Training ride write up by Jarrad

After having not had time to do the write up for last week, i figured i should get this done nice and quick, however, i may be devoid of interesting references, particularly as last week’s excellent matinee of Samuel Beckett’s ‘Waiting For Godot’ has been beaten out of my head by Friday night’s imbibements.

Further, having gotten home without remembering to pick up milk this fine Saturday, i can now confirm that substituting with a mixture of water and cream (gah! thickened cream at that too!!) isn’t satisfactory, not in coffee at least, and definitely not at all in porridge, and so i guess my once-solid position in the Masterchef kitchen may be up-for-grabs at the next elimination round……

Anyway, rolling up to the meeting point, overcast weather provided reprieve from the previous experiences of near-freezing temperatures, however it seems that some were scared off by the lack of blue skies, and 15-odd of us rolled out.

Rolling out towards Applecross, Regular Jules and Nico took the helm and set a decent warm-up pace, Reggie definately looking stronger on the flats of recent. Discussions of power measurement devices led me to think of trying to get some results and throw them up here just, i guess as an indicator, i know Vaughn said last weeks ride gave a 5 min max of over 400 Watts (for him at least, i’m sure that ), which is pretty reasonable, and whilst outputs would be different for each individual (wheel-sucking???), i guess the boffins would probably have some ideas here and any suggestions are welcomed.

hUp through Mt Pleasant and heading towards Murdoch, Dannyboy and a relative newcomer (i still should’ve got your name though) set tempo up the hill and over, with the general pace quite still subdued at this stage. Onto Murdoch Drive and South St, The Poser and Carlos took over and a roll through soon began. After a re-group due to a split at a red light, the roll through was back, with Cpt Poser advising Reggie to ease up at one stage (pot-kettle-black-anyone??) to allow for everyone to get the blood into their legs. A couple of traffic stoppages and the Flying Fynn, Nico and the captain were pretty much setting  pace, with the remainder of the group giving the pull at the front or simply hanging on.

Turning onto Warton Road Captain Poser, TFF and Nico continued on their team-time-trialesque ride with 12 odd riders in tow, and after a bit of a tanty from the Captain at a red light, an agreement was made to ease up a little and get a proper roll through happening. This was more like it now, with Dan H, John, Ashley, Dannyboy, Reggie, El Prez, the three usuals and a few others rolling through consistently now, riding quie tightly and efficiently too. The roll through was working well now, with the average speed holding quite consistently into the cross winds and with few holdups/dramas (although Danny, a call to pull though didn’t mean ‘smash my legs apart’ :P).

As the road turned upwards towards Crystal Brook rd, the roll through, predictably, became more limited, with the Poser and Nico turning the hurt on, although stopped short by the left turn and the run down the hill. Now on a decline with a tailwind, Toby and Mark H made an appearance at the front, but once re-grouped at the lights, the group kept together and rolled through again. Reggie remarking that it’s strange to ride this route hard and fast on a Saturday, as this is typically the Sunday easy return after a long day in the saddle.

After a few exuberant turns from TFF and the Captain, we said goodbye to Nico (hill repeats? Or just taking the short way home?), and with a few words from El Prez, the pace settled back down, although with TFF pretty-much sitting on his lonesome at the front with help from Ashley and Reggie.

Turning onto Shepparton road now, and a few other riders made their way to the front, however El Prez had given the more aggressive types free reign to open it up now, and after a slow roll off from a red light and with a quick call from behind, the first to attack was The Flyin’ Fynn. Legs pumping now, the Poser latched on, with Toby desperately hammering his cranks to try and keep wheel and dragging the rest of the group. A slight incline next and the Poser recognised that Toby alone couldn’t hang on to the Fynn and himself working together, and a turn or two later they were away now, and driving the pace down through Vic Park and into town. WA Main Roads however had other ideas, and a red light hampered their progress and allowed the group to reform.

El Prez was now the driving force at the front, and with the usuals now proving elusive at the front, he was on his own to drive the pace into town. Plenty of wheel sucking going on now, TFF was somewhere at the rear of the bunch, with Poser-boy sticking to both Reggie and sprinter Toby’s wheel towards the front. Through the final set of lights (green at last!!) now The Flying ‘i’ve never been out-sprinted on Riverside’ Fynn went first, with around 500 or 600 to go (why are we always sprinting from so far out???). Reggie and Toby responded next, however Captain Poser, having briefly had a bit of excitement on the cateye’s was now out of the saddle and testing the ‘lateral stiffness’ of his equipment. It was one on one at this stage with both Fynn and Poser hammering away at their cranks (not mentioning one in each lane at this stage) the Poser took a clear lead with around 200 to go, and seemingly to break Fynn’s prior record/boasting. There was more to come however, as 200 meters is still a fair way and Fynn’s staying power proved too much for the Poser (too much Posing…), The Flying Fynn passing by with little to spare and hand in the air……

All up a good ride, with some great team work from all and sundry, and even reasonable service at the Belltower (and heaters too!!).

Until next week,

Captain Poser…