Week 10 : The tail-wind treat of tempo

Post #489

2/3 Sloppy Saturday

Fair weather would pump up the peloton population for Saturday's social spin, and sure enough  MyRideTrev, Lenny, MeridaAndy, Shorty, Tina, Liam, TatMat. Cate, Superman, Determined Dan, The Godfather, Ayto, Manny, Temple and TatPaul had assembled for the weekend's whip around.  (I wonder what winter will do to the population?)
A touch of east northeaster tempted Superman to the front for the first leg, so I paired fair to Sanctuary's roundabout, rolling the turn to have MeridaAndy put a half wheel ahead to the truck route (some just don't get it)   But the big fella's draft was delightful down to Mitchell Rd, The Godfather creeping ahead to set off a tit-for-tat turn-up of tempo.   Not-so-newAvantiJohn, Wozza, Rocket and Boof arrived from the early edition, the turn into the breeze calming the pace to Kialla Central where the traditional tattle bounced between the lines.  River Rd was relaxed for me being drawn along in the wake of the weekend warriors moving forward for a flogging at the front.

Nath had arrived from the north (properly attired with a road bike) and blended into the bunch at One Tree Dam, heads lowered and chat changed to big breaths as the formidable force of Wozza, Rocket and Liam lined up in sequence to drive the train into the forties (the wind of little consequence of course!) Turns by the fairer forces rolled rapidly from the Fig Farm, finding myself at the front with Superman to take the turn into Old Dookie (and not a call of 'clear' to be heard)  Into the breeze, MeridaAndy and I set a mid thirties tap to the Toaster but Manny, into the drivers seat at the Pork Palace, went off the leash to 42 for reasons known only to him (or Nath?).
Suddenly back in the mid thirties heading north (with the tail end in the gutter) said something about the drivers concentration on teamwork,  thankfully The Godfather fixed the formation and created a little more comfort for the crew, up to the Big Ring to lean left onto Lemnos-Cosgrove Rd bound for breakfast.

Volts had vanished from my Garmin battery (maybe tired from 8 years of recharging), but it was almost a bonus being deprived of the data of distress as a tail wind turned up the velocity to town.  I maybe going grumpy and geriatric 'cause the few that can't hold a line, the odd freewheeler and those that wreck the rhythm or can't pass on a call, niggle at the nerves and crank up the caution as twenty odd tear along the tarmac a few centimetres apart.  Recent crashes refocus the senses on safety I suppose.  The tempo trifecta of Wozz, Rocket and Liam drove a smooth and swift shift in Ford Rd, the caboose filling quickly with retirees as work loomed in Wanganui Rd, lucky I'd scored a turn between Tina and The Godfather just before the bolt at DECA. Lenny and TatMat had the pace percolating by the test track but Liam led out a superior squad into the Mt Wanganui distance to redefine what us fairer folk call fast.  A belonging to the bunch was boosted by a back-off in Rudd Rd, steadily back up to cruising speed on the Boulevard got us all collectively to the Lemontree long table (do we really need to switch venues?), bunch discipline, the Ottways Classic and new bikes part of the breakfast babble.

4/3 Sprint-less (?) Monday.

It was the chicken or the egg argument, not-so-newAvantiJohn tore into Monday's first shift and I was only trying to keep up (or was my presence alongside urging him to go faster?) but we'd inadvertently set Cobbles a task of tempo to catch the bunch (Sherls, BigBen, Rocket, Cate, The Godfather and Col) into Channel Rd.  I wanted to call an early roll but all oxygen was reserved for work instead of words, happy I stuck it out for the whole shift to the truck route even though my legs hated me.

Acknowledgement of an "energetic" start was a reward for effort but my next k was spent almost silent in recovery.  BigBen, Sherls, The Godfather and Cobbles forged forward to donate to the cause, darkness consuming all that the headlights didn't reach.  Bunnies stuck inquisitive noses from the undergrowth (but wisely no further)as we worked toward the S bend, that northeaster blowing just enough to hamper the hurry in Boundary Rd.  To the bridge beside Cate and alongside not-so-newAvantiJohn to the Fig Farm completed my turn two, a little more climatized to the speed this time.  Sherls and The Godfather did the long drive of Lemnos-Cosgrove Rd, the breeze at the backside a boost to the tempo to town.  Col surprised with a swift shift in Ford Rd, kudos considering a week he'd been crook, Rocket spinning the legs with ease as always.  Wanagnui Rd whipped up some 40+ enthusiasm to the test track, not-so-newAvantiJohn unable to contain himself when he reached the front to bolt up the hill.  So much for the sprint-less Monday. Thankfully speed settled in Rudd Rd to collate the crew, a day off allowing me the post pedal pleasure of caffeine and chat at the Lemontree.

5/3  Fed and all kitted up in the early Tuesday hours for the therapeutic thrash , out the door and onto the verandah to be greeted by a downpour.  It was damp way beyond rule #9 for comfort so regrettably sleep substituted for the ride routine.

6/3  Clash of the titan-iums.

A smattering of spits from the sky wasn't going to deter Wednesday's ride, denied the delight yesterday, the craving to crank a lap was strong.  The Godfather, Laura, Superman, Nick, TrekTrev, cough-cough-Col, Tina, Cate, Kenworth, Boof, Grumpy and Shorty were keen too, so 13 thrust into Archer Rd's headwind (17-30 km/h) at six.  Good grief, gosh and gee willikers, Boof and TrekTrev drove the first leg with a heap hiding behind!  Even if I'd only manage a short shift, I formed a line of duty behind TrekTrev (only The Godfather and Cate following suit), seems most shy away from any toil till a tailwind treats 'em to tempo.  The (still inspired) early edition (not-so-newAvantiJohn, Rocket, Wozza, BamBam and Bruce) jumped aboard, movement on Mitchell Rd less stressed with the wind almost up the Kyber.  Through Central Kialla while it slept, our paths crossed with 5 in the Hurtlocker hurrying south (more commitment in a week than FDC's in a year!)   Tommygun and Weapon intercepted our eastbound trajectory in River Rd, the up-line bearing the brunt of the southwester while the down-line lapped up the shelter.

The wheels still copped a shove from the side in Boundary Rd as I faced the front, TrekTrev called it quits just beyond One Tree Dam and The Godfather partnered for the drive to Channel Rd, though the speed sank over the last 200.   The turn to town challenged a few who didn't account for the whiplash effect and dropped from the wheel ahead, facing that headwind without the safety net of a draft was disaster as the pack powered toward the ChaCha.  Brief moments where orchards made work windless were rare and here's me in the advance line drawing closer to the effort end.  Boof and TrekTrev steered us into Kinder corner (with caution as a B double from the west waited) and faced the work into the wind to Prentice Rd.  TrekTrev's shoulders dropped and the bear growled, his drive was done and it was time for me to get busy and make the most of the 400 metres remaining.  That hand-of-God moment when wheels got working into the 40's helped the hurt, a split second peek under the arm showed I had half a chance, but Bruce's brute force charged from the right lane in the dying metres and pipped me by half a wheel in a Baum vs Bosi clash of the titanium's for top spot.

7/3  The thrash therapy.
A single figure temperature was a wake-up that winter's just weeks away (and there begins the rise of the badass and the demise of the soft-centred!).

Only the devoted (TrekTrev, Cate, cough-cough-Col and MyRideTrev) rolled into the carpark for the 5:45 festivities.  Assuming the lead role into Channel Rd as a courtesy to Col's cough cough, the 3k shift was treated tentatively if I was to endure the effort.  Cough-cough-Col took over at the truck route and drove a double shift to the Kinder (so much for my empathy!) for Cate to crank to the cypress trees.  TrekTrev had the troubled track of rabbit row to tow us through, one rampant rabbit causing a slow so we'd all remain vertical in velocity.  Cough-cough-Col's courage had rubbed off on TrekTrev's turn, toughing it out to Channel Rd's end (but that gave MyRideTrev the toil of Boundary Rd's breeze to battle)   Happy to sit in MyRideTrev's tow and let him do his slightly slower thing (thou shalt not upset your bike mechanic!), his elbow flapping at One Tree Dam for me to drive to River Rd, gently on the uptake so he'd stay aboard.

I got the guilts in River Rd as cough-cough-Col put in a long drive to the dip, but then everyone's contribution, long or short, is valued when you're sitting in the draft.  Cate donated her drive to the bridge and TrekTrev dragged us to Central Kialla Rd, MyRideTrev left with that southerly again to suffer to Mitchell Rd.  (an elephant stamp for effort, I'll bet he blessed the passing car for it's wind assist!)  With epic turns de rigeur, I set my sights on Dave's dip to peel off the front, but reaching that spot I still had a bit left, so reset the target to the highway. Karma came with a clear cross, Col driving into Raftery Rd with no hassle from the Hares (still to be sighted) behind.  Red leds ahead were the lure, Col then Cate carrying the can to Arcadia Downs for TrekTrev to commence the Conrod rush.  Lungs and legs protest at pushing through the atmospheric soup of a cool morning, TrekTrev's body language speaking hard labour with 500 to go. I moved to the front to cut the soup for the quartet (and to round up the red leds of Ralphy and BamBam on an early FDC fling), happy to finish the lap well ahead of the Hares (apparently hindered by a trifecta of punctures)

8/3  Friday freshness.
9 degrees made freshness formidable for Friday, armwarmers and base layers at the ready again to crank to the carpark.  Boof, Kenworth, Nick, Shorty, Laura, TrekTrev, Cate, Grumpy, Tina, Liam, Travis, Superman, cough-cough-Col, and The Godfather assembled and of course Boof's mandatory sentence at the front led us out of town.

Good to have Kel and Bo join on the city limits as I took pity on Boof's task to pair with him to the roundabout, no surprise to have TrekTrev partner me to the truck route as the dodgers drafted behind.  Cate and The Godfather drove leg 3 as the early edition of Rocket, Wozza, not-so-newAvantiJohn, Bruce, Pelly and Kreeky joined in, the inevitable advances in Mitchell Rd forcing those in the tow to step up for their tour of duty.  The predictable pelotons of Hurtlocker, Doc's cruisers, '51 and the Cats plied their way west, The Godfather unusually quiet, Superman still sporting the special sock, Kel confining herself to the caboose (understandably), Laura determined to hold the wheel ahead and Wozza was contemplating the climbs of 3 Peaks.

An almost crimson horizon greeted us at River Rd's end, the Goats "gentlemanly" train of pain a little behind schedule still in Boundary Rd.   I was almost caught napping on the whiplash at the rear as the pack powered north toward the Broken bridges, all still aboard as we turned into Channel Rd for the work west to town.  A long line of volunteers ahead of me would hopefully deliver me to the finish line, but shifts shortened to place me closer to the pointy end as the bunch bored into Central Ave.  I'd pinned hopes on Boof (ahead) doing the brawn business to the ChaCha, the front slowed into Kinder corner and Boof bolted out of Hopeful corner.  I stayed glued to his wheel as the pack thinned to single file, but Boof's elbow handed me the work at Prentice Rd.  Legs were lacking 100 meters later and TrekTrev drew into the distance for the ChaCha chocolates.

Week 10    216km                YTD 2,710km