Week 12 : The kangaroo calamity

Post # 440
17/3  Hallelujah, it's Hollywood!

An almost windless and warm weekend drew a Couldabeens crowd to the carpark Saturday, would this be the last of the magic mornings before winters' woes trimmed the attendance down to the die-hards?  Softa, KillkennyPaul, Jen, AvantiAndy, TatMat, BeerMat, TatPaul, DeterminedDan, The Godfather, Shorty, SuperMario, Nev, Hollywood, NewAvantiJohn, Trav, MyRideTrev, ChrisA, Tina, Bruce and WarnyDan rolled out at 6, Jen driving the train admirably out of town, the early edition arrived (Rocket, Kel, Bo, Wozza and Pistol) cruising to be consumed on leg 3 as I took the reigns with BeerMat to Mitchell Rd (sensing a light northerly assistance but facing a southeasterly effort).  

Another turn beside Softa and my work was done, it was the turn of the long line of leds behind to provide the pace for a while.  The once weekly words with TatMat, the musing motivations of The Godfather, Trav conquering a cold, KillkennyPaul pickled by pace (A Saint Patrick curse?), PistolPete in yet another cool kit and, as rare as a Northern Hairy Nosed Wombat (and looking like he ate one!) Hollywood had made a comeback, but let's see how long it lasts (as long as Whispering Jacks'?)   Nath joined the clan in Boundary Rd, TrackStan and SpinDoctor similarly at the Toaster.

The breeze had turned east northeast to blow us homeward on Lemnos-Cosgrove Rd, visitor WarnyDan's white knicks were a little passe but his sporadic spinning was wearing Wozza weary (a coaching by Kel on correct cadence could cure that curse!)   In Ford Rd,TeamTri had halted for a spill, Sandra shouldering an injury the ambulance crew tended to.  Softa snuck a half wheel ahead of me in Ford Rd's last k (in contravention of Rule #86 your honour) so I sententenced him to a similar serve, pain and perspiration penitentiary as payback.
The Wanganui workout was on a kilometer later, DeterminedDan done like a dinner at DECA, so I delivered him a tow back to the team, collecting a spent SpinDoctor en-route while the thinning Nev was victorious from a more aero Rocket lead-out.  Back at base camp it was pleasing to have the recovering Boof along for the banter, pace on peaks, costs in the good 'ol days and the passion of the Irish brought out the beer for KillkennyPaul and Softa, and AvantiAndy's aspiring appetite was appeased.





19/3  Musing.
There are days when the babble and bravado of the bunch is a bit boisterous, so I made Monday one of those solo contemplative cruises the cranium craves at times.  Out of town on New Dookie Rd, the 8 degrees was akin on the skin like a kiss from the mother-in-law, but speed fixed that.

My pace was better than expcted, maybe it was a breeze up the bum, or was the new speed sensor skewed?   Sudden spikes in speed are rare after a few years in the saddle (unless you've employed the services of  a Spanish doctor!) so i'll put pace down to a prevailing puff from behind.  The once smooth surface beyond Central Ave has been resealed as rough as Trump's diplomacy, feels like the handbrake's been pulled a click or two.   Blanketed by blackness beyond the CatEye's reach, Boundary Rd blurred by without a soul to be seen, the swing into Channel Rd expecting a charge at Darth Vader's place (cancell the concern, the mut was berthed in bed). A ChaCha clear of obstacles got me back to town as the 5:45'ers were cleared for take-off, coffee and a chin-wag with Weapon an inspiring induction to the working week.

20/3  Trying.
A soul-searching southerly set the struggle to the carpark on Tuesday, most Machines motivation-less as only MyRideTrev and WhisperingJack had the tenacity to turn up.  So, eastbound our trio tried, MyRideTrev for leg 1, WhisperingJack leg 2.  An oncoming bike at Orrvale Rd took a turn into Channel Rd but tipped into the tabledrain, so we paused to check the faux pas was injury free.  Back on the gas to the Kinder had me as captain, the handover at Central Ave scoring MyRideTrev the headwind.  The speed sank a little but I relished the recovery, but WhisperingJack taking the reigns at the cypress trees had us back into zone 4 pronto.  My second shift from the S bend may have been a bit eager and I'd handed the headwind to MyRideTrev again in Boundary Rd!  I made ammends with a long turn in River Rd, seeing signs of WhisperingJack and MyRideTrev mellowing suggested in trim the tempo a tad to foster fellowship.  No sign of the Hares when I snuck a look back in Central Kialla, the three of us sharing the labor in Mitchell Rd to enjoy Raftery Road's tailwind to the finish.  That pleasing peace as we swung north at Galbraiths Gate, the wind out of the ears and up the tail-light stepping us into the 40's.  MyRideTrev was toast into Conrod straight as WhisperingJack took the drivers seat cresting the first dip, easy for me to sit in the draft and charge for the chocolates in the last 200 meters. 

21/3  Welcoming.

Six bells chimed and I was quickly given the drivers seat Wednesday (despite lining up in 6th spot), must get that clause taken out of my job description!  TrekTrev, MyRideTrev, Cate, Kenworth, Kel, Shorty, Car+Mel, Bo, Chops, Goose, WhisperingJack, Boof, Nev, Tina and Hollywood had lined up behind my push into leg one's southerly breeze, not till beyond Adams Rd did anyone pair with me (thanks Boof)  The early edition (Trav, Wozza, Rocket, Pistol and The Godfather) arrived for leg three, setting off the sledges and sociology to tour to Central Kialla.  Great to have Boof back from a sick spell, WhisperingJack back on his 237th comeback, Car+Mel from feline fraternising and Chops wrestling a ride from work time. Shorty befell the bother of  the bindii in River Rd, MyRideTrev quick on the scene to start repairs.

  I had a sprint to the front with news that the restart was a bit keen, Nev and Shorty half a k in arrears.  With the bunch back as one the last k's of River Rd passed quickly, crossing paths with the pain train of old (Coggo back in action a good thing to see)  The southerly was soaked up in Boundary Rd, even Hollywood advancing through the ranks to take a turn.  Car+Mel copped the crank to the Kinder (normally the luck of Shorty to drive), I'd reached the pointy end nearing Prentice as Nev drew alongside, donating a little brotherly love with TrekTrev in tow. With tactical timing, TrekTrev turned up the turbo to take a maiden win.

22/3  Thrashing.

I used a sedate solitary spin to the Thursday thrashing as a motivator to the mindset, there'd be plenty of heavy artillery lining up  (Liam, Rocket, Pistol, Grumpy, Kel, Bruce, Wozza, BeerMat, Nev, Bo and TrekTrev) to shoot holes in this old bloke!  Kev tacked on as we rolled away at 5:50 (a nice new Lynksey brings the 3rd titanium to the town), an easterly egging on the energy for Channel Rd.  The train's tempo turned up to the 40's, sorting the drivers from the survivors, TrekTrev, BeerMat, Grumpy, Kel and I acting as observers as Nev, Kev, Pistol, Wozza, Rocket, Liam and Bruce tore into the task toward Boundary Rd.  TrekTrev's tempo was tested by the S bend, dropping to the back seat then quietly slipping OTA as Bruce battled for breath and confined himself to the caboose.   Sitting almost rearmost, I was ready for the whipcrack of acceleration into Boundary Rd, the speed soon settling but the surging was purging (Bruce had the staggered side of the gatekeepers job) so I sat sweet in the sublime smoothness of Kel's creamy cadence, content.  There was an easy earned PB in River Rd dragged along in the Hares' draft, Grumpy and BeerMat taking a timely turn at the front with the wind from behind.  I kept an eye rearward (an oft forgot role of caboose captain), the pinpoint of TrekTrev's led the only (and lonely) follower.  Green highlights of Wozza's Scott, Pistol's cool kit, Nev's superfluous salivations and Liam's thin limbs were briefly visible at the pointy end through my blur at the back, I was just hanging onto the train's tail in Mitchell Rd, readying for Raftery's rapidity. 
Into Conrod and well into the 40's, Bruce blurted "Roo!!"  The peloton went pear-shaped as a startled roadside kanga lept through the middle, Wozza ducked, Bo hit the deck and BeerMat made him a speed bump.  Pistol tangled wheels and halted horizontal, Kel took to the tabledrain for a soft landing, me missing the 'roo's tail by a tad. 
That sickening sound of busting bikes, helmets, bidons and wheels soon stopped us all.   Bo had snapped a clavical, BeerMat and Pistol broke helmets, Grumpy shredded tyres and Kel escaped unscathed.  (and some want to ditch the compulsory helmet law?!) An ambulance soon attended to tend the wounded, a calm cruise home contemplating critters and crashes.

23/3  Fraternising.
Serves me right turning up early, that lead role was mine again for Friday.  Fraternsing with Goose, Chops, Car+Mel, Hollywood, Boof, Cate, AvantiAndy, Shorty, Jen, Tina, Nev, TrekTrev, The Godfather, MyRideTrev, Bruce and Kel, we combined to spin south out of town, 14 degrees feeling almost warm driving to Sanctuary's roundabout with AvantiAndy.  The early edition (Rocket, Grumpy, Pelly, PistolPete, NewAvantiJohn, Wozza and Trav) had been wildlife spotting, possums and rabbits invading their circuit and niggling nerves after yesterday's kangaroo calamity.  The Godfather and PistolPete cracked the whip to Mitchell Rd, the tempo tamed by Nev to Central Kialla.  Senses were working overtime in a pack of two dozen, so I took an extra 600mm of insurance (to be sure to be sure!)   Maybe I'm somewhat sensitive from yesterdays close call?  The long slow demotion to the caboose took till River Rd's end, the part-time conversations picked up then put on hold as rotations interupted the sentence swapping.  Two pedestrians and a tractor lurked in Channel Rd's darkness to crank up our caution to the ChaCha, Car+Mel, Jen and Cate line astern led us to Kinder corner in a deja vu to Wednesday.  AvantiAndy and PistolPete rolled the turns toward Prentice Rd, Bruce and Boof advancing, but Pistol ran out of ammo at the rushin' front and a few contenders were boxed in, but there's no trophy at the finish to worry about.  Boof got the bonus but the prize was that we all finished upright, another chance at the chocolates will call again soon.

Week 12            238 km               YTD 3,612