Yes , it was dark and cold on Monte Dural this morning, even Tigs the geriatric cat was unwilling to stir and used all claws to cling onto the heated geriatric cat mat rather than go out into the chill. A light overcast and southerly breeze, perfect conditions for a ride into town..just had to find a gap in the truck jam along Old Northern and it was out into the world of cold and pain.. Got tooted within the first 100 metres, and was buzzed by a B double heading into the dip at Hungry Jacks..so nearly killed twice in the first five kms..but YHC is not counting .. much.
605 rendezvous at Edward Bennett Drive.. Danny the Boy a DNS..was not going to hang around as 7C on the clock with a warmed sprint through the Dural Double dipper meant chill factor -10 ..a quick polish of the glasses and roll on..dawdled a bit up to Loftus and lo DtB chuffed by, I had to check the wheels for glass as the bike path was nicely smeared with a VB bottle..and DtB whooshed past. ( only to make sure TD pulled over and waited ) so the Band of ERs OTPe reached a quorum of 3.
TD was aboard the SS, Bundy built by Brownie, so rockets and the Cancellara motor being given a test run, watching his tail light disappear down Beecroft effortlessly. YHC and DtB selecting biggest cogs and smallest cogs to sprint after him. It was only when I checked Strava did I realise he had lead me out to a 5th place on the tunnel climb..nice.( he is of course KOM on that segment )
The rest of the ride for me was through a haze of hypoxia, having fried all the common sense on the easy bit, YHC actually hard to work to keep up and DtB provided the incentive as he seemed to float ahead just out of earshot so he could not hear me cursing. TD fell back and kept me company so OAFASR rules applied. The OTPe is an entertainment, humour and pathos all went into its design, there are parts of flat boring bits, interspersed with short climbs and traffic lights turn offs and shops so you are never left to cruise like a Melbourne commuter..the lights have hidden call buttons and refuse to change unless you apply brute force to the thing in the form of a left hook, followed by multiple palm slaps.. even then they keep you waiting a minute ..or 2 ok up to 3 mins at Lane Cove. ( YHC used these pauses to regain oxygen to the brain )
Before too long you arrive at the Scaramanga climb out, and suddenly it all looks like familiar territory, our peloton observed the Boundary riders all arriving at the Naremburn cafe, which gave us the idea to sprint for the B&T as ERs would be a good 5 mins behind..( refer earlier comments about temperature )
And then TD found a nicer commuter to hang out with as YHC and DtB were shredded through North Sydney, she was blond, blue eyed and on a Colnago.. no competition really. We regrouped at the top of the SHB stairs, and sprinted to B&T for a recovery coffee..
( and it was not long before the might of the ER megolaton arrived from all parts of town having amassed many 1000’s of combined pedalled KMs )
Returns are just as varied, YHC will be tasting the new flavours of M2 westbound.. a TT track hotmix and every contour in the landscape smoothed flat to perfection for a roll home.
Have a great day all
BT