Too close to kaboom?

 Post #718

7/10 Rising rivers and rearward retirements.

Thinking only the fast would front had my head hunting for an escape route.  The Jenerator and Tina hadn't appeared and a stiff southerly switched on the stress of being blown out the back of Saturday's lap.  And Archer St in flood at the Broken caused a 3 k diversion via Melbourne Rd to put a late arrival on the worry list too.  Among the crowd of Emil, Wozza, Grumpy, Rocket, Greg, PistolPete, Bo, Troy, Jack, Boof, The Godfather, Bruce and GiantAndy, the saving grace was finding Lance and Julz among the grid; more like my speed.  (If the big boys bolted, I reckon I'd have company o.t.a!)  The peloton's pendulum had swung to powerful (when I'd hoped for pedestrian) though history tells me none had died trying to keep up, or been left to lap alone. (it's fairly clear I have a concrete deficient diet!) 

PistolPete called for cautious k's to commence (spying 'roos near Mitchell Rd on his way in), more to my liking than the sting of speed at the start (old engines shouldn't be thrashed when cold).  Feels like 1.3 didn't help.  (So seeing it's more like Winter than Spring, do I get my money back?)  Bo and GiantAndy had written 40's on the menu through Central Kialla but caution at River Rd's dip (water encroaching at the edges) delivered a little reprieve.  Sitting in Greg's slipstream minimized drag.  Temperature nipped at the ear lobes and toes but cadence was keen to warm most other parts as pace percolated at 38's on Coach Rd with plenty of light at 6:20 to see the Broken lapping at the bridges (memories of November '22). 

 Lance scheduled an interval (just as I neared duty at the fig farm) to wrestle with a deflating Schwalbe, so I got an opportunity to stocktake on oxygen during the repairs.  The restart rearranged the order of course, me now on Boof's wheel headed to the Toaster at a speed not suited to sentences (time for that talking stuff later old boy!)   My turn to do or die (hopefully the former) came at the church alongside Boof when Greg called it quits; there's just 1500 metres to Lemnos-Cosgrove Rd but I'd be charcoal getting there at this pace, so I called "well cooked" at the railway line for Emil to pair for part two. 

Sun-up arrived right on cue at the turn west to put some warmth on our backs (from 149,517 million km away) for the drive home, the southerly (11-19 km/h) at our left side no hassle to the horsepower now on the front.  Recovery seemed a little faster knowing I'd done my one and probably only (short) contribution; fingers crossed the 15 others would tow me home!  At just 16 years, Jack (son of Goose) shows great potential pairing with the likes of GiantAndy and Troy and keeping 40's as the fashion to Lemnos.  Sustained high heart rates were eroding energy levels by Grahamvale Rd, though I was keen to curb my recent habit of escaping via Verney for a soft finish.  It was Wanganui Rd or die today! 

On the anchors and rearmost with Emil and Julz at those metal plates at Verney's roundabout was poor positioning when the front bolted toward Numurkah Rd, the thrash at 43's to catch the tail had toasted Julz in the process. Back on the gas again into Wanganui Rd and the rubber band broke (not an isolated incident when pace had pickled The Godfather and Lance at Mt.Wanganui), so Emil and I impersonated gentlemen to chaperone Julz back to breakfast via the Boulevard.  Still working through Eighty8's menu, exacting electronics, follow-up physio and the Miriam Rodriguez revenge (go on, Google it!) kept jaws busy too. 

9/10 Boys being boys.

Using almost full throttle to get to the start line did little for the confidence of completing a lap - maybe I need cognitive behavior therapy for these southerlies?  It was a bonus to find plenty of worthy drafts in the bunch at Sanctuary Drive (Kreeky, Kel, The Godfather, Rocket, Bruce, Tina, Bo, Emil and PistolPete), though being on the Ninja's wheel felt like being short changed as Pistol and Emil set the squad south.  There was the usual flurry of feet and silence (bar one) as the pack were introduced to speed quicker than the commute; whether the standards lifted turning away from the headwind was down to Emil and Rocket's enthusiasm toward Central Kialla. 

As it happened, it wasn't supersonic. Maybe Monday's 'meh' mood made it manageable?  The breeze at the backside got Bruce stoked with speed to River Rd though engines had warmed up and tanks weren't yet empty 7 k's into the lap. Eyes searched the tarmac for new (or enlarged) pot-holes in the half light along River Rd as conversations on the weekend's weather, Barnsey strangling a cat and fund-raising walks kicked off among those not at the rushin' front  (though those with the horsepower have no trouble dishing up the dialog at the business end!)     The rooster crowed late for the turn into Coach Rd (drowned out by bunch babble?), Tina and The Godfather heading our way to the bridges. 

The Broken had dropped substantially since Saturday.  Tina called half time so I honored Rule #86 to level with her (particularly when watts weaken for part two) till the call of "cooked" came.  (easy on the throttle rolling across too, unless you like busting bunches).  The Ninja had other ideas to hurry to the highway (clearly recovered from that virus now).  Pistol and Rocket went easy on the accelerator in Boundary Rd, towing all to Old Dookie Rd and steering clear of the ever expanding craters. It was game-on as Bruce and Emil partnered at Central Ave, 43's even silencing The Godfather to the truck route, so 38's to SPC felt more like a holiday than the usual hurt. Nice to be still counted as part of the pack to Lockwood Rd and spin the streets to the conclusion at the cafe.

10/10 Dynamics disheveled.

Consistency and a slightly slower speed is the signature of the squirrel's spin (usually) so a small struggle against a south southwester to the start was the only hassle in the head for Tuesday.  Emil, Wendy, Tina and the Jenerator gathered at Archer St's shop awaiting Greg and Julz arrival as last moment entry Crossy arrived.  Eight line astern would make a longer train than usual so there'd be longer breaks between bouts at the front. 

Emil took till Kensington's roundabout to get 36's on speedos as Greg and Julz joined the line, that trace of a south southwester helping me to almost a hurry between Doyles and Orrvale Rd. (call me tumbleweed if you like) Shifts were standard to the Kinder (Tina) and the cypress trees (Wendy) but the Jenerator was in for a long drive to Channel Rd's end.  Crossy's launch north at Coach Rd lengthened the line to the highway, holes still being closed to Pogue Rd.  Greg was handed the captain's role a bit beyond the bridge and kept the speed stable, but had a lust for the lead to New Dookie Rd.   2 k's to Lemnos-Cosgrove was Julz' job.  Presuming Emil was in for a long drive west brought me undone at the channel when an elbow elected me to the front, so the 1800 metres to Lemnos North Rd got my task done earlier than expected to enjoy a long tow home. 

Ford's first 3 k's was divided between Tina and Wendy for the Jenerator's job to drag us to Verney.  The slow to negotiate those metal plates at the roundabout (and decipher the direction of a car that didn't option indicators) split the line in two, Crossy's craving for speed keeping the gap wide open till Balaclava's red light re-united us again, the team's usual harmony in hiatus today.

11/10 Don't you just love the serenity!

10 k's to the starting grid wasn't an issue when there wasn't wind to wear me down, though no good comes from only riding on calm days does it? A few were missing on Wednesday's roll call but a rare appearance of Kim and Wendy got the grid into double figures.   Bruce, Troy, Tina, Greg, Boof, Julz and Grumpy lined up behind PistolPete and Emil when they steered us south , the serenity almost deafening without you-know-who delivering diatribe from the DeRosa.   Real Spring weather doesn't arrive till mid-morning so we soldier on through feels like 3 knowing it won't be long till we're complaining about the heat. 

Grumpy was lacking lumens so stayed 'sitting on' with Kim (with a want for watts) as a mostly agreeable tempo was supplied by Boof and Bruce on the course to River Rd.  Social speed would have the balance of power beyond the dip with Julz, Wendy and Tina lining up for duty.  The search for pot-holes near the quarter horse fence was a little easier with line-marking supplied by a stand-in road ranger (in the official one's absence.  A gravel bike has f#@&ed his focus on a real ride)   Matching wheels with Tina to rooster corner earned me some brownie points but a holler of "Easy!" when I paired with Pistol in Coach Rd said I hadn't considered the caboose in the use of throttle.  Brownie points deducted. 

Patches of fog seemed odd for October (not so helpful in searching for wandering wildlife) though a clear view beyond the bridges erased the worry.  Emil and Pistol turned up the tempo screw slowly to Old Dookie Rd and what was now an easterly breeze primed more pace under Boof, Troy and Bruce's command west.  What's usually a slog to SPC was a little more relaxed (not quite 40), the line not so stretched arriving at the lights.

13/10 The wins (and woes) of a westerly.

Unlucky for some, Friday the 13th was a win with a westerly to inflate egos for the way east on River Rd ; what I'd give to tap along at 38's with the h.r. in zone 3!  Needless to say, reality would deal a cruel blow for the return to town, though my plans were to be back in the slipstream before then.  Cloud cover darkened Sanctuary Drive's views but lots of lumens from BamBam, Rocket, Julz, Boof, Tina, Bo, Emil, Greg, Bruce, Kel, the 5ft Ninja and Kreeky lit up PistolPete and Troy's drive south.  Legs were doing hard labor to Mitchell Rd, disappointingly the Garmin was barely registering 36's. 

Effort eased and pace picked up headed to Central Kialla under Troy and Emil's guidance.  Peace reigned again in The Godfather's absence (Grumpy was missing too, come to think of it) and all that stress about labour earlier had evaporated by River Rd (thanks to that wind up the wastegate and the draft from the horsepower ahead)  while BamBam and Bruce guided us around the enlarging craters.  We've had a holiday from the "Full Block" hollers this week, Kel calling half time at the bridges after a solid turn with Boof from rooster corner.  Tina played her co-pilot to the highway. Cats numbered 5, a far cry from the 20+ of years ago. 

My (one and only) donation came in Boundary Rd, careful to comply with Tina's tempo and preserving some pace for the Ninja's certain fervor for part two. Requested to roll at the bridge, I tried to hold a wheel back from the 5ft one as a hint, but hurry was her want.  That eagerness evaporated nearing the fig farm though, so I was demoted to second wheel to get half a draft.  Pistol was asked to roll a few hundred metres later so a real draft finally came,  The (now) west northwester had little hope against Troy and Pistol's pace toward Central Ave, Bo and Rocket lining up behind for their demonstration of driving to come. 

Julz had probably advanced a little too close the front (and too close to kaboom) arriving at the truck route, determination drying up as Rocket lit the afterburners toward SPC.  The ever watchful PistolPete and I did the nice guy thing to donate the draft back to the Butter Factory. Teams that start together, finish together don't they?

This week 264km

YTD 10,507