Amplifying ability.

 Post #566

3/10 Wind woes.

What to wear! Months of being layered against winter's cold has me cautious, even when the bureau says 13 degrees, so the base layer insurance covered my 5:30 guess at short knicks and fingerless gloves.  Saturday's sultans of speed would no doubt provide any warmth required.  A generous northeaster should have sped me to Sanctuary's start line but this old engine was barely breaking low 30's. Would I cope in the heat of hurry with the bunch?  Destined to go ota?  I'm probably out of my depth but where's the challenge in slowing down?  Time to get my head out of the doomsday book.   Rule #5 needed careful contemplation. 

Bo, The Godfather, PistolPete, Col and newbie Didak converged for the weekend ritual, many other Saturday starters opting for some distance to Dookie.   The sun's 6am appearance was savored, tonight's twist of time (daylight savings) will steal it away for a few weeks. Just when we were enjoying Spring!   Bo (in the role of tail wind specialist) led the single filed spin to Mitchell Rd, my only choice was berthed behind Pistol 'cause Col played guide to Didak at the rear.  The turn east had that wind attack the left brow...relief almost 23k's away.  Pete drove the leg to Central Kialla so I scored the north assault to River Rd, a house or two, the community hall, half a dozen trees and the fire brigade's shed the only shelter from the wind that threatened to blow us backward.  Well how about that! I'd managed to keep the tempo and didn't blow a head gasket doing it!  Back to 4th wheel in River Rd was heaven.  Most Saturday's score at least 10 to share the load but with just 4 driving today's train, the psychological concrete was being consumed.  The Godfather's shift went long to the dip, a challenge swallowed by Bo to drive longer, reaching River Rd's end where Tina joined the line.   

Col's commentary to Didak was the stuff of bunch protocol behind me (guide the uninitiated Rule # 3 says) but continued pace into Coach Rd broke him off the back.  Sympathy slowed the hurry to re-unite the 7 by the Broken bridges, inheriting Shorty. Lance and Aaron (remnants from the car-park grid not doin' Dookie) as extra help into the wind.  But the order of things had me due for another turn after Pistol's pace.  He stayed on as captain to Old Dookie Rd so reality would hit me for the easterly effort toward the Toaster.  Head down and cadence up got the speed to satisfactory, now to sustain it for more than 100 metres!  So hopes were high reaching the main eastern channel a k later, enough to continue another half a k more (blessed by descent off the bridge)   At least a longer respite was in store at the rear.  The Godfather headed the turn to the Toaster, Bo being train driver to the Pine Lodge church.   Shorty opened his account towing us to Lemnos-Cosgrove Rd where Tina took the team by the scruff to speed west.  The (almost) tail-wind to town couldn't have been a better ride recipe.  Lance made his mark on speed from Boundary Rd, unfortunately falling to the fashion faux pas of "never" & "alone" socks on the wrong feet (though dressing in the dark can have more cringe-worthy consequences).   

Aaron was in the box seat from the main eastern channel, his (now) squeaky clean Pinarello sparkling in the sun.  Bo was back at the front for Ford Rd, firing on all cylinders to Grahamvale Rd and drawing me closer to yet another turn at the business end.  Pistol would drive a long and smooth one so work for me was a little way off.  Verney Rd must have been an exit from effort for Aaron, Col and Didak 'cause they were awol when we arrived at the highway.  Crossing an A road is almost always awkward, the weight of that call resting heavily on the shoulders of the front-runners (ultimately, your own decision is final)   A cars' last moment indicator had split the crossing of Numurkah Rd a quiet roll at 30 was most welcome prior to the pressure for my pace to Mt.Wanganui.  Low 40's with the wind behind was easy on the ego but 2k's of it dried up the wattage quickly.  Being first across the line was rare as rocking horse manure ; let's not mention the tail-wind shall we?   A long drawn-out line was back at close quarters in Rudd Rd, The Godfather and Bo keeping breathing busy along the Boulevard where Col and  Didak re-united from their short-cut.   Seated and dining at the Butter Factory was social salvation after what seemed like weeks of standing like outcasts doing the distancing thing in the car park, great gigs in peculiar places. plans for post lock-down holidays and constant covid cleaning the sentences swapped over breakfast.

5/10  The winds of change.

23 degrees at 5am, how liberating!  And a tail wind to take me to Monday's start-line.  Spoilt!  Be gone base layer and arm-warmers, limbs were liberated too.  Setting south into the darkness that daylight saving had stolen, I could ease up the effort to reach Sanctuary's roundabout with the wind blowing like this.  Big mistake.  No sooner steering into Archer Rd the wind shifted to a westerly.  Barely a minute passed and it swung to a southerly.  Speed slumped.  Time turned enemy.  Getting to the grid by 5:40 would be tight.  I didn't plan to spend all this energy early but missing the train wasn't the plan either.  The harder I pushed the harder the wind blew, and just 300 metres from the roundabout the bunch rolled away.  What really sucked? Not one had seen me a few moments from getting aboard.  Now well into the red zone, all hopes were on traffic at the truck route pausing their progress so a sole B double was my savior to finally catch the caboose.  Speechless.  Now to attempt recovery while PistolPete got into top gear to Mitchell Rd.  The Godfather, Bo, Kel, Tina, Kreeky, Col and Didak had formed Indian file behind, most battling the wind as it chopped and changed. 

With a bit of oxygen banked and the heart rate finally below 170 in Central Kialla, I leapfrogged Didak to join the advance.  I should at least make a contribution albeit a modest one.  It was a happier place with the wind behind but that temperature had trimmed to 13.  A cold front was upon us but there was plenty of heat in the speed.  On Kreeky's wheel was a comfortable sit, Didak still a bit green grabbing at the brakes as velocity varied.  (He'll find watching a few wheels ahead for the fine fluctuations easier than reacting rapidly to the one wheel ahead)   The wind was at the right flank in River Rd and Bo had us paying tax on the tempo, the line a lot longer when we'd cornered into Coach Rd.  Didak's tank had emptied and Col had eased back to guide his path home, so six sped north under Tina's command. 

Kreeky took charge nearing Channel Rd and stayed on for the long drive to Old Dookie, my focus shortening on his wheel as the bitumen blurred under it.  Effort was escalating, that wind was swinging again to test us.  I was given the lead role turning west, northwest this time to squash the speed at the front.  Mid 30's was close to my melt-down, School Rd just a fraction to far to reach, so peeled off before an implosion left me nothing to catch the tail.  PistolPete was the next to drive, adding a couple of k's to the pace (and a lot more labor to my lungs).  Get used to it Foss, Bo was about to let loose for the hurry home.  The draft from five ahead helped (that sense of bunch belonging extracting the last few watts to hold on), hoping beyond Doyles Rd roundabout the speed may ease.  As if!  The dash to SPC was the swansong (funny how there's just a bit more found in the tank to keep up) a calmer cadence through the streets the reward for hard labor.  

6/10  What the?  Winter's back?

Now, where's the base layers and arm-warmers?  Tuesday had hit the rewind on temperature, back to a June-like feels like 5 (and a swift southwester to keep it that way)  So much for Spring! 

 I spun the streets to put variety into the regular prologue  (nothing as artistic as ol' mate WallyGPX can on Strava), 13k on the odometer as a substitute for doing half a lap with the Goats. The cold and the dark trimmed the starters to Coggo, Phil, Dippa, Sandy, Hommie and AvantiLeigh at Friars, Sandy using the aerodynamic advantage to start a spirited turn to Doyles Rd.  There was enough west in the southwester for the east leg on Old Dookie Rd, drawing the group to single file behind Coggo's drive to the bridge.  AvantiLeigh's lost nothing despite many months off the bike ('aint youth a wonderful thing?), towing us to Central Ave where my number came up. 

The pressure to perform was eased by the breeze behind, riding the centre line so the six had some sort of shelter.  Hommie hurried the turn to Boundary Rd   (those on the 5:40 fling steaming west with bits being dislodged off the back), the see-sawing tempo a test as it amplified rearward.  Dippa retreated to the caboose predicting the workload headed south.  Coggo set the speed to smooth at the fig farm and beyond, no doubt inspiring Sandy to brave the wind to Hosie Rd.   Time had come for my departure via Channel Rd, that southwester posing a pedestrian pace till a bike behind spurred more effort.  I'd gained some distance by the S bend but complacency had calmed that progress by the cypress trees, it only took a glance at that headlight closing in again to pick the pace up again.  The ChaCha's super smooth tarmac made more motion easy, two red leds ahead stirring even more.  A fairly fast finale into town was better than a crawl to complete the circuit, despite the protest of labored legs.

7/10  Smooth rules

Precipitation predictions had eyes open early, but there was relief when the radar reckoned ride.  So swinging the leg over a couple of minutes early took the pressure off to meet the Sanctuary start time.  Tina, PistolPete, Bo, Kreeky, Kel and Joe (not Tony) assembled at the roundabout, a little procrastination as 5:40 struck on who was to set the train rolling (maybe it was choosing the wheel of least pain?)   Pistol stepped up to the plate, Bo, Kel, Tina, me, Joe (not Tony) and Kreeky Indian filed behind.  Yeah, it's the same old format, the same old circuit and the same young mates, but there's comfort in consistency.  I couldn't work out which way that wind was blowing but it was better left ignored, it'd only hassle the headspace.  Kel sped the way to River Rd and Tina towed us to the bridge as a smooth introduction to my time at the front.  I was convincing the cranium I had a tail breeze. 

Still coherent at the dip, it was worth adding an extra 400 metres (as if to amplify ability) before handing over to Joe (not Tony).  Do we work our legs to a lather only for the calm in the caboose?  It's that "banging your head against a brick wall" theory.  'Cause it's lovely when you stop!  Kreeky finished off River Rd while I mentally prepared for Pistol's pace into Coach Rd.  Spearing through the darkness with just the headlight's beam our lifeline has got knobs on it, bring back the daylight we had last week please! (note to self ; another pot-hole grows on the west side of the tarmac at One Tree Dam)  Of course PistolPete was in for a long shift, 3.6 k's to the highway, 'cause he can!  (that meant Bo would want to do better, probably to Old Dookie, Kel would drive smooth and swift to School Rd and Tina would try for Central.  Yep, I'd be due for another turn at the front)  I think a bit too much eh?  Tempo had turned up to shift the chain to the 14 cog, less I over-rev an old engine and blow a head gasket. 

The slow to cross the highway was a short-live respite, Bo was on the gas to demonstrate his driving to (you guessed it) Old Dookie Rd.  Kel had the courtesy to turn up her wattage gently, all were closely astern to be towed to School Rd where Tina took over. (Predictions to perfection)  Tina's going great guns, though I wish there was a bit more of her to get a decent draft ;  a long 1.7 k's at the business end to bring us to Central Ave.  My shift was thankfully shorter, just 1300 to Dobson's bridge.  A gradual build up of speed to avoid gapping the carriages, a gnashing of teeth for the wind shear of oncoming cars, a tempo to the bridge hopefully worth a nod or two and something left to catch the tail as I peeled off.  Joe (not Tony) got my elbow on the downhill off the bridge, kudos echoed as the line drew by and I caught the tail with just a groan or three expelled.  Joe (not Tony) did worthy work to the Doyles Rd roundabout, Kreeky dishing up the dessert with haste on the last leg to SPC. Smooth did rule for a rapid lap.

9/10  Bo : the tailwind thief.

That west northwester would be heaven then hell. 26 km/h worth welcomed Friday's stupid o'clock start, not such a rush to get to the grid by 5:40 but there'd be labor on the way back home.  Pistol, Bo, The Godfather, Kel, Col, Tina, GreatScottSteve and Tina were loitering with intent at Sanctuary's roundabout, Col having no hesitation heading the hurry south to Mitchell then east to Central Kialla.  (That tail-wind temptation had got to him)    Kreeky bore the brunt of the north in the west northwester to River Rd where Bo was handed the drivers seat.  That tail-wind temptation would be too much for Bo.  I'd expected him to go beyond the bridge and maybe to Laws Drive but he was still heading the hurry at the dip.  Beyond Trevaskis Rd was really getting greedy and when the quarter horse stud came into the headlights beam he'd been in the throne longer than Liz. 

Still in control at the Angora Stud, Bo was now as popular as Nicolae Ceausescu, eight lined up behind relegated to suffering the headwind home.  Pistol Pete launched a coup on Bo's captaincy to overthrow the driving dictator in Coach Rd but the damage was already done, that wind now lashing the starboard side.  The want to sit at 4 o'clock to the wheel ahead (for maximum draft) needed restraint, positioning to more like 5:20 would keep the tail-enders out of the gutter.  Those few trees at the Broken river offered a moment's respite, Pistol's smoothness helping on the exposed sections to the highway. 

The Godfather took command beyond the pub with almost peak hour traffic bearing south ; a few cars and several bunches (now finally out of hibernation) filling what was once a desolate stretch of tarmac a few weeks ago.  The Godfather's trademark variations in velocity hammered the hamstrings all the way to Old Dookie Rd, at least Kel's contribution of smoothness wasn't as taxing.   All the usual determination was there to reach School Rd but her elbow beckoned Tina's turn to start a little short of the mark.  I wanted a chin rest for my headstem to tag Tina's wheel for the long and strong shift toward Central Ave but her elbow called early mercy too.  This shouldn't be too hard Foss, just 700 to reach Central Ave, but wind gusts took their toll quickly ; first physically with all the usual rates through the roof (except speed!), then mentally as the hurt taxed the head.  Plans for a swift shift were rapidly written off.  Surviving to Central would be my limit.  A car on Central (causing our halt) was heaven sent. GreatScottSteve finally got his turn at the front and proved his worth to lead us to town, the usual caution at the roundabout then back on the throttle for Col to hurry us to SPC.  From the darkness behind, Rocket, Wozza, Bruce, Lenny and Boof drew by, seems the weekday chase is back on the menu.  Two groups, same circuit, start lines 3km apart for a bit of Spring sport.

This week 236 km     YTD 8,338 km