Week 8 : Surreptitiously squeezing Semtex

Post 385

18/2

After last week's Beach Rd's bliss it was back to home soil, the delight of local pot-holes, coarse tarmac and man-hole covers in the bike lane for Saturday's circuit, thankfully Wozza's, Mel's and the Couldabeens company made up for it.  There was another population explosion at the carpark ; TrekTrev, Kel, Nev, Lucy, Rocket, BeerMat, Boof, Pistol, Temple, Popgun, HBK, Lenny, TatPaul, Cougar, TrekSam, TrackStan, TrekJack, MeridaAndy, BigLen, Jase, Shorty, AvantiTrev, The Godfather, Troy, Bruce, TatMat, Carl, Manny and Trav turning up......bigger than BenHur again!  Senesibly split into two peloton portions, I'd again berthed in the first group away (TrekTrev, Troy, Mel, Wozz, Lucy, Boof, Popgun, TatMat, TatPaul, TrekJack, TrackStan, TrekSam, Shorty and Cougar).  Led lights lanced the Channel Rd darkness, Wozza's attempt to silence the tattle with tempo somewhat unsuccessful.

The few part-timers and casuals in the bunch take away that family feel, there's something rather unsettling about a foreign erratic wheel amongst the familiar.  A substandard call at the pub for an approaching car split the pack, TrekJack (unfamiliar in peloton protocols) leapfrogging the queue on the regroup.  I'd been given a thorough half-wheeling by Jack up to Old Dookie Rd, TrackStan pairing more politely with me eastward but felt I was being tested on a long 3k slog to the Toaster.   Nath joined in riding a relic 7 speed (with rear pack rack), I was preoccupied with the breakfast menu while working west on Lemnos Cosgrove Rd and Ford.

TrekJack paired at the pointy end with me crossing Grahamvale Rd and hit the half-wheel habit again, this time rattling my cage enough to retaliate by driving harder when he attempted to roll early.  Peak hour traffic arrived early at Numurkah Rd causing a minute intermission, group two pulling up behind made for a massed attack on Wanganui hill.  Pace was poured on early when traffic cleared, stretching the bunch long (to shorten the odds?), Wozz whipped up the workload at the test track as I gradually moved toward the front with the hill looming large.  Motivated by Mel at my Mavic, I picked a line past the faded to get 5th spot, the roll along Rudd slowly regrouping the stretched pack.  

Supermarket stereotypes, carbon's fragility and a Couldabeens tour elsewhere was the breakfast babble at the Lemontree's long (15metres) table.

20/2

I questioned my squirt (predicting a perambulating peace train) around the golf course loop till a solitary bike in Wanganui Rd validated my 5:15 start, 7 degrees (feels like 4) was an early intro to winter though the Zwift softies wouldn't notice.  It was a treat to tap the new Verney Rd smooth tarmac (it would want to be at $1.6m per km) back to town, Hommy, Cate, Principal Skinner, Phil, Sandy, Ridley Craig and JB the scarce starters for Monday's ritual.  The easterly exit of town had Brown's Cows as a led lure ahead in Old Dookie to pump our pace to chase, Hommy habitually half-wheeling, PrincipalSkinner shooting a short shift, even Ridley Craig trying a turn (although a one and only).   We'd rounded up the meanderers at Old Dookie's end and set a course south on Boundary Rd, JB perched well over the back of the MrSheen'd Pinarello, Sandy calling it quits to the caboose while Phil, Cate, PrincipalSkinner, Hommy and I kept the boiler stoked in pursuit of more led's ahead (so much for the perambulating pace).  The westerly wore away some enthusiasm head-on in River Rd, four turns done at the front and it was my turn to depart to satisfy my employer.  It was a push along the alternative route, two passing trucks donating a delicious draft (albeit abbreviated) then northward home via Archer Rd, the past fortnight's post ride socialism now a distant memory. 

21/2

I had a breakfast of Kellogs Konfidence, it was Tuesday thrash day and how many / little would turn up?  Cate was keen to try the Turtles again, Nick, HBK, TrekTrev, Cougar, SuperMario, Jase, AvantiTrev, Bo and Kel turned up with the same intent (or most seemed to).  AvantiTrev preached a sermon on the (a)mount of noise generated calling at intersections (seems we were waking some) so a silent signal system was used to appease the critics.  I poured some urgency into a tame tempo on Channel Rd, FeltMat joining in to make us a dozen while I tuned out to HBK's half biking.  The muted crossing of Doyle's Rd went well but the caboose dragged till the gaps closed, Jase and HBK driving to the Kinder, but Bo seemed sluggish (burdened by a boisterous bucks night?). AvantiTrev seemed to back off the gas and SuperMario had legs under labour, many using this time for respiratory respite.   Darth Vader was in the dog house but there were a few gasps for the gravel surprise at Sellmans, into Boundary Rd the forecast headwind was thankfully absent.  Cate tore into a tenacious turn in River Rd, HBK needed tissues for his grizzles on the grind alongside me.  Jase, Nick, TrekTrev and FeltMat kept toughing out their turns (it never get easier, you just go faster Greg said) as River, Central Kialla and Mitchell soon passed.  Bo belted into Conrod straight possessed, stretching two lines into one long one, small gaps opening to Jase then Cate as others tucked in behind.  I played leapfrog to Jase's wheel, two deep breaths then a leap to Bo's, his fuse spluttering at the 400 metre mark (you can get blue pills to cure that early arrival problem Bo!) His look of disappointment as I bolted by was priceless, full steam out of the tow spiking all my Garmin graphs, but the chocolates dissolved the distress.

22/2

A thrash on McIntosh (egged on by Cate) stirred up the legs and lungs en-route to Wednesday's Couldabeens clan, it was populous maximus at the carpark with Car+Mel, Wozza, Chops, Kenworth, Pelly, Ralphy, Temple, BamBam, Nick, Lucy, TrekTrev, Bruce, Leah, Rocket, Nev, Boof, Bo and Kel ready to ride.

Scurrying south at 6, Weapon, FeltMat, Troy, Grumpy and Jed joined in, Leah's bucket o' nails (mechanical rattle) causing a slow and some confusion (Wozza, Chops, Troy, Grumpy and Jed cranking into the distance blissfully unaware).  Idling slowly to Sanctuary roundabout, the call of "all on" got the party started again but many were missing on the stocktake at the truck route. (maybe the recent vows of urban silence have suppressed the message?)  In the bunch of Kenworth, Pelly, Ralphy, BamBam, Cate, Temple, Car+Mel, Nick, Lucy, TrekTrev and FeltMat was an ideal size where we'd get several appearances at the front with enough drivers to recover between turns and make life easier on the reaction time.   BamBam had my wheel which would test my pairing but the following draft would be a bonus.  Bunch one were drawing into the distance but our bakers dozen seemed content with our velocity.  Into Channel Rd the odds of inheriting the lead role for the ChaCha shortened, Car+Mel unable to escape the driving duties to the Kinder.  BamBam hit the nitrous at Prentice Rd and I tucked into his tow, Lucy jumped early which served Temple the ideal lead out, Ralphy without enough road played second fiddle.. 

23/2

The ritual preparations, hydrations and ablutions dragged on Thursday morning, there'd be an 11 minute dash to reach the Turtle grid by 5:40.  With a minute to spare, I joined Temple, HBK, Cougar and AvantiTrev at the carpark, Kel and Bo (rattled by a rattle) arriving at the third stroke.   Temple and HBK did the first shift (Kensington roundabout scoring a speed censure), plenty of pace for me to Orrvale Rd beside HBK, then kinder to the Kinder beside AvantiTrev.  I had a brief spell in the draft while Bo, Kel and Temple towed the troupe to Boundary Rd, the endangered KillkennyPaul sighted southbound was enlisted in a caboose capacity as Temple and HBK incited insurgent inferences powering to One Tree Dam. I had another huff & puff beside HBK then the turns rolled turning into River Rd, AvantiTrev talking of a tempo truce (courting caboose kudos?)   Like squeezing Semtex, the accelerator was slowly and surreptitiously squeezed soon after (returning motion for the majority), the last kilometre of River Rd with HBK and 1200 metres of Central Kialla Rd bumping up my breathing.  Kel's concrete composure aboard the Giant is the benchmark,  rule #59 resonating in Mitchell Rd feeling the WNW'er as I spent quality time harassing HBK cresting Dave's dip.   Expectations brewed in Raftery Rd, only Temple, HBK, Bo and I swapping turns from Galbraiths gate suggested an early attack was off the agenda.  Luck would have Temple and Bo advance as HBK waved the white flag in Conrod straight, Temple hit the boost button as Bo lay in wait behind.   I drew a breath or two in the hope of picking up the pieces, Bo belted into the last dip, it took me 101 rpm to sneak past him for a win.

24/2
A southerly made windy work to reach the south of town,  Bruce, Nick, Cate, BamBam, Chops, Pelly, Ralphy, Trav, Nev, Pistol, Wozz, Weapon, Rocket, Lucy, FeltMat, Lenny, Boof, Grumpy and SuperMario assembling for the Friday 6am getaway.

Boof braved the headwind as FDC's filtered in from a puncture delayed early loop, Trav establishing the up line while Rocket rolled up from the rear ranks as his backstop.  I took the soft option of a tow, Ralphy ropeable losing Garmin satelite connection (interference from his magnetic personality?)   Lucy's looked luscious in Liquigas kit (and riding a Liquigas Cannondale, nailing Rule #18) but I was dissapointed there wasn't matching socks!  The serious business of stocktaking cyclists got underway, it haunts my hippocampus should I miss a name off the honour roll. A u-turning bike in River Rd joined in; Lost, one stray cat, needs vaccination and de-sexing, gone missing from the 51/Cat train, answers to the call of Godfather!

Pondering position on my promotion toward the peloton pointy end, I reckon I'd cracked the ChaCha code;  to berth in the first 10% of the left line at the grid almost guarantees a turn with recovery time before the Kinder (figures based on attendance and performance and are dependant on wind and market trends, seek advice from your consultant, terms and conditions apply, see in store for details) but back to the ride reality......  I'd finally arrived at the front with Choppy approaching the cypress trees and was on top of the 14 cog when "puncture" was called.  The halt found Nick pitstopped and on the receiving end of sledges as Nev set to change the tube, the later inflation by CO2 exploding the GP4000 sidewall (good to see many carrying a small square of canvas as a temporary fix). "Just a roll back to town" of course turned into a sprint at the ChaCha, the tempo temptation is just too strong.

Week 8      248 km                     YTD 1,944 km