Missed the text of Saturday's early lap, so set off solo at 4:45 with a niggling northeaster (11-15 km/h) to battle en-route to the Emu, but peace and solitude to clear the cranium. Distances evaporated quickly zoning in on a rhythm (sounds better than being totally away with the fairies!), the grind on the 15 laboured the legs but was kind on the cardiac. Ahead of agenda at the Toaster, I eased the throttle back to town, cruising to the carpark finding the masses assembling. Boof, Lynda, Rocket, Shorty, Trav, Temple, Wozz, Mel-Car, Ange, Hollywood (finally out of mothballs) Fisky, Cate, Ross, Pat, KillkennyPaul, Pistol, Cougar, AvantiTrev, G.T.Craig (a rather late New Years resolution of revolution), Nick and WhisperingJack. AvantiTrev opened the account calmly, Pistol and Wozz cooking up the cadence on leg 2, my go at leg 3 beside Wozz in the high 30's sure to vocalise critics. Pat's turn transition across from up line at the S bend, was by sudden sprint followed by freewheel, sending a tsunami through the bunch (perception of how the peleton performs politic is not his strong point!) Two long lines speared north in Boundary Rd chasing a pair of l.e.d.'s, the sweep into Old Dookie Rd rounding up BigBrad and buddy (giving no quarter of their slice of tarmac), then all went messy, accelerating to 40 then suddenly on the anchors back to 32 for an odd call for slow. The pork palace was particularly pungent at 6:20 (barely a hint at 5:35), rapid rolls by Ross and KillkennyPaul ruptured the regular rotation, raising quite an aura of unease amongst the troops. A hint of tail breeze in Lemnos-Cosgrove Rd spiced the speed, a pair of errant geese cajoled from their asphalt roost, then a sudden unsignalled slow by some u-turning (to congregate with Cats) split the bunch wide open, so yet another calm to restore the order. Colour co-ordination tips from Hollywood (bluewall tyres with a blue banded Baum needs blue shoes I'm told!) and the social stimuli occupied me till reaching the soup tin, a blackbird (slow to launch from its Ford Rd landing pad) was nearly shredded between our rows. Many had now become nervous wrecks, missing the standard Saturday smoothness, the sprint to come had some wanting to increase their life insurance! Eagerness brewed in Wanganui Rd passing the test track, and with hopes lost at the business end so early, Wozz buried himself in speed to make any podium position particularly prized. Seeming to be caged in the left line, I let Rocket across to the right and into Boof's draft, Ross and KillkennyPaul gave split second turns, then the bunch went pear shaped. Boof bolted, Rocket, Trav and Ange pounced (four wide), Pat sliced across wheels in sprint desperation causing chaos as an uncalled car passed in the gravel.....a hideous finish, with all a bit shaken but thankfully upright. One or two meandering like Browns cows Boulevard bound put a dull finish to a ragged ride, the subject of much chat over breakfast, with the statesmen pondering policies. Adelaide's +14 degree rule tempted several to partake an ale, birthday boy Ange relishing a rasberry JD kick starter.
Monday's solo followed the familiar track east on Lemnos-Cosgrove Rd, not looking forward to the turn south into the headwind, (the God of cycling boosting it to 17km/h gusts), but 78 rpm kept a satisfying speed, slotting between the hexiCats and Cats by the time I reached Old Dookie Rd. A distant soloist ahead inspired a chase, slowly closing the gap by the Broken bridges, catching and passing Sosso (who had no interest in a draft). A mass of lights some distance behind kept my wheels turning, chase or be chased seemed to be the order of the day (a more inspired pace than a lap without targets). Another red l.e.d. ahead drew closer at Central Kialla, passing an unknown addict in the opening metres of Mitchell. Estimations on glances behind (as the Cats prey) guessed I'd reach town first, legs were rather rubberised in Raftery but the tailwind kept pace positive back to town, the new main drag resurfacing as rough as hessian underwear. (yet another cheap as chips works tender?)
Missed the turtles flagfall by 2 minutes Tuesday, and without the wattage to cope with the 6am hares, I set sail for the Goats. AvantiLeigh, Brendan, Heady, Phil, Coggo, Snow, Dipper, AvantiAndy, Kate, CerveloJohn (the Cervelo's swansong before being divorced for a Merida), Hommy, Carl, Manny and Sandy the Friars starters at 6. All pretty pacy on the Old Dookie dash east, Geoffrey and JB blended into the bunch beyond Central, Brendan happy with a short shift, AvantiLeigh in for the hard (and fast) yards beside me in Boundary. Rotations had gone full circle by the Broken bridges, AvantiLeigh drawing alongside with a similar goal to me (reaching River Rd) and a rigid resolve to match. Boring into the southerly (15-22), the dogged drive whittled at my will to continue (curse the prefrontal cortex and its testing target!), a momentary draft from a passing car my only salvation from an early explosion. Recovery was relatively rapid in River Rd, back to 137 bpm while Carl, Coggo and Manny headed the charge to Central Kialla. Another stampede with AvantiLeigh for the last k of River Rd waned my wattage, feeling I'd cooked calves earlier. Kate QOM'd Mt.Nicolaci (Heady, the King), our bunch flying by a despondent dude wheeling his bike toward the highway (mechanical mayhem). Rolling turns in Raftery stirred the sequence swiftly as many abandoned ship at the bow for a sit at the stern. CerveloJohn cranked past me in Conrod without the call I was next, suddenly there was three lengths to make up as CerveloJohn dived left for a tow home. I was left in the limbo of the up line as Coggo powered the last 400, Carl emerging from the perfect draft to take the chocolates with Manny making him earn the position.
An early golf course spin restored the spirit, legs could drive a better rate of knots than yesterday, even into the south southwester. Plenty of punters were at the start for Wednesday's Couldabeens whip around, Wozza, Chops, Rocket, Boof, Shorty, Nick, Cate, WhisperingJack, Car+Mel, Ange, SuperMario, Lynda, Saturday specialist Fisky, AvantiTrev and Pistol. The tradition of single file to Kialla Lakes drive is followed by the quiz of who braves forming the up line, nearly always it's Boof, Wozz, Rocket or Pistol while others bide their time for an ideal berth. The aforesaid towed us to Mitchell Rd post haste, a tamer tempo bearing east seemed to calm the km/h concerned. Shorty gave me a good workout in River Rd, next up Fisky had a turn shorter than Hollywood's revival. Boundary Rd was at a good gallop, the Channel Rd stage at a more peaceful pace, Pistol pairing with Cate calmed the kinder corner, the sprint slightly delayed for oncoming traffic. With the coast cleared, AvantiTrev ducked to the shelter of the left line, Shorty wound up the wattage to catch Wozz, I scored a dream draft into the fifties and was feeling hopeful till Rocket and Boof bolted by as if we'd stood still. Only just pinching third from a sacrificed Wozz left me speechless, a calm to reconvene the stretched bunch then tap to town swapping achievements, what if's and next times.
Like a diet dedicated to dimsims, the relentless wind blew again Thursday, the diehards (Rocket, Boof, birthday boy Bo, BigRon, Vince, Wozz, Trav, Shorty, Nick, Lucy, SuperMario, Kel, Pistol, AvantiTrev, Temple and newcomers KillkennyPaul and Ric) were undeterred in a Couldabeens carpark convergence. Chocks away at 5:45, Rocket and Boof set the standard for leg one, a split for traffic calmed leg two, BigRon and Bo upping the ante for three, newcomer Ric diving left for a draft as the ride reality reared its rapid head. From kindergarten to the cypress trees was my workout with Bo then Kel, Vince must have had nitrous on Nutri-Grain hammering SuperMario well into the fourties at the S bend. Wozz, Temple, Nick and Trav bore the brunt of Boundary's southerly, the bunch then fanned across the River Rd asphalt in an attempt to minimise work for all but two, Kev and Susie on a ride of recovery, overtaken swiftly. The mental vault of matching the younger, fitter and faster Bo nagged at my neurosis fronting the driving end (a Garmin glance at 177 bpm didn't help), so I called a short turn (would it be such a head hurdle with apples beside apples?). Vince and SuperMario paired again for River Rd's last k, the plucky plumber defining tenacity beside Vince's vigour. Newcomers and the odd regular were populating AvantiTrev's convivial caboose congregation ("hanging on in quiet desperation is the English way"), Shorty chuffed at avoiding Central Kialla's facefull of SSW'er. Getting from Roubaix to Galbraith's gate was a bit beyond me beside Bo, gasping to Arcadia Downs signed off my swansong, it was down to Ron, Boof, Wozz, Pistol and Bo as the only drivers left to crank Conrod. I rounded up KillkennyPaul who'd emerged from the rear stalls to fang the final metres, finishing fourth as many sprintenders dropped like flies.
There was a hint of hurt hesitation heading to the pain train Friday, but I'm guessing Tum, Coggo, Heady, Phil, Belly, Dipper and AvantiLeigh were feeling the same. Is Friday flagellation the freaky fashion? Defying rationality, I took the helm for leg one (the toil before the tow) to Dobson's bridge, pleased with personal pace but pulling out all stops to grab the last wheel on the handover. Phil, Heady, Tum and Dipper took us to Boundary Rd and swung south a half minute before the 51 express did likewise from the east. Coggo and Belly poured on the hurry to the ham house as the 51 express steamed by, our little Choo Choo happy to dig deep and hang on, Dion, BigBen, Oscar, Mitch, Eggman, MexicanAngelo and Eddy were amongst the engines rolling the turns. Belly flicked an elbow to nominate me as the joining link, staying in the draft and smoothing the waves with the task of keeping our mob in touch was a difficult balance, the big guns not without their close calls and surges of speed. Heady and Belly lost grip in River Rd and went OTA, understandable with 5.5 k's covered in 7:26. Sitting in the 51 tow was hardly a Goat train achievement, but certainly an individual effort. By Raftery Rd a few had taken reartirement, a couple more bowing out at Conrods first dip. Goats respectfully remained in tow to the line, pleased with a 40.7 average albeit with much assistance.
Week 6. 306km. YTD 1,920km
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