Week 37 : Fertilizing friendships

Post 411
9/9  Cirque du Saturday.
A change to the Saturday circuit with the old bridges now new again, the change as good as a holiday they say.      Mel, TatPaul, Cate, TatMat, Shorty, Trav, Nev, Jase, Temple, AvantiTrev, ScottMatt, Lenny, MeridaAndy, Merida-not-AvantiJohn, BigLen, Boof, PistolPete, Softa, KillkennyPaul and HBK had assembled, Softa leading the case for the accused with an inspired drive to Kialla lakes, but there, the effort was over-ruled.  Turns rolled  sharing the 4 degree chill down to Mitchell to start the eastbound effort toward Boundary Rd, finding the earlybirds Troy, Kel, BamBam, Wozza, Bo and Ralphy (unusually enthused to ride) in River Rd inflating the pack to 27.  Such was the smoothness that a division seemed pointless. (regular riders rule!)  Concerns were calmed as Boundary Rd's horror of holes have been patched, up to Old Dookie Rd to find a super sun-up and the new bridge scoring a 10 out of 10.  The toaster still sits atop it's post and canola's out on show to put Spring in our agenda, the other new bridge in Pine Lodge Rd didn't disappoint either, memories rekindled of 14 weeks ago when we were last on this course.  MeridaAndy's on a new flouro steed, Jase about to get a new shoulder, Ralphy's masochistic motivation making him "knuckle" down, Temple taking to temperate temperatures, ScottMatt ramping up for 'round the Bay and AvantiTrev coercing a cap on speed (now that's an old chestnut), the smooth and civilised bunch attributed to the absence of Rocket & Bruce (bit harsh!)

The cross of Lemnos Rd caused a comotion minus a call of the car approaching (a few got through and the remainder tested their ABS skills), it was one of those complacent moments that sometimes need to happen if only to sharpen the protocols.  Duty done on the front in the dying meters of Ford Rd, I sat back in the draft to save legs for Sunday as the sprint starved shot forward for Wanganui Rd's 3100 meters of muscle murder, funny how the tempo escalates, the turns shorten and the bunch thins as reality crushes dreams of some and forges determination in others.  The Boulevard's once casual cruise became a paced pursuit to the warmth of the Lemontree, conference boredom, the gift of being active and North Korea kept the noise up over a lengthy breakfast.

10/9  Fruitloopy.
Number 11 Fruitloop for me and this time, the less taxing 115 k circuit (dwindling numbers for the 180 have put the hard one on hiatus)

 A tough little Couldabeens team assembled (Rocket, Boof, Wozza, PistolPete, Kel, Bo, Bruce, ScottMatt, Cate, Merida-not-AvantiJohn and CatCol) and blended with a mixed menage of 70 or so to leave town on the new exit on New Dookie Rd.   Traffic lights split the pack, leaving me the task of towing the rear half back to the front, a couple of k's of toil but we climbed back aboard eventually to team with Trent, BigBen, Trudy, Dion, lil'Tony, Indie, Coggo, MachineSteve, Eggy, MexicanAnt et al in the front half of  a 60 strong peloton (well, the front half were strong...)  A zigzag of Cosgrove north, Jubilee and Katandra roads took us through the flat patchworks of canola, smooth sailing allowing many on the back to hang on at speeds way beyond their usual.  To the bustling metropolis of Yabba North we steered south toward Dookie (the rubber band effect of a big bunch putting a twang in the tail on the acceleration) along the narrowing tarmac, a test with just a hint of  a southwester.

The incline on Saddleback hill shook the bunch, plenty of peanuts falling off the back as chains climbed the cassettes and chat halted.  Downhill into Dookie, some chose the shorter 100 option  to pitstop in town, the majority heading east on Devenish Rd for more of the up hill and down dale.  The urge to stay aboard the bunch pushed my climbing frontiers, out to Duggans Rd with the distant vista of a snow capped Mt Buffalo, up and over the pinch (big ring of course!) then west on Major Plains Rd.  Shifters clicked to gear the Tallis climb, silence but for the huff and puff, then downhill to the cemetery and Dookie bound for a brief break.  Fruit and cake in the tank, the pack re-assembled to share the load home, the light breeze brewing to make us earn lunch.  Across to the camel farm and onward to the Cosgove quarry, the long 20 k length of Lemnos-Cosgrove Rd was the west way home, the young ones letting loose over Grahamvale Rd to turn the bunch long and thin with speed.  With legs that had lost the urge to surge, I'd collected a few of the offcasts for the slog along Wanganui, gathering up LegalSteve and Clive who generously contributed to the cause.  The tempo tortured  were scattered along the Boulevard but the lure of lunch and a medicinal lager or three kept the wheels turning to top off 115 kilometers in 3:24:20. A well organised ride by Shepp Rotary, great company and teamwork, and a great fundraiser for Hospice Care.

11/9  The leg loosener lap.
A quiet Monday roll to rid the rust from Fruitlooped legs, joining the peace train (AvantiAndy, Sandy, HG, Belly, Hommy and Cate) with additions Sly, Dion, BigBen, AvantiCraig and the Geelong gent  to roll away at 6, headed to a pink horizon and Boundary Rd, a welcoming way to start the working week.

Talking hills with AvantiCraig, comebacks with Belly and weekend wins with Sandy covered the chat southward to River Rd, just tapping away in zone 2 suited the gluteus after Sundays distance.   There were short shifts by the comeback kids HG and Belly before I copped a thorough half wheeling from Hommy as we were blown gently down River Rd, (no retort in my legs but i'll save the pleasure of a proper payback till another day).

12/9  Tropical Tuesday.
Short knicks were excavated from the depths of the wardrobe  Tuesday morning, 12 degrees was a world away from the last 3 months!  Pelly, BamBam, Ralphy, Cate and Tina were the only machines motivated, maybe the 4am sprinkle from the heavens frightened a few?  BamBam spared me the slog of the first shift, but sitting 2nd wheel I had a sinking sensation out of the Kensington roundabout.  The halt for my mushy Michelin allowed the Hares to leapfrog, nothing found in the tyre put doubt on the restart, then the hiss of escaping air was alarming till younger ears found it was the CO2 pump! (Doh!) My rhythm was rattled but we rapidly reformed, BamBam completing his shift to stick me in the drivers seat for leg 2, the nagging thoughts of sub-standard CO2 pressure made it a mountain for my muscles on top of the niggling northeaster.  Cate grabbed the draft from a passing B double to drive to the ChaCha then on to the Kinder, great to have contributions from Tina, Ralphy and Pelly so we could all get a little respiratory respite.  A breeze up the behind in Boundary put a positive in my push toward River Rd, giving Cate the elbow at One Tree Dam as the heart rate climbed to the ceiling.  I'd had 4 k's of draft before starting my 3rd shift, from the bridge to River Rd's end ripped into the reserves.  How the signals vary as riders' limit is reached, the head-drop, the grab for another gear, the bum shift, the gasp or groan all translate to "I'm givin' her all she's got Capt'n!"....then the elbow speaks "it's your turn".  BamBam drove us to the highway timing a clear cross, I reached Roubaix corner offline allowing for 2 oncoming cars (peak hour?)   And on Cate, Tina, Ralphy and Pelly drove to Conrod (positioning me perfectly), BamBam running on empty to the 300 mark.  Would Pelly pounce for the podium?, not if I could help it!   Off the Fizik to head off any wheelsuckers, I crossed the line unchallenged, all pleased but pooped with progress on the roll to home.

13/9  Riding rarities.
Fair weather finally drew fair weather riders out from under their well warmed and worn blankets on Wednesday, the rarities of Nick, Whispering Jack, Goose, Lenny and Lucy boldly braving the bike alongside Rocket, Nev, Boof, Pistol, Car+Mel, Cate, Trav, Kenworth, AvantiTrev, Shorty, Bo and The Godfather.

Weapon was welcomed aboard at Kialla Lakes, and without a second thought I started an up-line leaving town, despite the brute force of Boof and a westerly to work me over. (My concrete must be curing?)  All went well till I had Trav to match to the truck route, lungs starved of words as Pistol socialised alongside for leg 3.  Kenworth was kitted in full winter trim, Bo braved the short sleeves, my legs liberated with knees naughtily naked to the spring atmosphere, even lightweight gloves are a breath of fresh air (and don't we miss the rigmarole of all those winter layers already!) I had a long demotion to the rear on River Rd to start the promotion again in Boundary Rd, no report on the Goat train 'o pain today as the Foss head was down watching wheels whipped by the westerly.  September's slap in the face (the relentless wind) shortened the turns in Channel Rd, Whispering Jack, Nick and Goose having very short serves in the drivers seat nearing the cypress trees. I was glad to get my shift over by Central Ave and tucked into the Trav draft as Pistol and Nev cranked into Kinder corner.  Two lines trimmed to one at Hopeful corner, Lenny all-stops-out to Prentice Rd but kaboomed soon after.  Boof made it look easy to pluck off the pooped, there's nothing like a headwind sprint to narrow the field.  And where was Bo?

14/9  So much for Spring.
There's been inspiration evaporation among many of the Tuesday / Thursday team, so it was only the seriously addicted who lined up at the shop for the Thursday thrash.  A westerly chilled the will (feels like minus 2) out Channel Rd, greatful that KillkennyPaul, Tina, CatCol, Cate and AvantiTrev were along to divide the driving duties.  There'd be hurt in the headwind homeward so there was greed for speed on the eastward effort (though AvantiTrev seemed to be tempo taxed). Charging the last k of Channel Rd, Darth Vader suddenly invaded from the darkness to gnash at the ankles, setting sphincters a quiver ( thankfully our speed averted drama). In the drivers seat again for Boundary Rd, I  wound up the 56/15 to the Broken bridges but AvantiTrev had kaboomed off the caboose, so there was a slow to fertilize friendships and temper teamwork (and we all may get a discount when we're next at the bike shop!)   A recalcitrant magpie met it's match as Cate faced the River Rd heartbreaker headwind, Tina toughed out a tenacious turn, CatCol spurred the speed and KillkennyPaul's found his reserve tank to catch the last wheel.  I clocked back on at Laws Drive and settled on a sacrifice to the end of River Rd, partially ingesting an insect didn't help the rhythm much.  With breakfast almost on the boil, I was glad to pass the baton for the southern leg to Mitchell Rd, recovery taking it's time as others threw themselves at the headwind.  Duty called again at Archer Rd and the legs weren't as co-operative climbing out of Dave's dip, to triumph over the elements seems to keep the wheels turning though.   Cate captained over the highway and Tina took us to Roubaix, a single line of Hares in a hurry (Rocket, Wozza, Trav, Bruce, DocPete, PistolPete) overtaking, but none of us with the urge left to jump aboard. Conrod straight drew near and the urge to end the hurt kept pace percolating, CatCol with the wattage to wind-up for a win.

15/9  Don't 'ya just love the serenity.

Nick, Goose and Whispering Jack made it a record two rides in a week, the comeback trail a long and laborious one, but at least they're on it!  Nev, Boof, Car+Mel, Trav, PistolPete, Cate, Goose, Kenworth, Kel, The Godfather, CatCol, Weapon, Bo, Lenny, AvantiTrev and Bruce made up the masses for Friday's circuit, several on the lookout for the stragglers as the bunch split for traffic on the carpark exit.  Eventually grouped together leaving the city limits, Nick whacked the ever enlarging pot hole at  Hoopers Rd to procure us a pitstop (Nev and AvantiTrev the ever reliable pit crew).  Minutes later and moving again, someone set a serene speed south (only broken by boisterous Bo), the perfect tempo tonic for my last dozen days.  There was quite a glare off Nev's shiny new Jamis, Kel's new kit quite cute and Pistol was peculiarly in odd socks! I paired with Nev at the River Rd kennels, the pace still placid and conversation convivial, but plenty of pain on the train of Goats grinding into the wind westward (Coggo a k in arrears from an alarm malfunction)  The last of River done, the pairing with Pistol up to One Tree Dam got me out of zone 2, Nick, Whispering Jack and Goose moving up the ranks to contribute to the cause, boldly but briefly.  Pistol and I savored the strange chance of being at the back of the bunch at Kinder corner, the urgency of the sprint not surfacing till Prentice Rd.  Cate pulled her foot but luckily held her line, Boof and Pistol un-matchable as the finish line blurred under the wheels. Back into town, I had the post ride leisure and pleasure of coffee and chat to cap off week 37 perfectly.

Week 37               358 km                      YTD 9,382 km

Mark Beaumont's finished the cross of the USA, flown to Spain and is homing in on the finish in France. Around the world in 80 days an unbelievable effort!

Appreciate all the blog interest from Russia, Mexico and the UAE, and of course here in Oz.  Humbled.