The Corona compliance.

Post #542
12/4  Serene Sunday.

It's so easy to be selective when there's no bunch to set times and routes to ride, ditching a windy Saturday to choose a more serene Sunday is sort of straying to softness but I drew the line at a 50 km/h westerly, opting for the calmer Sunday.  I set a course via North Mooroopna, Lancaster, Merrigum and Byrneside, the payback being a westerly to fight for the first 30k.  (15 km/h gusts were better than 50)  Great expectations were soon evaporated by the effort needed to keep a respectable speed, up Echuca Rd with the wind at the left flank to take on the west stretch of Lancaster-Mooroopna Rd.  The headwind hurt as a scenic sunrise behind beckoned me to throw in the towel and turn tail as the easy way out, thankfully stubbornness drove this old bloke to persevere the pain to reach Lancaster, a long 13 k's west into the wind.
Silence was golden steering south toward Merrigum, past the charming "Karlsruhe" (built for Baron Von Swaine in 1893) and the apple filled orchards while 10 degrees chilled the air. My real focus was fixed on that tail-wind home, but that wouldn't come till reaching Byrneside.  Shifting between the 16 and 15 cog balanced burning legs vs high heart-rate (anyone got a fifteen and a half tooth sprocket I could use?)  The smooth stretch of hot-mix to Byrneside reminisced thoughts back to Beach Road, but we'd all have an arse like marshmallow riding smooth stuff all the time.  Wouldn't we all soften without the wind?  And our commitment  may collapse without the cold?

Onto the Midland highway and that wind went weak (just my luck) so working worn legs had little success with speed.  The highway was eerily empty for the 20k back to base, with just 3 cars passing a draft was a rare reward.  Twas timely that breeze turned up to treat the last 5k's to Mooroopna, and with traffic taking over the tarmac of the Causeway, I chose the shared path to tap to town (sticks, glass and a wandering dog challenged that choice).  The weekend fix of the Lemontree's coffee and breakfast was a fitting finale to 70k, a puncture as a post script (that glass on the shared path) took the shine off though.


14/4  Dodging drizzles.

Regrets were still fresh on Tuesday morning, I'd succumbed to a sleep-in on Monday so the urge to ride was strong 24 hrs later, shame the speed was so tame.  A clean bike is meant to add 10% to tempo isn't it?  Creative courses had caved in to ritual rides, out toward the Big Ring and let time dictate the direction home.   8 degrees had me dig the knee warmers, an extra base layer and winter gloves out of hibernation, feeling a little like Bibendum (Google it!) with these extra insulating layers.  Get over it Foss, there's lots of these months to come!

Kamikaze moths targeted the headlight as a red glow underlit the horizon's clouds, setting up a scenic start to the day.  Right into Pine Lodge Nth Rd and right at the Toaster and that headwind seemed to follow me 'round, a moment to check a tyre wasn't deflating proved it was the old engine that prevented a decent pace. Time, or the lack of it, dictated a direct line home via Old Dookie Rd, a surprise sighting of Baz and Deb  (unaccustomed as they are to regular riding) eastbound as I worked west.  Snow was spotted as I neared the city's lights, my halt in town spying a spread out squad of Boof, PistolPete, The Godfather, Tina, Bo and Kel chasing each others tail-lights into the suburbs.  Seems Corona compliance can't constrain competition. I'd been lucky to dodge the drizzle till now, the dampened streets undoing my contentment aboard a clean bike.

15/4  Finding Five Ways.
Riding a dark, cold and empty road at stupid o'clock has all the appeal of an appointment with a ham-fisted proctologist, it's now in this isolation imposition the real value of bike buddies is realised (not just for a draft or someone to sledge!)    Something stirred me to saddle up, perhaps plotting a course rarely ridden is the incentive?  The sloth that was sneaking into the skull needed stopping.

9 degrees got legs spinning to Congupna (I'd hardened up in short knicks today after cooking in knee warmers yesterday), the long dark strip of Katamatite Rd was spent searching for Jubilee Rd (finally found to bear east)  It's been ages since riding this route (a Fruitloop from years ago) and distances were blurred by the blackness of the surrounds so I was hoping the intersecting 3 roads at Five Ways would be obvious.  Speed had settled into satisfying considering there was a breeze at the brow, a bunny or three making random dashes across the tarmac keeping senses sharp.  I found Five Ways by Labuan Rd's reflective sign and steered south, the sun barely outlining Mt. Major way off on the port side.  A solitary tractor worked the paddock as I worked the 10 k toward Lemnos-Cosgrove Rd, the struggle subsiding now the breeze was out of my face.  The west way home did wonders for the spirits, ain't nothin' like a breeze up the bum to boost the ego!  Light filled Ford Rd and the clock was kind to my schedule, even got a greeting with a grin from Laura as our paths crossed at the town's edge.  Home with 5 minutes to spare and half chuffed I'd squashed the sloth.

17/4  Freestyle Friday.
Social distancing at least gives me the freedom to choose course and time, the rain during Thursday's breakfast had robbed me of a ride so Friday's forecast was fortuitous. Plans to ply a path out Raftery Rd were changed in the blink of a tail-light, old mate Archer Rd chosen when time dictated a shorter course.  Sensing a breeze from the west, the only real work would be homeward so I enjoyed the slow motion sunrise and the way south, east and north and left the worry of working west for later.

The bite of 7 degrees kept the chain in company with the 17 cog to spin some warmth into bare legs, the course through Central Kialla and along River Rd void of vehicles (and the bunch, the chat, the sledges, the draft, the hum of thirty plus wheels, the cackle, the hard work on the front, the mateship, a cracking average speed et al).  All being well, those days will return.   River Rd's rooster greeted the day as I steered north into Coach Rd, a couple of bikes southbound (no doubt on a mission of mental therapy to avoid the cabin fever of isolation)   With several options for my route home, New Dookie Rd was the less ordinary option, besides it prolonged facing that breeze in the face back to town. The reality of the ride west wasn't so bad after all, above the speed I'd aimed at even before getting there! Why do I do that? The curse of competition?  Thanks to a couple of Tina's trucks tootling into town, there was a tow or two to pick-up my pace (and the average speed), home on time to face the joy of the working day (when I'd rather be riding in sunshine).

This week 192km        2,386 YTD