Week 32

The sound of rain throughout Friday night spelled no chance of a ride Saturday. Unfortunately the body clock is fully automated, eyes spring open at 4.45am as always. Laying in bed thinking of a lap doesn't do much, so up for porridge and the Thunderbirds instead!  'Lil sprinter Kel is quick late morning in posting a Sunday lap should the damp dissapear. So Sunday Bo, Leon, Daniel, Chris & Kel front up for an early 30km hit before a forecast shower spoils the fun. Only a light southeaster gets in our way, a quick coffee and sledge after then home before more damp strikes.

Mondays drab conditions only motivates 4 to take a P&W lap, cleverly dubbed the Zoo ride by "Cougs" as there is only a rabbit, a goose (new lad Anthony) a fossil and a cougar!  (decent of Mick to roll along at the team speed for a change!) A slimy road and the odd stray spot of water from above did a great job of plastering the bike with grey slosh, the poor old Dura-Ace chain groaning with grit. Thank heavens for decent company to save the day.  Just 4 did well to at least hear the train depart.

An sms from Stace mid arvo called a 5.30 toaster loop, so a hurried get-ready straight after work to reach the start. The last of the showers had just subsided rolling up to the start. More slimy roads, grubby bike and grizzling chain.  Brakes sound like sandpaper. Stace, Guysy and Hayles were the only brave souls, so a steady lap in the low 30's was a good workout for a 56km round trip. The battery managed to power the headlight the whole way, despite not being charged from the mornings 37km lap (nearly 4 hours at half power). The new 18650 Li-on Jetbeams are a treat.

A fair amount of early should/shouldn't sms's on Tuesday about the thick fog. Just Marion & i braved a lap. Funnily enough, the fog thinned a bit out of town, and just one car from behind for the whole lap who gave us lots of room.....nothing like a decent tailight for peace-of-mind. (how do some ride with one tiny knog light?)  Tuesday nights hospital group was a tad thin, only 8 to do battle.  Reinforcements arrived out Ford Rd to bring us to 15, Leigh and crew squeezing the throttle up to 40 in Mitchell Rd. (a sudden scurry to single file left me as tow truck on the outside to the trailing few)  A half dozen spits of rain changed our course option to an Archer Rd finish, and found myself amongst the ammunition of Nath, Chris and the other 'artillery'. Chris took one for the team with a big lead out for all, Steigy ran out of jellybeans in the last 200, and  fine tow by the boys gave me the gas needed to take it to the line. Smacked a big pot hole with 50 to go (jarrred the headlight down at 45 degrees) which made for an exciting finish, thankfully upright and with wheels undamaged. Home for a decent feed and to clean the bike...again.

8 P&W's rolled out Wednesday morning, none were keen to wait for a bike 200 metres back (thinking it was the rabbit?)  Got a call half a km later, Marion had missed the start by a whisker, then was halted by a red light. Went back for her but the crew had dissapeared into the distance.  Dissapointing. A steady, slightly shorter lap was a good achievement though.   Saw a couple of riders duing the day (not so often on bikes these days). Maurie is still going through the medical hoops to release the handbrake that stops his performance. Andy is just enjoying life, wife and wine!  Good luck to both (fine riders).

Thursday was another soggy dull morning and was happy to tap out 30km at a reasonable pace. The bright sunshine and blue sky during the day inspired a circuit with the library group at 6.  A promise of a good ride with 14 starters and a weakening southerly. Half way out Lemnos Cosgrove Rd the legs were complaining of quite a push, then that spongy rear tyre feel took over. Lovely....a puncture! Mistakenly thought the bunch would wait, but no, just vanished into the horizon. Oh well, change the tube in the dark and head home i guess.  That done, i travelled at least 500 metres and copped a nail straight through the back tyre!  Bugger, damn and smailto:s#@%!!  No more tubes and nothing to repair them. Oh well, walking time (son in W.A., workmate on his way to Melb, best buddy at a party). Wasn't about to hack up a new pair of cleats, so it was 8km home in socks, and a lot of thinking on the way.

A gentle 25km on Friday morning was kind on the couple of foot blisters (nicely numbed by the 1 degree temperature)  Bit of a 'let down' week, but i guess it can only get better from now.  On the way home another close call with another fleeting glance driver at the same Fryers / Welsford intersection that i've had two prior near misses. Watch this one folks, the "turn left at anytime with care" is minus the care!

Week 32   369km  13616 calories (21 bottles of Jacobs Creek Merlot....tempting after Thursday night! )31.7 average       +8km on foot @ 4.7km/h av.

Quote of the week "I thought of that while riding my bicycle" (Albert Einstein; on the theory of relativity)