Week 6 : The lycra's limits

Post 485
2/2 What! No unicycles?

Start line chat with Boof and Lance was distracted by an MTB rolling in to grid, followed by a tandem!  What the?  A sea of leds assembled behind (The Godfather, Cate, Tina, Shorty, Nev & Kristy, Hamish, Liam, PistolPete, TatMat, Grumpy and TatPaul) for Saturday's ritual ride, setting wheels rolling south at 6, snail-like to begin when traffic split the carpark exit.  Boof hit the boost when all were aboard, only the hard core advancing for a turn at the front while others drafted till the inevitable promotion forced them to front.  You-know-who spat out the sledges as the early edition entered (Vince, Ralphy, Wozza, Bo, Kel, Kreeky, Rocket, not-so-newAvantiJohn and Bruce), two rows touring east and north to River Rd with the social chat going flat chat (apart from the pace setters puffing at the front).  Nath turned up at River Rd's dip mounted on an MTB (so Hamish didn't feel freaky?), it'll be 'roadies' rule soon less we have unicycles and skateboards turning up!

Nev and Kristy (tandem) stayed respectfully in the caboose,  chat with TatMat and TatPaul on their classic crack at the Alpine soaked up the k's to Boundary Rd and we were whipped along by the wind northward to Old Dookie Rd. Turns rolled a little shorter en-route to the Toaster, that breeze at the brow shortening shifts.  Tina towed the sun off the horizon as we headed toward the Big Ring, the wind then oddly favourable for the long leg back to breakfast.    Rocket had paired with Bo in Lemnos-Cosgrove Rd and the payout was pace, plenty of PR's for the 6k to Lemnos North Rd as speedo's nudged 50 (long gone are those speed limited Saturdays of old!)

Ford Rd's 5k was fast enough too, with just a few taking Verney Rd's exit on other weekend missions.  I'd lucked a position near the rear as the tempo turned up for the Wanganui workout, two rows squeezed into one when the usual culprits caused big rings and little cogs to take a hammering.  Calm collected the crew in Rudd Rd for a sensible spin in the thirties, threading between parked cars and early commuters along the Boulevard to breakfast though some stretched the law (and Couldabeens credibility) at traffic lights. Convivial chat on eggs, temperature extremes and fitness fluctuations at a not-so-long Lemontree table topped off the ride and kick started the weekend.

4/2  Hark! What light from yonder bike breaks off?

Col, Rocket, Wozza, not-so-newAvantiJohn, Kreeky, Grumpy, Cate, Bruce, Kel, Rene, Liam, PistolPete, Nicholas, The Godfather, Bo and Travis gathered for Monday's movement in the dark of the carpark, it'll be eight weeks till daylight savings end will give us back some (short-lived) light. Rocket and Col sliced into Channel Rd's easterly, me pleased my turn at the front would be a long time coming as others ahead shared the load. (strange how a day off resets the head to make our usual pace a pain)  It was another decent roll-up for a Monday, the newest of Couldabeens rides popular because it's sprintless?      Effort lessened northbound on Boundary with the breeze at the side, but over the bump of Old Dookie Rd a headlight hit the deck and was made a speed hump by some, setting of a low level light show for any roadside ants.  Bo copped it on the shin (but more concern for the bike!) so the bunch slowed while Nicholas retrieved the escapee.  The restart was ragged, appearing that Nicholas and Rene were yet to catch the caboose, so 15 came to a halt in Lemnos-Cosgrove Rd for a real regroup (and at 24 degrees, were immediately swinging at flies seeking sweat).   That easterly helped the hurry to town, and it looked like my only appearance at the front would be at the business end of Wanganui Rd.  43 was manageable toward DECA but Wozz and Rocket (probably at an idle) added a couple of clicks to put me in struggle street to climb Mt.Wanagnui. (at least it sets the scene for speed tomorrow!)

5/2 Where have all the hard-core gone?

A little bit of wind and the hitherto 'hardcore' go into hiding!  Just MyRideTrev, Cate, Nick and Rene fronted for the 5:45, so I volunteered for the first shift, but detached Rene before we'd reached the truck route. Ooops! MyRideTrev reset the tempo to tame for the second leg to Orrvale Rd but Cate had a swifter standard toward the Kinder.  Nick drew the short straw of the headwind in Central Ave, his wattage waning to reach the cypress trees.  I switched to teamwork mode and settled the speed to 37 (keep 'em, don't cook 'em!) and pressed on to the S bend, MyRideTrev finishing off Channel Rd where Cate headed into the headwind in a hurry.  Nick got short straw number two at the Broken bridges, digging deep then deeper till his head dropped, a gear change, a gasp, then an elbow flapped surrender to hand me the 900 metre drive to River Rd.  To give others a little more recovery time I pushed on for a k then handed the helm back to MyRideTrev, happier to knock 4 clicks off the haste.  The Hares hurried by at the dip, dropping Nicholas off to aid our cause while Nick's turn slowly sank in speed to the bridge.   I was back to the front again and cautiously turned the velocity back into the mid 30's (though suffering the SSW'er), finishing off River Rd and cranking a k in Central Kialla Rd to offer relief to the poor (of pace).  Nicholas's shift gave more time for the tempo tortured to recover but Nick was swiftly running out of steam by the highway.  A halt for traffic then my number came up again, time to stoke the boiler up to Galbraith's gate for the Conrod agenda.   Sitting in the draft for a k was a nice little recharge for my batteries, Nicholas had us five silent with speed out of the Conrod dip while I overdosed on oxygen, then turned up the tempo at the mailbox to make the circuit worthy.

6/2 Brown's cows.

Another squad of sundries assembled at Wednesday's grid, everything from the once-a-week'ers to the race ready......velo-variety if you like!  (Col, Cate, TNT-Tom, Laura, SuperMario, Nick, Whispering Jack, MyRideTrev, Liam, Travis, Kenworth, Superman, TrekTrev and Boof on the roll call)  TrekTrev was first to form the up-line and I seized the chance early to join him 'cause I wasn't wanting the work into the easterly on Mitchell Rd.  A fair flogging to the truck route was followed by a search for speed to match Col, his capabilities had him half a bike ahead but I stayed stuck to the previous pace (38) till he eventually submitted to my snail-like speed. The early edition (Pelly, BamBam, Ralphy, PistolPete, Wozza, Kel, Bo, Kreeky, not-so-newAvantiJohn, Troy, Rocket and The Godfather) had joined,  plenty feeling the effort against the easterly as the turns rolled shorter.

 Nearing River Rd and calls from the back stalled midfield, seems chat took priority?  There was a moment when an approaching car and a westbound bunch were about to intersect, our bunch bolting into River Rd snapping the tail off.  A slow for half a k congealed the crew as Weapon jumped aboard, the rapid rhythm resuming for the 6k stretch to Boundary Rd.  So why does muscle applied to the front smooth out a shambles at the back?  We'd crossed paths with pelotons plying west without much notice, but I did spy just 4 on the Goats' "moderately pained train" on  our leg north toward Channel Rd.  With the wind up our willows on the way back to town, Whispering Jack  emerged from the caboose to contribute, closer to the front and closer to the ChaCha  I went, looking likely to labour the lead near the business end.  Weapon looked cooked in the captains seat into Central Ave, TrekTrev rolled across and I struggled to level with him to the Kinder, so rolled the turn as we pointed to Hopeful corner but had gapped the pack when I glanced back.  An oncoming car and one parking on the right shoulder threw a caution at us for a moment, back on the gas and the launches let loose toward Prentice Rd sending me unceremoniously rearward as Boof tore up the tarmac with Pelly, Col and co in pursuit for the crumbs.

7/2  The Thursday smoothie.
Not a lot of quantity but plenty of quality turned up for Thursday's therapeutic thrashing, TrekTrev, MyRideTrev, Temple, Cate and Rene were all that could be counted as committed. Cutting into the darkness of Channel Rd, I took the captaincy of the first shift, two passing cars helping with a tiny tow just as I was feeling the pinch on the 2100 meter leg to the truck route.  MyRideTrev's turn gave me some breathing space at second last wheel (Rene still holding the caboose position admirably) though I was now on TrekTrev's wheel of tempo for my next visit to the pointy end.  Cate's crank to the Kinder was swift and smooth (surprising, speedoless), Temple tapped out his standard tenacious turn to the cypress trees for TrekTrev to open his account.  Expecting him to hand over at the S bend was selling him short, onward to Channel Rd's end before he handed the drivers seat to me.

I'd set sights at reaching the Broken Bridges so was chuffed the old engine was still running ok when I got there, so pressed onward to One Tree Dam to make my work worthy.  Rene was still holding on as I got to the rear, MyRideTrev reaching River Rd to get the "good back" call ('Clear back' and 'Car back' often confused with the wind blowing between the ears)    Cate and Temple tore into their turns west, my heart rate steadily climbing as I got closer to the front and closer to shift three.  I wondered if TrekTrev was going to finish off River Rd when Temple handed him the lead a little before the dip, but an elbow at the bridge gave me the last k.  Still feeling primed, I continued for another k on Central Kialla Rd before handing MyRideTrev the lead, slipping back to second last wheel for recovery (finding Rene still surviving in the rear stalls)  Cate had slowed in Mitchell Rd suspecting a slow puncture, but thankfully being proved wrong, we returned to the hurry to the highway, Hare lights a distance back but closing. TrekTrev pushed on to Galbraith's gate, I made it to Conrod but the Hares hurry had closed in to reach us as we climbed out of Conrod's dip.  Not-so-newAvantiJohn almost crawled past us just as Rocket lit the afterburners, a flurry of the fast forging onward as our guys and gal gasped to the finish line.

8/2  Division Two.
A handy little northeaster blew me to Friday's start line a little early, so I had no grizzles to berth first to do the first shift with a tail wind.  Boof, TrekTrev, Superman, Laura, Liam, Tina, Rene, Shorty, Nicholas, MyRideTrev, Nick and TNT Tom congregated in the carpark but at 6 a split for traffic caused a calm k to collect the crew.  Steadily up to speed, I discovered the wind had shifted to a SSW'er, working me over as I tried to tame Nicholas's enthusiasm toward the roundabout.  Liam and TrekTrev took control for leg three, the early edition in the distance u-turning early to keep the squads separate.  (horses for courses in the interest of rhythm and safety)

 
It meant a proper workout for our bakers dozen (and a harmonious hurry for the earlybirds 13) though TNT-Tom had joined the up-line for a contribution.  Is it the velocity variables or the lycra's limits that make his wheel the one to waive?  Laura braved a brief blast at the business end, straight, smooth and on rhythm making a pleasurable partnership.  Shorty's shift was long and strong, Superman suffering the rigors of riding rarely, but the youth of Liam and Nicholas was what to bottle (aerodynamics of a matchstick probably helps too!)  Turns were rolling fast and frequent with just a dozen driving, up to Channel Rd to score shelter from the SSW'er by a few orchards.  Speed turned up a tad as the ChaCha drew near (turning off TNT Tom's ideas of another turn) but the sprint was struck from the agenda, Liam and TrekTrev turning up a solid tap to the finish line instead of the expected explosive effort to end the week.

Week 6  258km         YTD 1,550km