A balmy morning, a tailwind home, a cafe breakfast and the anticipation of a weekend ahead coerced Couldabeens from their cots to collect at the grid for Saturday's social spin. Wozza, Jen, Mel, Cate, AvantiAndy, Nick, SuperMario, WhisperingJack, Cougar, TatPaul, TatMat, BigMat, TrekTrev, Bruce, Pistol, BassoDave, Rocket, TheGodfather, Shorty, Trav, AvantiTrev, Lucy and Lenny crammed the carpark, a dazzling dawn enticing us east on Channel Rd. I was out of the frypan and into the firepower between Wozza and TatMat, cooked by the Kinder but lapped up a long recovery while 23 others made a contribution to the velocity. A rare appearance of BigMat, a record five days in a row for WhisperingJack, Fisky sporting a GoPro, Rocket recovering from spinal sufferance, BassoDave with velocity vapours and another subtle-as-a-sledgehammer kit on the Godfather made the ride as interesting and varied as always. So where's Kel, KillkennyPaul, Bo, Softa, Hollywood, BassoDan etc? Drawn into the dark world of sloth and softness?
10 had Strava scored a second fastest time for the morning's lap (justifying more breakfast?), the mind's memory, holiday injuries and fishing courting the conversation at The Lemontree's long table. My eventual departure was frustrated finding a puncture but Weapon's expert eye and deft digits detected the offending microscopic glass slivers.
9/1
I had a quiet reverse roll of the Tuesday/Thursday route with the mountain machine on Monday, the south wester needing effort to get this old engine operating into a new week. Another suave sunrise soothed the eyeballs, the energy expenditure easing as Cate & I gradually steered east. It must have been peak hour with 7 cars passing, the length of Mitchell spent deciding that rule #5 is the answer to everything! Two more passing cars in Mitchell bordered on local gridlock, but back to suburbia via Channel Rd with the mandatory charge on the ChaCha cleared the cobwebs. Back in town the trees were motionless, the out-of-town wind just battled almost ranks as the weeks WTF.
10/1
The handbrake of 100% humidity hampered the first few k's of Tuesday's lap, a push south through the soup to reach the Turtle grid found Temple, Cougar, HBK, AvantiMat and AvantiTrev ready to roll. Off the back of two weeks coastal holiday, Temple drove a great first turn, my next co-driver (AvantiMat) pushing the pace to Orrvale Rd. Recovery time for me till the S bend while HBK showed a fraction of restraint (Third of a Bike King?) with AvantiTrev but Temple fronted again, the default setting restored. AvantiMat surprised me with a long 2.6k turn in Boundary to River Rd, he must be on the Kellogs Performance Pops (made me dig deep to stay level). It was 18 degrees and sweaty as a sumo's jockstrap after last nights rain, Jase appearing from the west in Mitchell Rd (a puncture preventing his 5:40 launch) to supplement the speed, AvantiTrev now in rear retirement. Scenarios scrolled through the subconscious about Raftery Rd and its Conrod conclusion, my supposed scene of a brutal death on the Conrod battlefield was re-written by Jase, handing me a long lead-out to the 300 mark. Jase's elbow flicked, a quick peek behind (discovering a 50 metre black hole) then power past for an easy coast to the chocolates (thanks Jase!)
11/1
Many are becoming position perplexed and paranoid at the grid, will I be lumbered with the ChaCha lead-out? Do I score the headwind with PistolPete? Are allies around me? So many scenarios make planning peloton position problematic; just ride f.f.s! Weapon, Bruce, Rocket, Shorty, Pelly, BamBam, Pistol, Troy, Boof, AvantiMat, Cate, BigMat, Mel, Bo, Jen, Gazzagrasshopper, AvantiTrev, Wozza and Jase turned up for Wednesday's workout, the ride freshened by a southwester. Wozza braved the first shift, Troy on a foreign Oppy following the untimely passing of his old and trusted steed. PistolPete was the essence of haute couture in another new kit, but Mel was far tastier in her new attire. Many were surprised BigMat has appeared twice in a week, Bo even matching that effort (but where's cutie Kel?) The wind assisted our passage in Central Kialla and River Rd, pace pumped into the 40's bearing east (ah, the days when Wednesday was barely managing a 32 average!).
Just three Goats ground south in Boundary Rd, I finally reached the front to contribute at the bridges, the long line behind making this my one and only appearance. Calls for cars are becoming as rare as a Hollywood appearance, must be muzzled or have forgotten the lookout role in the caboose? Poor Shorty had drawn the drivers seat again at Kinder corner but the rolls were rapid till Gazzagrasshopper was made clothespeg of the day up to Prentice Rd. Holidays hadn't hampered Boof when the finish drew near, a convincing score of the chocolates with Wozza keeping him busy to earn it.
12/1
28k's of solo therapy cleared the cranial cobwebs on Thursday, no pace to maintain or wheel to watch, no traffic to call or rotations to serve, just one l-o-n-g turn and the mixed mentation to muse as another day dawned and the moon bid adieu. Squeezing in a circuit before work meant collaberating with Cats (sorry Goats, I'll be back!) so cranked up the cardiac toward town in pussycat preparation. Dalts, G, LegalSteve, Googs, Liam, Travis, Col, Sosso, Wellsy, Keeno, 'lilBrendan and co appeared at Dobsons bridge in clockwise configuration, must admit I'm a bit rusty at the roll ritual, that art to roll up and over smoothly withour ruining rhythm needs careful cranking. A prevoiusly unknown Giant jockey joined in out of thin air in Boundary Rd, slotting in unanounced ahead of me. All over the bike like a bad suit, surging, slowing and spinning the 38/11 whilst we clocked in the 40's (contravening Rule #40) therefore, I dub thee SirSunbeam (the manic mixmaster and clear winner of this weeks WTF). I'd engaged caution control as he rolled like a Toblerone across and over Col, the upshot being that his actions finessed Foss's focus! Cat k's were covered quickly with no time for sightseeing and chat shortened to three word sentences, concentration was king as 40 wheels played merry-go-round. River Rd, Central Kialla and Mitchell passed us by in a blink or three, a poofteenth of a pause at the highway for traffic (and a gasp) befor Raftery's rapidity sorted out the pecking order. Young Liam had sealed the sprint half way into Conrod, I was just happy to see Steptoes and seventh, and SirSunbeam in arrears.
13/1
A crimson sunrise was brewing at 5:30 to dazzle us, but faded as the Couldabeens (Lucy, Temple, SuperMario, Shorty, Pelly, Bruce, Weapon, Pelly, Nick, Cate, Jen, Mel, PistolPete, Nev, Trav, Jase, Boof, Paul and BigMat) congregated Friday for the 6am workout. Jase towed us out of town, the tailwind telling me to get in a turn before the toil of a headwind.
Trav's tempo tested me, thank heavens the slow for Wozz (paused for a photo opportunity ;see right) Nev and BamBam to jump aboard kept Pistol (my next co-driver) below 40 in Mitchell Rd. (but he still wrung me out like a wet sock!) En-route to River, conversation centred on illegal immigrants and Thursday handbrakes, the bunch bearing west had a strangely silent Godfather on board. Weapon's wearied by workouts and Cate's murdering mountains, which begs the question; what demons drive us? BigMat has smashed an attendance record of three rides in a week and Paul has rekindled his road bike relationship, but is his dirty (MTB) little affair over? We reached Channel Rd utopia with the wind behind, nek minit I'm at the pointy end tested by Trav, Pistol to follow, the Kinder close, h.r. peaked, lungs bursting and legs like Gumby! Half way to Hopeful I called Pistol over, leaving a hole for Shorty gasping to reach the front in Pistol's wake. Pete was left under the griller till Prentice Rd, Bruce bolted by then almost an eternity elapsed before Nev led the sprint squad to the line. Huff & puff eventually made way for chat & giggle rolling back to town, northerners and southerners parting their ways at Archer Rd for caffiene or careers.
Just three Goats ground south in Boundary Rd, I finally reached the front to contribute at the bridges, the long line behind making this my one and only appearance. Calls for cars are becoming as rare as a Hollywood appearance, must be muzzled or have forgotten the lookout role in the caboose? Poor Shorty had drawn the drivers seat again at Kinder corner but the rolls were rapid till Gazzagrasshopper was made clothespeg of the day up to Prentice Rd. Holidays hadn't hampered Boof when the finish drew near, a convincing score of the chocolates with Wozza keeping him busy to earn it. 12/1
28k's of solo therapy cleared the cranial cobwebs on Thursday, no pace to maintain or wheel to watch, no traffic to call or rotations to serve, just one l-o-n-g turn and the mixed mentation to muse as another day dawned and the moon bid adieu. Squeezing in a circuit before work meant collaberating with Cats (sorry Goats, I'll be back!) so cranked up the cardiac toward town in pussycat preparation. Dalts, G, LegalSteve, Googs, Liam, Travis, Col, Sosso, Wellsy, Keeno, 'lilBrendan and co appeared at Dobsons bridge in clockwise configuration, must admit I'm a bit rusty at the roll ritual, that art to roll up and over smoothly withour ruining rhythm needs careful cranking. A prevoiusly unknown Giant jockey joined in out of thin air in Boundary Rd, slotting in unanounced ahead of me. All over the bike like a bad suit, surging, slowing and spinning the 38/11 whilst we clocked in the 40's (contravening Rule #40) therefore, I dub thee SirSunbeam (the manic mixmaster and clear winner of this weeks WTF). I'd engaged caution control as he rolled like a Toblerone across and over Col, the upshot being that his actions finessed Foss's focus! Cat k's were covered quickly with no time for sightseeing and chat shortened to three word sentences, concentration was king as 40 wheels played merry-go-round. River Rd, Central Kialla and Mitchell passed us by in a blink or three, a poofteenth of a pause at the highway for traffic (and a gasp) befor Raftery's rapidity sorted out the pecking order. Young Liam had sealed the sprint half way into Conrod, I was just happy to see Steptoes and seventh, and SirSunbeam in arrears.
13/1
A crimson sunrise was brewing at 5:30 to dazzle us, but faded as the Couldabeens (Lucy, Temple, SuperMario, Shorty, Pelly, Bruce, Weapon, Pelly, Nick, Cate, Jen, Mel, PistolPete, Nev, Trav, Jase, Boof, Paul and BigMat) congregated Friday for the 6am workout. Jase towed us out of town, the tailwind telling me to get in a turn before the toil of a headwind.
Trav's tempo tested me, thank heavens the slow for Wozz (paused for a photo opportunity ;see right) Nev and BamBam to jump aboard kept Pistol (my next co-driver) below 40 in Mitchell Rd. (but he still wrung me out like a wet sock!) En-route to River, conversation centred on illegal immigrants and Thursday handbrakes, the bunch bearing west had a strangely silent Godfather on board. Weapon's wearied by workouts and Cate's murdering mountains, which begs the question; what demons drive us? BigMat has smashed an attendance record of three rides in a week and Paul has rekindled his road bike relationship, but is his dirty (MTB) little affair over? We reached Channel Rd utopia with the wind behind, nek minit I'm at the pointy end tested by Trav, Pistol to follow, the Kinder close, h.r. peaked, lungs bursting and legs like Gumby! Half way to Hopeful I called Pistol over, leaving a hole for Shorty gasping to reach the front in Pistol's wake. Pete was left under the griller till Prentice Rd, Bruce bolted by then almost an eternity elapsed before Nev led the sprint squad to the line. Huff & puff eventually made way for chat & giggle rolling back to town, northerners and southerners parting their ways at Archer Rd for caffiene or careers.
Week 2 ; 264 km YTD 490 km
Hey! Chuffed with all the blog followers this past week from so many quarters, really appreciate all your comments and support! Hope the pics paint a picture more than the profuse prose!
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