Christmas arrived early on Sunday, gathering at Friars for a festive tour to Longleat winery via Tatura and Rushworth, the lure of fermented grapes with Goats irresistible. 16 formed at 8 (Coggo, Heady, Dipper, Tina, Tim, Joe, Graham, Phillo, Tum, Deb, Kate, Baz, Belly, Brendan and Speissy) to tap to Tat in a casual cruise, a chance to prize open the personalities with long turns and time aplenty. A diversion du toilette at Tat incurred an interval, but underway again to tack and jibe against a south southeasterly (11-26 km/h) along the relentlessly long tarmac to the Basin. A few hills released the rampant climbers, Phillo pouncing an early KOM but faded fast against Dipper and the princes of the polka dots. An intermission was called at the Rushy bakery for calories, Spartacus, Cindy and NevY intercepted, then East to Murchison with a chase to catch Tina, Deb and Kate who'd flown the cafe coop. Inclines were being tackled with tempo at Harrimans Point, I backed up to lend a wheel to Tum, Deb and Kate (a gesture of goodwill to all Goats) who'd been backed out, to grind the remaining k's to Murch, Deb and Kate taking a bike-swap road test to Longleat. PinarelloMat, RoosterRoscoe, Jan, Kerry, Snow and the remainder of the short shift joined in the hydration of beer and wine, gourmet lunch and cheese platters to round off an enjoyable tour and get a head start to Yuletide pickling.
Monday's exercise was to exorcise the cognitive content that had brewed since three, a solo Saturday lap against a 15km/h southerly was the prescription to clear the cranial clouds. Eastward on a deserted Channel Rd, life was found in Boundary Rd with eight lasses southbound at the bridge and a Cat clan clawing at catching. At Old Dookie Rd the temptation to continue North was shunned, an eastward crank chosen to toughen up with a piggy parfumerie following me to the toaster. It was a push home from the emu, surprised that progress was preferential to the fifteen (73 rpm) rather than spinning the seventeen at 80. The skull swiftly swept of skeletons, there was inspiration enough to continue to Wanganui hill (but barely enough to put any speed on), head down on Rudd Rd and breezing along the Boulevard back to base to chalk up 45k.
With Tuesday's tempo factionalising the Couldabeens into the fast and the furtile, I tried the turtle team at 5:50, being outranked to travel on the 6am bullet train. I was the first to berth at the carpark, Nick, WhisperingJack, Cougar, Temple, Shorty, Chops, AvantiTrev and AvantiMat arrived, all forming single file behind (must change my deodorant!). Temple tenuously came to the front as the 5:50 flag fell, a cool 12 degrees and a light southwester (11-17 km/h) tamed the turn to the truck route, gently applying the throttle. Shifts had gone full circle by Channel Rd's S bend, Temple and AvantiMat well tempo'd to Boundary Rd. A ping from my rear wheel and a frozen Garmin speed spelt a magnetic malignment (later finding the wheel magnet turned about face) but it was onward and windward to River Rd. Kenworth fronted from the west, perturbed by a previous puncture but prepared for pace as he u-turned to get aboard. Mitchell Rd's Archer to Mt.Nicolaci stage had been swept of gravel, a clean cross of the highway readied all for the heads down hurry in Raftery. By Arcadia Downs the bunch had lengthened and thinned, Chops cooking his cutlet in Conrod till crisp, handing the hurry to WhisperingJack to have a crack (he had the pressure down just 50 metres later). Kenworth turned up the torque nearing the dip undertalking Temple, I scored the inertia round the outside to claim the chocolates.
Twenty two little Indians filed singly south on Archer Wednesday morning, a copious collection of Couldabeens (Wozza, Chops, Rocket, Boof, Hollywood, SuperMario, Shorty, Trav, Nick, Cougar, Jen, Car + Mel, AvantiTrev, AvantiMat, Jase, WhisperingJack, Nicholas, Rene, BHPaul and whatshisname) at a rapid roll. Into an ENE breeze beside Jase then Rocket crescendo'd my heart rate to 180, spent and speechless into Central Kialla, a minute taken till talking to Trav was tenable. Nicholas and Rene heeded advice to stay as tail lights, long time no see BHPaul and his mate (name numb), great to have Car(mel) back to raise the standards. Bloated bunches whistled west at the River Rd dip, Ange's shrieking salutation stabbing the air and scaring the wildlife. Pace was percolating with the breeze behind the behinds in Channel Rd, shooting past the cypress trees I was 2nd wheel between a rock (Rocket) and a hard (Wozz) place. Rockets velocity assured my shift was short to the kinder corner, 45 clicks beside Wozz then all went single file to Hopeful corner leaving Wozz to drive (and dry). Rocket soon shifted to supersonic whilst Wozz, Trav and I attempted to keep the pot boiling for minor positions (Boof & Hollywood came from the rear to pinch the places). The calm after the storm found Jen, Car+Mel well up the ranks, the bunch back together to idle back to town.
Excuses pinged on WhatsApp from 5:30 Thursday, a wicked westerly (27-50 km/h) had something to do with it! Garmin glitches were rattling my OCD cage to crave a crank, a test to assess a wheel magnet change restoring data. Friars was bereft of bikes at 6am, so a solo Goatless effort ensued, taking tailwind treasure before the hernia headwind home (the glory before the grind, tasting truffles before the tripe). It might be money for jam but there was lots to spend to get home. On top of the 13 sprocket at 81 rpm, Old Dookie was done in a PB 8:32, the Boundary buffeting to bear as I tried to dial down the heart rate. I considered River Rd homeward for a nanosecond but sanity prevailed over heroics to choose a Channel Rd course. The turn west into a not so tempting tempest (37-50 km/h) balancing a skyrocketing heart rate, tibialis anteriors screaming in protest and insatiable lungs against a pedantic determination was like bringing silence to Syria. Finally, the sight of the suburbs brought an inner peace, the torture terminated turning north into the main drag, contentment curing the Garmin gremlins too. (clocking a 29 average for the Devils lane dash, a little icing on the cake)
Only the dedicated disciples fronted Friars Friday, Coggo, Joe, Phil, AvantiLeigh, Dipper and Tum to receive the sacrament of speed on the pain train, Judas Belly defecting to the dark (feline) side. It was a fresh five degrees for seven to slog out Old Dookie Rd, Phil the self appointed observer at the back. I assumed the drivers seat for the burst to the (Dobson's) bridge, AvantiLeigh, Tum, Dipper, Coggo and Joe lined up behind to follow suit. Coggo cranked to the Boundary Rd pig pen, Joe's one go abbreviated, giving me the leg to the pub. I had a helpful drag in River Rd to my third contribution, the billiard table section from k2 to 3, thanks Coggo! The breeze had abated by Central Kialla, Dipper and Coggo driving us to Mitchell Rd. Closing in on a distant Mexican inspired a push to Archer Rd, it was (ironically) Nicolaci at Mt.Nicolaci jumping on for a tow (struggling with just 2 rides in 18 months). Over the highway and ripping into Raftery, Coggo elbowed me my final fling as we approached Conrod, Heady (just out of beddy) was now ready to join us for the last k. Trying to maintain 43 clicks failed with 150 metres to go, all blasting past but I greedily devoured the oxygen trophy.
Week 48 273 km YTD 14,414
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