Heroics at a hundred.

 Post #671

12/11 Legends, larrikins and laborers.

Should I see a doctor?  When sleep wouldn't return at 4am and Saturday's ride filled the head, maybe a methadone program was needed to cure the addiction?  (Some preoccupation was on riding royalty attending today and taking Friday off was might have inflamed the symptoms somewhat)    Kim, Tina and Jen had made a slightly hesitant return to Saturdays, albeit with an escape plan if velocity got out of hand, so along with Emil, we had a crew to commute to the start-line.  Fighting a southerly was nothing new.  As expected (and previously arranged), I found IrishBryan circling Sanctuary Drive, seeking the 6am spin.  I came across this legend by chance on Strava 6 months back, posting some monumental training rides as a precursor to his record breaking ride around Australia in May / June.  (14,605km in 44 days ranks him a legend in my books. Yep, 331km a day for 6 weeks straight! Consult your therapist before trying this!)   I was somewhat flattered his visit was to repay the kudos given during his "big lap".   

Good weather brings a good roll-up, today with surprise additions of TrackStan and TatPaul to the list of regulars, Lenny, Bruce, Wozza, PistolPete, the 5ft Ninja, Liam (the younger), Rocket, Boof, Lili, The Godfather, Greg and Bo. PistolPete and Wozza performed the opening ceremony to Mitchell Rd, with no evidence of labor into a headwind (of course).  I'll bet that confirmed the shortcut for the gals!  The initial rush puts a few horrors in the head, throwing doubts on facing the front at that pace, but a few k's later and it's not so bad after all. The engine warms up and the bond of being in a bunch helps the hurt subside.  Oscar was found rolling beyond the truck route. 

A keen speed along River Rd had stretched a few so an ease off the throttle into Coach Rd allowed a family reunion.  Today was a bunch of mixed grades but the social adhesion is strong enough to keep the team together (till the end anyway!)   Some, who shall remain nameless, took the chance to book a later flight at the front and ducked for shelter in the left line on the reunion, so I'd moved closer to doing duty on IrishBryan's wheel by the time Boundary Rd was blurring under the wheels.  Tina, Kim and Jen took the civilized speed shortcut to Lemnos-Cosgrove Rd as the Colombian and the Irishman led us to the Toaster on Old Dookie Rd. 

With a little echelon encouragement, I paired with the Irish legend at the bridge and set Pine Lodge North Rd as the target, but preserving prior pace with that southerly at the side withered away the watts I was wanting to get there.  I soldiered on to save face.  PistolPete was most considerate as partner for part two (and praise the Lord I had a tail-wind for it!)   A headlight went overboard as a pot-hole was struck on the northbound leg to the rail-line, the slow for retrieval quite timely for LiamM's clockwise arrival. (A miracle had dragged him from his cot at last)  

The ease of pace had rattled the rhythm of the Ninja who had fronted for duty.  The Godfather's turn came at Pine Lodge Creek with Rocket sneaking up on his wheel. The crew prepared for the circus act to follow.  (It's a one-sided argument between determination and velocity with Rocket as the odds-on bet, but has the side effect of suffering for some of weaker wattage behind).  TrackStan's time off two wheels (a broken wrist) showed when he reached the business end of the bunch ; what the head thought was possible and what the rusty engine delivered equaled a small explosion.  (Shelter in the left line was his safety net).  Trav was another clockwise latecomer to get aboard, the rank and file behind Wozza and Bruce driving Ford Rd were probably pondering the hurry to come as the town came into view.  I've disappointed myself the last few weeks cowering in the caboose for the final fling; it's become a convenient habit to fall back on when the speed gets spicy. (probably the beginning of becoming that belly-aching bloke on the back if I'm not careful!)  None of these boys bite and the worst that could happen would be an o.t.a, so joining the advance line again was my h.t.f.u. therapy. (Look at the bright side Foss; GiantAndy was absent and I might not reach the front anyway.  Yeah, right!)  

With Wanganui done and the effort expended to catch the rush into Rudd Rd, being 2nd wheel to IrishBryan as he and Boof climbed Cemetery hill wasn't looking like a holiday for me!  The Irishman looked spent at Canterbury's roundabout so 'round I went to the driver's seat to minimize my masochism at the front.   38 wasn't too bad for an old bloke, but by Ferguson Rd the tank was dry.  My elbow pleaded for mercy and PistolPete answered the call.  Boof passed me by but a gap had opened behind him.   The very last watts were spent to fill the gap and hold on as Pistol kept 40's on the dial to Tarcoola, the path between parked and passing cars ever thinning.  Boof took the reigns beyond the roundabout and I was in 2nd wheel hell again.  The Knight St dash is only 900 metres long and lasting the distance seemed possible in the slipstream....till Rocket, Wozza, Bruce, Greg (and similar stallions) bolted by for the bragging rights.   And doesn't that throw your head into neutral!  At the back of the line in a blink, Bruce saved my bacon with a tow to the Town Hall.  Chat on thermal efficiency, sore losers and zoning out on distance numbed the circuit's 36 average speed and breakfast filled a very empty tank.

14/11 Calls from clowns! 

With the forecast changing hourly, luck had a window of opportunity open at 5 to clock a few Monday k's.  The northwester would be nasty for most of the circuit but the commute to Sanctuary Drive was sweet.  Forecasts had obviously frightened a few away but Tina, Kreeky, Wozza, Bruce, Bo, Kel, PistolPete, Emil, Rocket and Lenny arrived for the 5:40 habit under a less than welcoming sky.  Emil had a permit from PistolPete to lead us south, 20 metres of silence enjoyed till The Godfather made his late arrival and shattered the serenity.  Pistol formed the advance line nearing the truck route.  My tactics of getting second wheel to Emil wasn't so clever; I'd guaranteed myself a headwind by the time I reached the business end (and I'd led Tina to the same fate).  Bruce and Lenny were well equipped with watts for the north drive to River Rd, and headed west to the bridge, the wind wore away the will to live till finding shelter in the advance line, a discount of 20bpm for this old engine.   

Thick as thieves, Bo and The Godfather paired at the front nearing rooster corner and despite a van approaching fast from the south, entered Coach Rd anyway.  (A Specsavers appointment might be in order)   We've learned not expect accurate calls (and they wouldn't be coherent anyway) so applying our own judgement may have avoided us becoming a bonnet emblem. It seemed appropriate the two clowns should front the wind north to the highway, though The Godfather's encore was to slow and let a westbound car through on Benalla Rd, then cross without a call for the three behind it.   Kel provided a trustworthy turn on Boundary Rd to the fig farm where Tina fronted and aimed at Old Dookie, the wind not as traumatic as I'd expected till turning west.  Emil held back his horsepower so I had some sense of achievement to get to School Rd but that's where he and Pistol turned up the wick to 38's toward Central Ave.   (There went my sense of achievement!)  

Pistol paired with Bruce for the drive to Dobson's and beyond, now nudging 40's to help my sense of inadequacy.  (Headwinds usually slow people down don't they, or am I doing something wrong?)  The speed beyond the truck route stayed about the same, and as legs were already laboring at that rate, there wasn't the usual sting to SPC.  Legs went to jelly turning into Lockwood Rd instead.  

15/11 July revisited.

Enthusiasm had shrunk with the temperature on Tuesday; feels like 3.8 was a rewind to July, but the regret of not riding would crush the mood of the day if I didn't  (aren't the winter layers are getting a decent workout this year!)  The 5ft Ninja, Jen, Tina, Wendy and Emil converged on the Archer St shop for the 5:30 habit, though LiamM and Lili were conspicuous by their absence. Rumors of Molly's return must have been presumptuous too.  Down to the dedicated few......    A tailwind out Channel Rd had Emil excited, his effervescence testing 38's to the truck route.  Not sure he'd get that many takers for that tempo, I tried 36's from Doyles to Orrvale and didn't get any complaints.   Speed soon settled in the 35's when Tina tapped out the 1400 metres of the ChaCha to the Kinder, Wendy excused for a slightly slower speed on Central Ave while going to war with the wind but recouped the losses to the cypress trees.  

The sting in the Sartorius was blamed on Jen for her swift shift to Coach Rd (I'll have what she had for breakfast!) but the effort might have done us all a favor 'cause everyone stayed aboard for the Ninja's bolt to the highway.  She continued to Boundary Rd's bridge, guiding the path between the pot-holes.  The tell-tale click to a smaller sprocket and a lower hunch over the handlebars was a warning from Emil of the energy to come, finding the watts to keep 39's going used up all the oxygen reserved to curse him! I doubted I had the horsepower to hang on till New Dookie Rd but concerns were erased when I was given the reigns at Old Dookie Rd.  (I was Mr. Nice Guy keeping 36's to New Dookie).  Tina escaped the toil of the west southwester while northbound to Lemnos-Cosgrove Rd but Wendy took the bullet west toward Lemnos. Understandably, she shared the suffering with Jen. 

It was impossible to see the 5ft Ninja from 3rd wheel but I expected to see an elbow somewhere on the 3k length of Ford Rd with the wind wearing her down, but she soldiered on to Grahamvale Rd.  (Maybe there's less wind down at that elevation?)  Emil was the proverbial cat on a hot tin roof given the lead toward Verney Rd, I could almost smell the exuberance to drive south to Balaclava as an encore.  His pace was a little presumptuous at first as the line stretched long but a moment off the gas got the carriages back in line.  There'd be a lot of cursing if oxygen wasn't so valuable for the 2k's to Balaclava but old faithful traffic light at red gave us half a minute's respite.

16/11  Mid week meanderings.  

With a total disregard of social speed standards, one would blame the other for the spicy speed to Mitchell Rd, the fact of fighting a west southwester to get there seemed immaterial. (It's always the other guy that sets the speed isn't it?)  Emil might get demerit points from Kim but PistolPete had nobody to answer to.  Bo, Rocket, Boof, Tina, Bruce, Kel and Kreeky had filed behind at 5:40 and, timed to perfection, The Godfather arrived on the roll-out in the attempt to score Pistol's slipstream (therefore getting the last turn at the front).  Predicting his manoeuvre, I beat him to it but probably assigned myself to a headwind turn later.  

The wind was due to swing southwesterly - what's the bet I'd get to face the music in Old Dookie Rd?   The pack was peaceful while Emil and Bruce did the drive to Central Kialla but jaws were flapping to keep the social stuff alive northbound to River Rd.   Although living nearest the start-line, Grumpy arrived late using the truck route as a short-cut to intercept, Bruce and Boof taking care of the tempo to the quarter horse stud (Hallelujah! Pot-holes had been patched!) where the combined chaos of Bo and The Godfather paired to lead us to rooster corner.  (What could possibly go wrong?)  All eyes scanned through the long grass of Coach Rd for traffic and by fluke or fortune, we had a clear passage.  

Birthday boy Kreeky calmed to the social standards at the Broken bridges (river rising again) with Kel cool and compliant alongside.  Grumpy was most civil to level wheels with Kim beyond the bridge and she rose to the occasion of driving to Old Dookie Rd.  Not so timely handing Tina a headwind turn but that's the luck of the draw isn't it?   Tina stuck it out to School Rd but sought my draft as part 2.  PistolPete drew alongside and was keen to get 35's back on the agenda so I was glad to arrive at Central Ave and seek his slipstream beyond.  It's been a while since a puncture paused the pack but Boof changed that near Dobson's (a few minutes to restore oxygen levels for me)   The Godfather's time limit was stretched as Boof stretched a stubborn tyre back on the bead but there wasn't the rush to sprint to SPC when wheels got going again. 

The 50k habit hasn't been broken for a while and it was high time to teach the legs a lesson in distance, so a tap with Tina to Lemnos then fight the wind back to town might just rattle the routine. The southwester must have seen me coming to deliver the hurt homeward.   An extra 20k wasn't much so I set south on Archer to Mitchell, if only to set up a tail-wind home.   With sights at Sanctuary Drive, I'd suddenly scored the Adams family aboard as the rolled out at 8, Frizzy, DeepFry, Hoffy and Apollo Joe in my wake, Indian filed toward the truck route. There seemed to be some sort of sharing of the suffering when Frizzy and DeepFry passed unannounced, but they'd opened a 20 metre gap on the others in Mitchell Rd.  (I think it's the Adams version of teamwork?) With each bunch comes a different language and different standards and it appears Adam's don't have elbows in their dialect.  Velocity is variable too (to say the least).  I did my bit as Mr Selleys (no more gaps) to keep the team together but with the tail end in the gutter, apparently echelon isn't in their dictionary either.  (Only when in another bunch do you appreciate the discipline and standards of your own).  DeepFry disappeared into the Coach Rd distance chasing a solo DocPaul, but the remaining 4 collaborated to reel him in near the highway.  I was ten shy of a ton at Old Dookie Rd so took the chance to abandon ship (great to catch up with Hoffy but the Adams values were becoming a chore) and set west toward home, the southwester really serving a 32 km/h sting for my heroics at a hundred.

17/11 Easier (in Emil's absence!)

With Emil away, I was elected sergeant of squirrels for Thursday and with it came the responsibility of the hallowed first shift.  I'd be applying a little slackening of standards today, not to snail-like speed, but I reckoned 35's would be middle ground to the usual swift stuff out of the blocks. Trouble was, this first effort is three times longer than my standard Doyles to Orrvale turn!  Lucky I had the west southwester to help.  The Ninja, Jen, Tina, Kim, Wendy, Lili and LiamM astern didn't have any grizzles when I handed over the lead crossing the truck route but my concentration should have been sharper for the Ninja's bolt to Orrvale ; I almost lost grip on the caboose.   Jen now had the aerodynamic disadvantage at 2nd wheel but it hadn't troubled her tempo to the Kinder.  Tina scored the wind at the side for Central Ave and was making up for the loss toward the cypress trees till a rogue 'roo forced a slow at Jameson's bend. We were towed to Beckham's by Kim where Wendy did her thing to Coach Rd. 

Lili filled the captain's shoes to the highway and onward to Boundary's bridge (the usual expectation) though LiamM's shift was a bit short when he showed me an elbow at the fig farm. (All those sleep-in's have stunted his performance!)   Consequentially, I needed a few extra watts for the drive to New Dookie Rd.   The Ninja opened up the usual big gap when given the lead but Jen had the horsepower to close it down by Hill Rd, then showed her true form driving the distance to Lemnos.  Most of Ford Rd was covered by Tina's turn and Wendy made up the shortfall to Grahamvale so continued to Verney.  What a change to head south at less than break-neck speed without a take-over bid for the captaincy!, Lili and LiamM dividing the distance diplomatically and timing the traffic lights to green at Balaclava. (Emil must make it red?)

18/11.  I'd like to say the weather stopped me riding Friday, but softness was to blame. (Do the extra k's on Wednesday make up the deficit?) 

This week 308km

YTD 11,600km