21/1
The simple stimuli aboard two wheels with the weight of the working week lifted is worth bottling. Mixing this with the convivial company of Car+Mel to the carpark seemed sinfully salubrious.
The grid filled with Lenny, Lucy, Kenworth, The Godfather, Jase, AvantiTrev, Popgun, Cougar, AvantiAndy, Jen, TatPaul, TatMat, Bo, TrekTrev, Tina, Tum and Dipper, another good turn up in light of the absentees in Adelaide. Jase and TatPaul set the Channel Rd turns rolling, my turn to head the pack in legs two and three before Lenny and AvantiAndy took control at the Kinder. BamBam and Troy slipped into the order from an early lap, great to have Kenworth finally amongst us on a Saturday. Dipper and Tum were putting in early Goat k's and Tina was on a daily double (Couldabeens lap followed by a Goat circuit) to satisfy her 400k/week habit.
Kudos to Car+Mel tackling the train driving early, the bunch enjoying the tailwind of Boundary but pushing past the piggery pong in Old Dookie Rd.
SpinDoctor, TrackStan, Sam and another (not introduced) young dude I'll dub The Ram (oversized posterior saddlebag) did their usual 'join-in-halfway-do-one-turn-and-want-honours-in-the-sprint' thing at the Emu. It was quite a push into the southwester on the long leg home, the last k of Lemnos-Cosgrove Rd with Jase, then 2k's of Ford Rd beside Lenny ran my tank low (but noticed Lenny was under load for the last 500 metres, telling me my old engine was going ok). The rotational order had me at the back at Wanganui Rd's transfer station, shifts shortening directionally proportional to the velocity, SpinDoctor and TrackStan had put in their turn, Sam went OTA and it seemed Bo and The Godfather were destined to drive for victory up Wanganui hill. Kellows Rd arrived, a do or die mark for me, so I stood on the gas to round up Jase (3rd wheel). I'd reached the front cresting the hill, the menacing shadows of Lenny, BamBam, Troy and TrekTrev behind motivated me to maximise motion to the invisible finish line (when others give up and the urge to brake for Rudd Rd becomes too strong). Chuffed with a win but puffed from the 187 bpm doing it, it wasn't till arriving at the cemetery (still alive) that I had enough oxygen to spare for chat. (I reckon the real sprinters in Adelaide and Troy tackling a Saturday ton allowed me the rare taste of chocolates for breakfast). The dying art of face-to-face conversation, obesity and wake boarding the conversational compliment at the Lemontree breakfast, nice to have the recovering Kel (as a civilian) dropping in to wag the chin.
23/1
Old habits die hard, an early spin on the golf course loop for the want of k's craved (and Tuesday's forecast predicted a ride denial), though the time vs distance equation spurred my speed to reach the Goat grid by 6. With Couldabeens Cate (on a cross cultural exchange), Brendy, Principal Skinner, Coggo, Sandy, Speissy, Hommy, Spartacus, Phil, Belly, AprrenticePete, Heady, Jen, AvantiAndy and DeepFry trickled in to tap out, JB at SPC joining in. A calm and cruisy collective captivated in cordial conversation commenced a co-ordinated crank east on Old Dookie Rd, the simple pleasure of a quiet roll without having your legs pulverised was a delight (heart rate at a 110 bpm idle), watching a crimson sunrise slowly evaporate into an anemic orange. A foreigner had attached to the rear unannounced (rule #19 violation) in Boundary Rd, ApprenticePete in contravention of rule #17 and #36 (hoping the jet black specs are night vision specials Pete) but he's excused as its early days of ethics education, he's mastering the straight and smooth which is of far higher value. The river Rd journey was absorbed in chirpy chat with JB (pristine Pinarello) and Belly (giant Giant), but too soon the enemy of time turned me to shortcut home (bonus: a tail wind)
24/1
The 2am showers were soon evaporated by 22 degrees, the track had dried for a Tuesday turtle tap. I handbraked my arrival to 5:38, someone else could handle the first shift today. Only HBK and Temple had braved an attendance, AvantiTrev making up a foursome by arriving at T minus 5 seconds to launch time. Weapon then Bruce and Leah had rolled out an early reconnaissance on Channel Rd, HBK taking turn one when Temple called Indian file. I scored leg 3 to pass Bruce & Leah, we'd all need something extra to catch Weapon on the Avanti TT. Temple put in a tenacious turn to finish off Channel Rd, I'd been blessed with the breeze behind in Boundary, so drove into the fourties to celebrate. We'd made some inroads into Weapons lead in River Rd, HBK and Temple keeping the kettle boiling to Laws Drive, but I'd cooked myself with the chase a k later, handing HBK the task. It was a bonus to have Weapon join the workforce (just as AvantiTrev fell in love with the caboose), I'd tried convincing the cranium not to quit in Mitchell Rd but the northwester was doing its best to change my mind. Wringing the last out of the old engine by Archer Rd, I suddenly had to find more to slot in as 3rd wheel when AvantiTrev left a gap. (cue guttural gasps to catch Temples draft). HBK and Temple did the towing in Raftery Rd leaving me the chore of Conrod and keeping the average respectable. I'd almost reached the last dip when the the heart wouldn't comply with 191bpm, so was happy to go OTA for the sake of getting oxygen to lungs and limbs. A 37.1 average for four Turtles worth the effort though.
25/1
Ah, the Victorian summer! A sweaty 22 degrees one day, a chilled 12 the next! Overtaking the numbskull riding lightless in the dark (obviously his life and intelligence is worth less than a $5:99 tail-light) I found Wozz, Mel and Cate to slog south into a 20 km/h headwind to the Couldabeens ritual. Nick, Boof, Shorty, Rocket, Nev, Weapon, Lucy, Jen, Chops, Kenworth, Bo and TatMat had formed two rows in the carpark, FDC's Ralphy, BamBam, Pelly, Troy and Bruce steamed in from slick spin of the Raftery loop. Shouldering the first shift is always left to a small selection of suckers, Wozz was set to suffer the southerly this time, and scoring my sympathy, I paired with him in the hard labour to the Sanctuary roundabout. I tried to delay my muscular meltdown, but it was difficult to keep some form of dignified composure beside Lucy at a pickling pace for leg two. Traffic split the bunch at the truck route, thanks heavens!, I needed a gasp or six in the slow down to regroup. A six strong string of HurtLocker lads hurtled south at Central Kialla, three other packs in River Rd almost incognito with the sun still in bed. I confessed the joys of goalessness in a BamBam therapy session and analysed analogies with Weapon as 20 others did their bit toward the team average (35.6). Cate, Mel and Jen courageously cranked to the front with the ChaCha close, Chops launching a do or die effort at the helm to Hopeful corner with Wozz and I in his wake, turning the bunch Indian file. Wozz put in an Oscar winning performance powering to Prentice, I was on the limit getting by feeling fairly useful towing twenty into the 50's, but so soon was humbled by horsepower as Bruce, Troy, Rocket and Boof howled past (thumbs up to Boof for the win). The calm crank homeward turned squishy with a slowly deflating front tube (I'll blame that for a poor ChaCha performance!), the bike steering like a soufflé but made it home to repair in comfort.
25/1
26/1
Australia Day gave many a chance to tap a toaster lap and raise money for the Children's Hospital Appeal. "Show Me"Mat applied the green and gold warpaint at the start line as coffee toast and fruit fuelled 60 odd attending, the massed start none too comfortable for me (closer than a 2k radius to MrMagnet is a hazard) but Goats steered a steady course south to Raftery Rd. By Mitchell Rd many were itching for a pace more pronto, time for the wheat to be sorted from the chaff as the southerly strengthened. Rocket and MeridaJohn vamped up the velocity east of Central Kialla, Mitchell Rd's length favoured over the left and right navigating River Rd. The bunch drew long and thin by Mitchell's end, Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection was to be tested by tempo in Boundary Rd. There was a snap crackle and pop as a bunch of 50 thinned to 17, Shorty, Temple, TatMat, Alouise, young Lord Byron, Rocket, TrackStan, MeridaJohn, MeridaAndy, Kenworth, Coggo, Belly, DeepFry, Eddy, Boof and TatPaul driving into the fourties had unhooked many. I'd berthed a good sit between Belly and Coggo, long turns turning short as we turned west at the Emu for the slog home. A dozen drivers battled the south southwester (24-32 km/h) into the high 30's homeward, the caboose unhitched from the rear as we crossed Lemnos Rd, the remaining dozen split in two from the pace of Rocket, Byron, Boof and TrackStan. Temple, Shorty, Coggo, Belly and I teamed to tame the torture of Wanganui Rd, thoughts of the traditional cuisine of beer and a snag waiting at the finish kept the pace back to town. The post ride post mortem, tall tales and true were enjoyed as a recovery at the Aussie hotel, 10th overall for the Toaster segment my trophy.
27/1
It's been many months since catching the train of pain on a Friday, a rare a.d.o. allowing a chance to climb aboard. Coggo, Phil, Dipper, AvantiAndy and Tum arrived at Friars, a couple of social minutes spent on the roll out of town before Doyle's Rd set the train at full steam. I took the first turn and was pleased with progress to Dobson's bridge, but peeling off the front to catch the tail was an early task to ask. Tum then Coggo, Dipper and Phil dragged us to Boundary Rd, AvantiAndy's headwind christening in Boundary Rd blowing his gasket just 300 metres south. I set a goal to reach the bridge, legs and lungs complaining reaching the target, then another dig to the depths to catch Phil's wheel as AvantiAndy had opted to play caboose. Great work by Tum, Coggo and Dipper pushing the pace to One Tree Dam, Phil on fire at 38 clicks to River Rd (a split second wave to anti-clockwise Couldabeens, I was oxygen preservation for my River Rd drive). I shifted the goal post for roll-over closer this time, there were several more floggings at the front to go, catching Phil's wheel a little easier this time. (AvantiAndy now awol). Dipper's nods sent his limit message, Coggo poker faced to the main channel. Phil pedalled possessed and I thought he'd reach River's end but his elbow said no more with 300 left. Facing the breeze in Central Kialla hurt, reaching my target school sign I was blown backward by an oncoming truck's wake (sorry Tum! A nasty handover of the helm). Mitchell Rd blurred by, Phil's valiant velocity powering up Dave's dip but there was a brief wait at the highway for traffic. I took the train to Roubaix corner and gave the reigns to Tum, Coggo's turn at Galbraiths gate to Arcadia Downs (striking a stone struck a sphincter pucker). Dipper drove to Conrod and opened the gate for Phil's swansong, I drew a breath at the 400 mark to call "All yours Phil" just as his elbow said otherwise, so pulled all stops out to Steptoe's to finish a solid 32k at 38 clicks. Bonus time with a day off work, coffee at Degani's a delightful weeks' end.
Week 4. 256km. YTD 968km.
Interesting to be Strava following (and followed by) riders in Brazil, Italy, South Africa, India and the U.S. Sympathy's extended to those suffering in the depths of winter, our turn is coming!
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