Saturday 6th August
Hooray for Saturday, social stimuli to enjoy and post ride time not possible weekdays. Curbing, or at least calming the prologue habit to a tame 16k prior to 6am, Old Dookie, Central and Poplar as a new course to get me to the grid on time. Again the bunch swelled with punters contrary to the cool conditions, a field of Jase, Tina, Jonesy, Trude, TatPaul, Jen, Nev, Pistol, Boof, Shorty, AvantiTrev, AvantiMat, Temple, Cougar, Cate, Car+Mel, Trav, KillkennyPaul, Softa, Kel, AvantiRob, Chops and HBK filling the carpark. TatPaul and I drove leg one gradually up to pace, battling breaths beside Boof to Orrvale Rd before reclining in the social tow till my next appearance at the helm was due. BigRon, Rocket and Bo were awol (hydration overload), sarcasm to and fro with HBK, Temple tenaciously back from last weeks taxi tangle, Car out of the gym and into the reality of real riding (not the fake folly that is Zwift), Jen's mojo apparently working by the power of suggestion. Only four Cats cranked east at the main eastern channel, my rear brake break was favouring the front as a small rim fracture was pulsing the rear brake lever, a re-rim soon of the Cosmic (probably got my money's worth lasting 126,000 k's) Sitting on the bunch's tail as two rows speared into Wanganui Rd swelled my optimism for hope up the hill, up to third wheel at DECA's test track when Pistol fired the lead-out shot couldn't be better. Speed shifted us single file, and waiting for Pistols fuse to fade, my launch at Kittles Rd seemed to have gapped the group by the hills crest. (alas unheard in my draft, Boof bolted by as if I'd stopped). Oh well, second certainly satisfactory as I gobbled the oxygen in Rudd Rd's recovery. Highest annual mileage record attempts, the forthcoming Fruitloop and punctures occupied the jaw between bites of poached eggs and avocado at the Lemontree base station.
Sunday 7th August
Had a few days to spend in central Victoria so seized the chance of exploring the Castlemaine byways by Baum. Saddled up Sunday at 6:30 to crank the old Calder highway from Harcourt northbound, up hill and down dale quite foreign to this fossilised flatlander, the expectation of a steady pace chucked out as inclines messed up momentum. Over the M.79 and Maldon bound, the headlight shone on the road angling gradually upward, but just beyond the lumens reach a sharp and nasty 500 metre pinch (Fogherty's Gap) caught me napping on the 56/25. Momentum dropped suddenly, no time to swap to the little ring (against my religion anyway!) so off the Fizik to pound the creaking cranks (42rpm), chain groaning and heartrate soaring (185). The road reached to the blackened sky, sheer stubbornness and anger defying defeat driving me to the top, suffering a mental hillness on the crest. A decent descent was rich reward for a k or two, ego soothed by a long spell in the fourties as the road snaked to Walmer, an audience of grey kangaroos at the fence line questioning my sanity. A few minor inclines put a sting in the legs and lungs, at least some daylight showed the coast clear of chaotic climbs. The rusting dredge and dragline at Porcupine Flat signalled Maldon was near, ye olde "first notable town" was sound asleep in its goldfields architecture. Onto Castlemaine-Maldon Rd and down through Gower, sunlight now mentally warming me to Muckleford, the rolling landscape, a rusting shearing shed and restored miners cottages far sweeter scenery than the usual dull orchards and channels. Onto the Midland highway and into Castlemaine, caffeine was craved, Saffs (the only one open) serving a beautiful brew in a serene sunlit street. All too soon, normal life beckoned a return to Harcourt base station, an 8k uphill tap back finalising fifty.
Tuesday 9th August
Back on level ground Tuesday, but a northeaster blew to guarantee a grizzle. A little 12k prelude to a 5:40 Turtles tap, hopes left hanging in an empty carpark at 5:37 till ChrisA, Temple, HBK and Jase rolled in. It felt a hard slog into the northeaster on Channel Rd for leg one, ChrisA thankfully playing fair to the truck route, seeming even fairer on HBK to Orrvale Rd. Jase then Temple moved up the ranks, the wind funnelling between the orchards to harass us all. ChrisA's winter hibernation soon took its toll, even skipping a turn as Channel Rd drew to a close. Southern and western legs were kinder, but Temple had cemented himself into the rear gunner role in River Rd as ChrisA re-entered the workforce. Half biked by HBK, I conserved a little wattage for payback in Central Kialla, revenge so sweet a wheel ahead with HBK speechless to Mitchell. Speed got serious in Raftery Rd, two lines turned single at Galbraiths gate with Chris A in the drivers seat at Arcadia Downs. A close call when ChrisA hit the wall of Conrod's head wind, causing five to suddenly shunt into the space of three. Prying myself from overlapped wheels and onto the front, I sank all into the drive out of the dip, Jase the saviour as my energy evaporated with 300 metres left.
Wednesday 10th August
Questioning what I'm doing out at 5:10 on a dark, damp road (adding a month or two to life on the planet?/ collecting dead worms by bike? / supporting an eating habit? ) but justified my "issues" on breaking in a rebuilt rear Cosmic, re-rimmed expertly by AvantiTrev. Finding Wozz, Mel and Cate in the main drag vindicated my obsession, BamBam, Boof, Shorty, Nev, Pistol, Rocket and AvantiTrev were added to the list of devoted / possessed at the carpark. Six bells chimed to interrupt the chat, the southerly spin to Mitchell testing for the tailenders. TrekMat joined in, I'd been paired with Nev (a pop gun beside an AK47) although the first k of River Rd went well with the NNW a help to the bridge, matching Cate's drive to the dip calling on extra reserves. (just missed the pot hole at the dip, now almost the size of Century open cut). Nearly all had a go at the pointy end by River's end, Wozz and Pistol rose to the occassion of battling the headwind to Channel, I was mentally preparing for the next pairing with Nev at Channel Rd's S bend. It all went well till I made the mistake of a Garmin glance, (39km/h @ 175bpm) the head quickly calling an end to what the legs were tolerating. Shorty shortened his turn at the cypress trees, me committed to giving the front a miss as we curved at Kinder corner. Nev launched a lead-out that many can't match, Rocket victorious as I threaded a line between the ChaCha puddles (no hope of shaking Mel from my wheel) to get a sniff at the podium. Near breathless staying with Pistol to Archer Rd, there was relief with Boof, Mel, Cate as we headed for the northern suburbs, a double digit worm count predicted on berthing grubby bikes.
Thursday 11th August
Just a whiff of BigMat syndrome caused a lazy lay in till 5 and a casual kit up for a Goat tap at 6. A new CatEye Volt1200 lit up the damp tarmac like daylight, ye olde Cygolite Metro well beyond its 1000 charge life. Down to Friars found 9 Goats in the mist, Tina, Coggo, Heady, Sandy, Carl, Dipper, Hommy, Phil and HG Phillo there, variably enthused. A damp and dreary Old Dookie Rd was made partially pleasing by the 20km/h westerly, it certainly helped HG Phillo struggling from hibernation and heavy Hunter Valley hydration. Hommy has a new Avanti frame (old Oppy suffering a fatal fracture), Phil's turbine like wheels played a tempo tune as we stacked across Boundary Rd, the old familiar track cranked so many times, pot holes, puddles and peculiarities safe in familiarity. River Rd handed out a headwind to earn a second breakfast, HG Phillo suddenly conspicuous by his absence at the front. Turns turned short, medium and long relative to riding regularity, but all too soon it was my turn to exit stage right on a shortcut to the timeclock, bumping up the effort on the truck route to Archer. With lashings of lumens the road ridges and ripples stood out like a WhisperingJack appearance, switching to pulse mode in town to wake those drivers asleep at the wheel. Baum berthed, a quick change and 2k walk to work to earn the money to buy tyres, chains, lights, carbon rims, bar tape, tubes, arm warmers...................
Friday 12th August
Racing the rendezvous clock in 2 degrees on Friday morning warmed up the engine, 15k solo in 25 minutes still left 2 minutes spare for the Wozz and Cate connection at 5:45. Arriving at a frosty carpark, Cougar, Bruce, Chops, Shorty, Boof, Kel, Bo, AvantiMat, AvantiTrev, PistolPete, HBK, Temple, Jase and making his monthly appearance, SuperMario assembled. Six struck swiftly so I took the plunge of the lead to Sanctuary roundabout, gently on the accelerator to avoid an ear chewing. Wozz, Bruce, Boof and Pistol offered early shifts in the drivers seat, not a sight or sound of AvantiTrev, SuperMario, Temple et al, cringing in the caboose. The ritual sledge swap with HBK, motivating AvantiMat toward the front, the distraction of Kel's eyes (both sets) occupied a few k's, an eye kept out for the River Rd pot hole made easy by HBK's flouro marking. Speed varied as some pegged progress per performance, again Pistol and Wozz drove Boundary Rd to Channel with pace possessed. Winter has emptied my sprint enthusiasm of late, sitting out the ChaCha but savouring the social stimuli strolling home, and closing the week the way it opened.
Week 32 288km. YTD 9,802km.
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