Post #522
12/10 Tailwind trophies.
How dare the weather threaten the sacrament of the Saturday ride! An ominous green blob smudged the radar to the east, just hanging there. But like many, I wasn't letting that (or the taunting easterly wind) get in the way of the weekend's religious ritual. ChrisA, TatMat, TrekTrev, Rocket, Liam, Lance, Molly, PistolPete, GiantAndy, Tina, TatPaul, Bruce, Boof, Determined Dan, MyRideTrev, Trav, Wozza, Nev and Lenny were the keen congregated in the carpark for the six a.m. launch, Bruce leading the Indian filed fanatics south as northbound Johnny-come-lately's Bo, Vince, Grumpy and The Godfather (performing a death wish U-turn) joined in. Two lines formed at the city limits as limits were tested with tempo by those possessed with pace. A plea for calm was delivered to the driving end in Mitchell Rd so a stretched squad could re-unite, the rare minute or so in the low thirties starting the chat and cackle to Central Kialla Rd.
Back on the gas again to River Rd, the easterly tormented the thoughts of those advancing for duty but I was smug and satisfied tucked into the draft of many with my contribution a long way off....hopefully with the wind behind. TatMat and Liam paired in pace and stopped the jaws flapping up to the highway, Lance opted for a short shift at the fig farm to put Nev and I at the pointy end, into the head wind of course, headed to the Toaster. Quite a change after being towed for twenty k's. Pleased to reach my target (the bridge) and call the roll, I'd hoped to make it to the pork palace alongside Vince but a heart rate in the heavens scuttled that idea short of the mark. The oxygen overdose was heaven.
Dark blue clouds shrouded the sun-up to remind us damp would anoint the tardy, that hitherto hinderance of a wind now our help homeward. Frowning faces of Cats struggled into the wind while we got down to swift business in Lemnos-Cosgrove Rd, chains dropping onto small sprockets and tarmac blurring under the wheels as breakfast beckoned. Bo was in Di2 dramas when volts went on vacation (stuck in the little ring hardly suited the speed), Bruce offered a battery swap on a halt at Grahamvale Rd but the bunch had no will to wait, it was full steam ahead as the smell of a sprint flared the nostrils. Two lines thinned to one in Wanganui Rd, many clutching to a draft in the hope of survival. Gaps opened up on the bolt to the hill, lose that wheel ahead and you're guaranteed an o.t.a.! So for the bits breaking off the back (including me) it was find a friend to share the suffering back to town, those days of a collective cruise back to the café are history. TatMat, Determined Dan and I had attempted to catch the tail of the bunch but a twenty metre deficit proved unreachable, we collected Bruce from his five k chase via the shortcut on Kittles Rd to work together to reach breakfast and the babble that's part of it. Hot laps, car thieves and bike shoes proved the distraction for distressed legs, coffee and breakfast filling empty tanks.
14/10 Monday's mood maker.
A case of 'can't be bothered' needed shaking Monday morning, convincing myself there'd be more than just PistolPete at the carpark (like last week), so the mood lifted finding Bruce, Kel, The Godfather, Grumpy, Trav, Bo, Sherls, Cobbles and PistolPete ready for duty. With Kel ahead and Grumpy behind, I lined up in the advance as the bunch headed into a northeast breeze on Channel Rd, Pistol setting the pace as if the wind was behind. After just one day off the bike it feels like I'd already rusted, that hint of a breeze (4-9 km/h) felt like a tornado at the front. I'd managed to keep up with Kel from the Kinder to the cypress trees and Grumpy was doing it tough beside me to Beckham's bend, but he'd had two weeks worth of man flu as a reason. I don't think my one day off stacked up. Bruce and Bo belted up Boundary Rd, Sherls and Cobbles fitting finely into the fold. Funny how the pairings are often twinned in tempo. The Goats train of peace passed by as we relished the tailwind in Lemnos-Cosgrove Rd, that hint of help doing wonders for my turn. Bo and Bruce played tit for tat in tempo to Grahamvale Rd as a dull day dawned, the protocols of a sprint free Monday only just observed (it's a tailwind thing) for Wanganui Rd.
15/10 Pieces of eight.
With no hope of catching the 5:40 train, getting to the Goat grid presented a good alternative for a Tuesday tap. Heady, Coggo, Snow, Tina, Sandy, Phil, Hommie and HG assembled at Verney's roundabout, even Joey had emerged from obscurity with some sense of enthusiasm. Heady took the lead role to Grahamvale Rd at a steady speed, my job aiming at Lemnos North Rd with a bit more perk in the pace. (Ooops! HG o.t.a for yet another pondering plod homeward). Snow and Tina kept the kettle boiling to Boundary Rd, the south southwester set to test Sandy in the drivers seat. Her shift was swift but short, Hommie's speed thereafter however, was set to commence divorce proceedings. Backing off at the rail-line gathered the group back together (and saved Hommie some hurt).
Coggo's captaincy smoothed out the variables down to the pub, the Giant Propel disc still stirring the speed in Snow. Heady and Phil put in their donation at the front, Joey drove well considering his long lay-off and Tina was in top tune tearing into the wind to One Tree Dam. My one k to River Rd seemed a bit short so I stayed on for another to serve a decent duty. Coggo had held back to rescue Sandy from slipping from the comfort of the caboose, dragging her back to the bunch as Hommie towed us to the dip, Snow polishing off the last k of River Rd. Tina (timing another getaway to the hills) joined me for the ten k shortcut to town, this time more favourable than the wet of last week with a dry and wind assisted return.
17/10 The Thursday thrash'n.
A bravado boosting breeze up the backside had spirits soaring to Thursday's thrash, but a lot of effort was spent on keeping thoughts from the hurt of a headwind homeward. Bo, Col and Kel's return from the United States of Ammunition had refired the 5:40 fling, The Godfather, Pelly and PistolPete appearing from the darkness to partake. Bo set the speed swift on Channel Rd (it's the Monday circuit while Old Dookie Rd is part of the "Dig Up the Road Plan for Congesting Traffic Scheme") and got a bit greedy driving leg two too. Forties was the fashion as PistolPete towed us to the Kinder, Col performed well to the cypress trees (though he seems to be hampered by recent gastronomic training) and Kel provided pace to the S bend so my contribution could commence.
One turn with the wind up the seat-post was a bonus. Pelly's been a long time rarity riding (and slightly less aero as a result) but drove a good shift to the pub (though that was to be his one and only). The Godfather took the reigns over the highway while Col commandeered the caboose, the wind whipping in from the west (15 - 22 km/h) serving to remind us of the torture in store on Lemnos-Cosgrove Rd. Bo then Pistol drove long and strong to finish off Boundary Rd, Pistol kindly sacrificing himself to lead us west for the first k of cruelty. Blessed by the smoothness of Kel's wheel, I sat in the draft awaiting her elbow, when it came a k later the reality at the front was flabbergasting. Suffering is best shared they say. The close ratio cassette is my Christmas on a stick, 15, 16 and 17 keeping the cadence cooking when oncoming cars almost blew me backward. None of that gruelling gear gap for me. I'd be telling porkies saying I was giving it my all, there was just a bit left beyond 172 bpm to catch the tail and I needed every bit of it when Kel called me on to MyRideTrev's wheel. Hey! Where did he come from? (sitting silent in the rear seat since the start I'm told) Bo and Pistol played "any shift you can do, I can do better" all the way to town. The halt at the highway shuffled the deck for work in Wanganui Rd, Bo electing himself to the lead role to the treatment plant where The Godfather carried on to DECA. Faced with the front again, I found the going less gruelling, that speed was sufferable but reaching Mt.Wanganui was way beyond my wattage. When I peeled off, Kel calling me in to forth wheel nearly killed me, only just catching the draft as Pistol, Bo and The Godfather cut the wind over the hill. Respite in Rudd Rd? Don't be ridiculous! Pistol's pace built upward to the Boulevard, it was full steam ahead in the lust for latte's, at least the wind helped us back into town where I exited for the respite of a relaxed roll home.
18/10 Friday ; feels like? A fridge!
I must have overslept 'cause I woke up and it was July! Feels like 0.2 degrees when it's barely ten weeks till Christmas? Here's hoping today is the last of the testing temperature. Now to call a search party to find the winter woollies. Kreeky, Shorty, Liam, TrekTrev, Wozza, Tina, Rocket, PistolPete, Bruce, Kel, Boof and Bo faced the freshness to line-up in the carpark, Wozza steering us south into a rather arctic Archer Rd. The fast were on for a chat to Sanctuary's roundabout while others suffered the speed in silence, some like me reluctant to join the advance line till reaching the rear forced it. Kreeky and Shorty reduced the rush in River Rd by 10% (it's not quite Queensland temperature eh Kreeky?) so it augured well as I closed in on the drivers seat but TrekTrev had turned up the tempo out of the dip cancelling my thoughts of a long drive. Wozza was my ally at the business end to finish off River Rd, while I internally queried if it was the chilled air, the end of the working week or Wozza's formidable fastness that had me on the limit to reach those rumble strips. Maybe the combination of all three? Strange that Strava told me I'd only suffered half as much as yesterday. I'll take it up with my therapist.
Pistol and Wozza drove up Boundary Rd without a hint of hurt while I wheezed and gasped my way down from cardiac convulsions in their draft. Channel Rd was finally found through the fog, the caboose filling quickly as the predicted pace of the ChaCha kerbed enthusiasm in a few. A pair of leds ahead lured some labour out of Hopeful corner, Wozza stirring the speed to catch Joe (not Tony) with Cougar in tow at the school. Speed stayed on the agenda back to town (was it to cull café company?), by then this old engine had almost become suited to the speed (but not the temperature).
Week 42 223km YTD 10,674km
No comments:
Post a Comment