2017 : A ride review

Post #428

I'd dialed down the distance obsession (to 288km per week), lost the weight of a bike and ticked over 60 for 2017.    Speed splintered the Couldabeens on Tuesdays and Thursdays to differing start times, keeping comfort within the classes. The Turtles (averaging 36's) faded for the rise of the Machines (39's) , the Hares broke the 40's and beyond consistently but attracted accelerative attention, and a 6am tap evolved to suit calmer Couldabeens.

Winter wore away the motivation of many (29 days of 2 degrees or below required rigorous resolve) thinning the numbers of all bunches, more than usual hibernating this year which made for crucifying comebacks in Spring (and some didn't come back at all). There were new kits for Couldabeens and Goats and strange circumstances set off spills to sideline Coggo, Heady, Temple, KillkennyPaul and Wozza, right arms or shoulders the fashoinable faux pas.

6 tyres, 3 chains, a new DuraAce 9000 groupset and a service were needed for 19 rides with the Turtles, 37 solo's, 41 with the Goats, 4 with Pussycats, 2 with the Adams family, 11 with the Hares, 31 with the Machines, 4 Goat pain trains and 148 laps with the Couldabeens.

Oh yeah, an Australia Day ride, 8 goes at Beach Road, a belt on the Ballarat bunch, a Fruitloop, a Tat 200 (awesome team), a Tour de Pub, 3 rides around Castlemaine, a lap with the Bendigo bunch, a circuit of Creswick, up Arthurs Seat, up and down Mt Buller and Mt Buffalo, Carrum to Mornington, tours to Tatura, Toolamba and Undera, and an Amy Gran Fondo on the Great Ocean Rd as well.  Riding retired for 37 days off (16 for rain), but I clocked a conservative 14,053 km (climbing just 27,800 meters)   Hey, that needs 95 kg of fruitcake!  (306,000 calories)

As always, fantastic fellowship made the year.  The regulars, the rarities, the obsessed and the battlers (choose your catagory!) all make for great company and motivation, thanks to all for your comradery (and understanding!) as we delight in this disease.   Much appreciation all your comments on the blog too, though I'm rather humbled by it's following.

Keep safe and upright for 2018 folks and lend a g'day to a fellow addict (even if you don't know them, they've got the same illness). 

Reckon I might do a lap or two next year.