More than self would.

 Post #584

30/1  Seven, simmered and steamed.

A tow to the start-line was a treat, Emil and brother Anth did the honors to Sanctuary's roundabout, mind you the north northwester was in our favor.  Tina, GreatScottSteve, Bo and PistolPete made up a not so great attendance but the bureau's forecast wasn't so inviting last night.  100% humidity from yesterday's rain made the start-line steamy.  Yeah, you guessed it, PistolPete played captain for the first shift.  Not that long ago the sun was up at start time, how quickly had darkness invaded to cast a gloom over the peloton's proceedings, daylight something to wait for as GreatScottSteve did his duty east to Central Kialla.  Mist rose from the paddocks to give us a feeling of being steamed dim sims!  Emil made haste on the north shift to River Rd, brother Anth spinning like a top (little ring) east toward the bridge, but a call for calm came from the rear when GreatScottSteve's light jumped overboard.  

The gentle roll for a minute to gather the group was a treat.  The resumption of speed wasn't, there seemed to be a sense of making up for lost time (or was holding off the pursuing shop squad the aim?  Big ask!)   Anth percolated the pace and PistolPete sustained the standard, so much for a social Saturday speed!   Or am I just getting older and grumpier? I'll go with the flow but set my kind of speed when given the reigns.   I just hoped there was a little horsepower left when I got there!  The drive on Old Dookie Rd was mine and just a couple of k's of the previous pace let me set the Toaster as a target.  

Feeling fairly good with my progress by the pork palace (i'd reach the Toaster without turning to toast) was soon squashed as the shop squad humbled my effort, Rocket, Trav, Lenny, Bruce, Liam and Boof making the pace toward the sun that struggled to pierce the clouds.  Bo had finally fronted for the north drive on Pine Lodge North Rd, Tina left to front the hint of a northwester on Lemnos-Cosgrove Rd.  I was in easy street ; plenty of horsepower ahead and several of them with a long drive habit.  I wasn't putting my feet up yet though, there'd be more  work to do before breakfast!  Slowly moving closer to the business end turned up the toil, Emil turning the legs rather rubberized when we went full steam beyond Grahamvale Rd.  Surprisingly, I was ushered to the front at Verney Rd. Fine with me, a k to Numurkah Rd would do nicely and I could be then towed into town!   With the shop squad out of view the rush had relaxed a little, the work in Wanganui Rd was making us earn breakfast (but not blowing a head gasket to get there).   The halt at the Butter Factory raised an instant sweat, a waft of wind making talk on tackling technology, prescription glasses and big distances a lot more comfortable.

1/2  Monday masochism.

Low 30's seemed a struggle headed toward Sanctuary's starting line, so what makes 40's possible in a pace-line just a few minutes later?  May have been Monday-itis?  Might be that masochism is the underlying motivator?  Whatever the reason, PistolPete snapped me out of sluggishness with a dose of speed to Mitchell Rd, Emil, Kel, Temple, Kreeky, The Godfather, JJ, Joe (not Tony), Tina and Col filed behind.  I'd happened to berth on JJ's wheel, hoping he'd have some respect for his elders when he was promoted to lead the line.  Emil towed us to Central Kialla, Kel to River Rd, the promotion forward gradually raising the tax on my tank.  

Vince and the Rabbit climbed aboard from their easterly amble at River Rd's bridge, Tina handing the reins to Joe (not Tony) a bit beyond the dip, his pace slowly sinking as the distance dragged the enthusiasm from his pace.  JJ was soon put in charge, but quickly put the pace up 6 km/h, Joe in all sorts of stress to hang on to the caboose to River Rd's end.  I'd been given the lead role in Coach Rd and slowly stoked up the old boiler to a satisfactory speed, but Vince delivered the news of Joe (not Tony's) o.t.a.   Compassion calmed the hurry a while.  I'd reached One Tree Dam with no news of "all aboard" so slowly stoked speed again, figuring a yell of "easy!" would happen if pace was presumptuous.  Silence was the reply.  So back to the hurry, a highway target was set as my shifts' end.   Joe (not Tony) was aboard as I rolled rearward,  Temple taking the tempo to Old Dookie Rd. The rush ramped up for the west way home.  The call of traffic at Central Ave halted the rush, why the Rabbit had to spear through the order I'll never know (rather an obstruction as the order reformed for the charge to Dobson's estate)  Pistol Pete ensured no time was wasted to get to the caffeine appointment.

2/2  Windustrial strength.

Why should I get it easy?  A south southwester blew a gale Tuesday, just to torment the commute south (maybe this was the payback for doing the Sanctuary thing two days in a row?)  Gusts of 43 km/h did a little more than tickle, pleased I'd left home 5 minutes earlier 'cause I made the starting grid with just a minute to spare!  A little feeling had just returned to the legs when PistolPete dialed up the pace south, a freshly sealed and graveled Archer Rd (south of the truck route) simulating a cyclo-cross track.  Certainly "interesting" to steer 25mm slicks through at speed!  Kel had survived at 2nd wheel to take us east to Central Kialla, Bo having the tailwind (of course) for the north shift to River Rd.  I had The Godfather's wheel to follow, at least correctly placed on River Rd's crown so most could shelter from the unrelenting wind.  He was still in the drivers' seat at the bridge so I was content behind, he was protecting me from the pain at the pointy end.  My promotion to captain came rising from River Rd's dip, not as bad as I thought where trees lined the road but exposed to the open paddocks wasn't fun.  I'd figured a reserve was needed for another epic effort from Kreeky (due next at the front), so rolled off to the rear at the quarter horse stud, grateful for The Godfather's girth to shelter my recovery to River Rd's end.  

True to form, Kreeky stayed on for an encore in Coach Rd.  Col was given the lead at the bridges but his shift was shortened to reach the highway.  (Oh, I get it!  It puts Bo closer to the front so he'd score the wind in Old Dookie Rd!)  PistolPete had heads down charging north, Kel cooked at second wheel chose to retreat to the caboose for respite.  Me moving another rung up the ladder guaranteed I'd get another shift.   Bo took to Old Dookie Rd (and the south southwester at the left flank) with a passion for pace, giving The Godfather the pleasure of towing us to Central Ave.  I had the drive to Dobson's  ......again!   The bridge seemed further away than ever despite legs working overtime to get there, thank heavens a few trees at the roads edge took some of the sting out of the SSW'er.   Kreeky's pace was hard to hold onto when I handed him the role, this old engine almost miss-firing to stay aboard.  The Godfather's gear change across the truck route found the little chain-ring, so a great gap opened to the 4 ahead as he searched for momentum, Kreeky and I left to the tow truck duties trying to make up the deficit into the streets of town.

3/2  The gospel according to the prophet of pace. 

Being partnered on the commute to Wednesday's ride pushed the pace a bit more than if left to my own devices, and that conditioned me for the bunch velocity to come.  Better than a cruise to the grid then grizzle about sudden speed.  So thanks Emil for raising the standard more than self would. There wasn't going to be a third day in a row on the same old same old circuit ; today's route was changed to the Channel-Boundary-Ford circuit as Archer Rd had grown more gravel in roadworks.  Col waved the gesture of "go 'round me" at the grid when 5:40 struck, but berthing first means you suffer first Col! None of this "I couldn't be bothered today" stuff!  

So, under pressure to perform, Col had the 3 k drive north to Channel Rd as an opening act (he should have relished the moment with wind at the backside!)  Bo, The Godfather, Tina, Kel, Kreeky, Emil, PistolPete, Joe (not Tony), Jen and Vince lined up behind.   I'd scored the opening act for Channel Rd with the side wind a a bonus.  (takes me back a couple of years when division 2 would leave 5 minutes ahead of the fast fellas, trying, usually in vein, to hold off the squad of speed to Conrod's finish line)   I must be doing something right, the old engine made it to the truck route without blowing a head gasket, and kudos from the crew suggested it wasn't at snail's pace.  Joe (not Tony) lucked the shorter shift (1400 metres) to Orrvale Rd. History flooded the head in recovery at the rear, this 8 k road with its twists and turns recalls the early days of riding, battling the cold and  the critters, struggling to extract more than 32 km/h.  There's been some progress since.  

Kel drove the last of  Channel's 1600 metres from the S bend, Tina the north shift to the highway "and a little bit more" to the bridge near the old bacon barn.  Kreeky's definitely back to prior form, the drive north from New Dookie Rd up to Lemnos-Cosgrove wasn't enough, he was at it west to the main eastern channel too.  Jen had stoked up the willpower to advance for a turn. I'd prepared to slow as she faced the front for the first time (in a year she says) but there was nothing shabby about her speed toward Lemnos North Rd.  Sensibly, she'd kept the shift short to be sure to catch the caboose before detonation. A few were waiting for direction as Col led us into town, would we work Wanganui or would the call for coffee via Verney take priority?  Time was the foremost factor.  The call to turn into Verney put me at the front and straight into the headwind hurt, at least the super smooth tarmac was of some help.  Legs had caved in to the cruelty by Graham St, Joe (not Tony) reluctantly in charge toward New Dookie, but Bo broke the bunch into pieces with a burst of pace toward the city centre (the quest for coffee over-rules all rules doesn't it?)

4/2  The Mordy 2 Melbourne magnet. 

Four days in "the big smoke" just had to include the Beach Rd habit.  No bunch pressure on pace, sea air and several days off work would allow a cruisy roll of Port Phillip's coast.......yeah, right!  The best laid plans to take in a quiet tap lasted about 200 metres north of Mordialloc's start-line, there were plenty of ones, twos and threes riding city bound, a few big bunches too barreling along the billiard table called Beach Rd.   One or two young ones slipped by but it was catching and passing so many that got the eager meter wound up.  The competitive spirit was well and truely stoked.  Cancel cruisy, it was speed time!  Just two k's were covered and I'd found a "wheel sucker" already attached ; and there's nothing like the feeling of riding one off your wheel!  The slight inclines Beaumaris bound set the rectus femorus on fire, so the downhills were rolled a little more relaxed as recovery.  It was pleasing to see scaffolding covering the historic Edgy hotel, restoration finally underway for this grand old lady (it's caught my eye over recent years, empty and ageing by Mentone's beach)  

A chorus of carbon caused a cacophony behind, the massed (30+) mob of Lexus Brighton steaming past me in the mid 40's.  Me thinks sitting on the back of that wasn't work, so happily watched them advance into the distance, discarding their spent off the back.  Commuting traffic at times vacuumed my velocity (but never on the inclines like 'Col de Charman' or the 'Anna Meares Crush') so that became "off-the-gas" time to save something for later.  The usual jogging distractions (are some of these outfits spray painted on?) dotted the roadside paths, the few traffic lights co-operating with a green glow as Sandringham surprisingly appeared sooner than expected.  Big bunches were de rigeur southbound but bike traffic thinned through Brighton's alley of mansions, some of rather questionable architectual taste.  A few more 'spring chickens' bolted by to keep a lid on any hint of an over-inflated ego.  A second wind came at St.Kilda as sun streaked across the bay, dialing up the kilometres per hour to target Port Melbourne as the u-turn before 7.  I could have sworn a southwester had gently assisted the 25k's into the city but the about-face at Albert Rd found a northeaster gently easing the way back. Almost like winning the lottery!  

Car traffic was building for the return trip (it's nearly always less populated by bikes on the way back), just a handful here and there headed south as those big bunches now returned to the city.  It doesn't take long for some of similar speed to congregate, a stranger (Dendy rider atop an S Works) started sharing shifts at Brighton for some speed south. And that pushes boundaries better than any solo effort will! Mr. Castelli on a Trek was happy hanging on in our draft. Words don't need to be spoken (oxygen was being put to better use anyway), wait for the elbow and do your bit till the tank nears empty, then flick your own elbow for recovery.  Repeat as necessary.  Covers a lot of ground without a lot of thought.  Beaumaris then Black Rock arrived where Mr Dendy Rider bid his thanks and adieu's, so the last few k's were suddenly solo and minus a little motivation.  The last k's into Mordialloc feel like they're slightly downhill so some satisfaction and speed came at the end, regrettably Tour de Cafe was closed denying a post pedal fix but Strava served up 11 PB's as a reward.

This week 252km     YTD 1,345km