Saturday 16th July
Waking a little later than planned forced a prologue rethink, 30k quickly hacked back to 20 prior to the Saturday Couldabeens ritual. Just above zero and curtained in fog, Old Dookie Rd was a navigational niggle with specs fogging every 200 metres, pocketed post haste to stay on the pavement. Almost at Sellmans gate when I remembered Darth Vaders likelihood of prompting a sprint stage, no sign eased concerns. The Couldabeens had almost completed leg one when I intercepted, another remarkable attendance in light of the temperature and the fog. Pistol, Bruce, Rocket, Wozz, Tum, Nev, Kel, Ange, Bo, Shorty, BigRon, Temple, HBK, Cougar, Trav, Boof, BassoSam, AvantiTrev, TatPaul and two international interlopers of kiwi persuasion passed me by, so tagged on the tail to be towed till duty called. Shocked that HBK was in leg warmers, yet one of our NZ foreigners was in fingerless gloves. Betwixt Temple and Kel I steadily advanced to the business end, Wozz was on tenderloins from a Friday 208k Qhubeka 5000 effort, Ange and Bo turning on the torment of tempo to the Toaster. Beside Temple to the Emu and with Kel to the kennels was my sole contribution, the chill at the front most noticeable after the hot air of conversation in the bunch. I'd resigned to rear retirement when we reached Verney Rd (preserving the reserves barely half way into a grand Fondo distance). The Wanganui pace percolated, a midfield BassoSam blew a gasket breaking the bunch in two. There was a scurry to catch the draft of the front runners bolting for the hill, pleased I reached the hill coherent and without cardiac arrest. A couple of minutes in the wallow of recovery along the Boulevard but parting was such sweet sorrow at Balaclava Rd, my Strava challenge begged.....74 more k's to click to tick the July box. The fog was porridge to push through on New Dookie Rd as the sun got out of bed, a pause to pocket fogged specs and snap a scene that puts perspective back in life.
Speed seemed to vary with the fog's thickness, bearings hard to get on the 18k stretch to Quarry Rd, surrounded by solitude, sometimes savoured, sometimes scary. Swinging into Kellows Rd at Cosgrove cleared the kanga's on an early bound, up to the camel farm then south on Cosgrove-Caniambo Rd. The Garmin lost its grip on the satellites under the shadow of Mt Major (rather minor at 720 ft), a reboot restored the readings. More roos high jumped the fences on my crank to the highway, sensing a hint of easterly gave hope to the mind numbing length of Bells-Armstrong Rd approaching. Barely 3 metres wide and riddled with ruts, the first 4k's of Bells Rd is tarmac in its lowest form, that mere hint of a breeze behind prompted use of the 15 cog. Time off the Fizik was becoming more frequent as the posterior protested at the distance, the kilometres dragged till Bells became Armstrong, the wider track helping as the fog closed in again. The main eastern channel finally appeared but the drudgery of another 10k's of Mitchell was as exciting as question time in parliament. I was almost beginning to wish it was all over when Raftery and Roubaix corner came into view, back on familiar ground there was only the bit left rolling into town, but a Garmin check showed the target shy. 8 more k's were stretched from lax limbs around the golf course loop, 130 done and dusted just metres from home.
Monday 18th July
Plans of a quiet start to the week rolling gently to the golf course turned pacey in Wanganui Rd glancing at the "o.m.g is that the time?" clock, a dash to keep a rendezvous time with Wozz shook the rust off the legs. Not a lot of recovery on the 7k's to the Couldabeens carpark, hopefully the What's-App invite "easing into the new week" was easy. Kel, Bo, Mel, Cate, Rocket, Pistol, BigRon and AvantiTrev cruised in, finding myself between the frying pans of Pistol and Bo on legs two and three with a northeasterly neurosis niggling at me to the Kinder. AvantiTrev, Mel and Cate braved the business end to Boundary Rd, far more favourable for all bearing south and west. Pistol casually chatted with Rocket as I hungrily devoured oxygen behind, a k of River Rd at the front should do me good but did its best to mentally defeat. Through Central Kialla and on Mitchell to the highway, the familiar gait of Eddy ahead was recognised at Roubaix (climbed aboard for a tow home). A Russian roulette rabbit raced across Pistol and Rockets trajectory to Galbriaths gate (almost becoming a rumble strip rabbit), Conrod straight ended with a solid finish minus the sprint, leaving a pleasant aftertaste.
Tuesday 19th July
When's this filthy winter going to end?! The damp and foggy picture repeats opening the front door at 5......here comes a grubby bike, a groaning chain, wet socks, worms and a damp kit all over again! What feeds the determination to keep this up? A tiny fraction of what Amanda Coker has on her U.S. attempt at the annual distance record (it's day 68 and she's averaging 367k's a day!) With only a few circuit options open, New Dookie Rd broke my boredom of Lemnos-Cosgrove Rd, another push through porridge to the church, down to the toaster and back to town. I knew pea soup conditions wouldn't attract a good Goat gathering, but staggered it was only Heady with the fortitude at Friars (does that make it Goats head soup?) Our consensus settled on the usual course with a Channel Rd escape clause, just the two of us rooster tailing on the wet Old Dookie Rd. The recent Spanish altitude has put Heady in good stead, pushing through the porridge with aplomb. A tiny suggestion of a southerly cleared a bit of Boundary Rd fog for us to continue on to River Rd, an oncoming bike confirming we weren't the only dedicated / delirious ones about. The sartorius and gracilis were lodging official complaints at pushing through the atmosphere, at Rivers' end I bade Heady adieu to tap the usual short cut route home.
Wednesday 20th July
It was unusual to roll out on a regular 5:45 start, paired with Tum and Wozz Couldabeens bound, joining Boof, Nev, Cate, Mel, Shorty, BigRon, Kel, Bo, AvantiTrev, Rocket, Temple, Pistol and Chops for Wednesday's whip around. Pace was on in Mitchell Rd and Central Kialla (prevailing wind?), AvantiTrev quickly questioning his move to the front. Bo found the pot hole re-opened in River Rd as we crossed paths with westbound Cats (a little later than usual), the usual Poppa holler from the rear sparked a laugh. I finally got a go at the pointy end following Mel and Cate's smooth standard, caution called to Tum for the loose stuff that's slowly invaded Wozza's once pristine corner. The big engines had stacked sequentially at Channel Rd's cypress trees, Boof, Rocket, Pistol, Wozz, Bo, BigRon and Nev all line astern promised full steam ahead. By Kinder corner Rocket and Boof were boxed in, an oncoming car keeping the bunch skinny. I'd managed to work myself to fourth with Shorty as we touched the fifties, then a sudden Zipp symphony (conducted by Rocket) shot by with Boof to humiliate us all, save for a triumphant BigRon a few metres beyond their reach. My rostered day off allowed a rare weekday post ride coffee and banter (Bo's excuses, BigRon's bluster and the absurdity of Pokemon Go).
It's been many moons since running the risk of an Adams family roll, the day off and a kilometre craving seemed like an opportunity begging. Twas long time no see JB, Hoffy, Jum, Simon, Pat, Chilly, GT, Barnsey and others, the single filed crank down Archer Rd coming across a car+trailer malfunction with the Sanctuary roundabout. Tame thirties was more than agreeable, many turns short, a few long, and the wait to get bunch rhythm put the (often unvalued) quality in other groups. NevY, Tina and Axel were found meandering Mitchell, so sixteen cruised east on my memory lane of Saturday's long ago. Disc brakes have finally made a local appearance (Dave's Focus), the all new aero Hoffy (-15kg) firing on all cylinders aboard his Pinarello stealth bomber, Gawny on the third bike in three months (Oppy theft, Merida write-off and now a new Trek). Up to Old Dookie Rd and out to the Toaster, my slow crank challenge to the piggery with JB silenced the chat. The bunch thinned dramatically on the westward leg home, some short cutting to coffee, others on a homeward mission. Only half a dozen remained to drive Wanganui Rd, JB was left out to dry at DECA so I took to the front playing lead-out. Soon deafened by an eerie silence behind, my glance back revealed a 5 metre void, so backed off the gas to gather the troops. My next ramp-up of pace fractured the pack again, an ease-up collected JB but the remainder were awol. (Me thinks I should be in a bigger pond?) Up the hill and round Rudd, a deliberate slow regrouped the stretched survivors to steadily slog back to town, the short-cutters reappearing to seat 12 at Friars for coffee and chat on old racing rules and distance challenges.
Thursday 21st
An auto-pilot loop of the golf course lap, making the most of a clear radar and a fortuitous forecast settled the knee niggles to arrive at Friars in reasonable roadworthyness. Attendance was almost astonishing with Tina, Manny, Carl, Sandy, Spiessy, Belly, Hommy and Snow assembling. Keeping pace with Tina to Central Ave was tough, but mentally prepared for a thorough half wheeling from Hommy to School Rd. Snow and Spiessy put in brief tenures at the front, Sandy still in caboose captaincy. Manny's spin turned up the volume on his new pair of HED jet6 carbons, birthday boy Belly plied poised, predictable and pacy as always. A little northeaster helped us to River Rd, a reartirement or two on the trek to Central Kialla. A spot on the specs at Dave's dip surely was surely sweat off Snow, the radar had promised a clear passage hadn't it? Only Manny, Carl, Belly, Heady and I were left to work Raftery Rd, Carl and Manny with the youth to whip up the wattage for Conrod as I hung on in survival in third, a big gap opened to the remainder, gobbling oxygen. Just over punch up bridge, ice cold drops started to pelt from the heavens......really? 10 minutes from home? Seems we'd invoked the wrath of that God of cycling ("Cycleops"?). Resigned to a drenching, it was a push home as socks became sodden and water found its way into places not worth mentioning, physically approaching the end, the mental blow of a blowout came from a large wedge of glass through the Michelin. Thanks for stopping to shed light on the repair Belly (Spiessy and Heady in a similar pit stop a k later!)
Friday 22nd July
A 30-48 km/h northerly and saturated streets quickly brought on a bout of BigMat disease Friday, ride abandoned, two coffees and a long relaxed breakfast seemed to make matters worse, but the niggling question of who went out (and could I have squeezed in a lap?) kept the passions pilot light burning.
Week 29. 374km. YTD 8,920
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