The huff and puff stuff.

 Post #645

7/5  Quiet....with a quick conclusion.

What a difference to be towed the eight k's south to Saturday's starting grid.  Emil and visiting brother Anth provided the slipstream (and the discount of 10-15% less workload) but I reckon removing the psychological load of cutting through the air first was the real comfort.  Lili got aboard our little train for her first bunch ride and after a lap or two of Sanctuary's side streets we found GiantAndy, Bo, Molly and the 5ft Ninja parked on the grid, and what looked like a galaxy of lights lining up behind. Those mysterious ones would be revealed in the rotations to come.  Six bells set wheels rolling and in the enthusiasm of her first Couldabeens pack, Lili jumped straight into the advance line at second wheel  (this was shaping up to be a baptism in the deep end!)  A word to Greg (on her wheel) gave him the heads-up of her maiden voyage (she'd be in considerate company).  

A slower speed east on Mitchell wasn't such a bad thing, it would probably entice a few forward that may otherwise shy from duty (the downside was a yo-yo tempo)    A bike taking the truck route short-cut to River Rd turned out to be TrekTrev (usually a Wouldabeen, but they've all gone into hibernation it seems).   TatMat and DeterminedDan had advanced from the mob of the unknowns behind, Bruce showing himself and his Cheshire-like grin on a brand new Bosi (replacing the one with a terminal fracture)    Wozza, Rocket, Tina, LiamM, Grumpy, Lance, Boof and Nev revealed themselves from the light show behind and were promoted forward as a little light showed us the horizon and Coach Rd in the distance.  

Nobody had shied from duty at the front though a few of the Ferrari's seemed to be stuck in second gear.  (Considerate lads, they'd get to unleash their horsepower at the front soon enough).  I was sandwiched between Tina ahead and the Ninja behind and eventually arrived for work in Lemnos-Cosgrove Rd, restrained out of respect for Tina (close to her limit) aiming at Pine Lodge Creek.  You can't complain, at least she had the fortitude to front.  The 5ft one was keen to turn up the wick in the drivers seat, I chose to simmer speed slowly 'cause I reckon Tina was rather occupied getting oxygen on board.   Concentration isn't always on the wheel ahead, and a once in a blue moon moment of rubbing wheels was a bit embarrassing when the left line altered for an echelon ; thankfully everything stayed vertical (pat on self's back for not panicking)    It's more than co-incidence that all the horsepower finds formation together , so a watchful eye gets ready for labor when the cream rises to the top (newbies Liam and Lili would learn that quickly!) 

For some strange reason, the back half of the pack had turned rather peaceful as Rocket and Wozza reached the front approaching town.  By chance, I was at the rear along Wanganui Rd and a few others nearby appeared to be running on empty, so I was put on tow-truck duties when the big guns fired up Cemetery hill and gaps opened in the pack (after all, I had promised our newcomers they wouldn't be abandoned)   Funny how you find pace when given a purpose.....    GiantAndy opened the throttle wide along the Boulevard and bits were breaking off the back, so more purpose was found when our little train of survivors gathered up Molly and Lance ejected by a blast into the fifties.  With  the pleasure of finishing in a pack, we'd got to the city centre where the Ferrari's had ironically been halted by traffic lights.  Roof racks (and their repercussions), costly hobbies and fine tuning a new bike seemed like quiet conversations among the racket at the Butter Factory breakfast table. 

9/5  Variety. 

Week 944 of this two wheeled habit and you'd think the urge would have faded by now.  Feels like 2.6 degrees Monday morning and the urge persists!  (Got something for it Doc?)  Gazza, the 5ft Ninja, PistolPete, Bo,  Lenny, Rocket, Kim, Bruce, Greg, Emil, Kel and Kreeky must have it too 'cause they'd assembled in the Sanctuary Drive darkness, ready to roll at 5:40.   Lenny and Pistol had emerged from Covid isolation and with no hesitation but plenty of hurry,  Pete guided us south to Mitchell Rd.  I'd take a month to get back into tune after a week off!    

Gazza had a headlight overboard headed toward Central Kialla, Rocket nearly putting it through the blender of two spinning Zipp's, though Gazza found it intact on the u-turn and headed homeward using hand-held technology (a case of busted bracket?)    I was beginning to enjoy the half k cruise in the low 20's but mid 30's pace soon resumed.   Kreeky ahead and Bo behind made a change from my almost usual placement on the Ninja's wheel, and with the Monday mood set at moderate, I had no complaints.  Bruce had found a little more comfort on the new Bosi with a tweak of saddle height, Kim finding comfort too with the pace tweaked down a tad for her appearance at the front.  Kreeky complied alongside.  

I'd made the most of the moderation beside Kreeky when Kim called him across, I just hoped Bo was still running at 35% 'cause he was my co-pilot on Coach Rd.  (Of course he turned up the effort, but nothing too testing)  I'd just got into the slipstream at the Broken bridges and banked a few breaths when Lenny called an intermission to tend to a puncture (there'd be more breaths in the bank now!)   Resuming after repairs, a little more urgency was injected into the tempo, the four minute fix of a flat was cutting into our coffee consumption time!   Kel and the Ninja set aim at Old Dookie Rd but it was Rocket and PistolPete that really made up the deficit driving west. 

10/5   The more, the merrier.

Nine on the grid probably justified two rows rotating turns though I reckon many find comfort riding Indian file. 

There's nearly always that guy with heaps of horsepower beside you when pairs tackle the front.  And they're nearly always on for a chat when all you want is to suffer in peace and overdose on oxygen!  Better to set your own pace in the drivers seat rather than others set it for you!   

The addiction grows with LiamM and Lili turning up for a second week with the squirrels so the start line seemed to be at capacity with Emil, Wendy, Kim, Jen, Tina and the 5ft one assembled as well.  

Fighting a bit of a breeze to the start line meant most of the circuit should feel easier, but Emil's easy was high 30's to the truck route.  Some may have felt the pressure to perform at that pace, others setting their own limits (but aiming high anyway).  The standard turns rolled into the Channel Rd darkness, plenty of participants giving plenty of time between the huff and puff stuff at the front.  A second shift wouldn't fall due till Lemnos-Cosgrove Rd at this rate, and some may have already done their one and only!  Jen, the Ninja, LiamM and Emil had the benefit of the breeze behind in Boundary Rd.  It wasn't as taxing as I'd imagined on the way west when given the reigns at the bridge, there was reasonable shelter to hide from the southwester for my aim at Lemnos North Rd.  Kim's tank ran low a k into Ford Rd (it's that second shift shortfall thing) , Wendy with the wattage to tow us to Grahamvale Rd.  So Lili and Jen inherited Emil's almost exclusive shift to Verney and south to Balaclava (but, as expected, Emil high-jacked the lead and kept the pace cooking along the streets to the Butter Factory)

11/5  Excess enthusiasm at the end.

If you believed the bureau (who does?), the forecast for the rest of the week would get you gathering up animals two by two and looking for a rather big boat, so maybe it was that prospect that crammed the Sanctuary Drive grid on Wednesday?  The start line with The Godfather, Lenny, Tina, ChrisA, Greg, Wozza, Boof, Jen, PistolPete, Grumpy, Gazza, Kel, Rocket, Kim, Bo, Emil, the 5ft Ninja and Kreeky was lit up like a Christmas tree.  Emil stepped into the leadership role (PistolPete way out of character sitting in forth wheel) and kept the pace sociable to the truck route before turning the chat down by turning the pace up toward Mitchell Rd.   Oh so cruisy for me at third wheel in the left line, I'd be lucky to even see the front of the peleton with this many yet to participate.  Soaking up the almost tropical 11 degrees, it was hard to think about the three months ahead - what motivation could be mustered to carry on through the seventeenth winter lay with this lot doing it too!  

ChrisA had made a rare appearance in the bunch and performed like he's riding regularly  (ah, the joys of youth!)    The familiar bumps and pot-holes on River Rd blurred under the wheels, the days of "social speed" Wednesday's 35 km/h cap seem to be now filed under ancient history (though we're not yet putting the strugglers o.t.a., some are on the edge.  On the other hand, they keep turning up for more!)    

Bo inherited the sledges when he half turned a shift in Coach Rd, the clan of characters ahead doing their bit for progress north to the highway and onward to Old Dookie Rd (while I sat back freeloading.  Nice work when you can get it!) Of course speed got keen on the way west, it's what's expected, and there's usually a few extra watts found to keep up.  The  single file standards on the squirt to SPC went out the window when the bunch turned to a Brown's cows procession for the last leg (no traffic to be a concern though), Emil ecstatic to launch an attack to Wheeler St with a handful of hopefuls bolting for line honors to the traffic lights.  Call me Captain Conservative but it'll end ugly one day.  Better to finish fast before the truck route and not play "chicken" with the early morning commuters.  A calm and considerate roll through town might even earn us a little respect?

It was damp enough for me on Thursday and Friday to call it a short week (believing the Bureau was not an easy thing to do!), the extravagance of sleeping in till 6am something rather foreign! 

This week 217km         YTD 5,194km