Week 22

A storm approaches near Merrigum  April 2012 (i-phone)

Plugging in the headlight outside lit up a million drops of mist floating in the air.  A cold and damp ride ahead, the 7.8 degrees was hardly believable, someone at the bureau reckons it felt like 4.9 but then they're probably in an office deciding that. On the bike with a 20k WNW it was more like 0.9 .  No one fronted for Trev's 6am lap so we inherited Rocket & Ryan to join Temple. Andrew, Cougs, Hoffy and Miles (defecting from the "feral" Cats, he says)  Steve had chickened out of a cat lap (bed better than us?) Kel under the doona too, but Bo chased us down from a late arrival to join in Mitchell Rd.  Dave absent today (another recovering from flu) , the crew of 9 rolled around the track with the breeze chilling the bones down Central Kialla, along Karramomis and up the Shepp-Euroa Rd.  Andrew's kilowatts had diminished a bit by Mitchell Rd (his exit for family duties) Bo kindly riding along as tow truck.  Chris was cruising in wait on Boundary after procrastinating the start over the weather, rugged up like Douglas Mawson (if you've got a $100 to view)  Rocket & Ryan were mindful of Hoffy's flu recovery with a considerate rate of knots.  Work was to be done in Old Dookie facing the wind and the chill, so it was good to have a group finish to the line in the 40's, Coug's suprising all with a stealth like sprint win. Missed the post ride chin wag (family duties) but that will justify two coffees next week.

Arrived at the P&W start Monday to join Meags, Fox, Cougs and Fee for what has become a regular decent training ride albeit with few attendees.  3k out master blaster Nev joined on, just as an unseen sheet of tin was run over by a few to startle the wits.  Weekend activities and yarns discussed to warm the social side against the cool morning.  All got a turn at the elements out front, but we nearly rubbed elbows with a totally inconsiderate / half asleep / texting (strike out innaplicable description) imbecile in a red Hi-lux who clearly could not give us space on the overtake in Mitchell.  A gold star to the quick chicks who were rock steady on their line despite having a few thou shaved off their elbows. Cats were far more obliging in their pass near Archer Rd, Vince on board enjoying playtime.  A group finish in the 40's topped off a good lap, got in a transient traffic-light tattle with Irongirl Jo (driving back from an early swim) on the way home too.

I continue to be suprised by a great turn up of Couldabeens in spite of the cold.  Just one degree to start off Tuesday (the temperature read-out at the Lake of 7 was as accurate as a blunderbuss) but 15 tough ones can cope.  Great effort by Matty and Trev to turn up, both not fans of low temperatutres. The cool had even prompted Daniel to attire in longs!  I was a little mesmorised by Matt's new "Star Wars" tailight, two metre long l.e.d. light beams forming red "lane markers" on the road. (use the force Matt Skywalker?)  Quite a few discussed the "feels like" temperature as the bunch travelled east, a few speed fluctuations but not fracturing the group.  A solitary Fitzy was caught at the top of Mitchell Rd who tagged along for the circuit.  No red Hi-Lux today (thankfully) and a good pace held by all, even a minimal delay at the highway had all the boxes ticked.  The speed moved up with 2k's to go (flattered by glowing compliments from Chris) Rocket was keen to repay Chris's lead out from last week, but this week Chris sat back to observe, Rocket winning from his own lead-out.  A 34 average a good effort in 1 degree, the victory over train and felines was icing on the ice. 

A small band of 9 started the hospital group on Tuesday night, a SSW at 17km/h and 9 degrees took us out to the emu, picking up Brendan, Mitch, Dave & Sam on the way.  Young Andy improving by the week (he'll be demoralising us before long) so too Rob, o.t.a. on the first ride, now capable of surviving the whole lap albeit as tail-light. We caught Scott rolling quietly near the church (the forgotten bidon retreived from home) Nath and Mitch would turn up the heat, Mike and Brendan would quickly douse it soon after, but it's good to preserve the bunch numbers with many cold weeks ahead. Who can get motivated to ride solo in this weather?  Steve rolled out Channel to join in as number 17, turns were short and long (varied by fittness and enthusiasm) for many k's till Dave turned for Toolamba at the highway.  The usual scenario of speed ensued for Raftery, a few single filing in the closing stages when the rate rose. Baulked a bit letting Steve cut in for a draft just as Mitch lit the wick, couldn't make up the three lengths Kev had in 2nd spot, but happy to claim 3rd at 56 km/h (194 bpm).  A good chat with Graham on the way home, the 33.8 average highlighting the varied pace. Though I'd cured the groan from the rear wheel with a lube of skewer and cassette, but it's back again.

Dug the depths of the motivation tank on Wednesday, a 0.1 temperature really pushing the limits of enthusiasm.  Focussed hard on overpowering the cold and slicing through the fog with ease, built the mental picture of victory over the elements, gritted my teeth and..........threw the doona off.  Coffee and porridge did a bit to warm the internals thankfully.  Drank a cup of concrete with an extra shot, added a measure of polyamine (part 2 hardener) and cranked up the Brinell hardness scale to roll out for a 25k  lap.  A great chuckle at the lake, the digital display exaggerating the temp as 7. No land speed records to break today, survival was key.  A few tough cookies braved a TT, a few Cats took on the temperature too.  Bo had a crack at the 51ers, Kel & Steve on Supercat duty. A mental note to hunt down a new set of gloves, 4 years have thinned the old ones to near useless. Quite a few bands of fog to slice through but safely home without blowing a head gasket. Hard to get out of a warm shower.......

Thursday morning had another cold snap, this time knocking the attendance rate. Just 10 to face the -0.3 degrees. (and yes, the temperature board at the Lake showed 6) A moderate start allowing Daniel (dragging the chain) to catch on the bunch. Breathing in ice blocks and having one's extremities iced over sounds like a sadistic torture, but we usually make something positive of it.  It had shaped up to a great ride, even had a puncture delayed Vince join us anti-clockwise in Boundary. A few k's into Mitchell, Daniel & Vince were expediting the expedition into the 40's, doubling the length of the pack. Bo & Ryan were good samaritans to assist the reformation, the speed settling to allow all to participate.  Temple exited stage right with Daniel at Archer, Bo & Kel took a right at the highway, and then there were 6.  A good change to have a team finish without a sprint, (Rocket's absence?) mind you the chill wasn't inspiring a thrash to the line.  The 34 average was enough to keep the Cats behind us, until the boom gates dropped, Gav, Ryan & Cougs exited right....
and then there was one.

The Boulevards' roadworks prompted me to roll quietly out toward the golf course Thursday night and let the Library bunch  swallow me up. The lads came past just beyond the new round-about, Bomber and Robbo teamed up to drive the speed train till nobody spoke. Trev and others saw sense in letting them go, opting for a more restrained (and survivable) speed . (turns out the guns had bolted to get in a natural break, then rejoin)  Andy was bold enough to ride in short knicks, most others rugged up for 9 degrees, thankfully a weak south easter had all but fizzled out.  Squeezed in a chat here and there with the 15 lads, but talk was off the menu for River Rd, Bomber & Robbo had fish to fry.  First course was Kev, had his legs burnt  by speed and quickly tucked in to draft when Mitch continued the work on the front. Most of River Rd was at 40+, the rotten intersection with Central Kialla Rd halting us all with a car approaching, thereafter speed eased till Raftery.  Maybe the dropping temperature had dampened enthusiasm, the bunch only in the low 40's for Conrod. Seemed a sprint wasn't going to happen, but I just couldn't let protocols be ignored. Off the seat and onto the 13 to wind up in the last 200, young Graham proving a tough lad to shake off. I'd got a bike length on him at 54k's (189bpm) and a wiff of victory with just metres left when Mitch suddenly pounced from behind, got me by half a wheel (and 28 years by the way) but i was pretty chuffed with the result.

Friday's 2.7 degree morning felt almost mild! And it's the first day of winter!  9 P&W's had gathered at SPC, the usual division occurred, Wizz, Fox, Sootie, Sosso and Grasshopper (on his 2nd lap) held back to ride a fast lap, I was the lucky one teaming with the quick chicks (Meags, Stace & Cougs) to take the course with style.  Just a hint of a southerly in Boundary Rd, all happy to single file with low numbers.  Patchy fog made the roads' edge a mystery at times, no doubts about the long steady turns though. A mass of Cats passed (with courtesy and a little lip) near the Mitchell dog-leg, the pursuing pack of 51ers near Archer.  Good to finish a lap with Team Smooth, good to finish the week with caffine and a yarn at Friars.

Week 22   392km (Shepp to Mildura) 14,112 calories (172 cups / 3.3kg of Milo)  32.8 av  YTD 8709km

"Every mile is two in winter" George Herbert (poet, orator, priest 1593-1633)