First off. VOTE FOR CHESHIRE CYCLE in the Readers Choice Awards!
If you enjoy reading the blog, surely you have reason to cast a few votes and get the shop recognized. Thanks for your support. Make sure you vote for at least 24 other categories.
(and while you are at it, Pop's Pizza is hands down the best in Cheshire, vote for them too.)
Ok on tonight's action.... vacations perhaps thinned the ride out a little today. Only around 45 guys out.
Heading out of the start house and into Cheshire, John Gregory and Jesse from Keltic were lighting it up. Also Rick on a C-Dale and a couple of others. On Brooksvale a small gap was briefly opened under the efforts of a very aerodynamic Tall John. But it didnt last long and the whole ride was together to Mountain Rd. Eric M and Chris C led everyone up the first riser on Mountain.
Tall John again fired off some bullets by jumping on Mountain road. The ride was humming along at this point. There was gapping being done by the end of Mountain Rd. Chris C, Rondo, Jesse K, Tall John, a yale rider, and a couple of others had a bit a of gap with 1k to go on Mountain. But Eric M and Hunter P closed it down before the light came up.
Onto Moss Farms where Stage 1 riders Dave Hartmann ( ?!) and one other (George D?!) came up and started going hard. By the Chicane, the two Stage 1 guys had been at the front for 3\4 mile. Impressive... Up the hill to Marion was quick and there was a group again beginning to form up the road a bit. Chris C, Julio, Dave, tall John, Todd H, Rider on a Storck and a couple of others were just out there, dangling at 30 yards. It took efforts by Eric M, a now regular Rider in a Yellow&Blck kit, and Hunter P to bring them back by the industrial park.
Crazy Chris and Chris C were all about the Industrial Park tonight, leading at least two separate charges when no one else would step up. Onto West Johnson where Eric M & the Rider on the Storck were trying to sneak away off the front. Hunter P then jumped hard after the intersection for Peck ln, no doubt trying to spoil the Little T sprinting tutorial that was soon to come on Rienhart. Joe K jumped even harder after a few seconds and the two looked dangerous charging up the hill. This got this into alert mode in the field. Mike McG ( looking serious with his racing set of wheels on for the day ) came up and did the lions share of the chase. Joe and Hunter would be caught pretty early on Reinhard, but the acceleration certainly would change things up for the sprint. There was no killer Mike McG jump\leadout this time and there actually was a rider who snuck away on his own ( name, I.D. ? ). But Julio from Stage 1 had been riding the wave well and jumped hard at the right moment, and was able to collect the prize at the top o the hill.
It all came back together on the descent but Mike McG had a huge tech failure on the "cobbles" down the backside. At 30+ mph his steerer tube broke, leaving him with out handlebars. In a move that would make Ned Overend wonder how, Mike was able to no-hands it for a couple of crucial seconds till Dillon P ( Vote for his shop! See above link, seems only fair, help save Mike... get a couple of votes ) got hold of Mike's shoulder to steady him. Mike had the wherewithal to reach to his left and grab hold of Dave from Stage 1 and the 3 slowly came to a stop. Dave, doing the majority of the braking, got caught up in Mike's bike when Mike had to skip-stop out of the pedals to come to full stop. ( apparently coming to full rest on a bike is hard when there is no handlebar.... go figure )... In the end, no one got badly hurt despite it being pretty much the worst thing that can happen on a bumpy descent.
The whole ride, tho in front of this, held up and waited for while... Soft pedaling to Route 10. Buy the time Rt 10 came, there was a smaller group of about 15-20 that were content to keep going.
Reporting on the rest of the ride is sort of needless, as the rest of the night, riders were coming back to Hamden in small groups. The head group continued along at full speed once on RT 10. Jesse from Keltic nearly got the Stop n Shop sprint... Joe K was able to pass him just in the nick of time on the top of th hill, bearing down hard on a red light.... So it was close. The front group did have the pleasure of seeing Greg C from Keltic, at Dairy Queen in Cheshire, enjoying a blizzard with his new girlfriend... Ah, budding romance.....
Coming in to the finale, Jesse was giving Hunter P a good fight, along with a new rider atop a red Giant. Hunter P got it in the end.
The rest of the ride cruised in.... Mike was able to re-set his steerer tube and nurse it back home...
