Vulnerable to velocity

 Post #599

15/5  Wind? What wind?

Would the winter convergence of the clans continue?  I hope so.  Saturday's 30 km/h westerly would be hell heading back to town and I, like many others I reckon, was banking on a speed short of supersonic.  There was some consolation finding a few Wouldabeens (TrekTrev, Jase, Wendy and Superman) among the Sanctuary squad  of PistolPete, Emil, Kreeky and Gazza (a floater between factions really) and the lads from the shop (Boof, Rocket, Wozza, Bruce and TrackStan).  Nev and Lance flew the western division's flag.  This mixed bag may mean a solicitous speed?  (Subject to change without notice though!)  There was no rush for a 6am start, PistolPete tended to puncture repairs on the start-line.  

CatKel arrived for his free tow to the Pine Lodge church where he'd jump ship and cruise with the Cats back to coffee.  34 wheels soon rolled south, a few quick to forge forward as an advance line formed, the horsepower of the keen possibly keeping several waiting in the rear seats for their "wheel of choice".  The speed seemed to find favor, all were still aboard as the direction shifted east to Central Kialla.  An overnight shower had dampened the southern streets but that didn't break my heart, the bike was well overdue for a scrub anyway.  This would force my hand.  That serenity that descends with a tail-wind was soon shattered with social sentence swapping of the different divisions updating and downloading news, but PistolPete went for a daily double just a minute into River Rd with another puncture.  

Despite the offer of tubes and CO2's to fix it, Pete abandoned the ride to return home just a couple of k's away for repair.  He'd re-unite for the caffeine conclusion.    The restart put me in the advance line with TrekTrev ahead and Kreeky behind, a comfortable standard of speed for me in view of the toil back to town.  I wouldn't be the Festiva among the Ferrari's for a change!  Superman could still be heard in the caboose, he'd chosen a good day to make his comeback.  Let's see if he'd follow up Wednesday?   Without the wind at our backs, there was a little less hurry in Coach Rd, a glance back checking the rear carriages were still attached.  

I'd wished I'd opted for a second base layer, feels like 3 forced a lower gear to bring the engine temperature up a bit more.   TrekTrev chose a short shift alongside Boof in Boundary Rd, rolling across at the fig farm for me to pair with him to Old Dookie Rd.  Part two was perfect, the tailwind to the Toaster with Kreeky as considerate co-pilot.  There'd be no escape from the work back to breakfast though, the turns into the headwind would be brief for many.  Suffering is far better shared though.  I'd left a gap in the left line for Wendy to hide from the advance, her first lap with the mixed mob needn't give her nightmares.  

The westerly was of little consequence to the likes of Wozza and Rocket, but work for us of weaker wattage.  TrackStan's mixmaster cadence and Boof's brute force towed us to Boundary Rd, Emil and Gazza had handfuls of horsepower too, but those in the lesser factions wiped a few k's off and trimmed their shifts to survive.  Didn't that promote me quickly to the pointy end!  TrekTrev looked labored a little beyond Verney Rd so I went light on the throttle alongside to Numurkah Rd, saving something for part two.  Facing work in Wanganui Rd is often a  chore and that wind didn't help, but I was surprised that Kreeky's chore was bigger than mine to reach DECA.  A wind assisted spin along the Boulevard toward breakfast made a comfortable conclusion, votes today in the LemonTree's favor.   Drawing on Strava, the shop squad's speed and Bellarine by bike filled the footpath with banter for breakfast, coffee and porridge warming the interior ready for the chilled ride home.

17/5  Monday's manoevres. 

PistolPete was already southbound at 5:38.  Seems Saturday's slow puncture had returned to haunt him.  So Emil took charge of first turn at 5:40 to lead Kel, Greg, Kreeky, Tina, Rocket, Wozza and Bruce south, finding Pistol paused to re-inflate a little beyond the truck route.  He urged us to continue.  I had second shift in Mitchell Rd as an early effort, perfectly placed though to make the most of Monday's westerly.  Eight rolled past as I huffed and puffed my way back to the caboose, only then doing the mathematics to calculate there'd be another shift for me before the lap was done.  Plenty of time to harden up Foss!  Hats off to Joe (not Tony) for fronting up for duty to River Rd, he's had a rapid rise from the ranks of the Wouldabeens.  

Greg's slipped comfortably into the Sanctuary squad's speed, his 2k turn to the bridge performed like a veteran to the velocity (there's hope for this lad ; he could still talk at the end of his shift!)    Bruce made his move toward the quarter horse stud (at Sanctuary standards) , Kel a little short of her usual effort but Tina's was shorter still (being a little green around the gills)  Wozza was most diplomatic lifting the pace gently to rooster corner.  Rocket made the 3600 metre drive to the highway look easy, Greg doing his Channel Rd exit thing as Kel delivered news of an o.t.a.   A quiet roll to the pub and a halt at the highway reunited the crew.   

Most were relishing the serenity that The Godfather's absence affords, Kreeky spending a smooth shift north to tow us to Old Dookie Rd.  That westerly wasn't so bad, sitting in Emil's slipstream mind you, so maybe the wind had died off to be kind to the old bloke about to take a turn.  Crossing Central Ave I woke up and fell out of bed!  I felt sure I was riding into a tornado.  Plans of doing a decent turn to the truck route at the pace Emil had set was pure fantasy, reaching Dobson's bridge and not needing a defibrillator would do!  Joe (not Tony) wouldn't appreciate the job I handed him, but I'm sure he'd get over it.  Bo inherited the hurt half a k on and had endured enough at the truck route, Bruce supplying the horsepower to drag us to SPC.  

18/5 Tuesday's test.

Temperature on Tuesday was colder than an ex-wife's glare.  Feels like minus one had all the base layers in service and the arctic rated gloves out of mothballs.  It was another spin with the Sanctuary squad today, I'd figured the Wouldabeens would now be in hibernation till October.  Deliberately leaving home five minutes early allowed a slow introduction to speed.  Thirty felt like riding in a refrigerator. GreatScottSteve, Greg, Bo, PistolPete, Kel, The Godfather, Kreeky and JJ (dropping by from his whirlwind tour of the country) braved the chill for the thirty k lap.  A fully inflated PistolPete started the southerly spin of course, JJ signing his speed signature to Central Kialla.   And I was the silly goose to sit behind these two powerhouses!  I had the two k drive through Central Kialla to River Rd, easy on the throttle to start with so all were aboard, then as gradually as possible up to pace.......so I'd last the distance! 

It went surprisingly well (a later look at the bureau's observations explained it.....a hint of a southerly was my assistant)   I must get into Greg's ear about commencing a shift, he had the hammer down as I was still on the brakes into the off camber corner to River Rd.  (Full steam to catch the tail, less I be shamed with an o.t.a.)  I gather JJ's been climbing plenty of hills, he's on the proverbial hot tin roof jumping on and off the saddle. Trouble was, each time he stood it threw his wheel back at mine.  Tricky when you're centimetres apart.  Rule #3 was enacted, with diplomacy.   Greg retired from driving duty at the bridge and GreatScottSteve took the reigns but his usual long drive was shortened to finish before the dip.  Mind you, everyone's lungs would be at half capacity constricted by the cold.  

Kreeky got the promotion to the pointy end and stuck it out to rooster corner, fading fast in that long last 500 metres.  Kel started strong but her tenacity was tested by temperature to hand Bo the drive at the bridges.  He was blowing out the cobwebs of four days off the bike. His hurry was short-lived too, The Godfather rising to the occasion of towing the mob to Old Dookie Rd, if only to outdo Bo.  PistolPete, the master of pace, performed his usual swift shift to Central Ave, so maybe JJ would save me the labor by dragging me to the truck route?  Just the short shift to SPC would suit me.  A bit of traffic could excuse me to slow the tempo a bit too.    Nope, JJ swung off line at Dobson's to make mine the task to the truck route, though with the wind now turned off, I managed to contribute a turn resembling reasonable. Bo had the SPC shift, and yes, traffic was his reason to ease the effort. 

19/5 Wednesday's waltz.

Hitchin' a ride on the Rocket and Wozz train to Sanctuary Drive eased my effort to reach the start-line, finding the grid well stocked for the capped lap.  (Lenny, Laura, Kreeky, Bo, The Godfather, Tina, Superman, Kel, Nev, Boof, Lance and TrekTrev)   Starting rearmost maximised the draft but it needed plenty of throttle over the intersections and 'round the corners. Delayed reactions multiplied by seven made the caboose not so comfortable.  

I'd have a bit of a wait before being rostered-on for work at the front.  (There was plenty of social stuff to get through on the promotion forward).  You can't bank on predictable shifts with this mixed menage but needless to say the advance to the business end wasn't that long. Nev and Joe (not Tony) showed us the way into Coach Rd, Joe (not Tony) having a very short shift to One Tree Dam then calling me to roll across soon after.  The north northeaster wasn't that tough was it?  Rocket came alongside as my co-pilot and the speed gradually grew.  (Get the feeling you're being measured?)  I was going ok over the bridges and into that subtle dip but the moment the tarmac rose a smidgeon (that's 14 poofteenths in metric measurement) all the numbers except speed began to climb.  The highway didn't look that far away so I stayed on and ignored the data.  

Hearing lots of chat behind said plenty were doing it easy.  (Wish I was!)   Rocket saved the day (and me heart failure) by providing the draft in Boundary Rd, now it was TrekTrev's turn to do the tempo with him.  Turns rolled rather quickly from there on up to Old Dookie Rd, short and sweet better than ruin on the rivet for some I guess.  The Wednesday cap was thrown out the window for the west way home, PistolPete putting forties on the speedo's to Central Ave but those vulnerable to velocity were safely tucked into the draft to ease their concerns. The last legs to the truck route and SPC received a little less urgency which might keep the attendances up next week. 

20/5  Thursday therapy. 

Quite frankly, I'd get dizzy doing another Sanctuary circuit.  A little holiday from the hurry wouldn't be a bad thing either.  (I might make it to the weekend with some wattage left!)  There's a little squad that splinters from the Sanctuary clan and taps the northern roads as therapy from the thrash, so a request to join in scored me a berth Thursday.  It's been a while since lining up for duty at the Archer St shop, memories of 30+ dividing into to two for a Saturday spin are scant.  Tina, Emil, Kim and Kel made considerate company (if someone could pull Emil's handbrake up to the third click!) and the Channel, Boundary, Ford Rd circuit would make a pleasant change.  Indian file didn't need discussion and Emil elected himself as pilot to start the easterly effort.  A ride under the thrash threshold was like a breath of fresh air (did I mention the "feels like three"?), a great opportunity to polish a smooth pace too while all the resources weren't focused on full throttle.   

Kel led us along the ChaCha and Tina took over at the Kindergarten, only on the turn south into Central Ave did I detect the east northeaster to grizzle about.  (why should I get it easy?)    Don't we develop a fine sense of wind direction taking up this two wheeled habit? (unless you're The Godfather!)    The names of the riders with us may be forgotten, even the day and year, but a howling headwind home seems to make a memory rarely forgotten.  Given the lead role at the cypress trees, the expectation is to drive to the S bend, but with Kim due next in the drivers seat, sympathy soldiered me on to Coach Rd. (new to the paceline thing, I could spare her the short straw for now)   Emil was back in charge at the highway to take us north, an insect ingestion not helping me in the battle for breath.  

With enough east in the northeaster to niggle about, I had a festering frustration to get a little more draft but Emil had a shade of The Godfather about his position on the road.  I'm sure Kim wasn't so keen to be in the gutter so I took a bit more of the breeze so she'd survive.  Kel was given the reigns in Lemnos-Cosgrove Rd and first serve of the partial tail-wind toward town (there was just enough north in that northeaster to be a nuisance)   She must have enjoyed it, towing us to Lemnos North Rd.   Ford Rd was Tina's to tap and I'd settled in at second wheel thinking my time would come crossing Grahamvale, but Tina terminated half a k shy.  Doing duty to Verney Rd was the least I could do, it was only my second shift now that I'd thought  about it.  Kim wasn't so keen to command the southern leg of Verney Rd for too long, Emil given the privilege to guide us to the Butter Factory (as if our automatic guidance system to coffee was malfunctioning!) 

21/5  Friday's frigidity.

Single file seemed to have stuck.  Was it Pistol's pace down to Mitchell Rd or was 'feels like 0.8' keeping people tucked in behind him?  Surprise additions to the Friday fling, Shorty and Jase at second and third wheel had understandably hidden in the draft, Greg, Rocket, Boof, Wozza, Tina, Emil, Kreeky, The Godfather, Bo and Kel line astern weren't so keen either.  PistolPete peeled off the front into Mitchell Rd, Shorty left with no alternative but to tough out a (short) shift, Jase covering the remainder to Central Kialla.  (they may select their 'wheel of choice' a little more carefully next time)   

Rocket kept to Sanctuary standards of speed to deliver us to River Rd, Wozza's wattage east to the bridge getting me off the saddle to hold on in fourth wheel, so the tail must have unleashed wild horses to stay in touch.  Rocket soon delivered news from a cooked caboose so the speed slowed to get all back aboard.  The Godfather's entertainment began. The slow was well suited, it's hard laughing under labor.  Boof won friends keeping a lid on thirty five, an idle for him so he did the long drive to rooster corner.   

I seem to find myself on Emil's wheel often in the order of things and I was staring down the back of the La Pierre again (high time for a decent clean Em!).  He'd conformed to the call for calm so today the aroma of cooked Foss didn't foul the air, but he did do the long 3.6 k drive on Coach Rd to the highway.  Probably 'cause I wasn't toasted before reaching the front, I felt fairly primed for my shift beyond the pub ; a steady start and a slow squeeze of the throttle, up to pace without a lot of cursing the engine and not a puff of wind to battle.  So far, so good.  Beyond the bridge the workload grew and looking to the distant target of Old Dookie didn't help the head.  The fig farm seemed a better aim for now.  I tried to get the mind over the matter of the want for more oxygen and to silence the screams from labored legs, the fig farm was now upon me so Old Dookie now looked possible.  A tow to town would be my trophy so I martyred muscles to finish on target.  What better than Kreeky's considered turn to spend in rear respite.  Boof chose to be the sole participant in the right line, possibly falling asleep in the left one?  Kel got the job of towing us beyond School Rd but the cold constrained her contribution, The Godfather doing the honor of hauling us to Central Ave.  Shorty short shifted again but Rocket's fitness (by the bucket-load) sped us to town.  Traffic split the procession to the Butter Factory so being caught in the trailing five kept the pace percolating. 

This week  291 km   YTD  5,718 km