Week 16 : Crank till ya' cark it

Post 393  Around the Bend-i-go

Exploring new territory, I fronted Bendigo's Sternberg roundabout to catch Saturday's bunch, dozens of bikes converging to syncronise bunch departure (from the flat-out 7:05's to the tourist 7:30's).  I congregated with the 7:15's (Andy, Paul, Alistair, Cass, Steve, Les, Murray, Dianne, Reg and Mark) at their navigational mercy to follow directions south on Sedwick-Sutton Grange Rd to Mandurang, the rise and fall of the tarmac was the heater with just 6 degrees on the guage.  It was comforting to discover their's was a habit of anticlockwise rotations & long turns, a few k beside Andy finding flatlander Foss fairly fit. After 20 k's south we swung north east on Axe Creek Rd, commencing their protocol of rolling turns for a few k's.  (picks up the pace and fine-tunes the focus) It was good to get the bunch blinkers off and see how the other half crank, picking up a few pointers (and forgetting a foible or two) 

Missing a signal and maybe with eyes on just the bike ahead, Paul grabbed a fistful of brake and took to the gravel as a dodge for road kill upset the line, thankfully staying vertical. (highlights how complacency is our constant demon)  The regular long turns resumed as we swung onto Patons Rd (dipless Dave!) then a succession of lefts and rights, ups and downs as Ballarat's Murray (Gios) made himself known (of the Yabby Diver bunch I'd ridden with just a month ago)  A single speeder fixie appeared in the pack (murder uphill, mixmaster down) but kept himself apart on the descents for fear of putting a blender in the bunch. (thank heavens, he could talk the leg off an iron pot!)  We zig-zagged Sinclairs, Bennetts, Caleana and Somerset Park Rd's to bewilder my bearings (great directions from the bunch though) but I eventually got my bearings reaching the McIver Hwy with a sprint section (Rule #79) stupidly pegged at an intersection, causing a close tangle with traffic.  Drama diverted, we toured north via Pratts Park, McDonalds and Racecourse Rd to reach Epsom for the turn south and spear to town.  Chat, coffee and hot-cross buns were consumed at the Goodloaf, riders dearly departed and bunch behavior the sentence subjects.  

 

17/4  The Toaster Coaster  

A public holiday Monday drew Kenworth, Rocket, Shorty, Simon, Jase, Pistol, Kel, AvantiAndy, Jen, Bo, ScottMatt, TatPaul, Boof and BamBam to A Mart for a later lap at 7, pleasing for me to be back on level homeland soil.  Easter's light southeaster made a sedate start southward on Raftery, the effort slowly raised as I drew closer to the pointy end to share with Kenworth then Shorty in the second half of River Rd, hurrying up the heartrate.  The Goat train of peace passed peacefully west, our pace picking up as the breeze blew up Boundary.  The approaching car on the Midland Hwy was off ScottMatt's radar (who delivered a dud call), some safely across but most had halted, breaking the bunch in two. Reformed, resurrected and resolute, we made our way to Old Dookie Rd and the Toaster beyond,
Easters activities and hills vs flats was the sentence subjects till the turn west back to town primed the pace.  BamBam's appetite for prologues, Simons aquaintance with ascents and Pistol's abstinence from chocolate on the chat list till my second shift with Kenworth and Shorty in Ford Rd got muscles burning (trying to re-aquaint with the rise and fall of turns in a bunch vs the steady slog of solo is almost a lost art).  It seemed a sprint was on the cards as the motion multiplied in Wanganui Rd, but there was no serious moves beyond DECA till Bo poked his nose to the front and wound up the wick at the hill. Seemingly sprint starved, Kenworth bolted, and sitting in his generous tow I was gifted the tow to counter attack for what felt like a sprintless finish.  Back to base camp for caffiene and chat, CBD parking, camping and shots kept tongues tattling as the suns warmth renedered us lethargic to leave.

18/4  A flog in the fog
Fog felt like soup on the golf course prologue Tuesday, a 7 degree warm up (?) prior to a galivant with the Goats was sluggish yet slick.    Belly, Tina, Coggo, Dipper, Phil, Spiessy, Joe and AvantiAndy arrived at Verney's roundabout, keen to right the wrongs of Easter's diet?  Nine would keep the turns turning, soon into a rotational ritual with Joey fore and Spiessy aft, slicing our way east to Boundary Rd.  A pink horizon behind the fog set the scenery sweet, Spiessy quickly comfortable in the caboose for nine to slog southward puffing train-like steam.

Joey's short base layer was threatening to expose a plumbers grin, a pair of frozen kidneys can't have been comfortable as he served another term to Boundary Rd's pig pen.  More wattage was needed from me to match Phil's pace to the pub (though he reckons he's out of form), Coggo, Belly, Dip and Tina still running like clockwork as we steered into River Rd, though velocity varied as we worked westward (was it the chill or the chocolate choking our challenge?)  Chatter had ceased as many reached for diminishing reserves, I'd taken to study the variety of positions each adopts in their mission of motion, a sit signature if you like, that's rarely duplicated.  Mixed Conrod scenarios played out in my prefrontal cortex as we rounded Roubaix, peloton position playing its part in several options.  Joey handed me the lead at Galbraiths so, for variety's sake, I stretched the squad single for a "crank-till-ya-cark-it" contribution.  The old engine was running pretty good into Conrod (recent solo hill work to thank?) but with 500 metres left, the tank was almost empty, signal right elbow to gesture the bunch by.  With just enough left to grab the last wheel, I caught the draft to get a view of Coggo and Belly battle the win, a social roll to Mandy's for breakfast (granola, yoghurt and berries) was a last-day-of-holidays treat.

19/4. Passing on the puncture parable

Playing train driver to Sanctuary's roundabout was the penance paid for early arrival at the grid on Wednesday, a good roll up of Kenworth, Car+Mel, SuperMario, Cate, Trav, Rocket, BamBam, Grumpy, Shorty, Nick ,Pistol, Wozza, Weapon, Dalts, Col, Jase, Kel and Boof proving there's always a crowd for a cruise.  

Rocket stepped up to form the up line as we left town, I found focus on anything but the pace....the sunrise, the road surface, Venezuela's gross national debt......       A glance back at the truck route found many missing, the go-slow to Mitchell had no result, so we u-turned to find the missing persons back near the roundabout, just getting mobile from Boof's puncture pitstop.  As one big happy family again, the lap resumed, a welcoming dawn to aim at bound for Central Kialla.  Making up for lost time on River Rd, I paired with Weapon (a short stint as 3 weekend podiums had pegged her pacy performance) then with Jase for the second last k eastward.  

 

The tempo tuned up bearing west, but was it a breeze up the bum in Channel Rd? (bureau said calm)  Poised perfectly as the bunch barrelled into Hopeful corner, I could see BamBam on the front, two wheels ahead, doing his best impression of Fukishima's No2 reactor as Pistol poured on more pace, so I sank all into a sprint past.  Glory lasted just 35 metres till Rocket and Wozz bolted by, no grizzles from me though, surviving third to these two fast foes.

 

 

20/4  Ten Turtles tappin'

 

KillkennyPaul, SuperMario, Softa, Jase, Jed, BamBam and Cougar were lined up at the shop for Thursdays thrash, 5:40 came and went, some sat seemingly stalled on the grid, so Fosstrated I took to the drivers seat, keen to percolate the pace. There was a holler to handbrake the hurry in leg one,  latecomers apparently joining behind, so a cruise to Doyles collected Bruce & Grumpy to form 10.   I turned up the wick on leg two to Orrvale Rd with all silent and single filed behind, but leg three had two rows form and the pace pine.  Jase and Killkenny Paul seemed keen for speed but a mothers club chat club had commenced, lasting to Boundary Rd.  KillkennyPaul, Jase and I ramped up the resentment to River Rd, slowly but surely the speed slipping back (not naming names) to idle in zone three.  The tempo turned up again in Mitchell Rd, Killkenny Paul's wattage ever improving, and a clean cross of Melbourne Rd seemed to inspire the troops, so hopes rose for a decent drive and a fast finish.  Rounding Roubaix, a case of marshmallow Michelin spelt all was not well, the dreaded beelzeebub bindii had struck my front wheel, deflated in tube and mood, it was a halt for repairs, Jase and Bruce returning to aid in moral and sledging support.  The Hares hurtled by as I climbed back aboard, three track turning home in the fourties delivering the workout wanted.

 

Week 16           252km            YTD 4,012 km