Week 3 : That gut-wrenching grind of carbon on tarmac

Post 431
13/1  United Socialists Saturday Ride.

With ginger gastroch's and rubber rectus femorus, I had a tender tap to the weekend's ritual of the Couldabeens and it's Saturday circuit, the morning after mountains would test me, but it's therapy to teach legs the lesson of rule #5, despite what the head says.  TrekTrev, Sean, Tina, Cate, MyRideTrev, Liam, PistolPete , Nev, TatMat, TatPaul, Shorty, Kel, Bo, Vince and NewAvantiJohn combined to crank two rows southbound to Mitchell, collecting the early edition (SuperMario, Rocket, The Godfather and Trav)  I had a struggle to stay aboard initially, but the sting soon subsided as I soaked up the social side, plenty of westerly pushing the pace to Central Kialla and along River Rd to Boundary. Safely ensconced between Cate and Shorty (who pair not pummel), yesterdays hillness (noun; An impairment of normal physiological function, characterised by polka dotted vision, often aggravated by riding ascents, cols and monts) had all but faded from my mountain memory as Nath filtered into the fold , the odd puddle lined up for those who'd just cleaned their bikes.

 On the fashion front, Kel's cute kit is class couture, Liam was in team livery (many covetting the stylish socks) TatMat true to his tasty attire and Pistol was perfectly presented (as always).  Some still suffer kit confusion though, Rule #17 & #18 as homework homies!

Crossing courses with the Cats (at the Big Ring) found another had jumped to the feline ship (our gain, their loss) but Car+Mel are missed masses. Pointed into the breeze on Lemnos-Cosgrove Rd rolled the turns a little faster, though I was surprised to keep a respectable pace while paired at the pointy end with Shorty.  Happier to get back into the draft as 21 others took their turns, there was only the sting of the sprint to psych up for now.  Rockets' arrival at the front at Wanganui's treatment plant sent the pack scurrying single file, by the test track he'd been used up and discarded as the short shift specialists sprinted to the hill.

A roll on the Boulevard back to base camp for breakfast, chat recalled foundation Couldabeens, hidden toxicity and hurt in the hills.

15/1  He likes to move it move it!

I don't think a day off the bike did me much good, ye olde engine struggled just commuting into a headwind to Monday's lap.  CatCol, Goose, WhisperingJack, SuperMario, Cate, PistolPete, Tina, NewAvantiJohn, Kel and Bo lined up in the carpark, I'd tucked in behind Goose but he shuffled the deck, sneaking to the back before the flag fell. NewAvantiJohn saved me the first slog and took the helm out Channel Rd, up and up the cruising speed went to remind the legs of the weeks' expectations.

A standard breeze from behind in Boundary Rd was helpful to pair with Tina at the front, NewAvantiJohn my next partner in pace, but he likes to move it move it! Wrecked by the rail line, NewAvantiJohn did save me by rolling over, into the comfort of a tow again hoping others would shoulder the load to Rudd Rd before I had another grizzle at the work on the front.  Bo being boisterous, took the charge to Wanganui hill, a token gesture at a sprint but enough to loosen limbs. A Lemontree target was set, but time turned me home minus the coffee.

16/1  Cautiously cruisy.

The factions formed for Tuesday, Hares, Machines and Turtles combined for a collaborative cruise as a farewell to the many headed for the TDU.  Lucy, Nev, Kel, Boof, Pistol, Cate, BeerMat, Tina, Bo, Travis, Liam, Shorty, Pat, Cougar, MyRideTrev, Nick and BamBam made up the train to head east on Channel Rd, cautiously captained by Kel and I.  BeerMat was misfiring at 35 to reach the drivers seat, so it was off the gas in the interest of keeping the party together.

And so the speed yo yo'd depending on faction fitness at the front, Vince then WhisperingJack, Goose and Archie (not the foggiest where he came from) blending into the bunch.   Without the stress of speed, things turned social, many anxiously anticipating Adelaide (BeerMat primed for the brewery but not as ready for the ride), some lax on line and variable on velocity were given a wider berth.

We  got all the way to Mitchell Rd before I had another drive of duty, keeping up with Kel causes cardiac convulsions but BeerMat was busting a boiler to get within a bike length of her at the front. Bo saved the BeerMat bacon assuming the drivers seat, up from Dave's dip and up to the highway for a clean cross.  Bits had busted off the back as the pace got percolating, I'd fluked a prime peloton position (fourth wheel with 500 left) as the velocity got serious on Conrod straight, but Boof, Bo and Nev were lurking behind.  Into the 50's as I launched with 300 to go, all looked promising till the Boof and Nev shadows grew larger behind me, I was relegated to 3rd rather rapidly, but pleased I'd made 'em chase.

17/1  The toil train
Down memory lane to join the Goat pain train on Wednesday, fronting at Friars to join Tum, Carl, Cate, NewAvantiJohn and AvantiLeigh for old time (and toil) sake.  Although captain-less without Coggo, the passion (and most of the pace) is still there.
Six single filed out of town, Tum setting the speed, but I need to get him on the holandaise and camembert diet, he's like drafting a matchstick (but goes like a kilo of prunes!)  Carl had lost a little of his former kick (blame that on a gorgeous girlfriend!), Cate cranks cracking turns and NewAvantiJohn turns up the torque, I was just trying to zone in on some form of rhythm but a hectic heart rate, lagging lungs and thuffering thighs weren't helping.  AvantiLeigh captained the caboose (sparing the spinal spasms), the tarmac blurred under my Michelins on Boundary Rd as I mentally prepared for turn two at the fig farm, just able to reach the channel bridge before the defeatist cued my elbow.

Another shift was due at the Broken bridges, the focus fuzzy with three white posts to go till River Rd.  I got some cardiac compensation as Cate, NewAvantiJohn, Carl and Tum took turns at the torment end, another shift for me at Laws Drive and again at Archer Rd to reach the highway.  We were all well ranked to put in turns at 40, though repeated efforts were shortening appearances at the front. I had the duty from Arcadia Downs to Conrod straight, New AvantiJohn hitting the boost button out of the first dip dislodging Cate and AvantiLeigh off the back, but there were many empty tanks as the finish line fronted, all rolling a speechless recovery to the skinny bridge (39.2 a fair average for five drivers).

18/1 It's a fine line between pleasure and pain.
A rally to ride only attracted Tum and Cate to the carpark on Thursday, but as 5:45 ticked closer Liam, ChrisA, Nick and TrekTrev arrived, expecting a 5:50 crank?   Lucy joined as we steered a single file line into Channel Rd, so I set a principal on pace to Mozart Ave to crush cravings for a cruise.

Isn't that first Garmin glance inspiring when your speed is way better than expected......now the battle to maintain it!  Seems most others were like minded moving toward Boundary Rd though Nick and TrekTrev had grown accustomed to the caboose.  My second grind at the gasping end came up from Channel Rd to the Broken bridges, happy to hand over the huff and puff to Cate and sit back on Sir Super Smooth's wheel. (ChrisA)   Liam showed us how it's done, a three and a half k drive on River Rd unwavering at 41, and made it look easy!  Turn three for me (from Laws Drive) kept setting a further target, one more white post, one more white post (150 meters apart) till the legs sent obscenities to the pre frontal cortex.  TrackStan joined the crew, meaning a minute or two more recovery for the drivers as we pressed on toward Dave's dip.  Traffic set us a spell at the highway, the oxygen overload orgasmic.  Rapidly rounding Roubaix, a tiny ripple in the rhythm magnified down the line, a split second of soft pedal and I felt a sickening rub of a tyre on my back wheel, that gut-wrenching grind of carbon on tarmac a blink later.  Cate had hit the deck at 11.6 meters per second, taking bark off knees, elbow and shoulder and writing off a helmet (cheap insurance for a head).  Naturally all halted to assist, her ambulance ride to town would win the sprint. Tum and his Kate couriered the bike home, the remaining riders rolling reflectively homeward ;  how close we all are to horizontal hurtling around just centimeters apart.

After dressing of wounds, x ray and a CT scan, Cate got off lucky with just a few stitches. Not sure if the bike was that tough.

19/1  A paltry peloton.
The Tour Down Under has poached our population (Kel, Rocket, PistolPete, Bo, CatCol, Shorty, Boof, SuperMario, BeerMat etc absconding to Adelaide) , just a paltry peloton (Nick, Kenworth, Trav, TrekTrev, Lucy, MyRideTrev, The Godfather, BamBam, NewAvantiJohn, Sean and Pelly) parking at the shop for the 6am friendly.

TrekTrev led the charge south, I paired with him at the city limits then partnered NewAvantiJohn to the truck route, and not an early edition to be found!  Grunts and groans at an easterly on Mitchell Rd told me I'd escaped the effort of a headwind with my early turn.

We had a rare sighting of the Hurt Locker train in River Rd, leading the charge (or chug) of several bunches lapping up the tail wind, the quick, the Cats and the cruisers all gifted with the Godfathers guffaws as we worked west.  Tommygun had climbed aboard and coveted the caboose, I'd reached the front for the last k of River Rd, unsure what all the huff & puff was about from those coming off the front, a 7 km/h headwind does not make a hernia!   Less than a dozen in our clan meant more than the usual two shifts for the lap, up to Channel Rd to point homeward with the benefit of the breeze at the bum.  Closer to the front and closer to the ChaCha lengthened my odds of a placing, Nick and MyRideTrev headed the herd into Kinder corner as the tempo turned up.  TrekTrev rolled across with Prentice Rd in sight, so I wound up the 13 cog to make the sprinters sweat, Trav having the victorious velocity.

Week 3     254 km                 YTD  849 km