Insulation is the April quandary, how many layers....that is the question! Early laps have become habitually entrenched, Wozz and I setting Saturday's sails East on New Dookie Rd in a break of tradition, the 18-28 km/h southerly refrigerating the muscles as the celcius struggled to reach double figures. 80 rpm warmed up the adductor longus on the 11k path to Pine Lodge church, Old Dookie's piggery nasally detectable on New Dookie. The breeze made its presence felt as we spun south to the Toaster, the piggery's pungency powerful working west back to Boundary Rd. Frowning south again toward Channel Rd questioned the effort of reaching 32 clicks vs Friday's 38 into a stronger wind, somedays swift, somedays a snail! Channel Rd's shelter finished 30 k's of prologue, Archer Rd's carpark slowly but surely filling with peleton pilgrims Bo, PistolPete, Rocket, Nick, Shorty, BigRon, Kel, Ric, KillkennyPaul, Cougar, Jase, AvantiTrev, Mel (-Car), TatPaul, Cate, Nev and Bruce, a good roll up considering the holiday long weekend. Wozz and I were handed the first shift to Doyles Rd, easy on the throttle to keep critics calm, Trav joining in from a prior prologue. A progressive social update as rotation unwound me anti-clockwise through a game of musical (muse-ical?) conversation, noticing the contrast of Trav's Antarctic kit to Mel's short knicks, temperature is a personal thing. (I concur with the Bo theory; save the wooly stuff for July's icy bite) I'd got all the way back to the caboose on the turn at the toaster, subtle pre dawn light giving us our bearings and inspiration for the day ahead. Finally had my second turn at the front when westward crossing Boundary Rd, Wozza a fast but fair ally (but left me breathless by the bridge). Made my introductions to TatPaul, new to the crew and taken by my Cosmic chorale through a titanium amplifier. Arriving early at the front at the DECA test track left me little choice but to empty the jellybean jar, no hope with Rocket, Nev and the heavy artillery breathing down my neck, so I put a little work on their agenda. Well out of steam short of Kittles Rd, the serious sprinters shot by, quickly demoted to the last half dozen by Rudd Rd. The majority had continued on ahead, so I collected the deposed to collectively commute to the Lemontree, bureaucracy, legal eagles and the vegan/veggie view occupied chat, Fisky and GazzaGrasshopper the late arrivals (sleep-ins?)
A solemn start to Monday at the Anzac dawn service, a slim attendance of just Shorty, Rocket and Wozz to tear up a Toaster lap after the ceremony. The temperature gauge had dropped to 6, a Cat collective (Keeno, Brendan, Kelvin etc) was casually crawling toward the golf course so we passed, a standard to be maintained if face was to be saved. We'd opened a good gap as we crossed Numurkah Rd, Shorty shortening shifts as I told myself to stop sooking, the easterly breeze making toil of the 14k to the Emu. Effort was no easier in Old Dookie Rd but the speed increased with the breeze behind us, my old engine complaining bearing south to the Pub, the Rocket standard difficult to measure up to. Shorty retired from turns as two ahead turned from Channel Rd on our course, the chase bait set as our foursome turned single in file. Wozz and Rocket propelled the pace while I relished the respite (almost finding a second wind), my next turn came at River Rd's dip but watts wained a k later. I didn't really want to see Wozza's elbow again, but flick it did at Archer, the drive up Dave's Dip (a salute to BassoDave and his epic recovery, formerly referred as Mt.Nicolaci) and on to the highway felt like I'd arrived at death's door. Wozz and Rocket swapped turns over and over in Raftery Rd while Shorty and I gnawed the handlebar tape in an effort to stay aboard, what a relief to cross the finish line and mentally scroll through the Lemontree menu as a trophy. The invention of chocolate flavoured bar tape or truffle infused concrete gels was mused on the recovery through the streets, a lazy sit in the sunshine with coffee and banana toast the perfect punctuation.
Almost invigorated Tuesday morning despite another six degree start, maybe Monday's thrash did some gluteal good? As first arrivals, Wozz and I would pay the tax of first (and longest) turn to Doyles yet again, Hollywood's umpteenth comeback scored the golden grid position of second wheel in the left line. Kenworth, Chops, Trav, Rocket, PistolPete, Nick, AvantiTrev and KillkennyPaul filled the ranks to spear east into the chill, I made it to Doyles almost spent but with just enough loose change to catch the draft. It was a solid speed to Channel's end, facing the front again with Nick to the Boundary bridges then Rocket to One Tree dam, Hollywood and AvantiTrev now in hiding. A psychological easterly (bureau site said calm) helped in River Rd, another effort at the front at Laws drive, the noise of a possum with whooping cough was actually me in respiratory recovery! KillkennyPaul had one last dip, Nick then Trav then Kenworth going under cover in the caboose by Archer Rd. I summoned up one last (and short) turn at Galbraith's gate then tucked in for the tow home, Rocket, Pistol, Chops and Wozza donating the dream draft. Choppy was losing grip in the last 150 metres, Rocket receded, PistolPetered out, Wozz whipping up a win.
Tapped a ye olde Cat lap (OldDookie-Boundary-Channel) to satisfy the k craving (maybe to be denied a lap on Fridays forecast?) on Wednesday, a stiff northeaster belting a bit of reality into me. The turn at Wozza's corner into Channel Rd serene, the sound of Michelin's music on tarmac and the whirr of the chain was only disturbed by Darth Vader's bark. A quiet spin back to town found a crowd gathering for the Wednesday waltz, PistolPete, Rocket, Jen, Hollywood, WhisperingJack, Trav, Nick, Cate, Car+Mel, Rick, Chops, Jase, Jen, Hoges, Kel, Bo, GazzaGrasshopper, Cougar, Hashbrown, Bruce, AvantiTrev and Lucy made a record attendance. I had no qualms in heading to the front early in Archer Rd, a tailwind to lap up before the long slog into the wind to Channel Rd. Jase took the helm to Kialla Lakes, I paired with him to the Sanctuary roundabout and with Rocket to the truck route. Advice on a few going OTA was received turning into Mitchell, the calm for collection suited GazzaGrasshopper and Hashbrown's short shift. It was a ramshackle ride for a few k's till speed and position got sorted, Hoges needing echelon education to get the draft, several behind him in disarray, the rubber band effect taxing several in the rear seats. It was noticeably smoother toward the front of the pack in Boundary Rd, a gentle squirt of the accelerator in Channel relishing the wind blowing behind. From the S bend with Nick and to the Kinder with Rocket worked me over, noticed several missing on the peek back as Prentice Rd loomed close. Many shot past in search of Cha Cha glory as I sat out the sprint, a headcount identifying half a dozen had gone awol (Cate punctured it seems, at least there were supporters and pit crew)
Rolled north to the golf course before sparrows flatulence on Thursday, an urge to clock k's was too hard to resist. The promise of a cruise to self was quickly broken with a l.e.d. ahead temptation in Wanganui Rd, a not-so-fast Eddy passed near the 51 grid. The perception of peeps pursuing picked up the personal pace along Lemnos-Cosgrove Rd but there was only blackness left behind beyond Boundary. South at the Emu and west at the Toaster, a NNE'er put me in holiday mode west back to town, several eastbound soloists advance parties to the pussycats. I found Goats (Kate, MeridaJohn, Deb, a bewhiskered Joe, Belly, Tina, Dipper, Coggo, Speissy, Tum, PrincipalSkinner and visitor HorshamDave) exiting suburbia. A gap had opened at Dobson's bridge, HorshamDave had dropped the Dogma chain (another argument against changing gears!) but Coggo's kindness had assisted a rapid fix and rejoin. All were back into the rotational groove by School Rd (girls bedazzled by Belly's butt), the workload easier in Boundary, Dipper taking an early exit on Channel Rd as work beckoned. A regular River Rd rhythm covered ground as Kate, Tina, Speissy, Deb, PrincipalSkinner and even Tum formed the carriages behind, Belly wanting prunes to keep MeridaJohn's rate regular. Five swapped turns through Central Kialla and on to Mitchell, MeridaJohn bolting from Dave's Dip gapping the pack, most happy to have him hanging dry to let nature (and the inevitable kaboom) take its course. There was just Coggo, HorshamDave, MeridaJohn and I going round in circles beyond Arcadia Downs, with 400 left of Conrod straight the three had tucked in for a free ride so I applied a bit of drive. A sneak peek back with 200 left found a gap opening behind, so all stops out to Steptoes.
Soaked up the serenity of a sleep-in till 5, a tranquil breakfast and lazy kit-up for the (uncharacteristic)
Friday peace train, summer attire (for autumn's last hurrah?) at 19 degrees, my monthly Strava distance challenge just within reach in the dying days of April. Heady, MeridaJohn, Belly, Phil and Deb formed at Friars, the north northeaster (15-26 km/h) frightening fellows from the front in Old Dookie, twas Foss to tow the troupe to Boundary Rd. The h.r. dropped to a 120 idle bearing south, suddenly Heady, Belly, MeridaJohn and Phil were keen to captain the front with wind blowing up the Khyber, Deb happy to captain the caboose. The peace pace picked up in River Rd, smooth as a Hollywood head on the westward way home. A time drought forced me to an early exit at Rivers' end, a pacy escape via the truck route and Archer to home. A slow Mondeo donated an initial tow into Kialla Lakes drive, inspiring a dip at the TT segment, the week polished with a second overall (don't stress Wozz, your KOM's safe!)
Week 17. 334km. YTD 5241km
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