The Flat Earth Society.

 Post #672

19/11  What goes up.

I'm not a fan of those big lumps in the ground.  I do like to see progress under the wheels and it upsets me when snails snigger passing me by on those hill things.  That growling bear seems to follow me too.  The downhill stuff is good, it's just the work it takes to get there!   There's no escaping hills when holidaying in central Victoria so suck it up Foss, get over it!  (Literally!)   Strava maps suggested a few circuits (though defining which ones were tarmac and which were gravel would be good) so I chose a clockwise circuit from Daylesford via Blampied, Kooroocheang, Werona, Yandoit and Franklinford (if only for the place names!)   There's a false sense of security starting a ride downhill; the helmet felt really tight leaving the town at shop squad speed though it wasn't long before the cruel blow of uphill reality struck en-route to Blampied.  5.5% was a wake-up call for this flat earth society member and a sign of things to come.  (The little chainring got it's first taste of chain too!)  

What goes up eventually comes down, a few short descents restoring some faith in progress and donating a little respite.....before the bear growled (again) on the next ascent.   Northwest on Blampied-Kooroocheang Rd was unfamiliar ground, a rough and narrow strip of tarmac (with pot-holes aplenty like home) and a side wind to battle, thankfully without a car in sight.   Kooroocheang was more like an intersection than a place, the population of 64 (sheep) staring at some crazy guy on a bike headed to Werona. There seemed to be more ups than downs in these parts (a headwind wasn't helping either) and doubts on direction beyond Werona forced a halt at Eberys (another intersection, but no sheep) to locate Yandoit-Sandon Rd.  Back on track, a 5.8% climb through Yandoit Hills was double cruelty with a headwind to battle too, that creaking sound was either a spoke or this flat-lander's legs complaining. 

I'd grown familiar with speed in the teens (and the growling bear still following)   Newstead-Hepburn Rd was blessed with the breeze behind but more ups nearing Franklinford destroyed that advantage.  A swing south headed me to Shepherds Flat, the home of cricket bat willow I learned, but my memory was etched with the 8% climb to the appropriately named Elevated Plains and the 11% kick at the top.  (How clever I was to have standard 53/38 rings and a 11-26 cassette!)  Rubber legs didn't like the 4.7% through Hepburn Springs either, though I was pleased to pass (not so rapidly) a 70 year old lady riding to the shop.  Back into Daylesford I needed a therapist to get my head around a 24 average speed, though 955 metres of elevation usually takes me 2 months to clock up, not a day!  

23/11 Back on level ground.

How pleasant to be back on flat earth and maintaining a reasonable speed!  July weather in mid-November had cut a holiday in the south short, so Wednesday had the comfort of being on home soil and the familiar circuit with the familiar circus.  If the social standards stuck I'd have a gentle baptism back into the bunch.  PistolPete had (sensibly) headed north for his holiday so Emil was deputized to take the lead to Mitchell Rd with Troy, Boof, Wozza, Kim, Bo, the 5ft Ninja, Molly, Kreeky, The Godfather, Tina, Bruce, Grumpy, Lenny, Rocket and Kel in tow.  

The standard weekday circuit hasn't changed apart from pot-holes growing larger and a few chicanes thrown in to avoid broken glass, though a noticable change was Molly's return to riding.  Placement in the pack was crucial to make the most of the 13-20 km/h westerly and avoid the headwind home, though those with horsepower in their dna didn't need to worry about that.  Speed was a little spicier than standard (the boost at the backside to blame) as I co-piloted Kreeky to the dip but when Tina and I fronted for duty to the quarter horse stud, we set the speed to social (not just for us but those expecting Wednesday was something stress free)  That lasted till the Ninja was given the reigns and opened the throttle toward rooster corner.  

Some sneaky maneuvering had Wozza and Rocket at the front at the Broken bridges and they seemed content to head the hurry on Boundary Rd too (something to do with The Godfather behind them and about to face Old Dookie Rd's headwind maybe?)  Rocket served the pain of pace for the westerly leg to School Rd while The Godfather was toasted alongside ; the inevitable burst of the boiler and retreat rearward becoming the morning's entertainment.  With a degree of delight, Bo took on the role as co-captain to Central Ave.  Speed to SPC was shy of supersonic with the wind factor thrown in and the slow for Wheeler St's red light got a breath or two back.  On the restart Kreeky's chain jumped off the big ring, balance was lost and Kreeky hit the deck.  He'd escaped bruised but not broken, but wrote off a helmet in the process. Tempo turned tame to the Butter Factory (understandably) where coffee could cure all ills.

24/11 Variable velocities. 

It's easy to turn complacent commuting the stupid o'clock streets with rarely a car in sight......till the surprise arrival of a vehicle at a blind roundabout injects a sudden dose of reality.  How close we all are to becoming a bonnet badge of worse, a rumble strip with just lycra and a layer or two as armour.  And so began a commute of close calls to the shop (stupid o'clock had become peak hour for some strange reason) for a spin of the squirrel circuit, Lili, Tina, Kim, Wendy, the 5ft Ninja, Emil and Molly arriving upright and unscathed.  

LiamM had chosen the cot and a canine for his training and Jen needed a few more winks too, but Emil was well awake to introduce us to the sting of 38's to the truck route (in case some needed a warm-up?)   I figured 35's would reach an accord with the majority (as it usually does) so set that tempo from Doyles to Orrvale.  Wendy followed suit to the Kinder. Predictably, the Ninja's trademark launch opened a few gaps for the southbound stretch of Central Ave but all were back in line again eastbound toward the cypress trees.  Another short burst of horsepower from the Ninja out of Jameson Rd had many digging deep though Kim, probably starved of aerodynamics at second wheel, calmed the hurry toward Beckham's bend. (A decent draft's not always guaranteed in a small bunch and a small squirrel in it doesn't help!)  Lili took the lead with a determined drive to Coach Rd, Tina getting her wish of a recovery ride with a breeze helping her way north. 

Boundary's bridge is the usual aim and Tina handed the lead role to Molly there, her bonus was a couple of passing trucks serving a slipstream till nearing Old Dookie Rd became her limit.  Emil naturally pushed the limits of labor (and some friendships?) making 41's the standard to New Dookie Rd.  He seemed smug handing me the reigns to drive to Lemnos-Cosgrove Rd but I'll bet there'd be some payback served later at home.  Again, I reckoned 35's seemed better suited to the squad (for oxygen intake at least).  The slight south southwester didn't stress Wendy's work west and despite a non-functional derailleur (starved of volts) had the drive to reach Lemnos North Rd (and then the drive to catch the tail as the Ninja bolted into Ford Rd)   Lili took aim at Verney Rd while Molly bid her adieu's to head homeward and despite Tina's turn being due to drive south, Emil's take-over bid for the lead was inevitable.  (his wait till all were aboard was honorable).  Totally out of character, Emiil's pace to Balaclava was less than breakneck speed and what a revelation to find the traffic lights green arriving there! 

25/11 Digestive dramas denied me the therapy of Friday's ride but the weekly average hints I'm getting a fair fix.

This week 158km

YTD 11,758km