Post #486
9/2 The Saturday sustenance.
An early morning mood mender northeast on Katamatite Rd picked up the speed and the spirits 'cause James E Starrs said so...…"melancholy is incompatible with bicycling". (or was the WSW'er inflating my ego?) The payback came steering south into Lemnos North Rd, a breeze at the brow (and brewing) for the 12k return to town. The Cat-Eye was shaking like a leaf piercing the 5am darkness, to the point of halting to fix it, less I trigger epilepsy (a tiny screw in the spade mount had worked loose) The return to town was right on cue for SuperMario, TrekTrev, Boof, Cate, Lance, Tina, Jen, DeterminedDan, TatPaul, Temple, Shorty, Liam, AvantiAndy, MyRideTrev and TrackStan to form two rows behind, yep; I'd berthed first again!
He who holds the helm sets the speed, so half a k at 30 then slowly toast the tempo to 35 for the cruising speed to be set at 38 with The Godfather to Sanctuary's roundabout. My forecast that the early edition would U-turn early was proved wrong, Col, Rocket, not-so-newAvantiJohn, Bo, Bruce, Kel, PistolPete and Grumpy blending into the bunch in leg 3. 23k's of assisted passage lay ahead, the wind at our back all the way to the Big Ring started the social sentences that's part of Saturday's ride religion. Great to have Jen and AvantiAndy back after a long absence, though TatMat's absence was noticed. It seemed to be a more collaborative crew than recent Saturday's, the swift a little slower and the sluggish a little speedier, favourable wind and weather calming concerns too. The work west back to breakfast wasn't the thrash I'd thought, turns rolled a little shorter and plenty of participants meant there'd be time between turns of torment.
Boof had an early exit via Verney as heads went down to drive Ford's final few hundred meters, a little shuffle in the order as some shied from the Wanganui work. MyRideTrev did a duck to the down line as Liam turned up the wick (putting me into the frying pan of pace behind) but Rocket drew two rows into one and Grumpy was kind enough to offer me refuge into the only row left. My legs co-operated to keep up with Rocket's then PistolPete's pace (but no hope to hang onto Liam's hurry) so I was pleased to hurtle up the hill midfield and ready for the rush on Rudd Rd. The spin was solid (not scorching) back along the Boulevard to breakfast, the curse of kale, solar energy and smoothing the turns kept tongues tattling through a long breakfast.
11/2 Monday. Move it!
Reach for the armwarmers! Monday dropped to 12 degrees but Liam, Kreeky, Wozza, Bruce, PistolPete, Kel, Cobbles, not-so-newAvantiJohn, Col, Rocket, Travis, Cate, Bo and TNT-Tom had collected in the cool carpark for the 5:45 fling. Wozza'd done the back of Falls, Rocket had topped off 400 for the week and Cate had crested Hotham, so I had no right grizzle as the group tore into Channel Rd's darkness. Travis was already anticipating holidays a long way off in July, Bo kept a cap on his birthday and Cobbles (just back from the U.S.) was wishing he was back there. TNT-Tom was back in the pack (but not at the back which suited him), advancing in the up-line to concern a few.
Rocket reached the front at the ChaCha with TNT Tom (already ticking), so the turn rolled quickly to put PistolPete and Rocket in charge of the charge.
Onward to the cypress trees and TNT Tom had wilted to the back, Bruce and Travis restoring the rapidity to Boundary Rd. It felt like a tail wind but the bureau said calm, Kel driving long and strong while Bo was brief. A pairing with Cate then Cobbles to New Dookie Rd got my first shift done, up to Lemnos-Cosgrove Rd in the draft for the west way homeward. The pairings of Wozza, Rocket and PistolPete kept the pace cooking (yet comfortable), Bruce's inimitable style in contrast to Liam's svelte spin. There was some comfort nudging the forties along Wanganui Rd knowing a sprint was a no no, the cool air taking a little more breath away. Swift yet sensible along the Boulevard (with TNT Tom still clutching the coat-tails) most were keen for caffeine, but I turned for home with the luxury of an extra few minutes minus the rush to clock-on.
12/2 Hammer time!
It's always a lucky dip rolling into the carpark, will there be a few or a flood for the ritual riparound at 5:45? Grumpy, Temple, TrekTrev, Pelly, BamBam, MyRideTrev, Cate and Ralphy made up the numbers to share the load, MyRideTrev cowering from the captains position even though he was first on the grid. Looked like it was me holding the short straw, so I took the charge into Channel Rd. With plenty of recovery time ahead, I sank significant speed into the 3200 meter shift, slipping back onto Temple's wheel as eight passed for leg two. The faster you go the closer you get to that wheel ahead, so a concerted effort to leave a larger gap was felt to be good life insurance. Team FDC had consumed their Kellogs Komitment to front four for the flogging, a good showing and an ease of effort for the few regulars. Grumpy did his usual long shift but TrekTrev was a little more conservative, everyone's focus on smoothing the rhythm as a hint of a NNW'er helped us along Boundary Rd. Hoges had swung from the south into River Rd as we slowed to do likewise, his hurry hard to catch as Temple then I tried to close the gap to the quarter horse stud. TrekTrev had the velocity to reel him in near the dip, so 9 became 10 in team time trial from Laws Drive onward. BamBam's momentum had marshmallowed by Mitchell Rd, still, a short shift is welcomed and nobody's measuring (though MyRideTrev spent his time in caboose therapy) Grumpy tore into Dave's Dip but left Temple the ascent, I'd been handed the drivers seat 200 from the highway and fluked a clear cross to push onto the 90 degree right before Roubaix rattled the chains. Great work by Pelly, Cate and Ralphy to keep the speed simmering but Hoges lifted the rate of knots when Conrod came into sniffing distance. Eyes peeled for kangaroos recently spotted near the first dip, Pelly drove the train harder toward the line as Grumpy and Ralphy nipped at his heels for line honours.
13/2 Cool 'n confus'n
An early autumn arrived Wednesday, feels like 7 figured to numb the numbers at Archer St's carpark. Kenworth, Shorty, Superman, Cate, TrekTrev, Tina, Rene, Col, MyRideTrev, Boof and Nick turned up, Boof taking his almost mandatory role of captain out of town. Col started the advance line and with few wanting to do an early shift, I joined Col to the truck route and Cate to Mitchell Rd while many cowered from the WSW'er and the early edition (Wozza, Rocket, Kel, PistolPete, Bo, Grumpy and Kreeky) joined the tail. Just into the comfort zone of Mitchell Rd and the sighting of TNT-Tom ahead raised alerts, but a calm descended as he took up caboose residence.
The long line of the Hurtlocker approached from the east as we turned into River Rd, "on-call" TrekTrev was called and called 'carry on' as he halted to answer work commitments, but misconstrued as a puncture, several stopped having missed the message to continue. Not till nearing River Rd's end did we notice the absence of Boof, Kenworth, Nick and co (says a lot for communication from the caboose!) so a slow in Boundary Rd re-united the crew. Back into action by the Broken bridges, the order had shuffled, I paired with Cate to Darth Vader's place (touch wood he's been avoiding the taste of our ankles!) then Boof to the S bend as tempo turned up (to keep the wishful thinkers in the rear stalls?) Rocket and Wozza (there's that pairing again!) drove on to the cypress trees, volunteers to do a turn from there became as rare as a Trump truth. Col and PistolPete made an effort but beyond the Kinder, Rocket ripped back to the front as the ChaCha came into view. Several rungs up the ladder, he wrung out the wattage to the finish line, many dropping like flies attempting to keep in touch, but all that flogging was forgotten on the chatty tour back to town.
14/2 Breaking bad-ass.
At the front again for shift number one and that 3200 meters of masochism was no easier. With BamBam, Ralphy, Cate, MyRideTrev, Nicholas, Pelly and Rene in tow there'd be a few k's of respite between floggings, though Rene had already locked himself into the caboose. Thursday's thrash was on again with a few less players than Tuesday, each day seemingly darker and cooler as we spear into the circuit in an attempt to cross the line ahead of the Hares (starting 5 minutes behind), the odds long today with 7 of us and 11 of them. We'd driven Channel Rd's 8k length and bored into Boundary, I'd scored Pelly's power to draft to One Tree Dam, thereafter the southwester to suffer to River Rd. BamBam opened the throttle for a short shift west, Ralphy then captain as we savoured the smoothness of the tarmac (like someone releasing the handbrake) to the Angora stud. Nicholas drove a long turn to Laws Drive (the advantage of youth) probably inspiring Pelly to power the length of Central Kialla Rd to Mitchell. Onto the front again I took aim at Archer Rd for the handover, but the reality of labouring legs called it quits at PistolPete's. MyRideTrev had retired to the rear, Rene now on the missing list as Ralphy dragged us to the highway for a clear cross. A quick peek behind told our hurry from the Hares looked hopeful, I'd inherited the front again at Galbraith's gate but was spent from speed by Arcadia Downs (grabbing that second last wheel almost emptied the tank). BamBam and Cate braved a turn into Conrod, Nicholas on the rev limiter as the 300 meter marker blurred by. Pelly had the wattage to win at the finish line as I held onto breakfast, all just a bit chuffed to finish Raftery Rd before the Hares hurried by.
15/2 Friday foibles (and Garmin glitches)
Into a strengthening southerly, PistolPete took the lead role out of town with seven lined up in his draft, Temple, Kenworth, Nick, Rene, Boof, Liam and MyRideTrev following and only TrekTrev, Cate and Nicholas forming the advance. I'd joined the three when nobody had volunteered by Hooper Rd, getting my nose into the wind beside Nicholas beyond the truck route as the early edition arrived (Col, Wozza, Bruce, Grumpy, Kel, Bo and Rocket) There was some consolation headed east on Mitchell Rd, Col short shifting as I paired to Central Kialla Rd then partnered Boof to River Rd helped by a tail wind. Only three occupied the Hurtlocker as we faced east to a red sunrise, I was retreating socially rearward as others forged forward for duty in the drivers seat. There's been a Godfatherless peace for most of the week, it seemed foreign to have felines pass by without the regular retort, Boof, Bruce, Liam, Kel and Bo providing the push to River's end to cross paths with four on the train of pain.
Another tail wind assist up Boundary Rd made the midfield magic, funny how it's either too hot, to cold or too windy when there's work to do at the front. The charge into Channel Rd had me in a perfect position, six wheels from the front as we speared past the cypress trees with plenty of good engines ahead that wouldn't roll too rapidly. As a spectacular sunrise painted the sky behind us, a placing wasn't out of the question as I sat patiently on Grumpy's wheel, into Central Ave and 'round Kinder corner as the pack powered into Hopeful corner. Boof shattered the dream launching beyond Prentice Rd to relegate us all down the ranks, Liam's explosive charge from behind taking the chocolates.
Week 7 265km YTD 1,815km
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