Week 5 : A pinch of pride and a pound of pig-headedness.

Post # 485
26/1  Straya day!

A 20k Saturday solitary prior to the 6am squad primed the pulmonaries, but the Garmin speed sensor battery died en-route to Congupna to deny me the data we've all come to count on.  The cadence sensor battery went out in sympathy on Grahanvale Rd so heart rate became my only measure of effort. A surprise gravel section cranked up the cardiac count but soon settled back on tarmac as time told me I'd make the grid on time.  SuperMario, Lance, TrekTrev, Col, Grumpy, The Godfather, Cate, Bo, Tina, Kenworth, MyRideTrev, Jase, Travis, Temple and TrackStan had assembled, Col turning on the grid entertainment with a rapid repair of a puncture.

Chocks away at 6:03, 12 lined up in the down-line and 4 in the up-line to tear into Archer Rd's SSW'er, the early edition of Rocket, PistolPete not-so-newAvantiJohn (Wozza too, on an early-early edition) filtered in at Sanctuary's roundabout but Temple provided pause two with a puncture at the truck route.  The restart reshuffled the sequence to put me on Wozza's wheel, down to Mitchell and across to Central Kialla preparing for the pace at the pointy end.  Rocket, Wozza, me and Cate divided up the driving on River Rd, the SSW'er helping the hurry but speed had me spent by Boundary Rd.  Nath had joined in (albeit out of uniform on an MTB) as we howled to the highway (hang on, Nath's fat dirt tyres did the howling!)

 and collected Tommygun into the caboose at the fig farm.  A whiplash of wattage was needed to catch the tail as the pack powered into Old Dookie Rd, sledges simmered between The Godfather and Rocket on the turn at the Toaster,  51' slipped by southbound and Cats crossed paths at the Church.  Heads went down for the work west back to town, the labour lighting up as Rocket paired with The Godfather at the kennels.  There was a whole lot of whole biking going on (none of this subtle half wheeling stuff!) to pump up the pace, many in struggle street (me included at second wheel) as Wozz and Rocket gapped the pack.  Most with a lack of wattage were happy to let them go, but conformity soon collected the crew together to  push on to the patchwork of pavement that makes up Ford Rd.  Acceleration stretched the bunch to breaking point at Grahamvale Rd, I tried the role of joining link to keep the caboose in touch but many had opted for an early exit via Verney.  Temple, Kenworth, Nath, Grumpy, SuperMario and I struggled to hang on when the hammer dropped at DECA so shared the hurt to the hill, a couple had short cut on Kittles Rd so Grumpy, Temple and I teamed in Rudd Rd (a touch despondent the front bunch tore on toward the Boulevard) to tap back to Friars (Lemontree on a long weekend leave)  for breakfast and the babble on animal mimickery, dad jokes and the heat that weakened the week.

28/1  How many bridges?

I'd cautiously called a change of circuit for the public holiday so was stoked the carpark filled with Kenworth, SuperMario, Kel, Whispering Jack, TrekTrev, Bo, Wozza, Tina, Col, Rocket, Cate, Goose, PistolPete, Manny, Grumpy, Vince, not-so-newAvantiJohn and The Godfather.  As instigator, I had the job of pilot out of town, but The Godfather punctured in Kialla Lakes.  Tube and tyre were terminal which terminated The Godfather from continuing, so 18 set sail into Watts Rd for a 7 bridges lap.  Keeping up with Kel was cooking me but thanks to crew collaboration the turns rolled en-route to Mooroopna although the shoulder-less Murchison Rd was tackled Indian file.  Kenworth paused the pack for puncture number two on the turn west into Pyke Rd, a few issues seating the tyre but then resumed rapidly with Rocket and Wozz leading us swiftly south on Turnbull Rd.
 Pistol and Kel had the reigns as I wondered where my wattage would come from to pass muster at the front.  Rather than ruin the rhythm, a short shift was the answer to the research station, hoping SuperMario didn't cook me for part two ; the speed from days gone by seems to be slowly sinking, am I gradually losing it or does the head hallucinate with the hurry?  Happy to be at 3rd wheel and being demoted as we steered south into Dhurringile Rd, turns rolled long and short (relative to fitness) down to Rushworth-Toolamba Rd.  The coarse stone pounded posteriors for the 7 k's west, Rocket and Wozz ensuring boredom didn't set in by applying the swiftness to Murchison Rd.

Up and over the Nut Cracker hill (trying to tempo Kel was killing me) then with SuperMario into Toolamba to relish a reprieve in the draft. We went pedestrian on the planks of the old bridge (the gaps would swallow a wheel whole) remounting to soldier on to the highway (a clean cross, believe it or not) and face the harshness of  Union Rd.  Col, TrekTrev and Bo delivered the drive to Central Kialla Rd, this route chosen for it's variety but specifically for the tail wind home.  There was no time wasted on the northern assault to Mitchell Rd with Wozza and Rocket back in the drivers seat, co-incidence that these two ritually pair up on these rides? Another turn at the helm ran my tank fairly low, feeling the pinch in Raftery Rd as Rocket and Wozz were promoted to the rushin' front in Conrod straight.   Rocket's the height of a top tube and Wozza's like drafting a matchstick, so third wheel at 50 km/h had toasted me with 500 to go.  Seems everyone passed me as I elbowed my exit from the effort to the finish line but a look back found a few in a similar street of suffering.  Breakfast beckoned a solid spin to Friars (The Lemontree still on leave) to savour a different menu and chat on personalities unearthed, notable birthdays and not being as old as you feel.

29/1  Riding on empty.
    Feeling as flat as a tube full of bindii, I rolled to the Archer St shops hoping the Tuesday thrash would squeeze that softness out of me.  Bo, Cate, Pelly, BamBam, Kreeky, Bruce, WhisperingJack, MyRideTrev, Kel, Temple, Troy, Ralphy and Rene had nominated for the 5:45 foray (leaving Hare numbers a little thin), BamBam braving the first shift to lead us on an east exit of town.

Troy and MyRideTrev shared leg 2 (Rene on the missing persons list again) making the first 3k kind instead of cruel.  Pelly's pace to the kinder turned up the hurt, Ralphy's rush to the cypress trees in a similar vein of velocity.  My contribution came and aimed at reaching the S bend, two passing cars delivered a dribble of a draft but the old engine developed a miss-fire 50 meters short of the target to time a Temple take-over.  Bruce and Kel belted into Boundary Rd (Bruce excused a short shift with legs still lamenting an Alpine Classic), BamBam opening the River Rd account with Kreeky as back up soon after.  I was shifting between the 15 and 14, trying to find a cadence to cope but a wheelbarrow full of wattage would be better!  Smoothing the pace was the prescription for the team to stay intact, Pelly driving swift and steady for the last k to Central Kialla Rd.  An approaching car split the bunch on the turn south, so briefly off the gas to regroup then Ralphy towed us to Mitchell Rd.   My turn again to work west, but running a little better now, I got to PistolPete's before passing the baton to Kel.

Half swallowing an insect ascending Dave's dip didn't help the recovery but a twenty second wait for cars at the highway did.  The order reshuffled on the restart, the caboose becoming a popular berth, my short straw was Pelly's wheel of wattage as he pressed on beyond Galbraith's gate.  Mid forties and my turn for toil again (this was going to hurt), Pelly handed me the reigns at Arcadia Downs drive and Conrod's kink (600 meters ahead) was a world away.  I didn't dare look at the heart rate but the mid forties flambe'd Foss fast, Kel's kudos helped the hurt as I flicked an elbow but I'd burned all reserves to catch the tail.  10 shot by with 500 to go and the legs would give no more, MyRideTrev, Troy and I rolling spent to the finish but happy to have hustled the Hares.

30/1  Velocity variables.

A mixed mob massed for the Wednesday whip-around, everything from an AMR Renault team member fresh from a great placing in the NZ cycle classic to a twice a week caboose cruiser (and a mixture of the standards between)  Superman, TrekTrev, Bruce, Liam, Kenworth, Nick, Shorty, Tina, MyRideTrev, Cate, Rene, Laura, Nicholas, Boof, TNT-Tom, Boof, Col and Travis rolled from the car park at 6, a split for traffic putting the last five on an early effort to catch the tail.  MyRideTrev set a sedate speed to the city limits, the pace then perking up to choke the chatter.  Weapon joined the procession and the early edition arrived (Kreeky, Rocket, not-so-newAvantiJohn, Bo, Wozza, Kel, PistolPete and Troy) but had a messy blend into the bunch when a passing car tested their transition.  Partnerships with Cate then Bruce were paced pleasantly to River Rd, a surprising sight of the Hurt Locker back in business about to turn south to Central Kialla.  Nicholas needs to study Rule #86 and not bait Liam in the drivers seat, many in the bunch paying the pace tax of 40+ till the turns rolled.  TNT-Tom had joined the up-line (contrary to advice), diving for cover of the down line as the tempo toasted him (rhythm ruined as the ripple of a slow tsunami'd down the line).

Velocity varied in Boundary Rd as some struggled with speed (or overstayed their time in the drivers seat), most of the movers patiently paused at the rear awaiting to be unleashed for the ChaCha. Into Channel Rd, TNT-Tom's lycrack infringement was mentally scarring Col behind, the speed on a steady simmer as we swung the S bend and speared toward the cypress trees.  At fifth wheel as the bunch cranked into Central Ave, I sat expecting a big effort at the ChaCha, but TrekTrev's torque from Hopeful corner to Prentice Rd slimmed the squad to single file, suiting me just fine. With 150 meters to go, Travis, Col, Wozza and co stormed to the front  relegating the previous prospectively placed to pfftt!, the regroup taking a k to condense, many still refilling the oxygen tanks on the social spin to town.

31/1  The phew! factor.

Only a few faced the Thursday grid, the headspace switching to hard labour predicting more turns on today's agenda.  Grumpy, TrekTrev, Cate, Temple, Rene and Superman filed from the car park to exit east of town, Grumpy leading the charge to the truck route (but re evaluating his tempo seeing such a short list of drivers), Superman and Rene concreted into the caboose (and Rene about to crack).     TrekTrev supplied a strong and smooth drive to Orrvale Rd, my turn for the 1300 meter turn to the Kinder and the old engine ran better than expected.  Cate and Temple shared the shift to the cypress trees then Grumpy's turn was up again, hammering out the heroics to Boundary Rd (his combined Cats / Couldabeens kit excused, just this once).   On TrekTrev's wheel in Boundary Rd, I mentally prepared for pain at the front while eyeballing his elbow for the flick, but it failed to flap as his determined drive soldiered on to River Rd.

Primed from that extra tow, I was able to reach the Angora farm without blowing a gasket, Cate then Temple on tempo to the dip for Grumpy's turn three.  You could tell his head wanted to reach River's end but his legs wouldn't be in it, TrekTrev taking the last 300 meters (then dominating the drive to Mitchell Rd).  Slowly on the gas for my third contribution (I needed to keep all the help I could get!), I made it to PistolPete's and peeled off to recover, catching that second last wheel awoke the growling bear as Cate tore on to Dave's Dip.  Almost cursing Temple's tempo to the highway, relief came as traffic forced a halt, the sneak peek back seeing the Hares homing in.  The car commuters cleared to let us work west, but the un hindered Hares bolted by, Grumpy (too tempted) jumping ship as the rest looked to each other for teamwork.  TrekTrev repeated his mammoth turn to push on to Conrod straight, that view of a distant finish line from the kink, tormenting.  I told myself that breeze was at my tail, and pushed on beyond what the reserve tank held, no hope to catch the tail as I threw the elbow with 350 left, so gasped last and solo to the line.


1/2  Foss's faux 1st.

Just as the grizzles about the heat subside, a cool southerly forced the hunt for base layers and arm-warmers, how fickle the forecasts!  Tina, Liam, TrekTrev, Shorty, Nick, MyRideTrev, PistolPete, Boof, Grumpy, The Godfather, Kreeky and TNT-Tom had fronted for the Friday fun (or flogging for some!).  The stiff southerly (18-26 km/h) cemented the sooks in Boof's draft in the down-line while only Pistol, TrekTrev and Liam stepped up to suffer in the up-line.  I'd joined the brave in the battle to the truck route as the early edition arrived (Bo, Kel, Col, not-so-newAvantiJohn, Rocket, Wozza and Pelly)   How good was my timing to hit the front for Mitchell Rd?, only the side wind to cope with while I matched the magnificently mannered Liam levelling with me to Central Kialla. (a chip off the not-so-old block)    

River Rd's rhythm was as smooth as a Pablo Brothers long black (in stark contrast to Wednesdays shemozzle), the protocols of serving sledges to passing pussycats observed as we high tailed it to Boundary Rd.  Where you find that extra to hold onto the Hares created conversation with Col, a pinch of pride and a pound of pig-headedness figured to be the survival secret.  The wind weakened a whisker on the way to Channel Rd but didn't deter a decent drive there, enough orchards still standing to offer a little shelter as we worked west toward town.  Promotion forward was accelerated as several shortened shifts at the front, a handy handful of horsepower ahead of me putting the pressure on my performance. (thinks; Liam the Lamborghini leading with Foss the Fiesta following!) TrekTrev's peaking in performance and drove yet another long and strong turn to the Kinder and beyond, the speed slowly simmering as Prentice Rd blurred by. Liam rolled across in super smooth style still seated, his glance back seeming to suggest I take the chocolates at my will.  Carpe diem old boy, so stamped on the pedals well into the fifties (such was the dream draft) to cross the line unopposed.

Week 5:     313km             YTD 1,292 km