Bit chilly this morning, but there is the sense that spring is upoon us. The sun is up when I get to the carpark these days which is a good sign that things are getting warmer. Of course with spring comes the wind… the next excuse to stay in bed.
When we were ordered out nobody seemed to budge. I had promised myself I would try the fast group today after missing last week with hydration issues. It was a small group that ended up rolling out of the carpark. It was an odd number, 7 or 9. Not sure. Nico and I jumped on the front and took the group all the way down to Shelly. I think we were thinking the same thing. Do the first pull, then conserve on shelly. As we hit leach Nico noticed that Ryan had joined us. An ominous pink blur at the rear of the group.
Shelly got the heart pumping immediately. The group rolled through very smoothly though with no one missing a beat. We sat on around 42km/hr through Shelly. I was unsure of where the finish of shelly was, having never ridden it reverse before. But the climax was quickly signalled by a distinctive woosh woosh of carbon wheels under a distinctive pink blur.
I sat on the back down leach with Daniel in tow, and vice versa, trying to get the heart rate down before the rollers down at Freo. I’ve been popped on those rollers before, but today I felt I had a chance of making it. Managed to stay with the boys over the rollers and even took a turn or two before the turn onto Stirling.
From Stirling I just I had one thing in mind. Survive Mosman. I did, only just. Turned myself inside out through the speed bump section of mosman to stay in contact. The pink blur disappeared up the road, far enough to show us that he could.
Dalkeith/Nedlands was rather tame. The headwind has that effect. A few surges along the way but nothing too serious.
I had a blast playing cat and mouse with Ryan along Mounts Bay, tried to hamper his surpriseattack tactics, but to no avail. The pink blur took line honours, woosh woosh, a fitting end to his birthday ride.
