Week 31 : Hurting but hilarious.

Post #511
27/7  Vilification & velocity.

I found a welcome peace rolling out of town in Saturday's early hours, the din and kerfuffle of the working week now o.t.a. and the tranquillity of a pair of humming wheels playing music for my mental therapy.  Down Raftery Rd, along Mitchell and up Archer clocked me twenty three k's in readiness for the ritual Saturday spin but last night's rain had turned the road glossy and the bike filthy. So much for last night's cleaning ritual.  'Tis winter I guess.  Bruce, Rocket, Wozza, The Godfather, TatMat, Shorty, TatPaul, Tina, Lance, Joe, Boof and Pistol Pete congregated at the carpark for the six a.m. off, a better roll-up than I'd expected given a damp and dreary day beginning.  Bo added himself to the southbound entourage of lads and a lone lass, and I reckoned I'd done my week's share of first shift, so lapped up the tow till the natural rotation delivered me to duty at the front.  Joining the advance line in Mitchell Rd, I had Lance ahead (must sabotage that strobing tail-light that induces epilepsy) and Tina behind, chatting a few social sentences with Shorty and TatMat till it was time for work at the business end.

That chance pairing of Rocket and Wozza got the scenery blurring by in Boundary Rd,  and with Pistol Pete and Bruce as follow up, there'd be little talk till Old Dookie Rd.  Shorty advanced for a turn, keeping it quick (considering work only allows him a couple of rides a week) but The Godfather soon slowed the speed (and silenced himself) in the drivers seat.  Clouds curtained any hope of early light, Lance had retired to the rear and I found myself on Pistol Pete's wheel as the rotation forced me forward. I'd sensed a hint of northeaster (bureau told me later it was calm) so reaching the front as the bunch flew west had a positive effect, Pistol setting a high thirties standard I could cope with to Boundary Rd.  I rolled the turn and eased the throttle for Tina to pair but was on the gas again in an instant trying to match her pace to the bridge.  The Godfather launched an attack of sledges as Rocket reached the driver's seat, the vilification answered with velocity into the mid forties (in an attempt to silence him?)  

The hurry was hurting but hilarious, some struggling with the speed and/or the satire of the moment as The Godfather now struggled to serve a stinging sentence.  There was a few minutes to regain breath and composure as velocity dropped back below forty but I think it was purely a pause predicting pace the in Wanganui Rd.  Midfield suited me well as the fit got faster toward DECA, Boof hit the afterburners to the hill and The Godfather went rapidly backwards through the ranks, but a regroup in Rudd Rd allowed a collective cruise along the Boulevard to breakfast (a few non-conformists steering to alternate venues), the majority massing at the Lemontree to chat on internet scams, Stage #19, and the art of burning banana bread.



30/7  Ladies and gentlemen, it's the Bo show!

I found happiness back on two wheels (a ride denied with Mondays damp) but hurt facing a feels like 1.4 into a stiff southerly to the Tuesday grid.  To be over the hump and headed toward spring was the positive, and hey, it wasn't raining!  Pistol Pete, Bo, MyRideTrev, Grumpy, Tina, Kel and Kreeky had fronted for the 5:40 fling, Pistol Pete taking on 6 k's of headwind duty down to Mitchell Rd with no complaints from us line astern behind.  
Bo was handed the reigns in Mitchell Rd and many suspected a long shift would follow, to Central Kialla was the standard and his drive to River Rd understandable (tailwind), I was looking for his hint of throwing an elbow at River Rd's bridge but stubbornness had him stuck at the front.   MyRideTrev was suffering at second wheel and by the dip, retreated to the rear, Grumpy standing in as backstop while Bo drove on toward the quarter horse stud.  I'm sure I could smell a martyr on fire!  After 10 k's in the drivers seat, Bo finally relinquished the lead on the turn into Boundary Rd (good grief! someone else get's a turn?), Grumpy less greedy taking the team up to the highway for a (comparatively) short 3.5k shift. Tina turned on a great drive to the fig farm for me to make a contribution, deja vu (last week) being a one and only appearance at the business end so added a 2k push west on Old Dookie Rd for my cameo role. MyRideTrev and Pistol Pete were missing from the passing parade (Pistol tending to MyRideTrev's o.t.a.) but  Kel made a smooth and swift shift to Central Ave where Kreeky finally got his moment of glory to drive the team to town.

31/8 Couldabeen colder!

The bureau warns you, a couple of base layers and a pair of thick gloves warms you, but nothing prepares you for zero degrees opening the front door.  Feeling as cold as the hinges of hell rolling south (the bureau bringing news of feels like minus 1.6), I'd eased the expectation of speed so nothing snapped of for the six k commute to the carpark, reckoning half a dozen would be a good turn up in this temperature.  Surprise, surprise, the grid was fairly full with Boof, Pistol Pete, Shorty, Kreeky, Tina, Wozza, MyRideTrev, Rocket, The Godfather, Bruce, Kel, Joe and not-so-newAvantiJohn ready to roll at six, Grumpy joining a considerate calm start that eased the omg factor winding up to speed.  I was on The Godfather's wheel as I joined the up-line, hearing protection not needed as the cold had constrained his cackle.  Speed standards had been tamed a tad for temperature though my time at the front was still a bit breathtaking as the lungs fought the minus one intake.  The Godfather called a roll at River Rd's quarter horse stud, part two of the turn (to my surprise) finding Joe pairing for a brief blast at the business end.  I took care to keep level alongside and to his credit, rhythm remained, he'd mounted that mental mountain of a maiden appearance at the front and wisely kept the shift short and sweet.  Tina and Kel captained to River Rd's end, there was even a hint of early light as the bunch bored into Boundary Rd.   My bike's steering had gone mushy as we swept under Channel Rd's cypress trees (a slow leak from the front tube felt to be the culprit) so the safest bet was to stay at the back with the spice of the ChaCha yet to come. For a moment that soft tyre seemed imaginary approaching the Kinder but sweeping into Channel Rd's corner felt like steering soap across the bathroom floor.  Direction was steadily spongier as MyRideTrev got my draft instead of going ota, we were reeling in Bruce who'd expired from his driving duty but the sensation of a rim kissing the tarmac brought me to a halt.  Bruce and MyRideTrev kindly loaned moral support for the repair (no point holding up the whole crew so close to coffee), a quick single filed spin into town bumping up the suffer score to finish.

1/8  Serve chilled.
Fridge temperatures continued on Thursday with another zero to endure, Pistol Pete, Bo, Kreeky, Tina, MyRideTrev and Kel just as delirious / dedicated (strike out that which does not apply) lining up at the shop for duty.  Bo took the first shift out of town, late-comer Grumpy joining the train as we got up to speed,  all the while I was wondering how much bravado Bo had for breakfast today.  He bored on beyond the truck route of course, so maybe he'd call it quits at Mitchell?   No, that was far from proving a point, so Bo drove on to Central Kialla (but I couldn't see his cape flapping).   Pistol Pete took control and considerately dialled up the speed slowly, up to River Rd then east toward the bridge (but how far would he go?)  I was beginning to think Pistol would drag us to Boundary but his elbow beckoned Kel to the drivers seat before reaching the quarter horse stud.  Ignoring the heightening heart rate, it was closing in to my call of duty, Kel offering me the lead as we nosed north into Boundary Rd.

I'd managed to get up to prior pace and into a capable cadence to set focus on the Broken bridges, if the arctic atmosphere didn't kill me beforehand. Not up to the endurance of Bo or Pistol Pete, I reckoned on sticking to the rhythm and bailing out before busting was the sensible shift, handing over to Tina just beyond the bridges then slipping back to gasp at the rear (well, second last with MyRideTrev captaining the caboose).   Tina drove well on the everso gradual uphill to Channel Rd, her tank emptying with the highway in sight but soldiered on to finish at the pub.  Grumpy took the lead but MyRideTrev had gone awol so we slowed while Pistol Pete went back in search for the lad lost.  Seems MyRideTrev had retired via Channel Rd so with Pistol returned to the fold, the team tempo'd the remainder to town.  Kreeky kept us speechless into Old Dookie Rd, Grumpy got his long shift done and spiced the speed in the draft of a truck,  Bo dragging us to SPC to finish our Indian filed effort.

2/8  Foggy, frosty, fresh & frivolous.

Yet another cold start for Friday but scoring a day off work took the edge off it.  The Godfather, Kreeky, Boof, Joe, Pistol Pete, Wozza, Shorty, Rocket, Tina, MyRideTrev, Bo, Bruce, Kel and not-so-newAvantiJohn assembled for the week's end action, Rocket leading the first shift south into the none-too-welcoming one degree of Archer Rd.  Velocity varied according to the fitness on the front, all quite manageable in the cool, till the fast fronted.  Speed had settled on the other side of River Rd's dip (Pussycats presenting a poor population of three), Joe advancing to the front choosing Tina's compliance to pair with.  Reality reduced his speed when facing the drive out of the draft, the subtle squeak of a few disc brakes telling of the reduction in rhythm.

Shorty and I opened our accounts in Boundary Rd to One Tree Dam where Shorty called a roll, so I psyched up for part two of the drive beside Rocket (most compliant considering my pedestrian pace).  From the Broken bridges the faster factions took hold of the front and dialled up the average speed, silencing a bit of chat too (but failing to mute The Godfather).  Not-so-newAvantiJohn pumped up the pace in what may be his swansong with the bunch, bound for life in Darwin and the instant warmth we've been waiting months for.  All the best for the tropical Territory temperatures John!  The whiplash effect had the rearmost off their collective saddles as the bunch speared into Channel Rd, a few choosing to sit out the sprint (including me) as the hurry hotted up nearing the Kinder.
Bo did the bolt into the ChaCha to Prentice Rd an Bruce looked to have the win in the bag till Boof was struck with sprintinterest and stood on the gas.  The rare chance of a weekday post-ride coffee had me Butter Factory bound with the bunch back in town, Rocket (sensing a deflating problem) still swift enough that most scored segment trophies keeping up.  Kit chat over a long black passed the time pleasantly and with more time on my side for another ride, I joined Tina to tap a lap with a small (but more stable) segment of the Adams family.
It's been many moons since seeing the senior squad, Wormy, Minty, Hoffy, Irish Tony, Chilly and young Brian (among a few others) lining up for the 8am roll.  A sedate start single filed down Archer Rd, fog filling the fields with the rising sun trying to strike through.

Choice led some via Mitchell but a few of us used River Rd, Chilly suffering the side effects of speed sitting at the rear.  We found Minty and Wormy in Boundary Rd but young Brian had vanished in the fog, so settled into a northbound spin to the highway (Chilly exiting via Channel).  The temperature had dropped to ice my gloves but the sun psychologically warmed the spirits as we swapped turns to Lemnos-Cosgrove Rd (needless to say Tina and I doing double shifts).  By Ford Rd just Hoffy, Tina and I were left to tow the troupe, age having wearied the slightly senior (an inevitable conclusion we'll all face someday).  Wanganui Rd had frightened Wormy and Minty who'd made a bee line for brunch, so the tenacious trio worked to Rudd Rd and battled the Boulevard, buoyed by the caffeine conclusion at Friars to top off a smooth and steady ninety k's.



Week 31       284km                  YTD 7,934km