Week 36

Saturdays 'early shift' started even earlier, but the regular legends lined up for a 7am OC blast-off. Good to have Barnsey, Hoffy, Tony and the 2 Tims  (tim tams?) along. Masters Chris and Norm kept the quality standards up too. A northeaster strengthened to make Boundary Rd a bit of work, but the prophecies, tall stories, gags and the odd fact made it a great ride.  Young Matt launched a brave, tough solo breakaway with 2k's to go but was reeled in in the closing stages by the charge of Bo, Vince, Kel & company. Bo took the win with Matt, Kel & Vince in hot pursuit. I missed the Butterfactory debrief (kids soccer and hockey beckoned early) but heard later Bo needs a XXXXL helmet! (A Queensland break will turn him into Mr Whippy pretty quick)

I went soft Fathers Day and had a decadent sleep-in (wow....till 7.20am!) and was spoilt with an egg & bacon muffin cooked then served in bed by my champion boys. (first day off the bike in 3 weeks....tragic eh?)

Rolled out to the P&W start Monday morning and was greeted by a pea-souper fog, difficult to navigate the streets. 8 of us barely covered a km when Frosty blew a tube big time. The protocol of waiting for repairs was observed (unlike many other groups) which left a few of us with time constraints. Bart and the Rabbit had the turbo spooled up, but i chose a shorter Channel Rd course home. (some aren't spoilt with office hours) Quick chicks Cougs and Meags, also on limited time, joined in for a decent belt along the old circuit,  a 33.6 av a good reward for effort. Great company a bonus. Relieved to get some sunrise to find the road home too.

Quite a mild 16 degrees Monday night (ditched the winter thermal) so kitted up for a solo lap. Set up an electro / drum & bass  playlist on the i-phone, put the head down and got in the zone with Nero, SebastiAn and Chemical Brothers. (music does focus the senses, disolves the days dramas too) Only a very light north north easter to contend with, even rounded up THM & Sootie on a quiet lap near the emu. Felt fairly fresh by half distance so kept up the push, but pretty second-hand by the finish. A pb of 1:24:31 (34.6av) for the 49km was worth it. (Logged on MapMyRIDE for you spec nerds)

We were missing the holiday makers Leon, Bo & Kel Tuesday, but a good crew of Couldabeens were at the start. Temple's dry wit mixed with the guns Matt, Glenn, Daniel &  Rob made for a solid workout. Matt wound up the wick in the final 500 carving up Vince & Rob's reserves, allowing me & Marion to take silver & bronze. Thanks Matt! A good 33.6av, pipped by the train (by just 20 seconds) for a change.

Quite a chill in the air Tuesday night, barely 8 degrees and a 13-20km/h west north wester for the 12 hospital group to battle. Very odd not to have the usual vultures circling out the road to feed on us mere mortals. Beery had clearly lost it turning up to the library tonite (wondering why no one was there!) Scared a little old lady in the car park changing into his lycra too! Joined us just before Benalla Rd after Nath had severely measured me on the front, his ultra sleek DT Swiss carbons sing a nice tune though. Mike had just about blown a head gasket and did a Channel Rd retreat. Mitchell Rd turned ugly with the wind now westerly, most rolling turns over faster than Gadaffi's Tripoli exit. (all pretty smooth work to be honest, a couple chosing to be towed along) The thrash in Raftery's last kilometer went single file and i was blessed again by Robbo's class wheel (and Nath probably falling asleep for the sprint helped) to have the box seat for the last 200. Suprised to take the chocolates and top 55 at the finish, must be mum's great date loaf?!  35.6av.   Quite  an olfactory overload rolling back through town,  a wiff of a long dead animal at the side of the road followed by a waft from someones bbq, au de sweaty bodies in the pack, then the nostrils filled with the Colonels 11 secret herbs and spices,with a big dose of dirty old diesel from a passing truck for dessert!

Good to have Norm & Marion on a steady circuit Wednesday morning , but winter was keen to have it's last (?) hurrah with just 1 degree. Sizable P&W and Cats groups spotted, so there are some strong guys and tough chicks about still. Really enjoy this mid week steady roll around, a very therapeutic recovery ride.

Dangerous to think it was the last of winter, turned to zero Thursday morning as retaliation. Brass monkeys speaking in high voices today, but 7 Couldabeens were tough enough to take on a lap. Vince was proved wrong, believing Temple would pike it. The cold forced Daniel back into long knicks too. A few peeled off before Raftery leaving just 4 after Arcadia to finish. A good lap by all turning in a 32.4.

A sizeable pack of 13 had assembled at the library Thursday night, there were lots more to join in. By the emu numbers had swollen to 30.  Speed in Boundary Road was changing faster than asylum seeker policy, some heavy hitters dishing out a bit of pain.  8 degrees and a southwesterly building didn't help either. Speed settled a bit in Mitchell Rd only to go ferral when Raftery came into view.  Only half a dozen were swapping turns by Arcadia Downs, a   l-o-n-g   train of hangers on steadily dropping off the back. Daunting to be amongst weapons like Nev, Eggman, Mitch, Nath and Robbo for the final k and couldn't match the horsepower in the last 300, but chuffed with 5th behind such WMD's.  Average speed of 36.8 over the 50km worth bragging about too.

Better numbers for the P&W lap on Friday. Good to have Jeramy & THM along, kept the numbers up to 15. Ayto, Sootie & Chaddy had ripped up 30 before the start and joined 5km in. Rabbits' new TT Merida looks the business, Bart & Chaddy also with fairly new machines. (What GFC?)  Stew's new, much sledging training needed though.  Rabbit inticed Sootie and Bart to thrash out the last 8km, but most were keen to tap away the remainder. The Melbourne train still had the handbrake on when we crossed the tracks, a fine 34.7 average.

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Week 36 ; 434km    16,014 calories (39 litres of Coke.......buuuurpp!)  33.7km/h  average

Quote of the week  "If you worried about falling off the bike, you'd never get on"  (Lance Armstrong)