A somewhat mild 8 degrees and a favourable 6k roll to the shop started Saturday well. Starters Rocket, Temple, Jase, Cougar, GG, ChrisA, Dion, FeltMat, RidleyTrev, Nick and ex-pat Cat Leigh (along to squeeze a lap in before other tasks beckoned) Up and away at 6 and up to speed without delay, the west southwesterly blowing us out Channel Rd, even a hint of light on the horizon was an additional motivator. ChrisA is recovering from more surgeons work, a few others recouperating from varied attacks of winter blues (but at least having a dip), nice to have Dion along again in fine form. With exams done and dusted Smuggler climbed aboard in Boundary Rd, we were back to including the toaster/emu section with more to share the load. An advance party of two were quietly rolling along waiting for the cavalry near the Emu, a proliferation of pussycats today, most vocal as our paths crossed. Quite a lot of chat amongst our ranks as we bore west, a bit of social flavour into the ride is a good start to the weekend. Didn't feel quite so guilty about the state of the bike with a cursory glance amongst the others, plenty of dirt, worms and spray to make most look secondhand. A merry band of P&W's were in the blocks at Verney Rd, driven by the dawn of triathlon season? No doubt many others will be soon emerging from winter hibernation to reaquaint with various groups (and suffer the consequences?). Ford, Wanganui, Rudd and the Boulevard done, our lap was soon over, half the turns this week with double the numbers, the breeze assisting most back to the Lemontree for the usual. Birthday cake today for some ancient relic (thanks folks, appreciate the effort made) , plenty of lively yaketty yack on carbon wheels, Fruitloop, life and death topped off the day's start.
Keen ones sent texts and posts flowing Saturday to set up a 7am Toaster lap Sunday, a bit of climatisation to the Fruitloop distance soon to be upon us. Milder again for a Peppermill start, 12 degrees the good news, a north-northwest to battle, the bad. Nick, BigMat, Cougar and GG the gritty ones to tackle an anti-clockwise loop, the push out Conrod straight never favourable. GG is one who springs quickly into form (despite frequent lay-offs), yet I take a week to get up to pace taking just two days off. (I'll have what he's having). Good turns taken by Nick, Cougar and BigMat both west and north, the (always) immaculately kitted Princess, identified from great distance, heading south in Boundary. It's pleasing lately to leave one layer, booties and long gloves at home with bearable weather now upon us. GG was keen to dominate (by at least a wheel) for the west leg homeward from the Emu, Nick keen to tuck in with an emptying tank. Plenty of sledges for BigMat's "360" Fruitloop (a 180 on the 180) but I reckon the dark horse may suprise many and nail it. In a deja vu from Saturday, Cats were eastbound at the kennels (maybe some Dookie tourism?) but no later Strava spying to be had. Lemnos-Cosgrove was far longer today with just 5 sharing the toil but determination ruled to finish a solid lap, the caffine and banana bread reward earned, but a somewhat frosty Lemontree reception. Campers and heart rates discussed, a slightly guilty RidleyTrev arrived (in civvies), a similarly dressed (yet smug) Temple soon after, put some sledging opportunities our way.
All who tackled Sunday (except BigMat) fronted Monday for a quiet 30k as recovery, south on Archer and east on Mitchell, the vigourous vapours of a passing pig truck awakening the olfactories, the wind gust blowing us backward. GG was quite the Energiser bunny today (or does he mask pain well?) us others suffering in silence. Ye olde legs were creaking a little but slowly loosened, others may well have been in the same boat from yesterdays dip. The familiar Wednesday circuit on a Monday just the ticket to start the week. Adieu to all when arriving back at Archer Rd, plied through the daylight streets homeward, headlight and helmet light alight , luckily spying a creeping car (facing a give way) had the defenses ready. Sure enough, within spitting distance he pulled out, a monster grab of brakes avoided t-boning him. Not much point of rage (other than displaying the index finger), no observation, no care, no brains.
Some enthusiasm regained during Monday, a solo ride beckoned with ideal weather not to be wasted. Turned the cranks (a little faster in the 17) out Ford and Lemnos-Cosgrove Rd, sitting up a bit to preserve some comfort. Channel works now finished makes the roll to the Cosgrove quarry possible, lots of fleeting colour from rosellas along the way. South on Quarry Rd (with a fair bit of quarry left on the road) drew out this years first swoop, the curse of the cranky Cracticus Tibicen (magpie) is back, the winged warriors just in time to fall foul on the Fruitloop. Back onto New Dookie Rd I headed east, sticking with the 17 at 78 rpm, taking in the lucerne green and canola yellow against the areas deep red soil. Damn hills sap the speed (typical response from flat-land riders like me) but got to Dookie beyond rush hour (one car) in good time. Kept onward and eastward for a clockwise attack on the schoolies circuit as the sun slowly sank, not such a nightmare track as the anti-clockwise race days remembered. Kept conservative on the climbs to leave some fuel to get home on, eventually right into Duggans Rd and the little pinch before a rapid descent. It was a whisker warmer on the south of the hill, good going on Major Plains Rd with the wind now redundant. Mental preparation done for the sharpish climb up to Dookie-Nalinga Rd, slogged it out on the 56/25 (heaven forbid soiling the 44 ring!) grateful of a short level out half way up. A quick recovery on the long roll down to the cemetery, up and over the little peak and back into Dookie, no backlight on the speedo, so was flying blind on the tempo. Straight through town and on to Cosgrove, the 6k from the quarry to the church seemed way longer. A left at the church then a right at the toaster, Old Dookie Rd the long finishing straight , still curious about the speed but that drives the motivation doesn't it? The Garmin was halted at SPC, content with 80k in 2:33, considering the lumps in between,1700 calories up in smoke.
The bike stayed static Tuesday morning but I was keen to extend the arvo's usual habit, saddled up at 5pm for 30k's solo, a not too spicy entree to the hospital bunch vindaloo main course. From Archer to Channel, then out to Boundary against a 12km/h dose of north easterly, I repeated yesterdays cadence on 17 teeth, jealous of the half dozen bunch doing it easy heading west back into town. A little less effort to bear north up Boundary Rd, watching the watch to time the arrival back at the hospital. Up a cog or two for the west leg in New Dookie Rd, mid 30's (and better) achievable back to town, a perfect arrival at the boomgates with 4 minutes to spare. The regular punters Dalton, Dion, Sean, Nath and AvantiTrev amongst others, Simmo back again for punishment too. The starting grid eventually grew to two dozen, speed demons Bomber, Sticks, Steigy, Robbo, Paul, Trent, Trudi,\ and the Eggman, even long time absent Lance joined in nearing Boundary Rd. Happy to stay in the rear stalls concentrating on distance not speed, there wasn't a lot of oxygen spare to socialise as the tempo built. Wheels were humming on the approach to the toaster, Lance was well and truely cooked, the tank very empty by the time I got to offer a tow, his coffin nailed shut with the bunch blast into Old Dookie. Only two rows at the front and a long tapering single file behind on the bolt to Boundary, many were hanging on to survive. A little more settled for the run down beyond the bridges but the heater was turned on again in River Rd. Surging crept in with the train getting longer and limits being reached, pace in the high 40's at half distance was as popular as Bashar Al-Assad, with more going OTA. Bomber and bro exited at Kialla Central, the bunch swept into Mitchell and tempo flared again. Big gaps opened up and, stuck behind some losing their grip, I chose to let the guns continue, a revised plan to plug away and finish instead of expiry in the boondocks. Some chose the relief of an Archer exit, I stuck with the traditional course albeit a few hundred metres in arrears. A glance behind showed some faired worse than I, The mantra of "never give up" stuck in the skull for Raftery and Conrod despite doing it at 168bpm solo, the minor reward was to catch and rejoin the bunch by lake Vic. 74k covered in 2:11 worthy of a decent feed.
Suprised the legs let me ride Wednesday morning, a cautious and gentle start rolling to Kialla, a yarn with ChrisA on the way. A larger roll up than normal, AvantiTrev, FeltMat, Rocket, LegalDave, Cougar, GG, Nick, Shorty, Nath, even FujiTrev back from Vietnam vacation (hopefully back on our side of the road) Light was even on the horizon at 6 as the show got underway, the speed considerate of weary legs. PistolPete arrived in the closing metres of Archer, a light easterly gave some resistance for Mitchell Rd. AvantiTrev in a clatter of chain and cogs, a fine argument against using those little chainrings! A chance to chat with LegalDave on matters Strava and hills, hats off to Nick, Cougar and GG for their several solid laps in recent days. Nath consumed two Trev's for breakfast in the run up to Boundary, maybe he had me in mind for desert, but I stayed a wheel back from his dinner plate. About to roll over a turn approaching River Rd when a maroon Landcruiser shot past ; big in vehicle, big in speed, small in clearance and small in intelligence (very small in another area too i'd say) 51 were single filed southward, we'd plugged away north to the bridges, GG ramping up the rest to Channel Rd. All were rewarded with the winds assistance for Channel Rd, high 30's easy going with smooth turns and smooth exits from intersections. A split at Channel Rd's end for most to bear south, the remainder north, with breakfast and work awaiting.
Out the door at sparrows fart Thursday before I noticed several spots falling from the heavens. A brief pause to trawl the depths of the motivation barrel, piled the positives above pessimism and spun down to the Archer car park, wondering if other delerious/dedicated (strike out that which does not apply) die hards would be of a like mind. DiscoSteve, Temple, Chris A ,FeltMat and GG were sufficiently silly to brave the ENE (12-20 km/h), rain just dampening the road in semi-matte, not gloss. Just 2k was covered when GG inherited a slow puncture, opting for a u-turn home on the existing pressure. Just 5 now to push out Channel Rd, a breezy benefit for Boundary & Mitchell the motivation to reach the t intersection, our conciliatory captain, ConsiderateChris, ensured all survived. PistolPete jumped aboard (better late than never) as we neared River Rd, DiscoSteve alighted at the main channel. There was a euphoric utopia steering into Mitchell, wind now gusting straight from the east as we went west. Made good ground to Archer (FeltMat's exit) and on to the highway, Temple into some respiratory labour for Mt Nicolaci. The last three k's of Raftery were spent emptying the tank matching PistolPete and Chris, a decent push at 183 bpm in Conrod but great to finish as a team, no sprint needed (nothing left to give anyway!) Ummed and ahhed Thursday evening about riding but the BOM spelt out a clear picture to abandon any plans. Plenty of wind and a decent downpour gave the ideal reason to put the feet up.
Friday's urge was for a steady and short lap, Cougars plan too, so set off out Channel Rd to have BigMat and HBK latch on in the first leg. A quiet and easy ride soon changed with HBK living up to his namesake, but he and BigMat had a clockwise plan for Boundary and Mitchell, Cougs and I keen on an anti-clockwise lap (albeit into a stiff northerly). The brief dose of socialising (with a sumptuous serve of sarcasm) over, we split north and south, HBK and BigMat into the cross-hairs of supersonic Supercats propelling south in Boundary, with Area a few hundred metres back engaging warp drive in a cacophony of carbon. Quite a push up to Old Dookie Rd, got a cheery P&W greeting, then to plug away the 8k homeward, keeping the level aerobic after a big week.
Week 35 455km (Lake Woods to Katherine N.T.) YTD 11,917km
"Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred"
Martin Luther King (1929-1968) from the 'I have a dream' speech, 50 years ago this week.
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