Week 42 : Speed suitably spiced

Post #469

13/10  Morning mount.

Far from the familiar flatlands, a Couldabeens contingent (Nev, Bruce, PistolPete, Col, Temple, Boof and partners) commuted to Castlemaine for a weekend of change in elevation and scenery.  Saturday's circuit warmed up on the 7k gentle rise to Harcourt, then a little more up to Harcourt North, wrestling with a stiff east northeaster before turning onto McIvor Rd (uphill and a headwind aint fair!).  PistolPete and Nev had done long turns before handing me the lead role, and I'd  managed to cook myself on the few inclines before the sharp rise of Joseph Young Drive took us up Mt. Alexander.  It would be a slow and steady climb of 400 meters to keep the h.r. below 180.  5k's of gradual winding road at 10% wore Col and I down as the younger/fitter/lighter ones worked their wattage to the top.  The last 1300 meters (12%) invoked the growling bear (though Col's was louder) but most had waited at the top to reassemble for the descent, so chains went back to the big ring for the downside, with a keen eye open for pot-holes and sticks spread on the tarmac.

Half way down there was a rattle and clunk and my Garmin jumped ship, so I backtracked a hundred meters to find it forlorn but functioning on the roadside (the bayonet mount had sheared off so I pocketed the perpetrator and pedalled on).  Advocating Rule #85, Col had clocked 81 when we'd collected at Faraday-Sutton Grange Rd, continuing recollected for a calmer crank down to the old Calder highway to Faraday, then turned south toward Elphingstone.  Gentle ups and downs for 10k eased the heart rate down to the 150's, so I'd found my second wind when we turned west onto the Pyrenees highway.

A 2k gradual climb was done easily , egged on knowing there was 12k's of downhill back to Castlemaine.  Bruce's Bossi was battling a little steering shimmy (headstem bearing), PistolPete and I easing back with him to take in the historical architecture of Chewton and Wesley Hill as the road snaked back to Castlemaine, the Col, Boof and Nev express steaming on ahead.  Back to base camp, all converged on Das Kaffeehaus for the mandatory coffee and chat, the pedestrian division (Leah, Sim, Temple and Cate) joining us for frustuck und sich unterhalten.

14/10  Mates, Maldon and the Butterscotch kid.

Day two of the Couldabeens at Castlemaine tour plotted an anti-clockwise course to Maldon, a milder morning but the strengthening NNE'er was a nuisance.  Six single filed (Nev. Boof, Bruce, Col and PistolPete) toward Harcourt, the gentle climb getting legs accustomed to ascents.  Onwards to Ravenswood south, Pistol and Col worked the wind till we'd reached the M79, a careful cross of the freeway then teeth were bared to attack Fogarty's Gap. Just a short (but not sweet!) 1.2 km, the road rises 63 meters, the last 400 @ 15% recalled Col's butterscotch binge from Saturday night (maybe it was just the scotch?)
An ever so gradual 6km descent to Walmer (don't blink, one house and you've missed it) was lapped up at 40+km/h, Fogarty's Gap now a distant memory even if Col could still taste it!  8km of tarmac weaved through the bushland toward the old Maldon township, the majority vote casting a coffee pitstop.

Refreshed and remounted, the strengthening wind blew us south east to Gowar, most finding the continuing descent too good to be true.  The tarmac became smoother and the sun warmed our backs, Col handed the reigns to Nev and the Indian filed six pack steamed on to Muckleford.  Just a couple of easy rises toward the Midland highway, one more short rise then down the hill back into Castlemaine, arriving at Das Kaffeehaus base station to join the walkers and indulge in linzertorte, quark soufflé and even a little polnische hochzeit washed down with wiener melange. 


15/10  Castlemaine circuit.
Just knicks and a jersey was enough for Monday's mild morning (16 degrees), at last a kit-up time unconstrained by endless layers and warmers.  I had an extra day in Castlemaine to explore (though not of Bourke & Wills proportions), a northeaster propelling me toward Newstead at six.  I had a keen eye open for kangaroos on the skinny shoulder-less Pyrenees highway, but only the deceased were sighted. 

A long and gradual downhill was sure to have later uphill repercussions but I soaked up the speed to Green Gully.  A short climb or two got the chain climbing up the cassette and brought the ego back to reality, soon Newstead appeared as the sun made an effort to rise.  Onto Daylesford Rd and bound for Guildford,  the tarmac levelled out but the wind tried to blow me into next week (maybe part payback for past pleasures?)

Two houses at the fork in the road said it was Strangways, and there I steered left to follow the tarmac skirting the railway line.  Another rise or two pegged the pace already punished by the wind, but with every rise there's the delight of a descent to rekindle mind and muscles.  A short and sweet downhill dropped me into Guildford but it was time to point into the hurt of the headwind back to Castlemaine.  With plenty of new scenery to distract, a little mule like stubbornness and a promise to self of breakfast, I put chin to headstem on the Midland highway for the 15k back to town. The Baum turns three today, still rolling along beautifully with 44,000 km on the clock but the old engine could do with more wattage.  A hill or two gave a little cover from the wind, a few more passing cars could have donated a draft, eventually perseverance paid off entering town, breakfast begging at Das Kaffeehaus to seal a satisfying long weekend.

17/10  Dodging the damp.

Tuesday's rain frightened many away from Wednesday's ride, just Cate, Tina, Wozza, Boof, PistolPete, Nev and a new guy rolled into the carpark for the 6am spin.  I had the joy of first shift on Archer Rd again, at least a northerly eased the demand for wattage to match Wozza to the roundabout (though I enjoyed the oxygen overdose when my turn finished)  Boof and Pistol made the motion to Mitchell Rd as many tried to recognise the rider new to the crew.  A little conversation soon extracted the name, answers to 'Arch' but I'm already tagging him Calf-king (a super set of sculptured gastrochs promised plenty of pace)
Efforts at the rushin' front were more frequent with only 7 taking turns at the tempo, Tina sitting out the shifts in the rear seat.  I was on the front again in River Rd with the northerly niggling at the left shoulder, getting a thorough half-biking for a k but ignoring the injustice and just focussing on smoothing the speed and line.  Cate had confined herself to the caboose by Boundary Rd, I'd just hoped Nev and Arch would see their shift out to Channel Rd and save me from the headwind hurt.  Surprisingly, Arch called an early roll in Channel Rd so I soldiered on to the S bend with Wozz, legs labouring by now (frequency at the front and a keen speed keeping me out of the comfort zone, thankfully!)  Weapon joined from the west as Nev called a skirt around the ChaCha (more like a channel after yesterdays 22mm of rain) so the diversion on Poplar Ave was new ground to cover, safer with a sprintless finish in soggy conditions.

18/10  Pace pleasure.

As Spring slowly shoves Winter aside and temperatures teeter on tolerable, how many layers to wear becomes the hot (cold?) topic in the bunch babble.  Tina, Coggo, Heady, Cate, Tum, Amy, Phil, AvantiLeigh, AvantiAndy, Sandy, Jen, Hommie, Dipper, HG and JB turned up for the Thursday Goat gadabout, Heady back at the helm to tow us out of town.  MeridaAndy had hauled himself from hibernation to join in, and with plenty of participants to form two lines, Coggo and I captained the leg to Dobson's bridge with the speed suitably spiced to stop any snoozing (HG relegated OTA)

The right line was promoted forward for their driving duties as the left line retreated to the rear for respiratory recovery, a few minutes to swap social sentences before peloton progression put me at the pointy end again.  Hommie was harnessing a hangover, Coggo and AvantiLeigh have developed a sly sentence supressor, I conversed kits with Tum and applauded JB's second appearance in a fortnight.  Determination drove Sandy and Amy to the front, possibly enticing AvantiAndy from the caboose.  Turns rolled a little shorter as I took on turn two with Heady then Dipper to the Broken bridges, but hey, they're having a go. I was treated to a tow for River Rd's 6k length, the energy banked for the ritual rigor on 'the shortcut to Shepp.'  The NNW'er gave no favours on the truck route (gobsmacked by the gusts from oncoming trucks) and Archer, Cate turning on the torment just when the legs longed for less.  There was pleasure from the pace at the end of Kialla Lakes Drive (for the momentary calm at the traffic lights), then back into labour for the last effort Lakeside.

19/10  Friday's foggy foray.

5:55 and bikes cruised the block to evade the number one grid position, count me in the circling cringers but I reckon I've done my fair share of first shift in recent weeks.  BamBam, Pelly, Grumpy, Col, Kel, Boof, Cate, Bo, MyRideTrev, Superman, Nev, TrekTrev, Bruce The Godfather, not-so-newAvantiJohn, Tommygun, Tina, Temple and PistolPete set forth south at 6, the pace picturesque on a foggy foray into Archer Rd.

I took delight in the draft while others turned themselves inside out with tempo to Mitchell Rd, the usual bunch babble burbling between two almost dignified lines to River Rd.  Fair weather has enticed Cruisers and more Cats into the outside world (cobwebs now consuming Zwift?), the Goat train (infused with '51) ahead of schedule at River Rd's rumble strips.
I'd finally reached the front to pair with Nev in Boundary Rd, almost reaching the Broken bridges before calling a roll.  Superman sided with me and raised the speed stakes to 40, or was it downhill dreaming 'cause it slowed to 36 to reach Channel Rd.  He shortened his next shift in Channel Rd as Tina, Bruce and Kel moved forward to set the standard, Weapon from the west jumped aboard as a caution was called for the Jameson Rd bend with gravel at the apex (a Hare hair-raising corner on their Thursday thrash).  Pace turned perky toward the Kinder as many fancied their chances on a Rocket &Wozza free sprint, two rows lasting till Prentice Rd where speed slimmed hopes and the hopeful to the ChaCha, Boof, Pistol and Bruce were in contention but my view was blurry way back in fifth spot.  The cruise to town was still in the high 30's, are the fit faster or does Friday fuel the fire?

Week 42      222km     YTD 11,069