Two Saturdays in a row in the Hills- this must be a new record, at least for the last couple of years.
I arrived at Surrey Park after taking the soft option of driving from home to the meeting point. I just don't see the point in riding out through the inner east to get to the rendezvous point and having to chop off some of the good bit- that is the hills themselves. So, drive I did. I was there on my lonesome until 0645 when Les rolled on by, chasing a couple of blokes up the road. I was pretty sure they weren't the TE bunch, but hey, on my second week back, I wasn't going to argue. The tires I put on yesterday felt like they had lost some air overnight, but on reflection, that was just me. Les promised a scenic route through the wilds of Ferntree Gully, and after seeing tantalising glimpses of 3 riders ahead who didn't look sharply dressed enough to be from TE, we turned right off the Burwood Highway. It was indeed scenic, with a few sharp hills to whet the appetite prior to the Tourist Road, which we reached soon enough. No 11-23 this week, but I was soon on the 27, ticking the legs over at my max. The speed doesn't seem to change, only the cadence alters. I lobbied Les to head straight on up the tourist road, and being the obliging fellow he is, that we did. There was pea-soup fog up the top, which lessened as we went down towards Sassafras. I was thinking seriously about turning and rolling down the 1 in 20, but my spirits lifted on meeting Greg and Leigh in sassafras. A second ascent for them, with Les and I in tow, and we were off to the Northern Dandenongs, where I was going to descend Inverness and return home. I could wax lyrical about the descent, but I already did that last week. At the bottom, it just seems such a shame not to ride back up again, and the busy-ness of the road down to Montrose did not entice. The others headed up the hill, and I followed a little later. The 27 cog made it bearable but far from enjoyable- the roll down to Montrose was welcome.
Out on my own, I had forgotten that it is a fair ride back down Canterbury road to Surrey Park. Initially it is downhill, but soon there are a few pinches, like Heathmont Hill, which just hurts after the hills earlier in the ride. Every traffic light knows my name and wants to say hello, and on this rolling road, extra stops and starts are really not welcome. Finally the rise up to the start point looms, and I wring a few more pedals from my protesting legs and take it home.
Looking at the power file at home, my 20 min power is about 10% down on its peak last year, and longer periods are even worse. Hopefully I can push it up a bit for old time's sake. I miss the feeling of strength, and the ability to repeat. After I have done a couple of good efforts, these days, that's it. Still, with a good couple of months prior to Bright in January, there is plenty of improvement to be had.
