Week 4 : Banking breaths

Post #484
19/1  Sweet as Saturday.
Tired of feeling like a boiled potato, the cool southerly was the heaven from a hot week, making Saturday sweet as.  A sizeable squad of MyRideTrev, not-so-newAvantiJohn, TatMat, Jase, Axel, Cate, The Godfather, Trav, Tina, Lance, Temple, Grumpy, Superman, Tum and Lenny emerged from the darkness to broker brawn before breakfast.  Not-so-newAvantiJohn and Lenny had the will and the wattage to lead us south into the WSW'er, my juggle between self preservation and contributing to the cause taking a moment before joining the up-line.  Jase ahead and Tum behind made collaborated company when I fronted in River Rd, the wind's kindness elevating me up a rung on the ability ladder.  The bunch dynamics had differed again with several of the fast on furlough, do I detect a relief from the rapidity and a return to Saturday sociology?  
The day had broken in Boundary Rd as we closed in on a distant three (BamBam and Ralphy towing Troy on a comeback from a bung back) greeted as we pushed on to the pub.  Adam's Axel was courting Couldabeens for k's, Tum squeezing in a lap before labour, Lance soaking up the social Saturday and Superman was making yet another comeback.  The joy of a tail wind was quickly history as we swung into Old Dookie Rd toaster bound, The Godfather grinding the big dog on the front while the servitor lined up behind.  
North to the church and up to the Big Ring, our trek west crossing paths with a primed pack of Pussycats
 ( a few '51ers thrown in for good measure of motion).  My turn with Jase and then Tum was less laborious despite the wind whipping in from the left, but just when you think you've put in a good effort, another taps a turn twice as long (oh well, donating something is better than bellyaching at the back and giving nothing!)
 A little loose gravel near Grahamvale Rd made a moment of caution, but it was back on the gas as a sniff of Wanganui Rd hit the nostrils.  The order changed as several abandoned thoughts of promotion to the pointy end, the turns shortening and the speed spicing up as DECA blurred by.

 Into the tow fromTravis as he rolled across was too sweet to part with, so I

withdrew from contributions to hang on to the horsepower hauling us up Mt.Wanganui's dizzy heights. There was a brief calm to collect the crumbs in Rudd Rd and without a breakneck Boulevard speed, a steady spin back to breakfast for a more compact collective at the Lemontree, maximum heart rates, wildlife and street sensibility on the chat list.


21/1  Tom's TNT.

There's that vexing moment when just two are at the start line with 2 minutes till launch and toil moves to the top of the agenda, but thankfully The Godfather, not-so-newAvantiJohn, Rene, Nicholas and Tom turned up to spread the load.  Pairing with not-so-newAvantiJohn to the truck route then The Godfather to Orrvale Rd learned the legs that lesson of labour then I booked myself in for oxygen replenishment in the tow while The Godfather and Cate towed us all to the Kinder. Rene drew alongside me and I wondered if his line had improved or I'd just climatized to it, Tom advancing forward was more of a worry minus a headlight and minus the horsepower before he'd got to the drivers seat.  Rene rolled and Tom's turn turned TNT in 10 meters, not-so-newAvantiJohn and I  left to restore the rhythm at the cypress trees as Tom was rapidly signed to the missing persons list.   A tractor in the dark (with a dozen pickers perched atop a pallet) made a challenging chicane as a car approached near Beckham's bend, but we'd steered safely around to ponder a pause to pick up the popped pieces.

The concensus to halt at Channel Rd's end for 30 seconds collected TNT-Tom for the northbound leg of Boundary Rd, a percentage off the pace and a breeze up the bum allowing him to recover in the caboose for the 7k's to Lemnos-Cosgrove Rd.   Nicholas and not-so-newAvantiJohn cemented themselves into the drivers seat for a long shift westward, the speed solid yet steady for me to front in Ford Rd.  I fixed focus on smoothing the 352 crank rotations to reach Grahamvale Rd (spilt between shifts with not-so-newAvantiJohn and The Godfather), then calmed the cardiac count as others contributed to the average speed.  Chains clunk clunked down cassettes as wheel worked into Wanganui Rd, the speed climbed steadily into the 40's but we remained steadfastly sprintless (of course!)   Rene reached his Armageddon at the test track and announced his imminent demise, should have saved the oxygen for his legs but his head had ruled his retirement.  A passing car donated a draft to get me up and over Mt. Wanganui's dizzying heights, swung the corner into Rudd Rd and calmed cadence to collect Rene and TNT-Tom for the spin back through town.

22/1 A quality quickie.

It's a box 'o chocolates arriving at the 5:45 grid on Tuesday, you just never know what you'll get till the Cateye shines on the carpark to show who's fronted for the flogging.  Two of the TDU tourists (Boof and Bruce) had returned, so it was the Hares and the Hopefuls combined.  Temple, MyRideTrev, Troy, Cate, Nicholas, Ralphy, BamBam, Pelly, Lenny and ScottBob (a  newbie from Numurkah, outta nowhere) got wheels turning into Channel Rd and two rows got organised to Kensington gardens.

 I pushed to pair with Boof, bruised and battered from close constabulary contact and riding his old steed geared for hills (and he's still hard to match!) , turns rolling a little faster than the 5:45 standard. TrackStan joined in on leg 2 as 40 became the norm, at least smoothness spelt sustainability.  Nath was found lurking with intent at Channel Rd's end, that slightest of breezes made murder of my turn to the Broken bridges with TrackStan.    ScottBob (as tall as MeridaAndy but as thin as Boof) spun smooth and straight so he's welcome again, ChrisA arriving from the west in River Rd to pump the pack to 16.  Pairing with real horsepower was inflating my inferiority complex, time at the front shortening and recovery lengthening proportionally. Through Central Kialla and onto Mitchell Rd my second wind arrived, BamBam still with the fortitude to front and Cate cranking contributions were both an inspiration, but not motivating MyRideTrev from the caboose (Troy exempted while climatizing to the cadence from a long spell off)   Promoted closer to the front and closing in on Conrod straight as the speed spiced wasn't my preferred position but the sprinters saved me the suffering when TrackStan, ChrisA and Lenny let loose and launched to the finish line before I'd reached the front seat.  Left in the wake of their wattage, I was content to cruise in at a meagre 52 km/h, though the 39.2 average pumped up the prosperity.

23/1 They're back!
So the southerly still blows to create the cardiac convulsions on the commute to the carpark, but more turn up Wednesdays (less turns, more tow!) so the suffering is short and shared.  TDU tourists Bo, Kel, Boof, Bruce and Nev are back on the flat, joining Superman, Kenworth, Tina, MyRideTrev, Cate, The Godfather, TrekTrev and TNT-Tom to launch into Archer Rd's headwind, well......Bo and TrekTrev bored into the breeze while many evaded the effort!  Vince jumped aboard at Hooper's Rd as I lined up fro driving duty behind Bruce, the return of the early edition (Rocket, Wozza, Troy and BamBam) returning ritual to the ride.

I'd played my position perfectly to pair with Bruce in Mitchell Rd (with only a side wind to wrestle), team titanium setting tempo to Central Kialla where The Godfather got me gasping grinding up to River Rd.  Rhythm of days gone by had returned with the consistent crankers tearing into turns eastward, though Boof's cadence is cooking on the old bike's compact rings and a 12 for a minimum (at least he's armed for the Alpine)   I'd reached the back by Boundary Rd finding TNT-Tom in contravention of Rules 18, 29, 33, 39 and 59 to name a few, but I applied Rule #3 (guide the uninitiated) figuring he doesn't own a crystal ball.  It's better to fit in than f#%! up!
Propelled by the breeze to Channel Rd the pace persisted working west, a few new kits soothed the eye but The Godfather's garble buzzed the eardrums.  Pace turned perky as we swept under the cypress trees, seems I was going to be thrown in the deep end at the ChaCha but with luck might avoid the labour of lead-out.  The Godfather turned up the wick to the Kinder and Cate called a short turn, my turn too was brief as the rolls went rapid out of Hopeful corner.  Superman hit the front but then hit reverse, thereafter the velocity of Vince set the sprinters sizzling to the finish line.  The gasps gave way to sentences, the regroup almost complete when we halted for trucks at the truck route.






24/1 To the rushin' front.

Two tribes combined again for Thursday's thrash, Bruce, Kel, Bruce, Boof, Rocket, Nicholas, Pelly, Rene, ChrisA, Cate, TrekTrev, Ralphy, PistolPete, Temple, Lenny, MyRideTrev, Col and Vince warranting two rows to rip into Channel Rd at 5:45.  I'd found myself in the drivers seat again (you'd reckon I'd learn not to berth first!) with Boof, rapidly into the high 30's rapidly shortening my expectations.  Boof rolled at Kensington's roundabout where Ralphy then Bo took similarly abbreviated shifts, my prior performance not so pedestrian after all.

Rene had been ridden off the rear as Vince and Nicholas sped to the cypress trees, the relief of recovery was with me after two minutes in the tow, though I was banking breaths for my next visit to the rushin' front.  It's oh so easy just to fix focus on the wheels ahead when all concentration is on hanging on, the forced peek further afield a saviour, seeing fingers pointing at the tarmac and the bits of tree on it.

Lightning reflexes still aren't fast enough at 11 metres a second, so with bits of stick flying over my head I'll reiterate Rule #39, never ride without your eyewear (and I'll make that the week's wisdom).  ChrisA made the drivers job look easy to rip rapidly to River Rd (a southeaster in the face of little consequence to him), I needed to dig deep on the swing into River Rd just to hold on as we accelerated east, Col close to implosion dropping to the rear for recovery.  Nev arrived from the west (finding the grid empty at 5:50) to join the jaunt to Central Kialla, my shift due again in Mitchell (another brief burst in view of the quick company).  Oxygen was on quick fill as we waited for a little early traffic at the highway, smooth and swiftly to Roubaix corner and on to Galbraith's gate, steadily steering north for a crack at Conrod straight.  A few who'd advanced had second thoughts of donating to the drive as the speed moved into the mid 40's,  at Conrod's dip I'd almost emptied my tank to roll across Boof so was grateful Bo, Nicholas, Lenny and company stepped up to the 50's to vacuum me along to the finish line (just two seconds shy of Tuesday's time as it happens).

25/1 Bake in a 31 degree oven until cooked.

Baked (31 degrees) and blown (20 km/h northeaster) to the starting grid, I found Superman, Boof, TrekTrev, MyRideTrev, BamBam, Lenny, Nicholas, TNT-Tom, Tina, Rene, Cate, Bruce, Kenworth and Col silly enough to sweat out a lap.  Boosted by the breeze behind, Boof led the thin line out of town so I hopped in for an early shift, rather than the hurt of the headwind later.  TNT-Tom had been blown out the back but we'd gained Vince into the fold as we intercepted the early edition (Rocket, Wozza, Kreeky, Kel, Bo, not-so-newAvantiJohn, PistolPete and Pelly), but I was forced from the front to sit behind as a passing car prevented an overtake.

The tempo temptation from the tail wind called on wattage to work my way back into the up-line, but I managed to be speed sandwiched between Rocket and Bo, so sat back psyching up the energy for the effort at the front.  I had no luck getting a tail-wind assistance but suffered the wind at the portside bow in River Rd. Superman had set a sedate 33 but a few rolls later Col was cranking 36, Rocket had the helm at 38 so I was inside out to roll across nudging 40,  Bo was keen to calm the pace but I'd turned a bit crispy by then and was ready to be towed  (a mental note to stick to a limit instead of being sucked into speed?)  The caboose was over populated by Boundary Rd so found myself in the up line again being promoted to the pointy end.  That hair drier northeaster niggled at the northbound leg to Channel Rd, but the whine of wheels at work followed us west toward town.   Sledges swapped between the swift and The Godfather, many had booked a place in the caboose for the ChaCha while I faced the front with Rocket to Central Ave, calling a quick roll for Boof to take us to the Kinder.  Lenny lit up a lead-out way too early but it thinned the ranks and sorted the quick from the queasy, a dozen drove by me as I sat in Bo's tow to the finish line.   A sweaty and social spin home seemed sedate in the mid thirties, has all this hurry finally paid a dividend?

Week 4   259 km           YTD 971 km