all chance of a likely gain. In Mitchell Rd Clive was millimeters from tossing the towel in, so I slowed a couple of k's in the interest of both surviving to the finish. Legs were jellied by Roubaix corner (16 kilometres in zone 5), reaching Conrod straight was a welcome sight, Clive battling a slow puncture earned him an elephant stamp for effort. 

Autumn is still giving us Summer mornings, 18 degrees for Wednesday kept spirits high and the booties and armwarmers tucked away in the wardrobe. RidleyTrev, Rocket, Nick, Cougar, Shorty, SuperMario, PistolPete, Shane and WobblyTrev showed at the Kialla start, Rocket and I commencing proceedings with legs still smarting from last nights' thrash. Gravel still graces the Archer roundabout project (we should expect Rome) , a recent resheet of Boundary (between Old Dookie and the highway) and more roadworks to come for Raftery may rearrange our routes in the near future.   The now usual turn into Central Kialla Rd suprisingly suprised WobblyTrev and an ENE sprang up in River Rd perfectly timed for my turn with Rocket. (Ouch!) The usual bunches in the usual places were on River Rd, only one or two straglers spied on our northern run to Channel Rd, wind favouring the homeward leg.  Rounding the sweeper beyond the cypress trees, WobblyTrev had a diabolical directional disaster at the front, shaving a few minutes off Nicks' life. Summon my cardiologist and phone the life insurance company!, an OMG moment for all 9 behind, thankfully without a horizontal outcome. Deafened by the bunch silence, I offered a little advice to the perpitrator in the interest of the peletons' preservation, but I wonder if any improvement will be forthcoming? (I'll happily swap a little castigation for preservation). All made it back to suburbia, shaken but not stirred. Everyones thoughts but nobodys statement, time to speak up troops!

Radar reports didn't paint a rosy picture on Thursday morning, more a green colour. Glad I didn't look, may have stayed in bed. Plenty did stay in bed, only Cougar, Rocket, Chris A, HBK, Temple, AvantiTrev, Kenworth and Luke with the intestinal fortitude to brave the breeze (SSW 15-20km/h) and run the gauntlet of rain. A simmering first turn with Rocket till the heat was turned up by PistolPete, Kenworth and HBK (unusually early to the start, yet to fine tune his arrival to last from the new address) A fair bit of puddle dodging out Channel Rd and a headwind to Mitchell Rd, I was sandwiched between slices of Chris A and Rocket.  The mind gives up before the body does it's said, pushing into a head wind in such company tends to make you dig deep, but the mind remembers pain which instinctively drives the jaw to gasp the words "roll over thanks Rocket" long before the goal is reached (his extra 3km/h almost draining the reserve tank) Turn number three was a little easier with the wind coming at 10 o'clock in Mitchell Rd, Chris A diplomatic not tearing me limb from limb. Luke went kaboom on the Mt Nicolaci climb (will need a bit more than ride-to-work training), we had a smooth sail over the highway but the tailwind in Raftery hoped for was lack lustre, legs and lungs having no part in a fast finish, 47 the max, but a hearty average for a small bunch and all home dry.  Legs complained bitterly to the ombudsman most of the day so took copious couch comfort Thursday evening. 

A hint of leg rigormortis as I dragged the limbs from the cot at 5 on Friday. A bowl of Kellogs Motivation and a hot cup of enthusiasm later, swung a leg over the trusty velocipede to push south, only a few feisty fellows fearlessly facing freaky Friday on the northern commute. A steady roll along Channel Rd, well lit by Cougars new light, my ancient Cygo but a candle in comparison. A pair of lights behind gradually caught and passed, a pair of Mexicans en route to create Cat cadence. Boundary's new surface is more tractable now that loose stones have been swept away, only small bunches seen on our northern section, the main act may have already passed?  Goats gave way at the Old Dookie turn, even that's copped a re-seal (between Central & Doyles) after 8 years of traffic. A quick squirt up the main drag in the high 50's (tail wind and a Freightliner draft) finished the week on a high note.

Week 14    328km   YTD  3,900 km

"It takes little talent to see what lies under one's nose, a good deal to know in what direction to point it" 
W.H Auden  (1907-1973) US poet