Watts are what's wanted.

 Post #630

22/1 Worth the work for the tail-wind home.

Stop your grizzles and brave the first shift Foss!  These guys (and gals) don't bite! Besides, if you don't face it now, that east northeaster will give you hell when you get into the drivers seat later.  So with brave face fitted and teeth clenched, I set south from Sanctuary's roundabout bound for Mitchell, two and half k's away.  (Pressure's on Foss, don't f%#k it up!)  Gently on the gas pedal for the first 100 metres so the tail end isn't whiplashed, then build up to a speed something like respectable toward the truck route.  (Silly me glances at the Garmin.  28 km/h.  Is that all?!  Wipes the screen to see it's not a smudged 38.  But it isn't!  Time to h.t.f.u. old boy!)   

Eventually up to 37 and still without a co-pilot, the frightening thought that Liam would draw alongside was soon erased when Greg formed the advance line and partnered.  (Phew! Liam's a hell of a nice guy, but just oozes horsepower!)  Promising to be social later when oxygen wasn't such a valuable commodity, Greg tolerated my speechless shift while I fixed focus on the distant Mitchell Rd.  I'd forgotten about the fluff ball dog that caused a sudden slow the other week till three feather dusters on legs shot out of the Archer Rd driveway.  They came to an abrupt halt at the sight of Greg, Liam, Wozza, Trav, Lenny, Tina, Rocket, Bruce and the 5ft Ninja at speed  (would have made a messy rumble strip!)    I had an overwhelming urge to keep the throttle open ; not so keen to be shunted by 10 behind.  Taking bigger breaths on the slow to turn east into Mitchell felt like Christmas had come again.  And I was right, nobody bit me! (perhaps they'd fallen asleep ?)   

Wozza advanced to pair with Greg toward Central Kialla while I did the stifled gasp and groan thing in their draft.  (I dips me lid to Greg taking on the headwind for 2 k's with Wozza's wattage as the workload).  The profile of DeterminedDan approached from the east and u-turned to hitch a ride.  Smug as a politician with a pension that I'd avoided the wind , the free tow north to River Rd allowed recovery courtesy of Wozza and Trav's energy at the front, I could settle into the social stuff now that focus was restored  and the head wasn't filled with hurt  (Feeling almost human now!)   The speed wouldn't be too spicy for the next shift following Lance, the Ninja and Tina in the advance line and could possibly avoid the wind again if shifts stuck to standard lengths.  (Yes, I do overthink things!)  Up Coach and Boundary and east on Old Dookie, the 5ft Ninja, Tina and Lance drew the short straw of facing the east northeaster (and probably felt the expectation to reach the Toaster)  

Wind at the starboard flank wasn't so tough toward the Pine Lodge church but care was needed not to toast Lance on part two of his shift.  (Goats had got going early, heading south to the Toaster with Amy aboard from abroad).  Lance's tank was dry at New Dookie Rd and I was happy to roll to the left line and have Greg's shelter up to Lemnos Cosgrove Rd.  I wish his enthusiasm didn't exceed my energy though!  That wind behind as we turned west eased the pain of Greg's pace, 11 could do their bit at the business end while I got on with the recovery process (retract tongue off the headstem, wipe the drool from your chin, put a lid on the gutteral groans and relax the vice-like grip on the handlebars)   Cats and the '51 pack were probably missing The Godfather's greetings as we crossed paths, two dozen wheels humming along the tarmac in the 40's made mesmerizing music though that speed probably spooked the Ninja and Tina from joining the advance line again. (I wonder would we become fearless if that data weren't on show? (Numbers nobble us eh?)  

Joining the advance with Lance (I'm a poet and didn't know it!) came with the comfort he wouldn't tear my legs off when we played pilots, those with tempo on tap at the pointy end could drag us into town in the mean time.  Determined Dan was put to work on the front at DECA, all those solos giving him the strength to take us to Mt.Wanganui alongside Bruce.  Lenny and Lance were in charge past the cemetery but my days of having a windward advantage were done.  A third shift came due at Canterbury's roundabout and I had the headwind to deal with (and what I thought was wattage went to water 800 metres along the Boulevard).  Reality had ruined me!  (didn't George Orwell say " reality exists in the human mind, and nowhere else")   Greg and Wozza could drag us to breakfast. TV's optical illusions, Europe's passion for food and the Springnats on a slippery slope provided the racket across the Butter Factory table.

24/1  She hurt me Mum!

Going gently on the old engine on Monday was easy, the solo to Sanctuary had a little help from an east northeaster.  Hopefully I'd have some sort of horsepower to spare for the lap to follow.  Greg, Rocket, Lenny, Bruce, Jen and Wozza on the grid was average numbers for a 21 degree weekday morning, many still soaking up Adelaide (and alcohol?) for some of this week too.  Surprisingly, two rows formed when 5:40 set Rocket and Bruce south to lead us to Mitchell Rd.  Hesitating for a moment, I joined the advance on Wozza's wheel, quick calculations estimating I'd pair with him at the front for the Central Kialla leg to River Rd. (Good, the east northeaster shouldn't be too taxing there).  Rocket and Wozz had the reigns east on Mitchell, the wind fair in the face of no consequence to their pace but second wheel was hard work! Wozza was kind enough to allow me to split the 2k drive, rolling to the left line to have Jen alongside with a k to go.  

Despite the long lay off the bike, she's got the fitness (and aerodynamic advantage) to drive the high 30's, the last half k for me spent seeing stars and with nostrils full of  the aroma of toasted Foss! (Maybe she's on some "special supplements"?  I should get the phone number of her Spanish doctor!)  Speechless to the River Rd bridge while Lenny and Bruce did the driving, I held hopes that Bruce, Rocket and Wozza would do the long shifts to delay my next attempt in the drivers seat.  (Getting the heart rate below 170 was taking too long!)  The three lads didn't disappoint, all the way to the Midland, still in the high 30's, still into the wind, and able to carry on a chat into the bargain!   Freaks! (and I'm still in the 160's, and still speechless!)  Wozza tolerated my poor attempt at a turn on Boundary Rd to the bridge ; I'd warned him that would be my limit, I'd need something for part two. 

Hopes of contributing a similar distance with Jen alongside evaporated (along with my energy) well shy of the fig farm.  Easy for Jen and Lenny to drive to Old Dookie Rd, hard for me to tolerate an engine that wouldn't deliver something decent.  (Watts are what's wanted!)  A sky painted pink and orange distracted the hurt while Lenny and Greg did their 40's business west (and why wouldn't you with the wind up your what's it!)  Greg's exit at School Rd put Bruce in the drivers seat, trust in Rocket and Wozz delivering us to town took away the stress of a possible third term of torment.

25/1 Three steamed squirrels....and hold the soy sauce!

Squirrels were scarce! Tina and the 5ft Ninja were the only ones to front up on Tuesday while others took a break on Adelaide's coastline.  Just three swapping turns would raise the usual effort and standard 2 k turns on the front had returned ; those short sharp shifts of last week might burn up the reserves too soon, so low to mid 30's would ensure we'd all survive the 30 km lap.  (22 degrees would make it a steamy effort anyway).  There'd be four to five times more shifts than Sanctuary's spin so I had no qualms with tempo being a tad slower.  Eyes went straight on me when nobody else turned up, so I obliged by doing the 3200 metres to the truck route.  

The sharpened sense of wind direction most of us develop when taking up this two wheeled addiction told me a northeaster was breezing at the brow, a little extra push needed from the legs to make mid 30's appear on the Garmin.  The truck route gave us an extended intermission for peak hour traffic (3 cars and a B double).   Tina took on leg two to Orrvale Rd while I swung to the rear for a little respite ; Oh great! I get the matchstick-like draft of the Ninja for recovery!  I was  delivered to the Kinder where turn two began, the northeaster putting a load on the legs when swinging east into Jameson Rd.   Mid 30's seems to be my sweet spot of late, gets the engine warmed up but without blowing a head gasket.  (I looked forward to less labor in Boundary Rd though!)  Tina and the Ninja towed me there.  

Progress was easier bearing north....or was I imagining it?  The tank wasn't empty at the bridge so continued to Old Dookie, such a contrast to yesterday when I was on the rivet just 2 km/h faster.  (Go figure Foss!)  Tina preserved the mid 30's pace to New Dookie Rd (and she reckons she's off form!), the Ninja towing us to Lemnos-Cosgrove Rd where, in Emil's absence, I felt duty bound to drive a long turn to Lemnos Nth Rd.  The wind was now my friend anyway.  Hats off to Tina when handed the reigns at Ford Rd, she dug deep to drive the long leg to Grahamvale.  The 5ft Ninja did the proper martyr's shift, west to Verney and south to Balaclava ranked it as an Emil effort, no motivation needed for any of us to get to the Butter Factory where iced coffee was the prescription for a sweaty spin. Doubts about the wind direction were answered by the bureau's stats - calm!  Another go figure!

26/1 Doin' the Dookie distance.

I'd found Bruce and Lenny on a very casual cruise to Wednesday's start-line and got the guided tour of Sanctuary's side streets till 5:40 neared, psyching myself up to do the longer ride planned for the Australia Day holiday.  (Dookie and back with a loop of the hills would clock up a hundred.  It had been many moons since dialing up those sort of k's, convincing the head it was achievable was the hard part!)   GiantAndy, Wozza, Rocket, Lenny, Lance, Bruce, the 5ft Ninja, Tina, Liam, Greg, Jen and Grumpy assembled, suitably psyched, so if they were braving the distance, why shouldn't I? 

There was a good mix of division one and two so it wasn't as if I was the Honda 90 lining up on the Moto GP grid!  This would be a standard Saturday circuit to begin, up to Lemnos-Cosgrove Rd but then east to Cosgrove then via the Camel Farm to Dookie.  Just my luck to have an easterly breeze brewing with a turn due in River Rd.  Promoted to the front at the bridge, I was relieved to hear Greg was keen to ease the hurry, there were plenty of k's to cover yet.  I'd reached the expected end of the shift (the dip), rolled to the left and found GiantAndy my partner in pace.  Talk about teaming up with torque!  But a gentleman he was to turn down all that horsepower and stay level as I labored to the quarter horse stud.  

I should have joined division two's queue ; they'd timed their appearance at the business end with the breeze at the port side.  The headwind didn't hamper Lenny and Bruce headed toward Cosgrove, I'd certainly be easing off the throttle when given the lead role again.  Lenny u-turned for home at the Quarry, there was no holiday for him. A second shift was beside Greg to New Dookie Rd then paired with GiantAndy for the first k of Kellows, aimed at the Camel farm.  That was enough energy spent for now, I needed what little was left for those things called hills to come.  North on Caniambo Rd then up Sutherland's hill flooded the head with (painfully slow) memories of mounting mountains.   A lot of the sprockets, usually covered in cobwebs, soon had a chain cleaning them!  Without so much as a grunt or groan or eyelid batted, GiantAndy changed up to the 53/11 to grind up the hill. Not intimidating at all!   

Through Dookie, Tina and Lance chose the option of a steady tap to Tallis and back while the rest continued on the Devenish Rd to Duggans to climb a few more lumps.  I was happy to drop off the back of the bunch and take a slightly slower approach, prevents blowing a gasket (besides, it's better to deal with your demons alone)  They didn't get more than a k ahead so I'm not that snail-like after all!   To Major Plains Rd and working west toward Tallis, the chain got associated with the 38 ring to get me up the hill, Bruce then Wozza and Grumpy had kindly come back to tow me back to Dookie.  

The clan had assembled in town to top up bidons and fuel the tanks for the 30 km return, blessed to be gifted a tail-wind home.  Overtime on the Fizik was taking it's toll by now and legs forced to climb those thing called hills had filed an AVO so I'd confined myself to the caboose for a few minutes as Rocket and Wozz flew the 40's flag toward Cosgrove, hoping that a little respite would re-invigorate. To the Pine Lodge church and south to the Toaster, a sort of second wind came to face the front again, Bruce giving me the choice of pace to School Rd and Tina tackling a turn to Central Ave.  There was relief to get to town as temperature climbed, iced coffee and chat at the Butter Factory a fitting finish for 116 km. 

28/1 Way to start the day!

Holiday makers had returned! Sanctuary Drive was standing room only for Friday's family re-union, Boof, Lenny, Bruce, Wozza, Kim, PistolPete, Kel, Emil, Tina, Didak, the 5ft Ninja, The Godfather, Jen, Gazza, Bo and Greg had filled the 5:40 grid.  Wozza and Gazza broke the PistolPete tradition of first cab off the rank but it wasn't long till news reached the front of bits being broken off the back. (17 reactions at the start-line could mean a 30 second deficit to the rear I guess). Feels like 26 with a hot northeaster would stir up a sweat (a far cry from the torment of June) and wasn't I the fortunate one to be second wheel in the left line ; 16 others needed to serve their sweat before duty called me!   Lenny had hurried from an alarm malfunction and overlooked it being kit day but The Godfather's excuse for being out of uniform was caused by calories I'm told (strangely, Bo seemed to be in some sort of tight situation too) 

Another scenic sunrise brewed on the horizon, drawing the train toward rooster corner while the Adelaide holiday-makers faced the reality of life back on the flat-lands and work's time clock.  I'd finally been demoted to the back nearing One Tree Dam so being promoted all the way up to the drivers seat looked likely somewhere west on Old Dookie (with the wind in my favor if I'd played my position right). Kim was on the red-line as PistolPete guided us toward the highway so a gap was opened in the left line for her to seek shelter while Wozza played human shield in the right.  The Godfather's greeting at the highway to southbound Cats shattered the silence  (I think they've missed their daily dose of abuse while he's been away!)   

Aside from minimizing the work at the business end, it's good to have almost a full crew back for the social satisfaction (the tow from 16 wasn't bad either!) Turning west with the wind no longer whistling between the ears delivered relief in Old Dookie Rd, Greg bid his adieu at School Rd while I followed Jen's wheel in the promotion forward. Wozz and Tina kept the speed simmering to the truck route.  Matching Jen on the sprint to SPC was my one and only appearance at the front but it called on all the muscle I could muster.                      

This week 313 km   YTD 1093 km