Training ride report by Jarrad.

The funny thing about this time of year inevitably means that, due to rain cold no light or whatever, peoples training regimes seem to go wanting. That’s not to say that i haven’t heard the odd “i haven’t been on the bike for XX many days/hours/seconds/weeks/years” during the summer months, but it seems a phrase oft stated when the weather turns sour. Either way, all excuses mean nought when you’re out on the road, and i appauded the 10 or so others who rolled out in the relatively nice weather for a good old fast group training ride.

Rolling out down to Shelley, the small group were happy to sit in with a few at the front pulling along at a brisk, but comfortable pace, and in no time, we were into the now traditional leg-warmer along Shelley. After a few confusing roll throughs, order was established, with El Prez, Capt Poser, Dannyboy, and two or so others (my memory for names is shocking) pulling the bunch along. After maybe 2 or 3 kilometres, the roll through was appearing to waver, and once the Flying Fynn made his way to the front, both he and the Captain, moved away from the remainder of the bunch, and onto the turnoff.

Regrouping, and now with warmed up legs, the group moved onto Leach Hwy, which is always a fun hitout through the rollers. The Flying Fynn and El Prez seemingly happy to work at the front for a while, a roll through was eventually established, with all happy to share the workload.

Perhaps symptomatic of the aforementioned lack of training, once the roads pointed upwards, the rolling stopped and the group moved in single file, alowing for maybe one or two to work at the front, however a few moments of respite was given due to traffic lights. Pulling away from a set of lights towards Wilagee, the group began to head up one of the more strenuous hills, and BANG! The all too familiar sound of bike bits breaking rang aloud. Fortunately it didn’t ring to the tune of ‘Carbon to asphalt’, more a high pitched twang. Stopping and surveying the damage, one of Dannyboys spokes decided it had enough from the ‘extreme torque’ applied at the front wheel, and so his ride was restricted to a meander.

  Rolling onwards, the unsympathetic group started to finally open up a little over the ‘lumps’ (cannot call them hills), and with the Flying Fynn heading up the group, Capt Poser decided enough of this tempo riding and decided to up the pace a little. With the bunch spread thinner than Peter Garrets hair across Leach Hwy, the Poser and friends decided that the original (i.e. forgot to turn) pln was too short, missing the turn and heading down to Freo. Due to both the confusion and  a near-death incident involving a Jeep, we regrouped and rolled on through Freo and back over the river. Pressing onwards, and perhaps (ever so slightly) upwards, the peloton was content to casually ride along Stirling Hwy, and up towards Mosman Park, however this was to change.

With Bec and El Prez leading the group along heading towards the water tower, The Flying Fynn took the opportunity to attack, taking Capt Poser and one or two others with him. By the time they reached the Water tower at Mosman Park, it was the two of them taking turns with Steve (I think that’s his name) hammering away to catch up.

As the three riders now descended back down along the waters edge, and begun the next climb, The Flying Fynn took off again, this time leaving his two echapee mates scrambling to keep up. Pushing back down to the highway, Fynn was held up by a red light, thus allowing the escape of three to reform. As the lights went green, a quick look over the shoulder revealed that the rest of the peloton was making its way to Stirling Hwy, but in vain, as the lights were to play against them today. The rest of the peloton weren’t to be seen by the front three until the coffee shop…

The three eschapees then rolled through the familiar territory of Claremont and Nedlands together, working quite well to keep the pace up, although The Flying Fynn and Steve were now showing better legs than the Captain. Descending down back to Stirling Hwy, an agreement was made not to ‘sprint’ as such, but to ride out to the finish.

Pressing on to Mounts Bay Rd, the three took turns at the front, with The Flying Fynn finally jetting off the front towards the end, with Steve in second, and Poser third, probably an accurate depiction of the pace levels of each of the three riders.

All up a decent ride, if a little on the slower side, but at least it didn’t rain and wasn’t too cold either.

Captain Poser.