Training Rides
Another solid weekend of training was had by the FFi Racing boys.
Saturday morning saw the normal Saturday morning bunch head out to Forrest Reefs and Tallwood. A good turn out with over 14 riders making the effort early in the morning. A nice cross-tail wind greeted the riders making the pace that bit higher then normal on the way out.
Mick and Owen were seen regularly drifting on and off the back to give a few riders that little bit of a nudge to get up the rises on Cadia Road and Orchard Road and then when Matt Dean's tail light fell off, Owen, along with Mason and Rod went in search of it prior to Forrest Reefs.
Into Forrest Reefs, there was no interest in the sprint, with people more thinking of the return to town and the tough head wind that they would face.
Across the back of Tallwood, rolling turns started but a few riders were punching their turn too hard over the top, breaking the rhythm of the bunch. Remember once you reach the front of the bunch in the fast lane, you don't keep pushing the speed, because you will create a gap between your wheel and the person that was the first rider in the slow line, making it hard for that rider and also if you are keeping the same speed as the fast line, just think how much faster the next rider in the fast line will have to go to come over you. If you start compounding this you soon realise that the speed in the bunch to keep this cycle going will only increase rather then stay smooth and consistent.
At the same time, when you swing over into the slow line, don't just stop pedaling. That is only just asking for a crash to occur. There is often only a 1 or 2 km/h difference between the two lines.
If you want a good set of wheels to follow for good examples of riders, look at Charlie, Owen, Mick and Gus. Well practiced guys that understand and have learned how to pull nice smooth turns when rolling turns.
Coming back towards Orange, the bike shop boys, needing to get to work plus Mason who was late for a very important date upped the pace into the wind. Driving a nice solid pace into town. Out of the dipper, Mick had a drag race to try and get a gap, clocking over 50 across the false flat before the next creek, only to look back and see Mason trying to close the gap. From there back into town, it was a select few heading into the sprint with Mick and Owen pushing the pace again over the last rise, creating a gap before Owen put Mick into the gutter and used the wind to his advantage making it very difficult for Mick to come around him and taking the sprint.
Average speed; 35.9km/h.
For those of you that made it to the coffee shop, you may well have witnessed the spectacular fall of Mick Cain, who with 2 coffees in hand, trying to ride home, spilt himself AND the coffee all over the pavement in an attempt to get rolling home.
Sunday morning, in an effort to make the Sunday bunch, Mick broke a spoke, so Owen and Mick were late and just rolled along by themselves tackling Panuara and at fairly sedate pace most of the time, not helped by a head wind that followed them all the way to Milthorpe. KOM points up the Piggery were taken by Owen who was riding strong all day. At Milthorpe Corner Shop and Newsagency, a refuelling with a Bacon and Egg Roll, delicousally by Sam Kay and meeting up with Jeff Stewart and Mark Tobin gave the boys some company for the roll back into Orange and with a tailwind, made for a much quicker trip, sitting on 40 for most of the way back. The sprint into town was a drag race between Owen and Mick, with Mick pulling away in the last 50m to take the points.
Garmin file can be found at connect.garmin.com/activity/62571932