3/2
Predictions of a slim Saturday grid (an extra curricular Couldabeens crank scheduled at Bright) were unfounded as a copious crew converged on the carpark (Trav, BigBill, TrekTrev, BassoDan, Temple,Wozza, Jen, AvantiAndy, AvantiTrev, Popgun, Boof, Rocket, Bruce, Pistol, Mel, TatPaul, TatMat, Avanti Mat, Cougar, Nick, Shorty, SuperMario, Mitch and Tum with Clive, Cranky and a couple of cryptic Cats creating a caboose (for a pussycat prologue). 
Rule #79 (fight for your town lines) came into play for Wanganui Rd. I'd transitioned from the down line to the upline at DECA just as the afterburners were ignited, shifts shortened rapidly promoting me forward but I was hoping to play the waiting game till my Kittles Rd cue. Pulling all stops out from 6th wheel I got by a few, Wozz whooshed by beckoning me to follow (I wish! nothing left cranking 55 km/h uphill!) but managed 5th behind the explosion of energy that was Boof, Wozz and Bruce. A boulevard babble back to base then chat on climbing hills, celebrity chefs and bombing diets kept the sentences swapping at the Lemontree table, the serious stuff on keeping Couldabeens class cohesion was chewed over in a post caffiene think tank.
7/2
There was a winter's reminder headed to the Turtles Tuesday but the cool southerly couldn't deter the junkie's fix of being back on the bike again, craved after two whole days without (ride denied by rain Monday). I'd convinced Cate to try the Turtles; Temple, TrekTrev and HBK the only others keen at 5:40. A foreign female attached to our single filed effort as we entered Channel Rd, Temple tapping leg one but a slow for two baulked at Doyle's Rd made my work in leg two tame (HBK sarcasm duely delivered). The mystery girl had gone OTA by the cypress trees, but five forged forward (rule #19 & #88 applied), loose gravel at the S bend producing a sphincter pucker, TrekTrev scoring a second sensory scare with Darth Vader gnashing near his ankle. Cate and Temple braved Boundary's 22 km/h worth of headwind like Ghurka's, easy on the throttle turning into River Rd I wound up the wick for a 2600 metre drive west. TrekTrev took a short shift at the dip, HBK rounding off River for Cate and Temple to tackle the breeze head on again through Central Kialla. My crack at Mitchell ended at Archer with a deep dig to catch Temple's wheel, TrekTrev having kaboomed off the back. The foursome flogged on toward the highway baited by red led's ahead (AvantiTrev and Hoges shortcutting from missing the 5:40 flagfall), Cate to Roubaix and Temple to Galbraiths gate, my job to round up Hoges and AvantiTrev at Arcadia Downs. HBK hammered into Conrod, Temple with the tempo to nudge 50 to the end. Tenacious teamwork beat the hares home, holidays allowing me the indulgence of post ride coffee and the weekend's yarns.
8/2
Popularity (or the possibility of a big bunch tow?) drew devotees to the carpark Wednesday, warmer weather (18 degrees) may have been the inspiration but an easterly urged me to get a turn done early to avoid River Rd's rigour. I headed 23 (Boof, Kel, Nick, Shorty, Ralphy, Jen, Kenworth, AvantiMat, Jase, Nev, Wozza, Grumpy, Chops, BamBam, Pistol, Pelly, Rocket, Weapon, Bruce, Cate, Temple, Mel and Bo) out of town, Jase paired with me to the roundabout with a squad of sprinters (Bruce, Wozz, Boof, Nev and Pistol) in a convenient coincidence line astern behind to propel the peloton into Mitchell Rd.
Nev policed the pace as the Hares howled into the headwind, my driving duty done, I'd happily hunkered into the team tow to start the social sentences swapping. AvantiMat is back to his former i.d. (FeltMat) after the sad demise of his Avanti Corsa in tough times (thoughts are with you, by many, my friend). The FDC's seem to be enjoying being Troyless but there's a Nev nightmare to counter in his absence, the prescription for Weapon's bike obsession (rule #4 personified) is simply to ride more! Temple and I kept an eye on the caboose as the long line stretched into River Rd, trying to keep a headcount as two dozen shared the energy ebbing easterly.
Nick and Kenworth put the vim in the velocity at Kinder corner, Mel and Cate took cover in the left line as Shorty and I, the compulsory fixtures at the front, flogged into the ChaCha. Arriving early at the business end and with no hope of a place, 
I stretched the bunch long at Prentice Rd, an interminable wait for the sprinters to pounce as I turned myself inside out at 53 clicks (the slowly reversing car from a driveway ahead was a manic moment) but was pleased to hold on for sixth in the wake of the 60km/h Boof express. A roll of recovery back to town, catching Kel's kind kudos could cause cranial convulsions! I could make a habit of this post ride coffee and cackle habit that holidays have allowed, but would it spoil Saturday's sanctity? It's been eight years since my stick saga rearranged the skull, touch wood (pardon the pun) I'll keep upright for another 8.
9/2
TipTom stood out like a sore (Tom) thumb at Friars Thursday, a nervous newbie "finding fitness" but needing a Bachelor of Bike Ed and a big serve of aerodynamics. Speissy, Joe, Coggo, Belly, AvantiAndy, Sandy, Snow, Jen, Hommy, Phil, HG, Spartacus, Temple, LegalAndy, Tina, HBK and JB filtered in for the 6am off, Coggo and I on escort duty to exit town, but the bunch broke in two at Doyles Rd for traffic to clear. Regrouped and rotating, TipTom was in meltdown reaching the drivers seat against the northeaster, darting for left lane cover as fitter and faster forged forward. LegalAndy put in a brief submission, Hommy happy half-wheeling, but the velocity yo-yo'd to Boundary Rd where the breeze behind finally smoothed the speed and turned up the tempo. TipTom did another lane swap for survival at the Pub as Tina, Jen, JB and Phil kept the pot boiling.
Coggo and I cranked the 1st shift of River Rd into the 40's as the troops turned serious and silent, the caboose proving popular as the drivers were whittled down to 11 to echelon westward. Many were missing as we swung south to Central Kialla, back on the gas beside Jen (look up smooth in the dictionary and you'll find a picture of her) to Mitchell Rd and with Coggo to Archer, dawdling water hens made a chichane to navigate at Dave's dip. The ranks thinned further in Raftery Rd, ten then eight then just five fearless into Conrod straight. I rolled across from HBK's turn, a quick peek back finding all had Indian filed behind me! Full Foss force lasted just a few hundred metres into the headwind and with no back up and the cardiac count crested, the mental plug was pulled with 200 to go, Coggo, Belly, HBK and Temple homed in for the kill at the finish line.
10/2
10/2
There was a touch of tempo trepidation turning up to the train of toil Friday (rule #5 Foss!) but the old engine has been running ok of late, fears forgotten when a big field fronted Friars. (AvantiAndy, Phil, AvantiLeigh, Coggo, Carl, Belly, Spartacus, Heady, Dipper, Tum and chum Chad). Many hands make light work they say, so short sharp turns were on the menu as Heady took on Act 1, a solitary performance with an OTA encore! I'd berthed behind AvantiLeigh who flicked his elbow at Dobson's bridge, it wasn't too bad cranking at 40+ with a shorter 500 metre target, but it was hell catching the tail end when caboose captain AvantiAndy called me in. Chad charged the leg to Central Ave, a bunch ahead baiting our pace, Coggo and Belly threading the thin line between the portly perambulating pack and the oncoming cars. A hint of the southwester put heads down in Boundary Rd, lucky I scored a little shelter from the trees for my dip to the orchard. All clear at the highway, then off the Fizik to catch Phil's flog to Channel Rd as we scored Eggy aboard. Spartacus had retired from duty in River Rd, I was spending my recovery time talking down the heartrate (with little effect) till the next appearance at the business end. Laws Drive to the second white post beyond the bridge was plenty (strangely, it was easier at the front than trying to catch the last wheel for a tow), my peel off paving the way for the Eggman to show us how it's done. Belly joined a now Andyless caboose to recover, sustained speed taking it's toll on many, or so the body language spoke. It was a little intimidating at the front with Eggy breathing down my cassette, I tried desperately to freeze the speed to smooth the way for all. Traffic ruined a record, halting us at the highway (why can't black cars use headlights in the pre-dawn light?) but life is worth more than a Strava tick. Two then three then four cars followed (almost caught my breath!) till the Raftery Rd boiler was stoked for a fast finish. Dipper went wide and went bush at bridge corner, but recovered back to the tarmac for Roubaix corner (buy the guy an MTB!), consistent drives at 43 helping my turn at Arcadia Downs but giving Eggy the lead into Conrod was a pace payout. Finding even more to catch AvantiLeigh's wheel was crushing my resolve, Rule #5 bounced around the pre frontal cortex as Phil popped off the back. Eggy graciously resigned from a long drive at the front, Coggo taking the chocolates as my scenery blurred in the recovery from 26 k's at Zone 5.
Week 6 200km YTD 1,429
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