Punters were rare Sunday, only bike craved Temple, Wozza and Shorty put their hands up (almost blown off by a 28-46 km/h southerly) for a lap. Tactical talk agreed to tackle the tough stuff first, a slog southward to Mitchell Rd then bask in a tailwind via River & Boundary roads to Old Dookie Rd. Rolling turns shared the torment of the Archer road headwind, though track turns may have had a better result. A better tempo was possible bearing east and north, speech achievable too, now that lungs weren't so pre-occupied. A social tap around was a pleasant shift from recent thrashes but another workout was on the agenda westward on Old Dookie road, lured along by a coffee and toasted banana bread finish line. Track turns worked well to return us to civilisation quickly, but I picked up the tell tale click....click....click of an embedded bindii at Doyles road. Ignored in the hope of making it home (caffine and conversation took priority), deflation denied the pleasure two blocks from base, a roadside repair required.
Put out an A.P.B. for inspiration Monday morning, difficult to get going from the slumber of a warm bed to face single digit temperatures, the h.r. monitor sluggish to reach triple figures till rolling along Lemnos-Cosgrove Rd, steadily gaining on a six pack peleton ahead. Nearing Hill Rd I passed, suprisingly identifying an Area 51 contingent cruising, but kept the head down southbound pleased with my progress, a peek at the Pub perceiving a Pussycat pursuit. Three bikes were roadside on puncture duty near one-tree dam (later identified as Rocket, Pistol and Trav), a light serve of east southerly aided my River Rd attempt, Breakaways breezing east in silence while a single line of five were mowing me down. There was no waiting for David on Central Kialla Rd, Eggman and four missiles blasting by as I turned into Mitchell Rd. Another train soon loomed behind, overtaking me at Archer, a greet from drivers Rocket and Pistol towing a single filed Cat pack behind, so waited for a gap to climb aboard as my ticket home (thanks Jonesy and G). A halt at the highway allowed Trent and Travis to catch (in pursuit for 20k it seems), sitting near the caboose needed my wits to guage when the rubber band would snap on the strugglers, then bridging the gaps to stay in touch to Conrod.
Wozza and Temple were the only early risers on Tuesday, 20 degrees was inviting but a spit or three of earlier precipitation threw in a little uncertainty. We set sail on Raftery at 5.10 enjoying the brewing northeaster behind us, but a bastard bindii beseiged Wozza's wheel, halting us for a puncture pitstop near the horse stud. A feverish fix tightened the agenda to make the Couldabeens start, sharing the load of Archer Rd's headwind single file, hastening heart-rates and harrassing hernias. Landed at the rear of the start grid with 90 seconds to spare, just enough to regain a little composure before the flag dropped at 5.45. The pacy start was a breeze at the bunch back, my first appearance at the pointy end from Hanlon Rd to Sellmans, Pistol and FeltMat driving the Boundary bus till the bridges. Rocket, Rudy, Shane and ChrisA percolated the proceedings in River Rd (steering us safely through a stick slalom), Strava trophies for the taking into the mid fourties with the wind favouring our fotunes. The effort was easy in Kenworths draft on Central Kialla Rd, speedo signalling 40, but it tortured Temple, going OTA. My eyes happened to be glued on ChrisA's wheel up Mt Nicolaci, just as he clouted a stick (looked like a log) ricochetting off Wozza's foot (superior skills saved the situation). Nev joined in the rotations (the machine had chased us solo from River Rd) with a testing tempo in Raftery Rd, morphing the bunch mostly single file, few left to contribute except Rocket, ChrisA and Pistol in Conrod straight. Legs protesting and oxygen deprived, it was a relief to cross the line, a gloat about the 39 average for the cruisy cruise through the suburb to home.
Overnight damp had settled the dust Wednesday morning, a couple of costume changes to adjust the comfort levels then out on the low sheen tarmac to find Belly, Coggo and Hommy the only starters at Friars, tardy Cats Doc and LateLeigh joined in at SPC's roundabout for a single filed go at the Goat track. I volunteered the first leg and had just got up to speed when Hommy took the reigns....then slowed the tempo. 300 metres later he conceeded crucified, so I took the drivers seat again to Central Ave. Six soon settled a smooth speed system set by Coggo and seconded by LateLeigh, Hommy's last second car call at the highway split the pack, spelling a spell to reunite the team. Passing Straddles and Keeno's pit stop (lit by Jonesy) at Channel Rd, I took the turn to River Rd, the tempramental h.r. monitor at 118 bpm (I wish!). Jonesy joined for our west work on River, LateLeigh plied a peculiar path, profusely pointing at puddles. I'd relaxed in Jonesy's draft as Coggo dragged us to Rivers end, my next go in Mitchell to Archer got believable beats happening (175 bpm). A shuffle of the deck at the highway put me at the front again at Arcadia Downs, my elbow ignored by Hommy with 500 left of Conrod, but he reluctantly faced the music cooked, Coggo driving the nail in on the finish line.
A quiet roll to the Library on Wednesdayarvo with Wozza, hoping to tack onto the Mooroopna menagerie but they were a no show bro. We decided on a reverse Saturday lap, the northwester deceptively destructive, an ease on the effort to turn east onto Wanganui Rd though, a little roadwork to fill the nostrils with eau de tarmac. We had closed a gap on a solitary bike ahead in Lemnos-Cosgrove Rd, posture identifying Sprinter on an op recovery ride. The honeymoon ended at the Emu turning into a side wind, Sprinter staying in Wozza's wake but bid bye bye at Boundary for a direct line (hernia happy) home. At the FigFarm the dreaded click...click....click returned, the bastard ballad of the bindii was back, visibly spinning on the Michelin's sidewall, seconds later snapping. Keeping positive over a predicted puncture is a difficult dillema when the mind is convinced the tyre softens, press on regardless unless rim rumbles on the road. The agreed easy roll back to town was thrown out the window with the sight of two bikes ahead in Channel Rd, triggering a tempest of tempo to catch, that competitive adrenalin that draws out speed you didn't think possible. Caught, passed and gapped the pair convincingly, we soldiered on to town, my Michelin still fully inflated despite being syringed by Soliva Sessilis.
Easy on the accellerator Thursday wth a lame leg legacy from Wednesday's Wozza workout, at least the wind was having an R.D.O. Teamed with Wozza and Temple for a 5am start on a Raftery prologue, plenty of puncture time allowed (but not used) en-route to the Couldabeens. Back to town with time to spare, we toured the street scenery of Kialla Lakes to soak up the minutes, joining AvantiChris, AvantiTrev, Shane, Cougar, Trav, Pistol, Rudy and Jase. Matho's mighty merciless maligning manifesto was the hot subject in a cool 12 degrees of the pre-ride preamble, Jase and Wozza ending the chat and commencing proceedings in Channel Rd at a manageable motion, Pistol pushing my pace on leg two, could have sworn an easterly hampered my progress but trees stayed static. The smooth start to River Rd was kind to all, by the time my duty was due calves were cooking. Pairing with Pistol from the bridge to River's end was nearly as long as the Pussycats Melbourne Cyclist diatribe, a compliment from Shane aided my recovery though (you can butter me up anytime baby!) AvantiChris coped well with his maiden Thursday voyage, Cougar climbing Mt Nicolaci convincingly. I short shifted my Arcadia Downs contribution (energy evaporated), Rudy cranked a crazy Conrod cadence, AvantiChris bravely in his draft soon kaboomed at the reality of cutting the virgin air at the front. Pistol Pete powered away leaving my only use to tow Temple and Trav for a mid field finish.
Coggo, AvantiLeigh and Dipper had arrived at Friars for Friday loop but the Dazza bloke had broke a spoke so four folk set forth to knock over 35k, wind our eternal enemy. Dipper, AvantiLeigh, me and Coggo indian filed beyond Doyles Rd in a smooth and co-operative effort, an eye out for hazards, calls for traffic, kudos shared, easy on the accelleration.......all that seems to be missing in some packs it seems. The check on a pitstopped pussycat was cleared (a roadside assist coming from home) at River roads' entry, so heads down to grind into the southwesterly, AvantiLeigh taking the lions share of it, my mere share the Central Kialla leg. Into Mitchell, approaching Archer cautiously, the scene of the Thursday's canine caused, carbon crucifying, Cat calamity. We all got a second wind in Raftery's tail wind simmering speed in the fourties, how fresh it was to finish the lap minus a sprint, maybe a little drunk on a strong team spirit (or light headed from lack of oxygen?).
Week 12: 351km YTD 3,562 km
A note of (humble) thanks for the 21,000+ views of this blog, nice to receive the compliments while out on the bike, pleasing to note the regular audience from here, the Ukraine, USA, France, Germany, India, Poland and Czech Republic. Delighted to have the regular followers!
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