Post #475
24/11 Bit breezy.
The breeze didn't baulk Kel, Vince, TatMat, Bruce, Lance, Nev, Superman, Bo, The Godfather, Kreeky, Grumpy, BigRon, BeerMat, MyRideTrev, Will, Lawrence, PistolPete, Boof, TatPaul and not-so-newAvantiJohn converging on the car park for the Saturday spin. Bruce set a sweaty swiftness south at 6am, a revised route via Raftery Rd today with Ford Rd torn up for repair. The preliminary pace popped Will and Lawrence ota by Kialla Lakes (more training and more concrete lads!), onto Melbourne Rd and our turn into Raftery was embarrassingly ugly when the 'car back' calls went unheeded and the front half turned west (lucky to have a compliant and cautious driver coming through) Several baulked at advancing to the business end with Nev, but Vince had the clout to cope with the pace peculiarities. South into Conrod straight always feels against the grain, the westerly wind wearing away at the up-line till we'd reached Roubaix corner.
Speed was spirited along Mitchell Rd but calmed a tad heading north to River Rd, I'd been promoted to the front with Kreeky at the bridge and TatPaul to the dip, finding 40 fortuitous thanks to the wind. Lance and MyRideTrev kept the caboose company, BigRon was feeling the fast on the flat and BeerMat blessed us with another comeback (chasing Whispering Jack's record?). Questions on the course bounced through the bunch on Boundary Rd, those with routines rattled had calmed concerns on the turn to the Toaster. Most of the lap was gifted by the breeze behind but the real work lay ahead on Lemnos-Cosgrove Rd, and it looked like I'd get the pleasure of the pain for some of it. Nev was doing it easy but the load was meant to be shared, Kreeky cranked courageously toward the kennels for work into the wind to start, my battle with the breeze gapping TatPaul's fight to reach the front. I eased realising the error of my ways, the turns rolling rapidly till the diversion back onto Boundary Rd brought relief. The atmosphere of the up-line thickened with the worry of the wind westward as we spun south on Boundary Rd,
The Godfather and Bo stirring up the speed in Old Dookie Rd, thankfully Vince put some tame in the tempo, helping the hesitant to muster some muscle and advance for a turn. I had Kel pair at Dobson's estate for the drive to town, TatPaul had gone missing in the sequence and the target I'd reckoned on reaching was readjusted rapidly by the reality of 25 km/h gusts fair in the face. Reaching suburbia I'd become besotted by breakfast, a sprint-less but swift spin to the Lemontree finding the phoenix-like pedestrian proletariat (Mrs.Pistol, Jen and Sim) to join in the jabber on fuel leaks, shopping's financial frenzy and the shifting seasons.
26/11 A solo spin @ sparrow's.
Insomnia set an easterly course at sparrow's fart Monday, the wind whipped way of New Dookie Rd savoured before a slog back to town. Finding a speed that satisfied the department of cranial competitiveness (but still left a reserve to fight the wind homeward) settled into the mid 30's, a mental note made to silence the chain's complaint for oil. The turn south at the church wasn't the struggle the imagination had painted (so long as I kept head down and elbows in), a bit of a confidence booster really (but would the way west wear out the willpower?) Around the Toaster and onto Old Dookie Rd the pace was still pleasing (might need a bigger helmet?) but I cranked conservatively at a steady spin just in case wattage to wage war on wilder winds was wanted. Time allowed a diversion via Boundary Rd, somewhat shielded by a bit of west in the south southwester to reach the pub. To skip the same old same old, I took the highway back to town, light on traffic and with two meters of sealed shoulder (for the most part relatively gravel free) made a smooth return to town, topped off by quaffing coffee with Weapon at Brother Pablo.
27/11. A calmer karma.
An early effort out Channel Rd and in Old Dookie Rd shook up the 30k daily dose ritual, an orange daybreak serving up a distraction from the stiffening southerly. I'd berthed at Friars as Tina, Jen, AvantiAndy, Sandy, Hommie, Snow, Dippa, Belly, Speissy and Phil formed a grid, Sly sneaking in when a puncture prevented Pussycat participation. Jen and AvantiAndy did Heady's job of leading the team out of town with a slightly more sedate speed set (a calmer karma if you like). HG and Deep Fry joined in at SPC as two rows got down to the business of doing turns (excepting HG hanging on in the caboose) as I found myself in a Sandy and Tina sandwich advancing to the front.
Snow's spurred-on aboard a new Giant with discs (a high tech leap from the old mount), AvantiAndy's trying to keep pace with the ever improving Jen, Deep Fry's comeback is consistent, and Hommie's consistent dishing out the hurt when he hits the front. The headwind in Boundary Rd stopped jaws flapping, I had another shift nearing the bridges as HG went a.w.o.l , Sly did the diplomatic drive and Hommie wrecked the rhythm turning up the wick to River Rd. The way west was less laboured with the wind at the side, the speed steady as all did their bit to reach River's end. My solitary shortcut to Shepp was unusual without the urgency usually delivered, the favourable breeze up Archer Rd a treat all the way to town. I happened upon Jodie at the traffic lights who chatted Cats and their varying velocity to the city centre, my roll home happy to clock 60 before 7.
28/11 The head-wind hesitation.
The Kialla mini loop as an appetiser to Wednesday's lap toughened up the tenacity into 20 km/h worth of southerly, the bonus being only myself to compete with (or is that keep up with?) Down Raftery to Mitchell and the northbound leg on Archer Rd had the tail-wind treat, arriving at the Couldabeens grid with a minute to go. Tina, Kenworth, Bo, The Godfather, Boof, Kel, Shorty, KillkennyPaul, MyRideTrev, Laura, TrekTrev, BamBam, Nick and WhisperingJack had assembled (apprehensively?) for the 6am flagfall, Boof and Bo providing the wattage to lead us out of town. A long line had glued into the draft behind in headwind hesitation but Kel had the courage to face the front in the up line, The Godfather and I following suit as a hint to the hangers-on. Rocket, Wozza, Grumpy, not-so-newAvantiJohn, Kreeky and PistolPete arrived from the early edition as we slowed at the truck route, my turn for torment on the front to Mitchell Rd (but coped rather well if I don't say so myself) Digging the driving depths beside TrekTrev to Central Kialla had a degree of success too, though the draft thereafter was the best trophy. Kenworth and KillkennyPaul braved a bout at the business end (suitably shortened for survival)
With the prior pain at the pointy end now passed, the social side was soaked up (now that breath could be spared), filtered through The Godfather's cackle. Laura, MyRideTrev and Tina contained themselves to the caboose as Doc's cruisers, Cats, '51 and a solo Sly went west on River Rd, but no sign of the train of pain (craving Coggo's return?) I'd rejoined the up-line in Boundary Rd as Wozza, Rocket and not-so-newAvantiJohn piloted the pack to Channel Rd, a slide rule and a crystal ball needed to figure if another turn in the drivers seat would come. Some faces in the down-line looked spent (yet strangely satisfied) their turn was done, while I was destined for duty getting closer to the pointy end as we swept under the cypress trees. Bo and Kel did the drive to Kinder corner and The Godfather got into the drivers seat headed to Hopeful corner. To throw a little spice into the sprint, I rolled straight over and turned up the tempo, Trek Trev following in my footsteps as Prentice Rd drew near. From the depths of the midfield Boof bolted by, a few protagonists for a podium in his wake, the few seconds in TrekTrev's tow had scored me a second wind to sneak by them for second place, but words wouldn't work till an oxygen overload allowed it half a k later.
29/11 Hoodlum Hommie's haste.
The early edition obsession continued on Thursday, out New Dookie and in Old Dookie (via Boundary Rd) was influenced by the southerly (and how to avoid it!) 18k's done and I was back to town, Tina, Speissy, Snow, Amy, Tum, Hommie, Sandy, Phil, Dippa, Coggo and Belly had filed in to Friars and as Heady is almost an endangered species, I took the lead role to roll out of town. JB and Deep Fry blended into the bunch at SPC, AvantiAndy pairing with me for the drive to Dobson's. Tum partnered me in pace to Central Ave but the tempo tamed beyond it. The same old southerly blew in Boundary Rd as it's done all week which pegged the pace a little more, but Hommie's hoodlum haste spiked the speed to the bridge and put heart rates in a hurry. Tina and Amy soon smoothed the spike and settled the rhythm to the pub, I'd reached the front with AvantiAndy at Channel Rd then rolled to pair with Tum at the bridges. A somewhat sedate speed was suggested to earn some points that Hommie had previously subtracted, the drive into the headwind in the mid thirties to River Rd draining the reserves rapidly anyway. The sun warmed our backs for the westerly work toward Central Kialla, the tempo slowly rising and the turns gradually shortening to the bridge. Hommie's habit of hurt hit again in the final k of River Rd, Amy in stress street to hold his wheel as I bid my bye to turn to town. The southerly skewed the steering along the truck route (flattening bar tape with wind shear from oncoming B doubles) but nothing beats the joy of 20km/h worth of breeze at the backside for a hurry home. Traffic lights synchronised green for a spirited spin homeward, leapfrogging the Pussycats (KillkennyPaul caught collaborating with Cats =10 lashes!) to satisfy an employer (and me)
30/11 A weeks worth of wind.
Like fronting a formula two race with a Fiesta, I felt a little underpowered to turn up to an early edition Friday, the wattage of Wozza, Bruce, Kreeky, Col, Rocket, not-so-newAvantiJohn and Pistol Pete a few rungs up the ladder of labour from me, but smoothness in the high 30's made the tempo tolerable. Paired between the considerate company of Wozza and Col calmed concerns, I was thankful all weren't in the 'Hares' mode of motion. Cranking the early clockwise k's to find the 6am counter-clockwise crew, I'd lucked a turn at the front (cypress trees to Boundary Rd) with the wind at the right shoulder, Col and Kreeky with the wherewithal to hurtle into the headwind to River Rd. 6k's to Central Kialla passed with pace and I'd fluked escaping the headwind again, all the way to Archer before duty called at the front, blessed with the breeze behind. The long line of 6am Couldabeens worked south to the truck route as we u-turned to join them, Boof, Kel, BamBam, Pelly, Laura, Shorty, WhisperingJack, Nick, Bo, Travis, TrekTrev, MyRideTrev and the Godfather (heard well before being seen) passing as the sun started Friday.
With a long wait till work was due, there was plenty of social sentence swapping at the back, two long lines turning at Mitchell Rd and turning up the pace now that wind was helping instead of hurting. River Rd was packed with pelotons oncoming, our effort east scattered with short and long shifts, Laura speechless after a bout at the business end. Likely to be the one and only in a big bunch, my turn with Kreeky from the dip then with Rocket to Boundary was a worthy workout. Just Coggo, Tum and Heady headed south on the pain train as Rocket headed us to Channel Rd, the few remaining orchards shielding us from the worst of the wind. Tempo turned up toward the ChaCha and a few normally sitting out the sprint were keen to contend (if only to give The Godfather some grief?) I'd been baulked at the back as MyRideTrev, Nick, WhisperingJack and Laura disconnected and coasted the caboose, but the bunch eventually regrouped at the truck route to tap back to town.
Week 48 312km YTD 12,895
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