How extravagant, the first late Saturday start for the year, what luxury the 5:45 Couldabeens commute, Wozz and I blessed with a NNE assistance too. Fisky, Cougar, PistolPete, Car-Mel, AvantiTrev, TatPaul and Temple were the only starters, weather culling the attendees to just the loyal loonies (how the flavour changes when the ingredients are minimised). Time had tested Nev (a watch search and rescue) and Ange, joining on the Channel Rd roll-out, Car-Mel was creaking from a two week bike break but valiantly put in a full turn anyway. Fisky was flustered by the breeze attacking his 90mm carbon sails, the bunch bonus was having the porky palace perfume blown south of Old Dookie Rd. The speed squeak sounded as Ange and Pistol cranked 40 (bouyed by breeze) west on Lemnos-Cosgrove, the squeak silenced as the tempo cooled to 36 (but slowly crept up again with Nev and Temple driving). Cat numbers had similarly sunk, sarcastic greetings swapped as our paths crossed, Bruce then Eammon and RidleyCraig joined into the rotation as we passed on our mission west. The sprint temptation grew strong as Nev and Ange towed the bunch into the mid 40's to Wanganui hills' base, launching an effort from my prime position (3rd wheel) was easy, Bruce hitching a tow to the crest and undertaking (unaware of social sprint ethics) as Fisky crept past on my right. The conscious habit to slow in Rudd Rd reformed the stretched crew, a social Boulevard spin bidding bye to TatPaul for work and Car-Mel for kids commitments. Forecasting, rabbits and visibility employed the tongues tasting breakfast at the Lemontree, the social conclusion the reason to ride (or just the dessert?)
The forecast 5 degrees doesn't really prepare you for the fresh reality, bracingly Boulevard bound at 5 on Monday, attempting to get legs and lungs functional, thinking there's only about four months of this to go! East to the Emu was an effort, I could swear the northeaster was pushing me backwards, the recorded 4-7 km/h puny puff (seen on the BOM later) was deflating. South to the Toaster, the town's feint glow on the horizon picturesque as the h.r. tapered down from 163 bpm. 12k's back to town I intercepted the Goat peace train leavings Friars station (Brendy, Coggo, Sandy, Belly, Tina, Hommy, Speissy, Deb and MeridaJohn), all with a comment on the cold. Half wheel Hommy lived up to his reputation at the Broken Bridges (leaving Belly behind only invoked rage), Belly's counter serve stretching the peacemakers and the friendship. BigRon braving the cold was passed at RiverRd's dip, my part in the peleton played out with time exiting me via the truck route and Archer home.
A little spin round the golf course loop in psychiatric preparation for the Tuesday test, the northerly having somewhat favourable odds. I got that sinking feeling with speed freaks Wozz and Rocket the only carpark contenders at 5:45, it was like being on death row till Kenworth, Chops, AvantiTrev, Temple, PistolPete, Kel, BigRon, Nev and Hollywood fronted in the dying minutes. I'd paid the price of early arrival again, the 2300 metre first turn to Doyles Rd couldn't end soon enough. Hollywood had hopes pinned on a tailwind turn in Boundary, I had the task of matching Rocket to River Rd (yep, I was in that speed sandwich again!). Bouyed by compliments from Nev, Wozz and Kel (cheque's in the mail guys!) inspired the drive with Wozz for River Rd's first k, my recovery savoured as others set forth to the front in the sacrifice for speed. ChrisA arrived from the west, Hollywood, Kenworth, BigRon and Kel now joining Temple and AvantiTrev (the unseen) in the caboose. Pistol fired at the front in Mitchell Rd (Wozz bordering on boom! to keep pace), backed up by ChrisA, Nev and Rocket meant overtime for the circuit's remainder. Seems Galbraith's Gate has become a neural nemisis, my last hurrah at the hurt end when the little voices cry "Enough!" and survival in the draft takes over. Rocket, Wozz, Pistol, ChrisA and Nev captained the Conrod thrash, peeking at 180 bpm on my Garmin flattened faith, sight of the 60km/h sign quickly drawing near, the only salvation.
An early solo gives the freedom to plot my own pace and course, a 20k Soup Tin loop was something different (New Dookie-Lemnos North & Ford Rd's), a dark and damp track fighting a headwind back toward town, the Wanganui-Golf Course extension putting some hurry into the heart rate to rendezvous with Wozz at 5:45. The commute to the Couldabeens was used as recovery, specs steaming up at the carpark (from the warmth of Cate & Car+Mel's welcome?) to welcome back Boof from an appendix malfunction, Tuesday night's wash-out bringing Paul VanP along. AvantiTrev, Hollywood, Rocket, Jase, PistolPete, Bruce, Cougar, Shorty, Hoges and Nick filled the positions to set sail south, I held station mid field for a change as the rows paired, doing a little puddle dodging through the damp atmosphere. BamBam joined in from a reverse loop, I reached the rotational rear in Mitchell Rd to be Shorty showered from puddles of precipitation. Turns went short and long in River Rd, sitting in the Shorty / Hollywood sandwich at a tasty tempo, Ange's holler as always subtle from the seats of the Cat pack bearing west. Wozza's pristine corner had been soiled with loose gravel, Shorty showing drift skills on the entry to Channel Rd. Back on the bunch tail (with 15 ahead) and within sight of the Kinder seemed a prime placement for the Cha Cha, but quick turns by several (realising the reality of rapidity, retired respiratorily ruined) returned me to the front just 800 metres later. Threading my way through the puddles, I hit full steam ahead with Hollywood hanging onto the tow, the Rocket and Wozz juggernaut swamping us both in the closing 200 metres to relegate us to "tried and failed".
An anticlockwise prologue on Thursday (to even out the Michelin wear with some left turns) on Channel-Boundary-OldDookie, planning to intercept the Goat herd back in town. A north northeaster punished me on Channel and swung NNE to torture on Boundary, guaranteed to glue me to the 17 cog to make progress (78 rpm like an old record). It was a pleasure to turn west back to town, timing the Friars arrival to perfection (5:56) as Principal Skinner, Coggo, Heady, Belly, Sandy, Joe, Deb, Speissy, Hommy, Dipper, AvantiLeigh and Phil berthed. Tina and Geoffrey got aboard on the exit from town, Hommy hit the front fast, rubber-banding the bunch to Boundary, Belly bemused by the bolt. Tina, AvantiLeigh, Carl and I set about settling the speed to steady, a dull and dreary sky but 13 degrees with the breeze behind wasn't so bad. Speed simmered in the high thirties stacked against the wind in River Rd, Hommy hammering ahead again but was hung out to dry as payback. Pairing with Carl to the bridge and AvantiLeigh to Rivers end pickled my pulminories, then the hang on for Coggo's drive to Mitchell attempting some sort of recovery. Carl and I took the bunch gently up to speed after a traffic intermission at the highway, rigour resolving me to resist the sprint by Galbraith's gate (sitting on as gatekeeper), calling Coggo, AvantiLeigh, Dipper, Belly and Carl to circulate. Hommy's last hurrah (hernia?) suddenly inspired me to shoot forward at Conrod's dip, the headwind hurting, the gap opened on Hommy, hilarious! Carl, Coggo and co had the horsepower to finish when my elbow signed off, a Tina tow to the finish the satisfying sequel.
Tapping the snooze button twice is one of life's little luxuries, a sumptuous slumber till 5:15, porridge in the tank then off to join a social Couldabeens lap, quite a change from the usual Friday train of pain. A northeaster even helped Wozz and I to the carpark, Bruce, Nick, CatKev, Rocket, PistolPete, Boof, Hollywood, Cate, Kenworth, Cougar, Chops, Jen, Eammon, AvantiTrev, Kel, BigRon and Temple populated the grid. Traffic split the bunch exit, half a dozen half a k ahead to catch for those of us in the rear ranks. Wozz and I took the towing task hauling the dispossessed back to the frontline, bumping up the heart rate early. Too soon I was promoted to the front, with Kenworth to Mitchell Rd then the follow up with Rocket to reach Central Kialla (against the NE'er) had the shovel out (in spades) to dig deep urging the legs onward (recovery in the tow of 18 others a motivational carrot) A brief yarn with surprise additions CatKev and Eammon (unseen on the starting grid) on the up line as I was shuffled back toward the caboose, chuckled at Choppy's chirpy chatter and watched Eammon braving the breezy end (but imploded). The Goat Pain Train was viewed from the other direction this morning, one OTA at half distance (only 5 remained from 8 starters I'm told). It was a grind into the wind up Boundary Rd but a beaut drive along Channel with main sails hoisted, I was happy to crank midfield in the Cha Cha as the usual hopefuls tried to stay close to Wozz and Rocket, a social spin home the contented conclusion
Week 18 : 335km. YTD 5,756km.
Just a bit astonished and humbled to see 30,000 page views clock up on this weekly scribble. Thanks go to the regular readers in the Ukraine, China, Portugal, USA etc, particularly to all the Oz addicts and the personal feedback from the characters out on the circuits. There's therapy in sharing this bike addiction, the roll calls have been a work out for the grey cells too. Should I continue?
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