Week 24

Climatised to the icy starts now, the thought of a long hot shower post ride,  keeps the spirits up when fingers, toes, nose and other small parts are suffering the cold air. 15 brave souls faced a gentle southerly for the 38km OC's lap.  Good to catch up with a few only seen weekly. The Rudd Rd dash saw Nick bolt early, the little missile Bo was boxed in, and i bedded in the new12 tooth to get the chocolates. (reassuring not to have the chain jump teeth in a sprint anymore) Tempting to dig into the treats at the Butterfactory but there's a long weekend of breakfast rides ahead.

Sundays breakfast with champions

Sundays' 2 degrees tested tenacity but the thought of cooked breakfast drove us on. The OC lap but with  mates from the Tuesday & Thursday thrash. Lots of talk about not sprinting, but the "smiling asassin" and Leon wound up the pace which was just too much temptation for Bo! A decadent breakfast follwed with lots of laughs 

Tough to wake on Monday to face a holiday and the task of doing it all again with the P&W's. Not! A 50km toaster loop this time (must find a toaster and place it where the old one once was) in the 2 degree chilly air with 9 of the die hard crew.  Princess finally unveiled the bike he'd had squirrelled away for ages, a very flash Avanti in shades of matte & shiny carbon with appropriate Mavic Carbone's. An appropriate weapon for the Chadster, dapper in a new kit too. Great conversation with Fee, Grasshopper (we're gunna miss him) , Cougargirl, a steadily thinning Ironman Ayto, Guysy, Stace and the clan, followed again by a delicious breakfast. Carbo's burnt, carbo's loaded. Spoilt.



Princess and the new Avanti staelth bomber



Quite hard to face the reality of going back to work Tuesday. Harder still was the 1.2 degrees start. 7 others prepared to ride so that makes it bearable.  At least there was no wind, but i could swear the penguins by the side of the road were frozen solid!  A solid effort by all for a 32km/h average. Almost a heart attack on the way home. Car shot into a main intersection (running late for work?) instead of giving way. My  big swerve toward the traffic island managed to avoid me becoming a bonnet badge.  It was only then that the brain dead driver looked and slammed on the brakes. Obviously 380 lumens of light couldn't penetrate his eyelids!  Much profanity ensued!  (flashbacks of rolling over the bonnet of a Commodore 18 months ago) So word up; maroon Navara dual cab at 7.05 am means battlestations!  The nerves had calmed enough during the morning so a 45km circuit with a dozen hospital group in the evening. A decent bunch and an effort to hold on for second after launching way to early.  Got to 53km/h when the youthful Mr Allemand shot past me with 100 metres to go (reality is a hard pill to swallow) so no hope for this old boy. Got home with the appetite as big as the want for rest.

Fog as thick as a brick Wednesday and only 7 P&W's to start. Minus 1 may have something to do with it!Riding near the centre of the road 'cause we couldn't see the edge.  Little Grasshopper well and truely firing on the front, being paired with him was a genuine workout. Not a lot left near the end and happy to see Matty take the win. A great sprint by the much improved Scotty (CPG) for 2nd.  Pleased with a 34km/h average. Train in sight, Cats not! Home to thaw out under a hot shower. Aaahh, the simple pleasures of a hot coffee and a piece of raisin toast.

Thursday was the same temperature and actually got the long leggins out today. An eerie sight of a lunar eclipse on the way out, a three quarter orange-red ring around the moon above a foggy paddock was a good distraction from the cold.  Good to see 8 turn up in these conditions. Nice work by all to get back into town to see the train leaving (and to beat those pussys home!).  A big attack of the "cant-be-bothereds" on Thursday night. Nice to veg out on the couch. Up early as usual Friday morning but the sound of early rain cancelled any thought of riding. Breakfast in lycra like many others i'd guess. 



P&W breakfast

So Week 24 finished with 372km,  13726 calories (9 loaves of bread) @ 32.3 average

Week 23 (y.t.d.=10k)

The sound of rain on the roof at 4.30am put big doubts on a Saturday ride. Peering out the back window at 6 confirmed a rare sleep-in was to be enjoyed.  The first Saturday ride abandoned since early February!  Obviously others craved turning the pedals over 'cause the sms's ran hot Saturday arvo for a sunday circuit.

A good turn up of 10 despite a cool 6 degrees. The suggestion of breakfast after may have enthused some? Bit foreign lapping the usual Saturday circuit on a Sunday, however great company had.  Settled for a lesser podium position with Nev in the bunch, then demoted to third with Bo firing on all cylinders to steal 2nd. All good fun amongst friends.  Much contentment at the Butterfactory with eggs and bacon / raisin toast breakfasts being consumed with passion. Temple was nearly like the growling dog if you got near his, Trev's plate of scrambled eggs nearly as big as Trev himself!  A breakfast ride to be repeated....
The chilly 3 degrees of Monday morning saw only the tough P&W's turn up.  Scotty and i, with egos and chests pumped, had four cute quick chiks all to ourselves!  A great friendly ride without severe attacks or being comprimised by Cats.  All enjoyment vanished just a km from home with a puncture. Bugger! Stace suffered the same only a few metres ahead but was lucky having a chauffeur husband only a phone call away.  Mine finally repaired, i scored yet another just 10 meters from home!  The cold and wet Monday evening was spent with the entertainment of repairing tubes and rotating tyres.
Tuesday was another cold one. 10 couldabeens braved the cool breeze for a good lap, but were victims of the Cats trying a crazy overtake just 50 metres from the finish, despite an oncoming car!  Some who sat up over the line tested our reactions with brakes but they were given a proper spray as payback.  Nice work Marion! The day was as winter as you could get and a check of the radar in the evening spelt a night off. At least an early night was enjoyed.
The intention of a  quieter lap Wednesday turned into a big effort, the mercury barely made half a degree and a gusty southwesterly straight off an iceberg tested Marion & i . Thursday morning the wind had picked up to a howler (officially 24-30km/h) but 5 couldabeens hardened up for a push into Boundary Rd.  Great effort by all to be back in town to see the train leave town and not see the Cats.
Thursday night was at least clear, the wind eased a little too (SW at 17km/h).  Just 10 turned up to the library to circulate, and then there were 6, with 4 short-cutting home down Channel Rd!  Nath on a new Oppy Pro and Dean sporting a new Cannondale were keen to justify the expenditure and took the 1,2. (Robbo hard to recognise without the ubiquitous Opera) Me, happy just to roll out 46 k's on a very cold night. Justified a big bowl of spaghetti bol for tea!
Friday morning's suprise was "shagger" Stew waiting at the start. Good to see him on a brief visit since his transfer to Gippsland 6 months ago, but that south east climate has turned his sprinting ability soft & mushy! A great crew as always, Grasshopper taking the chocolates and the much improved Scotty as bridesmaid. Really enjoyable having all the crew all together at the finish. Well rewarded too, minus Cats, the bonus seeing the 7am train still sitting at the station. A fine 34km/h average for a cold day. 

This morning the odometer clicked over 10,000kms since Jan 1, so quietly chuffed with that considering there's another few weeks till years' half way. Mmmm....maybe a 20k year?

The motivation bottle is quite empty in the depths of winter (and it's only just started!), so difficult even to throw the doona off of a morning.  The driving factor is a great bunch of mates (all having a genuine crack at it) to suffer with, most of us having a quiet little chuckle at the one's hiding under the doona dreaming up excuses.

Week #23 =  335km  12,361 calories ( or 154 bananas. Yikes! That's $369 dollars worth!!)
31.8km/h average

Week 22

Almost half way through the year now, but lots of cold weeks to push through yet.  The regular Saturday morning lap had 16 brave souls with nothing better to do but enjoy the cool 6 degrees outdoors. Only the hard core regulars these days, the "wannabe's" tucked up under their doonas.  A nice slow build up for the sprint, but got spooked by a newish rider thrashing up the inside whilst others were cranking up the speed to the right.  We all want to get home safely dont we?  (A kind reminder put things straight, i'm sure he'll settle into a good rider when all his enthusiasm calms).  The regulation coffee post ride at the Butterfactory - cakes, muffins, toast, eggs & bacon, and lemon drops on display and at the tables had the appetite fully pumped! Stayed tough and just had coffee....(raisin toast awaited at home). 
With a Sunday at Winton planned (historic bikes and cars) i got keen for an early lap.  Daniel, Nev, Bo & Kel went the soft option of a 7am start, so i tapped out a quick 30 at 6am to meet them for the 35k loop at 7.  The fog was a pea-souper! Blessed the white line at the edge of the road to guide me, but panic set in when the white paint budget ran dry 7km out of town!  (No traffic about at that crazy hour, so  sat up the road a little to be mesmorised by the centre white line as a guide).  Every 50 metres called for a wipe of the glasses, each little bump caused dozens of drops of water to fall from the helmet! Good to have the others for company at 7, but the machine that is Neville knows no limits! Pushed hard most of the way and legs felt it after, but coffee relieved them.

Monday's lap with the P&W's was well paced and free of hard attacks.  A steady build up in Raftery Rd was upset by Jeremy (caught earlier) pouring on the power to take the lead, then blew up and free-wheeled on the business end of a bunch sprint! Much use of brakes and profanities, Ryno punctured and braked hard, lots swerved and we came to a halt. No harm done, even Meag's unceremonious fall doing a U turn at walking pace was injury free. 

Monday nights ride was solely to clear the head.  Lots on my mind for some reason.  MP3 & Sony's bass boost earphones attached, i questioned the meaning of life, why i'm on the planet and for what purpose, wrestled with the hiccups of life and pondered the trends of the FTSE 100.... to the tunes of Caribou, Tame Impala and Radiohead.  Good therapy.  A great 33.4 average brought to a resounding halt by a stinking puncture (the first in four months would you believe?)  And in the dark too. Repaired, i turned for home as a safe bet, tube supplies now exhausted.  You guessed it, 3km from home the new tube let go!  Walkies!!

Tuesday's Couldabeens only mustered 4 (when the going gets tough eh?......) Maybe zero degrees had something to do with it? The great suggestion of single file was well received, good concentration and rythym ensued, great training for the newer riders. Hope it's a regular habit. Daniel (running late for the start?) caught on and a good circuit was enjoyed by all. Back in town before the Cats, and got to see the 7am train leave!
 
Suprised with 17 rolling up to the hospital group at 6pm. A fresh 7 degrees tested the insulation.  Good steady pace (and no breakaways tonite!) all the way round. In the final 2km, speed picked up and i managed to latch onto the rocket Robbo for the last 300metres, but 50 metres from the finish Nath fired out of the barrel to take the chocolates. (Robbo's bounced back fast from the big knee operation)

Great to roll out with the P&W's Wednesday, a steady tempo enjoyed by all. Inspiring to see a few who usually sit on the back come up for a solid turn at the front. Even THM having a crack!  The smaller group seems to be better suited to the conditions, no big variations in speed or half-wheeling. Wednesday night off the bike but on the chips, loading up.

8 starters on Thursday (even Trev gave up his much loved doona!) though the 6 degrees felt mild compared to Tuesday! Back to the usual rotation but the heavy atmostphere was like pedalling through treacle.  Considering seperating Matty & Bo, the two are terrors on the front together! In all, an enjoyable lap, beating the Cats and seeing the train (again!) means a good lap time.   Broke with tradition Thursday night and joined IronmanAyto for a toaster loop. Great to spend some quality time with the legend and we each earned our dinner going the distance without drafting at a decent 31km/h.   Friday, lapped a quiet circuit with great mate Marion. Nice to crank at a smooth pace and let the legs recover a bit.

Week 22      469km   17306cal   (865 licorice allsorts)  32,6av