Tuesday the 27th

 Just when you thought it was done, it Ain't!

The ride moved to 5:30 PM for the night. Unfortunately a couple of guys showed up at 6 PM and were left wondering what could have been. Call or txt Chris C and let him know your feeling on the subject. His phone number is 860- (no just kidding we would never do that)

The short loop is proving to be shorter but not easier. Tons of attacks and chasing guys down tonight. Nobody wants to miss out and everyone is looking to capitalize on the efforts of others in hopes to counter attack while they're gasping for air. Little T attacked on the second half of the Cheshire St hill climb in hopes to surprise the usual suspects. He was quickly joined by Dan S and Steve B. Dan jumped just past the light. Steve B put in a dig to catch, then faked em out with an in-the saddle sprint which prompted Dan S to go again. Little T responded, and jumped on Dan's wheel and was able to hold off Steve B.

 

That was the most exciting part of an exciting night! Heading back into Hamden, there were more small attacks but nothing stuck. Dan S tried to get away to no avail and T took the final sprint as SGR  commingled with the New Haven Bike Club in the run in to the finale making things a little bit interesting. 

Next week?

Tuesday the 13th

 The grand finale! (or is it???)

 

It all comes down to one more week of SGR. Oh sure, they'll be guys out at 5:30 next week but it will no doubt be a watered down, hold-onto-What-MTV-used-to-be type of ride.

The ride got going slowly as it has over the last couple of weeks. The first decent surge came from the Black brothers early on Mountain Road. They stretched it out a bit and softened up the legs. Dillon P and Joe K kept the pace going after that, but there were no attacks heading up to the light. The Brother Black were back at it on Moss farms with an initial acceleration that popped a couple guys. Then little T took off with an attack and went through the chicane alone. He held on to the gap all the way on to Marion but was collected by the chase shortly after that. Going into the industrial park. Dan Smith surged before the corner for West Johnson which got everybody at attention and going hard. Joe K. Chris C. Little T. Rusty, we're all up there. Hunter P. Attacked hard going up to the light on route 10 but it was red bringing everybody back together.

 

Dan Smith had another surge off the front before the ride got to the greenhouse climb. Behind him it was Joe K and Big Red chasing up the hill. Then Chris C took over but it was a bit too late and Dan was able to hang on to the sprint point. Behind, Little T went unchallenged for a second place and Noah Black came through and rounded out the podium. Dan would pull back and slow it down in the back roads between Cheshire and Hamden leading to a nice and mannerly ride back into Hamden for the finish. 

 

Smitty wasn't done yet and he attacked going into the final couple of kilometers. He held a gap on the downhill of Tuttle and toward the finish line but he was caught by a flying Little T and the Black Bros. Noah rolled in second followed by Aaron. Great ride everyone!

See you all at Cheshire Cross on October 29th!

Tuesday the 6th

 We're Going to have to Paint Lines on the Road!

The rides are dwindling down to the last couple. The group out tonight was about 17 riders strong. Got started slowly but then Noah Black was there to push the pace in the early back roads of Cheshire. The biggest noteworthy event tonight was Dillon and Hunter P escaping off the front by sliding through the light at route 68 and Mountain Road. 45 seconds earlier Dillon P had surged hard off the front with Hunter on his wheel. The pack was content to let them go but then regretted the decision after seeing the traffic light situation. Those two kept going in the break and meanwhile behind the peloton avoided having to wait for a full light cycle before getting going again. 

The chase was on in earnest and by the end of the industrial park, turning onto West Johnson, it was all coming back together. The ride stayed together from there. Going up the greenhouse climb, the pace was slower than normal. it was uneventful with no attacks. Hunter P led the group through the light At the top of the hill and then jumped early for the Sprint. He was able to hold off little T by inches. Going back into Hamden, Dan Smith put down a couple of attacks but going into the finale it was all together. Little T got payback and was able to take the Sprint by a country mile. Hunter P and Noah Black rolled in afterward.

Great ride everyone! See you at the New Haven Grand Prix Friday night! Look for Dan Dudzik in the dark corner at College and High Street, taking blinds on Ben Wolfe in the Pro race between cat calls to the Yale students walking by.

Tuesday the 30th

For BloodyNoraSakes GMSR is this Weekend!

After last week's rain out, there was a huge field out tonight. It was of the bigger groups of the year season. Great to see Marine and Inma crushing it out there for the women. They completed the entire ride with the pack. Impressive stuff.

It was also great to see Central Wheel Dennis back out in the group. It's been too long. Dennis. The pace was quick into the back roads of Cheshire with hacker. Joe K, Noah B, Erin Rand, and Thule Tom pushing it early on.

The pace stayed respectable but there was no attacks or breakaways all the way up to the light at route 68. On Moss Farms, Joe K and hacker each traded attacks off the front but each time Central Wheel or Aaron B pulled it back with the help of others. Little T fired it up going into the chicane and had a bit of a gap there but it all came back together for the run onto Mount Vernon. 

The tailwind helped the pack move along and there were no attacks all the way until the turnaround. Hacker, Steve B, and Joe K snuck away on Welch and those three looked to have a solid gap going into the sprint point. As soon as they turned right onto West Street the headwinds smacked them and brought them to a screeching halt. Behind Dan S Chris C, and Little T were winding it up and fighting their way into the headwind. The leaders would soon be swallowed up leaving Little T to jump for it ahead of Noah B and Steve B.

On the back side it all came back together and a couple of guys, Henk P, Thule Tom and Sean Maher all had chances to get off the front. Once hacker had recovered he was also back up there pushing it. Steve B and the Black Brothers kept it honest heading up to the route 10 crossing then on the other side. 

Steve B then attacked hard going up the hill on East Johnson. He got off the front, was joined briefly by Hunter P and those two stayed out there until the middle of the greenhouse climb. Steve B was eventually caught, setting up Dan S and Little T for the greenhouse sprint. This time Noah B came charging through at the last moment to get the sprint ahead of Little T.

From there the ride was standard and uneventful going back into Hamden. For the finale it was full guns blazing from Little T who Led out the Black brothers and was able to stay in In front of Noah B by a hair's margin. 

Great ride everyone! 

Tuesday the 23rd

 Rained out!

Tuesday the 16th

"I mean, I can't think of one good reason why I should, but... (takes a breath) I'm thirty-xxx years old, I have a wife, a child, and a mortgage, and I'm scared to death I'm turning into my father. 

Chris C: What's your f$(&#n father got to do with this? 

I never forgave him for getting old. By the time he was as old as I am now, he was ancient. He must have had dreams, but he never did anything about them. For all I know, he may have even heard voices, too, but he sure didn't listen to them. The man never did one spontaneous thing in all the years I knew him. Chris, I'm scared that that's what growing up means. I'm afraid of that happening to me. And something tells me this may be my last chance to do something about it."

So thus started night full of drama at the SGR. While a few of the regular strong guys were up at Rentschler Field being productive members of the cycling community, SGR went off in it's usual soap-operatic way. 

After a bunch of cracks off the front and attacks to the pack, the shenanigans started coming up to the light at the crossing of route 322. Brian Oliver and Steve B had only one thing on their minds, getting off the front. They attacked coming up to the light along with Dan S. They had only a small gap, and the light turned yellow well before they hit the intersection. The got thru and it was red as they were going underneath it. The peleton was just 15 meters back, and had to hold up. Dan Smith was on the break but a few bike length back. He was caught in the cross-hairs of the packs wrath and pulled up to stop at the other side. Steve B and Brian O looked back, and continued. 

Talk of disqualification ensued. As was shared shortly after the ride,"25 guys were directly behind them and that's a dangerous intersection. There could've been a car coming from the left or right at full speed through it. Sometimes there's gaps and yellow lights that are borderline to get through. This was a blatant run of the light as it turned red before they were under the light. I understand the allure to keep going but that's a different kind of intersection that needs a little more caution."

 We will leave it at that. 

Thankfully the pace, and the chase, got going and the two leaders were at a coupe of points in sight. off in the distance, but they were not going to be caught. Behind, Ben Bruce and Little T scooped up points at the remaining sprints.

 

Tuesday the 9th

Like Asking Superman to Race on Krypton

This week's ride went back to being a bit more low-key. A few guys were up at the Rent. Many of the guys at SGR were nursing tired legs from the Tour of Litchfield Hills two days prior. At rollout there were about 20. A couple more rolled in along the way on route 10. Alex D'Souza and a couple of the Mogodonon guys were back out. A new rider (Martin Szwarc?) was out there with Dan Smith. Also out and riding hard early on was Sean Maher. 

It was quiet at the front of the ride for the early parts. There were no attacks heading up to the first light. Erin Rand had a big pull on Mountain Rd that nearl split the pack in two. Then, Chris C had a dig off the front on Moss Farms. Ben Bruce was also patrolling the front during this time and there were a couple of minor moves with him and Sean M leading the charge. 

Heading over I84, Hunter P attacked and got a gap going to the light on 322 but it was red and everyone came back together. On the other side, Dan S was looking to roll clear but no one was willing to go with him. The next to have a go was Steve B, who attacked hard a ways away from Welch. Ben Bruce was along for that, and those two built up a decent gap by the hill to West St. Ben Bruce would come off the pace, allowing Steve B to charge on alone to the sprint. Little T jumped going into the corner, taking Hunter P with him. T stayed on the gas enough to go by Ben Bruce and cut into Steve's gap by quite a lot. He jumped for the sprint but Hunter P was able to come around him. Both passed Steve, who sat up early, mistaking the sprint line for too soon. He would have had it, so the commissaries will rule on this one to award the points. 

On the backside, it all came back together, although Chris C and Dan S looked like they wanted to try to escape going thru the lights near I84. From there, the ride settled down. Dan S, Erin Rand, Ben Bruce and Steve B would all try their hand at getting off the front again. There was a big push from CW on West Johnson, which shed a couple of guys, or put em in the box for the run-down East Johnson. 

Ben Bruce, Dan Smith, and Steve B were again lifting the pace on Cheshire St. The pack (now down to just 12 or so guys) split under the pressure. Little T crossed the gap, then Hunter P and that brought everyone back "on terms."

Heading up the Greenhouse climb, Dan S rolled off the front early and was allowed to go clear. The "sprinters" were too busy marking each other. Then Steve B launched it to bridge and he too was allowed to roll clear. Steve would catch Dan S right after the light and he had a little left in the tank to sprint, getting his revenge for the first sprint point. Behind Hunter P jumped first from the chase with Little T on his wheel. Those two came around Dan S. Hunter P stayed out in front to go across the line next. 

The ride back into Hamden started normal enough, but there was some drama to be had. Towards the end of Talmage Rd, Chris C had a bit of a gap. He was caught after the right turn. Going left onto Coleman, Ben Bruce, Dan S, and Erin Rand juiced it going into the hill. Erin Rand used the slingshot and put his head down to send it. Soon after, Estaban S went down as the group was consolidating and coming together. Everyone stopped to make sure he was ok. This allowed Erin to take the crown on the night. 

Great ride everyone! Remember, next week is World War Tuesday© at Rentschler Field. It is the final TNC of the season. There is full scoring and results at this race, and it's junior race night. It's also "Throwback Jersey Night." So everyone that can is encouraged to head up there to show support. All the "points" will be up there in East Hartford. This is the chance for the SGR crew to work together to bring home the trophy. Maybe Chris C will even ride around in the parking lot with us. The going bet is, however, that if he can't yell at anyone during a ride, his super power on the bike is gone like Sampson with his hair getting cut. 

Tuesday the 2nd

The Breakaway Nearly Drowns Out There!

There was a BIG turnout at SGR this week. The race at Rentschler Field took place on Thursday this week so more guys (and gals) were out in Hamden. It was great to see Inma, Grace, and Lisa visiting the ride. Together with Patsy, the women enjoyed a good ride. Until the skies opened up that is! 

It was HOT out, so the pace was not too much at the beginning. Hons was active for the CCR crew, along with Dillon P. Kevin M was in attendance, as well as Aaron B. Those two would animate the front of the ride as well. 

Little T and Hunter jumped the group at the chicane and the uphill to Marion. That put TF and Hons in a good place to counter going by the industrial park. They couldn't get that to stick, which lead to Hunter P attacking over the highway on the way to the light on 322. Kevin M followed that up with a big push off the front. Kevin M and Hunter P got to the light (which was green) with 20 meter gap to Big Red, Aaron B, and the sleeper of the night: Mike Frisk. That second group got under the yellow-changing-red light, and the pack, while it less than 50 meters behind, wisely stopped.

The leaders went to work on the gap, and the chase had to wait a full cycle. Once they got thru and onto Mount Vernon, it was game on. Everyone was chasing hard and working together to keep the pace up. The break was in sight as everyone barreled down Welch for the turnaround. Up front, into the headwind, Big Red put in a huge pull to get everyone over the crest, where they did not contest the sprint. Big Red and Frisk came off the pace. 

Behind, Little T was not going to go quietly. He jumped the front of the group in his usual spot and kept the pressure on long enough to catch the break as it descended towards the I84 interchange. He caught up with barely anyone from the peleton in sight. Impressive! 

From there, the four (Aaron, B, Little T, Hunter P, and Kevin M) worked well up until going over route 10 which is when Aaron B pulled off for good. The leading trio did not go for the rest of the sprints. They, along with everyone else, hit a wall of rain at the top of the Greenhouse climb. 

Back in the pack, riders scattered from there, with some going the full route back, some going to Stop n Shop fully soaked, and others some heading south on route 10. The rain stopped within 30 min and by 8:15 roads were dry again.

Tuesday the 26th

July Goes Out with a Bang

Good-sized group out for the ride tonight. A few of the die-hards were up in East Hartford at the 'Rent. 

 

Early on, Dillon P had an early flyer that was not long for the world, but it got things going. Then Little T attacked after the chicane, which broke off a group of 4 or 5, Steve B was in there as well, drilling the pace but it was not enough to go clear by the light on 322. 

 

Little T took the turnaround sprint ahead of Steve B and Ben Bruce. 

On the greenhouse climb, 3 riders went up the road, but Big Red (pissed from not getting any love in last week's poll) kept it close. Steve  B jumped at the traffic light and got a good initial gap to the rest but it was bit too much too early. Ben Bruce then went for it later, but still earlier than most were expecting. LIttle T was there and came around all with some time to spare, with Ben next, then Steve, reversing the order from the turnaround sprint.

 

Little T kep on the gas and was able to hold off the field past the light on route 68/70. He clung to a lead  about half way through that next road before being eventually caught.

 

There were only some small attacks or surges heading back into Hamden. It pretty much stayed together. Little T was able to cruise to the last sprint, making it 3 on the night. He takes a commanding lead in the points, since Hunter P was not at the ride this week. 

 

Great ride everyone! Next week should be doozy, as there is no race up in East Hartford on Tuesday.

Tuesday the 19th

 Hot enough to burn a polar bear's butt

There was a decent crowd out tonight for the ride. Now that we're done with all that vacation and holiday crap we can get back to the task at hand. 30 or so riders slowly made their way into the back roads of Cheshire. It was hot out today so everybody was in. No rush to get going. Gibertoni, Henk from CVC, Chris C and a couple of riders from Team Mogododan were up there as well. It was good to see Brian Oliver out there from CW. He was up at the front as well pushing through on the early parts. 

On Mountain Road, Brian O pushed off the front on the first slope. Hunter P bridged across on the next uphill taking along Steve B. That made for three up the road fighting hard to maintain the breakaway through the next intersection. Behind the chase was definitely on with Chris C, the Mogododan riders, and Neumotion pushing the pace. The light was red which brought everybody back together for the trip down up Moss farms. 

Steve B kept the pressure on during the second half of Moss farms into the chicane and up into Marion Avenue, but there were no big attacks to create gaps. Hunter P jumped off the front going over the highway and had TF along for company. They barreled towards the light on 322. That light was red also, bringing everybody back together. The pace onto Mount Vernon started slow with no attacks in the early part. The entire ride down Mount Vernon was uneventful. Fast but with no attacks or teamwork to get anybody off the front.

Turning onto Welsh for the turnaround Brian O rolled off the front early on and was allowed to get a gap. He made the turn onto West Street with about 150 m lead. Little T jumped on the hill, taking a long Steve B and a couple of others. Brian O stayed on the gas, fighting hard, but would get caught halfway to the sprint on West Street. Little T was working hard but riders behind him were benefiting. He killed the throttle after going past Brian, leaving Steve B to take the sprint. Second through was Ben Bruce. 

On the back side Hunter P and Neumotion tried to attack hard to get off the front through the highway section but another red light brought everyone back together. Steffen H then tried to attack along with Big Red going up to the second hilltop on West Street. On the back side flying downhill it all came back together again. The pace was high on Atwater but no attacks. The group got the green light going back over, which put TF and Ben Bruce in a good spot to push off the front going towards route 10 but it wasn't enough to get to the light first. It was all together past route 10. Steffen H once again rolled off the front heading towards Cheshire Road and on the hill at the end of West Johnson. Steve B jumped up and joined him. Those two set off the front and were allowed to get a gap. Steffen H came off the pace after putting in big pull for Steve B and dropped back halfway up the hill. At about the same time Brian O and Big Red pushed off the front of the chase. Steve B went through the sprint alone followed by Brian O and Big Red. Those three would group-up shortly after going through the intersection on route 70 making up a trio that would not get caught for the rest of the night. They wrapped up the ride off the front alone. Kudos to the breakaway!

Tuesday the 12th

The breakaway is cursed!

Typical midsummer SGR tonight. Medium-sized group, slow to get going but with its spicy parts throughout the ride. Highlights from this ride include Jason Williams attacking a couple of times in the first half. Jason's strong riding this week and in weeks past have inspired a new poll. Check it out and leave your vote.

CW had the numbers tonight and made their presence felt early on, but there were no long-lasting attacks in the first 25 min. The first main breakaway of the evening was kicked off by TF and Hunter P, who attacked up the hill thru the light on 322 and up the hill before Mount Vernon. Everyone got the green there but not too many people wanted to chase as the pace was fast leading into the green light. TF and Hunter P Put their heads down and kept it going. They nearly got taken out by a truck turning right without a turn signal early on Mount Vernon. The truck slammed on the brakes and turned right into a driveway, forcing Hunter P to dart in front of it onto the grass in order to avoid getting hit. The break is cursed and had to brake! Unphased, the two kept going maintaining a gap of about 200 m.

 Steve B., Aaron B, and Dan S came charging across a kilometer or two later. That made for a powerful group up the road. Something happened with Dan's chain, and he had to drop back. The break is cursed and had to brake!

Undeterred Steve B Aaron B and Hunter P put their heads down and kept at it. The chase from the back weakened a bit, allowing them to maintain a gap and build it slightly. They held it all the way to the turn for Welch Road. On the second half of Welch the pack came alive and started to make progress to the three leaders. Little T jumped hard from the front of the pack with about 100 m to the hill and was able to go around the three. Steve B put his head down and went after Little T. Also jumping from the pack was Ben Bruce. Little T would get the sprint with it going too-close-to-call for second between Ben Bruce and Steve B. From there everyone stayed together down the downhill back towards 322.

On Atwater Street. Dan S and Ben Bruce rolled off the front and was allowed to go. They started for it and low and behold, they got the light on 322. As the pack came to a stop at the red light, everybody assumed it was lights out, game over the two would be not caught. Once everyone rolled onto West Johnson, can you believe it, the leaders were in sight! It turns out there had been a little bit of wheel contact between the two, forcing Ben foot dab hard on the ground. The break is cursed and had to brake!

The wind had gone out of Dan S's sails so the pace slowed down a bit as it made its way to Cheshire Road, heading towards the greenhouse climb. That gave Steffen H a chance to attack and get a healthy 300 m gap heading towards the climb. He had teammates up front of the peleton, allowing him to start the greenhouse climb with a couple of hundred meters lead. Behind TF set a solid pace up the climb early. Steffen H would be caught about halfway up the climb leading to a showdown at the sprint line. TF started it from about 200 m out. Little T was next to come around with Hunter P on his wheel. Hunter P was able to come around and get it by a bike length.

From there everyone stayed together. Heading back into Hamden. There were a couple of moves but nothing stuck. The finale was, as is usually the case, very fast. TF, Aaron B, Noah B, and Dan S got a huge kick early on. There was too much momentum behind little T though who launched it a little bit later and came sailing by with Hunter P on his wheel to go one two for the finish.

Tuesday the 5th

Those are not my nipples, they are my pecks

The tone this week was a bit more relaxed than usual. The Tuesday after Independence Day is usually a mixed bag. Throw in some foreboding weather and there were just 14-17 out tonight. It was great to see Ciocci out tonight. He was riding hard and burned some matches sewing things up after attacks.

Hunter p rolled out of the parking lot quickly, which got the pace going right from the start. There were a couple of surges from Gibertoni, Dan Smith and Hunter P during the first 20 min but nothing stuck. Same story for Moss Farms onto Mount Vernon. Little T had a dig up to Marion, Hunter P had a push off the front on Mount Vernon. The rain started halfway up to the turnaround. It started out light but turned steady after a bit.

Dan Smith jumped first on Welch but it was just to draw out others. On West St, it slowed down a bit. Then there was traffic at the light where everyone usually starts the sprint. Hunter P timed the light and squeezed thru between cars and curb, Little T timed the light and went to the left of the cars. He had a better jump and took the sprint ahead of Hunter and Dan.

Hunter P stayed on the gas after the sprint and dove down toward the highway with Chris C in tow. Those two would catch a light near I84, and with the headwind, and the rain, there was no immediate chase. Dan Smith sensed what was about to happen and jumped across the gap. He joined up with the 2 just as the downhill was starting. The 3 kept it up all the way over 322.

Chris C then decided he had had enough and dropped from the break. That's the way it would end. Dan S and Hunter P rolling clear and staying together until Dan got hit with a flat a couple of miles from the end. Little T soaked up any remaining sprinting to be had from the small group.

Next week should be a good one, since there is no Rentschler Field race that week. Everyone should make sure to sign up to race at the CCNS Kermis on Friday the 15th!

Tuesday the 28th

Smaller Group = Clash of the Sprinters

More than a couple of stronger SGR riders were up at Rentschler Field, leaving just about 20 riders to push off for the ride tonight.

The pace was downright polite for the first 15 min of the ride. Big Red and Dan S finally had enough and started pushing as the ride got to Mountain Rd.

Dan S kept the pace going on Moss Farms. Hunter P and Little T had big efforts getting onto Marion. Despite a smaller group, and some solid pushes, everyone stayed together going over 322 and onto Mount Vernon. A few minutes into Mount Vernon, Dan S pushed off the front with Joe K. That was allowed to roll, and those two built up a decent gap and were holding it in front of a chase that had TF and CCR not chipping in all that much.

Big Red, Rusty, Chris C, Jason Williams and a couple of others were responsible for keeping it close. On the false flat section, Hunter P jumped across the gap, which got TF chasing. That morphed into Hunter P, TF, and Dan Smith off the front powering a real-deal gap with a few minutes left before the turn onto Welch. Dan S attacked the group a couple of times, which broke up the paceline and slowed it down enough to let the pack catch back on.

The pace on Welch was slow, as everyone was catching their breath and trying to figure out what was to come next. Little T jumped hard before the corner at the base of the hill, taking Hunter P with him. Others would fill in the gap. Little T rounded the corner alone and stayed on the turbo. Behind, TF wound it up after the corner and came around Hunter P, but could not catch Little T.

T, TF, HP thru the first sprint in that order.

The pace stayed fast heading over 84 and back towards 322. Dan S and Dillon P each had surges in the usual spots. Dan S had a solid dig off the front heading up to the route 10 crossing, and seemed like he was in a place to make the light but opted instead to discuss cornering principles with Chris C as everyone waited for the light.

On the backside, the action paused until the Greenhouse climb. Big Red once again was done playin, and kept the pace high early on. Hunter P,  and Chris C rolled through a couple of times as well. For the sprint it was a similar outcome as the first. TF got it started, Hunter P kept it going, Little T finished it off. Those three finished order, T, HP, TF.

On the backside Dan S took advantage of the lackadaisical pace and rolled off the front on the climb up Boulder. He pulled off an impressive final 7 minutes of riding to stay away. Behind, there were only 5 or 6 willing to, or able to chase hard on Tuttle. For the finale, TF jumped hard first but Little T had the timing a bit better. He rocketed thru the final couple hundred meters. Hunter P was on this wheel. Those two were in full sprint for 12-15 seconds as they went around TF and came up on Dan S.

Dan S by a couple of seconds. T and HP were too close to call, but leadout points go to Alessio.

Tuesday the 21st

You Chase Him... No YOU Chase Him!
 

There was a smaller than usual turnout tonight for the sleeping giant ride. The weather was a little foreboding, which may have kept some people away despite the smaller size.

Despite the smaller group, the ride got going quickly early on. It was great to see Kieran H back out. Also Costa Rica John has rejoined us. As soon as the ride took off into the back roads. Kevin M, Dan Smith, Brian Suto, and a couple of others were pushing the pace. Leading up into Mountain Road Turner French was near the front and pushing the pace. On the first rise up Mountain Road. Kieran H pushed the pace and led a group of four or five off the front. That set off a stern chase behind and the pace was then rock solid all the way down Mountain Road.

Onto Moss farms. Dan Smith must have been getting bored, as he was messing around with everybody off the front of the pack. Since there were no major attacks on Moss Farms, he was able to get away with it, and it was all good. Going into the chicane it started to heat up a bit at the front. Hunter P lit it up going on to Marion, which dropped a few guys from the pack and spread things out single file. Once it came back together and a reshuffle took place, a small group rolled off the front, being led by Steve B and Ben Bruce. After that there was more hard chasing from those that didn't want to get left behind.

The leaders were back as the ride rolled by the industrial park. Hunter P went off the front again but the light was red at the 322 crossing. After that, Steve B stayed on it and led the charge onto Mount Vernon. For a few tenuous moments, there was a super-strong group led by Kevin M, TF, Kieran H, and Steve B off the front with 50-70 meters.

Hunter P jumped across the gap and in doing so brought the rest of the pack up to the leaders. The pace had gone out of the lead group though, so once it was all back together, things calmed down for a bit.

It slowed down quite a bit on Welch as everybody set up for the turnaround. Costa Rica John launched it into the corner with Jason Williams and Ben Bruce right behind. Costa Rica John started to fade as the top of the uphill came up. Ben Bruce was able to stay on it and nab it in front of it flying Little T, who was charging his sprint from the back. On the back side it all came back together, and despite a couple of surges from Kieran H rolling down West St the pack stayed together. Heading back up to 322 Steve B, Erin Rand and Rusty rolled off the front.

Kevin M would join them after everybody got the green light going over 322. The green light gave motivation for the leaders to stay out there. Hunter P. bridged across on West Johnson and once again, brought more than a few riders across the gap. It was all for naught as the light on route 10 was red.

Things calmed down for a little bit as everybody prepared for the greenhouse climb. Once there, Little T was one of the first to jump with Kieran H and Hunter P right behind. Then Kieran H jumped hard, taking TF. Steve B. And Kevin M. Those four were able to work up a gap as Big Red and Chris C chased from behind. The four upfront became three as TF came off the pack near the light at the top of the hill. The 3 then rolled up together to the sprint, and a late jump by Steve B sealed it, and he took it just in front of Kevin M. Those three would stay on the gas, and they got the green light on route 70 so they had a decent gap heading into the backroads.

Behind Dan Smith, Hunter P. And Little T tried to form a chase but eventually they would get swallowed up by the pack, which was now just 8 to 10 riders. The climb up the greenhouse combined with the fast chase in the backroads did more than a few riders in for the night. The 3 up front would not be caught and Kevin M got his revenge by nabbing the final sprint in front.

Great ride everyone!

Tuesday the 14th

No lack of speed tonight!

There were some fast segment times put down tonight, despite quite a few of the regular fast-men heading up to the 'Rent. Instead of teams attacking each other for victory, everyone seemed content to ride together for strong tempo at the front.

One rider who was still looking to mix it up was Wild Bill, who put in a big attack early on Mountain Road. He worked up a 200m gap, but the chase was on and organized. He held off a hard-charging pack for a good portion of Mountain, but it was all together heading onto Moss Farms.

For the turnaround sprint, Little T and TF jumped the pack late on Welch. No one was able to respond fast enough, and by the time Chris C, Ben Bruce, Wild Bill, and the Badger started chasing, the two were too far up. Little T took the sprint, and it all came back together on the backside.

Wild Bill had a couple more digs off the front as the ride went south, but as it was in the second half, everyone was working well together.

The greenhouse sprint was Little T. He got the jump and stayed in front of Wild Bill.

For the finale it was Little T again for the hat trick, followed by Ben Bruce.

Tuesday the 7th

Is it the return of the summer slowdown?

There were more than a few familiar faces missing from the ride tonight. About 22 riders at the start, The pace was meandering for the first several minutes. Ben Bruce took the bull by the horns and had an early escape that lasted for a couple of kilometers. He would be eventually brought back, mostly from the efforts of TF. After that everybody was playing nice and taking pulls as the ride wound through the back roads of Cheshire.

A new guy, Joe from New Britain, wearing a Red Shift Racing kit, punched it at the front on Moss farms and spread things out. TF, Hans, Ben, Bruce, and Hunter P. Responded immediately. TF and Hunter P. Put a couple of big pulls in on the later parts of Moss farms leading to a gap of about 100 m going into the chicane.

Sensing blood in the water, the group stayed on the gas. Behind them, Rich Nadeau and Brian Suto humped it triple time to make the bridge up. That made for a group of seven up the road. In the pack, Dillon P was playing a bit of defense for his teammates, allowing the group to stay off 100-150 meters or so.

The break got the light on 322, the pack did not. That was all that was needed to seal the deal. The break worked well together, knowing they simply had to keep a responsible pace to stay away. There wasn't much of a sprint at the turnaround. Ben Bruce when thru with a tie to TF after an abbreivated sprint. New Guy Joe peeled off going back over 322, making it 6 up the road.

Behind, the chase was a mix of CCB, Rusty, Buxom Blue, and TK. It was already a smaller group to begin with, so chasing the pack allowed for more riders to get involved.

Up the road, Hunter P outkicked TF at the Orchard sprint. A little later on the games started in the break. Ben Bruce and TF got a gap. Brian S and Hunter P bridged up a bit later. Ben Bruce then attacked with 2k to go, setting up Hunter P, but in the upset of the year, it was actually Suto that went thru the line first. The main pack finished a minute and half later, with Dillon P taking the bunch sprint.

Tuesday the 31st

 Red Lights 5, Human Beings 1

 

Memorial Day holiday interrupted kept the turnout at today's ride on the low side. This tonight, of course was the kickoff to Connecticut's underground SpeedWeek:

1. SGR on Tuesday
2. Rentschler Field on Thursday
3. The big finale Saturday at Nutmeg State games in New Britain

Then to top it all off. Jordan Lynn's Colorado-sucks-so-let's-go-live-there ride is happening Sunday morning 8 am from the Southington Library. Get in touch with Dave Rustico if you'd like more details.

Tonight's ride started off calm. The shenanigans started when Hunter picked up a motor pace from a slow-moving van. Even a slow-moving van is faster than the pack so he got a gap pretty quickly. Only Aaron B and Steve B were bold enough to chase, and they took off in pursuit. A corner later, additional traffic slowed everybody down bringing the pack back together. From there no attacks were attempted and it stayed reasonable all the way to the light on 68, 

There were some early pushes off the front on Moss farms. Gibertoni, Steve B, Buxom Blue, Chris C as well. A group of about four or five had a chance to push off the front, but it stayed together. Another opportunity for attackers as the ride got down to the chicane. Chris C, Joe k, Little t, Hunter P, and a couple of others. Hunter P. attacked going up to Marion. Steve B, Chris C, and Big Red responded and made it into the group.

One of the evening's strongest established breakaways ensued. The gap hovered around 4 or 5 seconds as everybody barreled into the industrial park zone. However, the break lacked the ump needed to create lasting separation and the downhill sections gave the chase just enough to reconnect before the tricky parts heading over the highway. Dan S attacked upon regrouping and got a gap going towards the light. Joe K responded from the chase but it was all being sewn back together. The light was red anyway.

Erin Rand, Steve B, Aaron B took the helm onto Mount Vernon, and the pace stayed normal all the way up to the turnaround. A couple of guys had some surges off the front, but there was nothing that was newsworthy. Onto Welch where Damien R and Buxom Blue rolled off the front and were allowed an initial gap. They stayed on it and eventually worked up 150m or so heading to the climb onto West Street. Behind it seems as though everyone was content to recover before the turnaround and let the break set up a bit.

The first one to jump from the pack was Dan S. Then Hunter P then took control and slowed it down through the corner for Damien R up the road. Next up was Steve B who rolled through, then Chris C briefly had a pull. Up the road. Damien and Blue were fading and as they hit the final uphill stretch to the sprint line, their gooses were cooked. Behind Aaron B and Dan S. Launched it for the sprint. Hunter P. came around and was on his way to the line when he sat up briefly, allowing Little T to go over the top with his bike throw.

On the back side it all came back together again and everyone was all too content to recover. On the way back into Cheshire. CW had the obligatory attack on Atwater, this time taking a long Dillon P and Hunter P. Again, the light was red, bringing the whole bunch back together. No further attacks until Steve B took off going up the hill on East Johnson Avenue. That started an interesting few minutes where riders were taking turns forming chase groups, bridging up to the front, or blocking for teammates. All the while Steve B was on the throttle leading the way. 

On the greenhouse climb, a mismash-composed group of about six riders had a few seconds gap over the pack and the main sprinters. It came down to Rusty to hit the front and try to bring the gap back on the second half of the climb. All the while, there was plenty of dead weight hanging out *near* the front as guys were being respectful of teammates clawing for air *up front*

The climb into the headwind took its toll and before the light it was all back together. This set up a big sprint for the whole group. Dan S was the first to go, then Little T. Hunter P got his revenge and was able to go through to get to the line first in front of Little T and Dan S.

Dan S then got HIS revenge by staying on the gas and rolling towards the light on route 68 alone. Traffic was backed up but he was able to sneak through alone and cut off some cars to get through the corner. The rest of the pack stopped for a few seconds. There were some grumblings of Dan's move being unsafe, but we've definitely seen worse this year. The chase was slow to get going and once it did the ride back into Hamden was standard fare. Dan S was not going to be caught. Behind. Little T gets his revenge by going through the final sprint first ahead of the Sernyak.

Great ride everyone! The battle continues on Thursday in East Hartford. Let's see which SGRers can hold their own in an ACTUAL race!

Tuesday the 24th

More New Faces, Everyone has FOMO!

 

The SGR ride is a hit! It was great to see Stephen Badger and Johnny Daut out tonight. We also had the return of the Haugs, Ryan and his son Kieran. This was perhaps the send-off ride for Max A. He's getting ready to move to North Carolina in the next week or so.

As the ride got started, Gibertoni and Joe K kept the pace high right on route 10. As soon as the ride turned off route 10, Joe and Hunter P rolled off the front and they took Big Red and Thule Tom with them. That group didn't make it too far though, as Steve B was leading the chase and it was caught within a couple of streets. Kieran H moved to the front and was punching a big hole into the wind when he took the front but no attacks.

Mountain Rd was fast but there were no attacks. Ben Bruce rolled off the front briefly but it was mostly all together. Onto Moss Farms, where it started out fast again thanks to Kevin M, Aaron B and Kieran H, but the majority of the field was attentive right from the corner, which led to minimal  gaps on the way to the first light.

Onto Moss Farms, where it was fast in the early going thanks to Kieran punching big holes into the wind at the front. Dan S started getting involved at the front as well, which kept things interesting. Aaron B, Chris C, and a couple of others were pushing off the front as the ride came up to route 322 but the light was red.

On the other side of the light, Dan S punched it up the hill, followed by Hunter P and Steve B. Nothing doing off the front though, and everyone was more or less together as the pace on Mount Vernon started ramping up.

Going onto Welch for the turnaround, the pace dropped off at the front quite a bit, allowing Joe K, Big Red, and a couple of others get a good look at the front of the field. Most of the other sprinters were cueing up several bike lengths behind. Little T punched it up the hill, taking along Hunter P and Dan S. Little T started the run in to the sprint, then Hunter P took over. Dan S attacked from about 350 meters and was allowed to get a gap. He hung on to it to the line, but just barely ahead of a charging Little T and Hunter P in that order. Everyone rolled back together on the backside.

Gibertoni slid off the front on the downhill of West St but was brought back when the chase caught both lights by I84. Reset and recollect going under the highway, then Dan S and Steve attacked with Hunter P in tow. Response to that was swift and there was barely  a gap as the three came up on the red light at 322. Dan S tried again heading up to the light on route 10 but it that one wa red as well.

Damien R attacked on the downhill of East Johnson but nothing came of that. The pace up the hill onto Cheshire St was mild this week. Everyone was setting up for the greenhouse. Aidan C rolled up to the front and kept the pace honest up the first part of the hill. That strung it out single file when it is usually bunching up a bit before the rest of the climb starts. Kieran H attacked from second wheel. Steve B was right there in 3rd position and went with Young Haug. Those two quickly got a gap as Erin Rand sat at the front of the chase all the way up the climb in defense of his CW teammate up the road. Up the road Kieran surged near the top of the climb, right before the light, got a gap, and was off like a piece of cheese. He rolled thru the top alone, got the light at route 68 and was not going to be caught.

Behind, Steve B clung to his gap over the rest, but it was closing down as the pack rolled they the light. Aaron B jumped from way out, taking along Hunter P. Hunter came around the two to be next over the line, followed by Aaron B. Kevin M kept on the gas but the pack had to pause at the light, giving everyone the chance to collect.

Dan S, Steve B, Kevin M, and Hunter P resumed full pace soon after and got a gap going. That made everyone behind chase hard. Chris C, Max A, Badger, and a couple of others brought that gap back quickly. Reset and recollect for the next few minutes. Dan S and Kevin M attacked on the Boulder road climb and took a 5 second gap onto Tuttle. Those two worked well together and despite a couple of strong pulls from Damien R, Chris C and Badger.

The gap came down a bit by the crest of the climb, but the two drove it hard down the hill and were able to stay in front of the cahse. They went for the it at the sprint and Kevin M rolled across ahead of Dan S. BUT, the main prize goes to Kieran up the road.

Great ride everyone! Next week everyone is in for a treat. SGR on Tuesday, and then Rentschler Field on Thursday!

Tuesday the 17th

SGR enters 3 weeks of the best kind of chaos

 It was by far the biggest group of the year tonight. It was great to see Steve Grey, Dan Dudzik, Steven Badger, and several other riders who together ensure that it's going to be a great SGR. So long as the weather holds up, these weeks before the CCAP's Renschler Field Series starts up will be crowded and fast for SGR. Despite the big field tonight, the pace got going quite slowly once off route 10. It took several minutes before the pace got going. Aaron B rolled to the front and started pushing the pace along with Keith M. Pretty soon Dan Smith was up there as well and along with Thule Tom's efforts, the normal high pace settled in.

TF got involved early on as well, bringing out Mike Hons and Chris C. There was a brief moment before Mountain Road where it looked like a group of 5 or 6 might get sprung by Dan Smith surging off the front but there was enough attentive riders going hard to keep it all together. Big red was active on the front here, as well as most of the evening, keeping the pace in response to would be attackers. We saw fresh faces from New Haven mixing it up in the front quarter of the pack. Andrew Suzuki and Aiden Xue got up there and were riding aggressively, far from the back of the pack.

On Mountain Rd, Hunter P and TF lit it up on the uphill start, and that started opening up gaps. Noah B stayed on it, which led to a brief gap to him and one other as the rest behind were sorting it out. Rosie charged across the gap, taking Hunter P and the rest of the field. It was all together going into the light and then to Moss farms.

This week on Moss farms the pace was a little less aggressive, and even though the wind was still a huge challenge to overcome there was no big attack to clear the front. It stayed together all the way over route 322 and on to Mount Vernon. TF and Hunter P went hard at the start of Mount Vernon, which woke everyone up. TF stayed on the gas and had a gap Chris C and Mike Hons chasing in front of the peleton. Kevin M sensing the opportunity, jumped across, taking no one else. He was able to get up to TF and those two got to work quickly into the headwind. Behind, Hons and Chris C couldn't close down the gap and started sinking back to the pack. With CW and CCR represented up the road, the chase was a bit slow to get going, but the headwind proved more of a deterrent to the two leaders. They could have used a couple more bodies up there to stay clear. Within a couple kilometers they were back into the pack. Dan S, Noah and Aaron B, and the big dude in blue kept the pace surging and unpredictable. Dillon P rolled off during a calmer moment and was allowed to get a gap that he held for another kilometer and a half. Cedric Baylor jumped across the gap late to him, but those two didn't have much of a chance to work together with the pack bearing down.

Ont to Welch for the turnaround, no one was really no one was pushing the pace through there. The usual guys started attacking up the uphill to the corner but Noah B got a best jump and went through the corner clean. He kept his head down on West Street and was escaping. Behind him a crowd going through the corner needed a little bit of sorted sorting out but once it did, Chris C, Noah B, Hunter P and TF emerged at the front. Noah B was not going to be caught though and he gets the hard-fought points. Behind Aaron B jumped next with Hunter P able to come around his wheel for second.

On the back side it all came back together although there were a few moments where TF, CCB, and Hunter P looked ready to push off the front. There were small gaps in the down the back side of West Street but with traffic near the 84 interchange nothing got rolling. Heading back towards route 322 Hunter P took a flyer to which Dan S responded and went across the gap. But the light was red keeping it all together. Dan S and Kevin M kept it up once through the intersection, but there was enough guys to roll with it.

On to the backside of the course where everyone screamed thru East Johnson with a tailwind. Steve B launched it on the hill up to the corner of Cheshire Street. Even though plenty of others jumped on the hill it was a good enough attack so that it was only he and Kevin M that went clear. They started rolling down Cheshire Street and towards the greenhouse climb with a gap and kept on plugging away. Behind a few riders got into the mix and started chasing, but it broke down. Within half a kilometer it was the two up the road with the pack chasing. Up front the two worked well together and hit the base of the climb with a solid 30-40 second gap that would not be brought back. On the climb, nobody was willing to chase it back. CW was sitting on, and they surged a bit to cover accelerations from surge to respond to a couple moves from Henk P and Chris C. Steve B and Kevin M get the points going across the line at the top of the hill. Behind Dan S wound up and went hard to be the next guy across the line in front of TF.

After the sprint Steve Band Kevin M were held up by traffic at route 70 allowing everybody to come back together. As the ride went on the there were no big surprises going through the back roads of Cheshire. Steve B stayed on it at the front of the pack and surged off a couple of times, but never more than a few meters. The finale was another hectic one with 10 to 12 guys ripping through the downhill onto the Tuttle sprint. Noah B timed the uphill-to-flat sprint well and was the first one across the line. Hunter P rolled in next, with The Sernyak right behind him. Fun ride everyone!

Tuesday the 10th

A big break goes clear

A big headwind greeted the ride today and it would play a big role in how the ride turned out. In the parking lot, it was great to see Kyle Crowell out for the first time in a while. However, he was hit with a flat in the first 15 min and had to call it a day early. Besides him, Nuemotion was back out after a hiatus from the ride. Everyone was eager to ride with the great weather at hand. Also, riding hard is needed to be ready for the Governor's Guard Round-Up in Avon on Sunday! While it's technically a MTB race, the Round Up course is perfect for wimpy road-bikers. Cheshire Cycle is getting the sandbags ready to present to our favorite SGRers brave enough to go for it.

Out of the parking lot, Joe K and Gibertoni were eager to push the pace heading north on Route 10. Then, Hunter P possum'ed off the front as soon as the ride turned off route 10. After a couple of corners, he was 150m up the road. Wild Bill saw what was happening and jumped hard to close the gap and did so within half a km or so. That put two up the road working together into the wind.

Shortly after that, the alarm bells started going off in the pack and a chase group made up of Noah B and Steve B from CW, and the Mullaly's, Kevin and Keith. That quartet got up to the leaders and everyone started rolling. Behind in the chase, Big Red was doing his best to keep the pace high and get everyone working together.

Heading to Mountain rd, the gap was coming down a bit, when Keith M missed the corner for Mountain, taking SGR regular Steve B with him (!?). Those two had to turn around and hustle back double speed. Up front, the break broke down as the peleton saw its chance to close the gap. The pace stayed decent as a couple of Cheshire riders used the catch as a chance to push off the front. Joe K and Hons each had surges off the front, and every time CW was there to go with. Keith M and Steve eventually caught back on and they wasted no time to getting back up to the front. Late on Mountain Rd, a gap had started to 3 riders off the front (Noah B, Erin R, Kevin M). Hunter P went across the gap and that sewed it all up as everyone got to the light.

Early on Moss Farms, K&K went right back to the front and pushed hard off the front. Steve B and Noah B were right there with them. Behind, it was a scramble to find the wheels that were going in the right direction. A couple of guys who turned the corner early were dropping back, and a couple of guys seeing the gap were at full throttle. Brian Suto was in the latter category. He started to jump across the gap with Hunter P and Aidan C on his wheel. That trio made the connection, putting 7 up the road.

As the pack rolled down the backside of Moss Farms, Little T and Chris C had created separation and were making their way across the gap. Those two were able to use the chicane and the corners to close it down more and by the uphill corner for Marion, the full group had about 150 meters lead. Steve B, Noah B, Hunter P, Aidan C, Little T, Chris C, K&K. Suto had to drop off the pace.

The break rolled smoothly together. K&K, Steve B, and Hunter P doing a bit extra work. The gap went out on the way toward the route 322 crossing. The break got the light, the peloton had to pause. That was enough to spring the break for good.

By the turnaround point on Welch Rd, the peloton had the break in sight! All the way down Mount Vernon, Big Red was trying to rally and motivate the rest in his own unique way. Wild Bill was taking good pulls along with Henk, Dillon P and Gibertoni. The headwind made it tough though. Up front, the smaller group rotating smoothly was able to chop into the wind a bit more effectively. The break rolled up toe the sprint together, but then Little T broke the stalemate, jumping up for sprint with Steve B on his wheel. Everyone in the break gets points though. T gets a couple more for outkicking the rest. The break came back together and kept working well.

The break got green at every light on the way back into Cheshire, even the one on 322. The peloton got held up by nearly every red light. The gap went from 20-30 seconds to a couple of minutes from the sprint to the crossing on route 10 in Cheshire. Both groups had to wait a while there. After crossing over for the last 30 min of the ride, the break started playing cat n mouse a bit, and behind in the pack, everyone started looking around for the competition instead of up the road.

By the greenhouse climb, the peleton was just 10 or so riders. Big Red was still yelling at himself and others. Dillon P, Gibertoni, Henk, and Wild Bill were still pushing the pace. Up front, Aidan C attacked the group at the base of the Greenhouse climb but was held up by a car exiting a driveway. Then Steve B and Keith M went. No one got dropped though. Hunter P took the sprint at the orchard just ahead of Little T.

The ride back into Hamden was fast for everyone. Little T took the final sprint as everyone either mistimed the jump for the new finish line or was still going for the old line.

Great ride everyone!

Tuesday the 3rd

 
Good weather returned and so did the crowds for the sleeping giant ride this week. A bunch of new faces out there today. Highlighted among them was Matt Armstrong down from Fairfield county up from Fairfield county. Matt, is the lead protagonist of the Wednesday Night Worlds Ride, which leaves from Greenwich High School during the season. Check that ride out if you can. It's a fast one, just slightly slower than SGR. ;-)

In addition to Matt, we had a few other riders from down in the Greenwich area, some Mogodanononongon riders. It was great to see young Alejandro Huber back out for his second full go with the ride. It was also great to see Aaron Black back out for the first time this season.

Kicking off the ride on route 10 was Hunter P. Who surged away but it was all grouped together for the turn off of route 10. After that. Keith Mullally was on the front a lot. Never quite attacking, instead pulling away with good old, solid pacemaking. There were plenty of fresh legs to respond, and it kept the pace high for the first 10 to 15 minutes of the ride.

It was all together heading on to mountain Road, and there were no attacks on the early. Chris C punched it off the front and was allowed to roll. Behind him, a chase formed with a small gap off from the rest. In the chase was Keith M, TF, Hunter P, and a couple of others. It came together by the intersection midway down Mountain Rd. From there it stayed together with everyone pulling nicely and politely. Steffen H rolled off the front with about a kilometer to go to the intersection and that was followed up by Hunter P. He was chased down by the usual suspects and it all came back together at the red light on route 68/70. On Moss farms it was more of the same with Chris C, Keith M, and a couple of others setting the early pace that kept it fast. Damien R. rolled up to the front and hit it hard, but nobody allowed any gaps. Plus the attacks weren't all that strong. The pace was good enough to let a small but strong group get a tiny gap going into the chicane but nobody drilled it enough up to Marion Avenue to keep it going.

The pace on Mount Vernon was decent but nothing crazy. The usual cat n mouse started before the turnaround. A couple of guys tried to sneak away but it was cuing up behind. Little T got a solid jump and hit the corner with a 5-second gap. He held it all the way to the line. Behind, Chris C traded pulls with Hunter P and Dan Smith. Hunter P jumped to come across next, staying out in front of TF who rolled in 3rd.

On the backside, Dan Smith kept the pace going with TF and this eventually led to Chris C, Hunter P and Dan Smith off the front fighting for a gap up to the top of West St. They had a gap going down but got hung up by traffic near Atwater street. Once through that, Dan Smith attacked again and was allowed to roll off the front. He stayed on it just enough to carry a gap to the intersection of 322. Behind, a newer rider (big guy in blue) powered the front and was bringing the gap back. Dan got the light though, which allowed him to get away for good.

However, reports began circulating that Dan was pulling off the ride early, so we would not get credit for the winning breakaway. The ride got back going again, and the usual pace unfolded for the last third of the ride. Damien R tried to get away on East Johnson again. The pace was lazy after that heading up to the Greenhouse climb. TF rolled off the front with Rosey. Those two were allowed to go. Rosey dropped off the pace halfway up the climb, and TF was able to stay out in front. Big Red set the pace in chase, and then Little T rolled thru the sprint line.

The pace got mellower in the pack after that. Only just ahead of the final sprint did it go back up again. Cedric B and Dillon P both had well-timed moves late on Tuttle to sneak one in, but there was enough pedaling at the base of the hill to bring it all back together. Going for the new sprint line was just Hunter P and Litle T. Both mistimed the jump to the speed limit sign on the right just past the River Road intersection on the right. T had the momentum and rolled in. A few guys still sprinted for the old line and hopefully everyone will be on the same page for next week.

Tuesday the 26th

 Rained out!

Dan Smith, Chris Crowell and Turner French were the only ones out on the ride. 

In other news, the majority want to move the final sprint line back to avoid the crappy pavement. Next week, the sprint line will be this speed limit sign that is just past River Rd.

Another Lively, and Friendly Ride!

There was a smaller than usual crowd out tonight. The cold and the wind no doubt kept a few away. Right from the gun the pace was high though. Hunter P zipped off the front as soon as the ride turned off route 10. He was joined by Steve B and pretty much everyone responded in kind.

There were plenty of warm bodies to keep rotating thru the front to keep the pace high (Jordan Lynn, Chris C, Ben Bruce, Kevin M). Turner French was next to go, and rolled off the front after the corner of South Brooksvale. He stayed on the gas and was allowed to roll. By the corner of Mountain Rd, he had 50 meters but the field was working it's way back. On the first risers up the hill, Hunter P jumped and made the bridge. That made two off the front. The response from the back on the climb was delayed which added to the gap.

A few riders didn't want to miss the bus though, and attacked off the front of the chase as the uphill section was ending. Kevin M, Wild Bill, Dan Smith, and Rich N. The timing was slipshod so everyone had to work hard with gaps in place as TF and HP continued rolling away. Pretty much just as soon as it all came together up front, Dan Smith attacked the break, taking only TF and Hunter P with him. The rest of the break sat back dismayed and frustrated. Once DS and TF saw they weren't going to riding away alone, the gas went out of that effort as well, so everyone (pack included) hit the light on 68/70 together.

Onto Moss Farms where there were a few guys (Jordan Lynn, Chris C, Hacker, etc) that were responsible for most of the pace-making. Hacker looked like he was going to attack a couple of times, but the pack stayed together all the way through to the industrial park. Hunter P rolled off the front before 322 and the light was green, but the CW-led chase was right there.

CW stayed on the front for the first part of Mount Vernon. There were a few others always present up there to keep em company. The full-length roll down Mount Vernon was uneventful. The usual gaps formed after the false-flat section, but no one attacked. The pace picked up a bit on Welch. A surge at the front put Hacker, Erin Rand, and Ben Bruce in the frontseat and they rolled off the front and hit the corner for West St with a few seconds gap. Dan S jumped across the gap, taking Steve B, TK and a   couple of others with him. There was some hesitation from the chase, but once it got going, Dan S was going past Hacker and Ben Bruce. TF and Steve made up and over as well, and that was the order through the sprint point.

On the backside, a couple of guys (Chris C, Hunter P, Steve B) stayed on the gas but the pack made it's way back and wasn't too far behind as the downhill ended. Hunter P had a douche-bag wide gap and rolled thru a just-turned red light, whereas the rest stopped a second later.

Grumblecakes ensued, but everyone was eager to get the chase going once the traffic cleared. HP held the gap all the way to the light going back over 322. CW did the lion's share of the chasing to bring him back. Next up was Dillon P who rolled off the front in search of the light on route 10 but that was red thru and thru.

Damien R was next to attack on East Johnson. He rolled thru the corner for Cheshire St with a narrow gap. Once again it was Dan Smith chasing back. The hill+corner gave a few guys the chance to roll off the front (Hacker, Dan Smith, Big Red, Kevin M, Wild Bill) but there was enough of a response to make sure it didnt get very far.

Onto the Greenhouse climb, where Chris C jumped off the front after the first riser and was allowed to roll away uncontested. He kept a healthy gap going up nearly the entire climb, as the pack went up the slowest it has in weeks. The strong cross-winds were not helping. Once near the top, the gap started to come down, and then Chris C was held up by the red light. On the back side, Hunter P got the pace back up and then Steve B jumped early for the sprint. It was fast enough to catch a few by surprise but Hacker and Hunter P latched on quickly. Hacker was the first to open up the sprint proper, but Hunter P was able to come around and get the points. Ben Bruce was there in second and then TF.

Dan Smith tried to keep it going after the light and the corners, but it was all together soon after. The pace was for real after that. No one attacked, but the pace was high for the sections that mattered. The rise up Tuttle was fast, everyone ripped down the backside, and there was a healthy amount of jockeying for position in final kilometer.

For the finale, TF jumped off the front early, risking a yellow-line violation. He stalled out as Wild Bill and Big Red were winding it up. Ben Bruce got the late, best jump though and stayed out in front to get it in front of Wild Bill. Third place was ??? It was too close to call. If it was you, leave it in the comments.

(There is a new poll up. It was suggested that the end of Tuttle is getting chewed up again and sprinting there is getting sketcty due to potholes, pavement ruts, and cracks. The top of the final riser seems a safer spot to sprint to. Leave your poll response if you'd like)

Tuesday the 12th

Getting More Comfy with the Deep End of the Pool

The aggro-style riding continued tonight, which made for another awesome ride. Besides the team vs team antics, more solo riders were willing to roll the dice and push the pace. Pretty much right off the bat, there was activity off the front. Aidan C and Billy Thompson were early instigators and broke away on South Brooksvale. Their group eventually grew to about 8 or so, including Wild Bill Strebel, Joe K, Ben Bruce, Chris C, and a couple of others. The group hit Mountain Road with about 10 seconds, and a bit of traffic in the corner for the main pack let the gap go out a few meters more.

Brian Suto and Turner French got the pace going again soon on Mountain Rd. As it became apparent that Cheshire was not chipping in since Ben Bruce and Joe K were in the break, the CW crew lit it up in the chase. Dan Smith had a big pull, then Steve B had a massive dig. Erin Rand was rotating thru as well. By the time TF attacked the front halfway down Mountain, the main pack behind was reeling. CW kept on it, with Hunter P latched on as baggage to cover each attack. The light on route 68 was red-turning-green so it all came back together there. But it was just barely that the main pack avoided getting "dropped" by the break and chase #1.

The pace calmed down on Moss Farms. Jordan Lynn and Chris C were still pushing the pace but there were no big attacks. Steve B drilled it hard well before the chicane, and he took a gap up the riser to Marion but rolled back soon after. Onto Marion, the pace stayed high and there were a couple of moments where it looked like the pack was going to detonate. Hunter P, Little T, and Damien R surged and took their opportunities, but nothing stuck. As the ride neared 322, Joe K and Jordan Lynn rolled off the front uncontested. They timed it well and rolled thru the light with about 50 meters lead. The pack stopped at the red light to discuss the chances the two up the road had at staying away.

Once resumed, the ride was controlled largely by CW. The pace was solid, and there were a couple of moments when it looked like a chase group would form. Damien R, Hunter P , Wild Bill, CVC Esteban, and a couple of others were present upfront as Steve B, Dan Smith and TF brought back the gap.

Jordan L and Joe K appeared halfway down Prospect St, and it was all together turning onto West St. Dillon P countered with an acceleration to get a gap going, but there was red light turning onto Atwater. Next up was Hunter P, who jumped hard on the climb going under the highway. He held a gap going back to the 322 crossing. Behind, the chase was ligit, led by CW, Chris C, Wild Bill and a couple of others.

It was all together getting thru the light and heading towards the route 10 crossing. There were no other attacks until the uphill on East Johnson. TF, who was stuck in a single gear due to a dead Di2 battery, was either full gas or sitting back for the rest of the night. He attacked up the climb along with Damien R and Hunter P, but no one was going to let out that leash. Big Red then rolled to the front and kept the pace high heading to the greenhouse climb. Dan Smith and Steve B also ramped up the pace a few notches, but it wasn't enough to get a gap.

On the climb, the pace slowed down for the first section. Then TF went full gas mode, and only Hunter P went with him. Those two quickly got a 100-150m gap that held for the whole way up the climb. Once it leveled off, Steve B jumped from the pack to bridge the gap. He nearly past all to make it to the line. He had to settle for 2nd behind Hunter P, who rolled through alone when TF came off the gas 250m prior.

Into the backroads of East Cheshire, where Aidan C and Wild Bill did damage off the front. They split off a small group, but were tracked down after a couple of corners by Dan Smith and Hunter P. Aidan C kept on it though and the pace stayed solid thru the rollers before Boulder Rd. No further attacks until into the final kilometer, where Steve B had one more attack off the front going up the final kicker by the farm. Ben Bruce went with him but the two didn't have the legs to stay off the front. Little T rolled thru in the nick of time to take it ahead of Steve.

Another fantastic ride everyone! The weather looks crummy for the next ride, but the hour-by-hour forecast has been improving.

Tuesday the 5th

 SGR stays Habenero Hot for Week 3

It was good to see a few new faces out there on the ride tonight for the "Middle Goat Loop". Jed K and Xander Beck came down to represent the CCAP. Aidan C was out. Hacker was back along with Wild Bill. Steffen has his son Alejandro out for his first time at SGR. All the right ingredients for a great ride!

The pace was a bit slow to get going. Early moves from Damien R from CCR, Thule Tom, and Dan Smith set things in motion. Hunter P got involved, and a couple of early moves had brief gaps, but it was always brought back from good pace-setting from Rich D, Little T, Chris C, Wild Bill, and a couple of others.

Heading onto North Brooksvale, Hunter P rolled up to an attacking Dan Smith, who had Ben Bruce up there. Then Turner French (TF) joined the group, making it four up the road. They rotated through and had 30 meters or so heading towards Mountain Rd. Behind, the chase was getting organized and it was all back together as the ride rolled up the first risers on Mountain. Wild Bill stayed up there, along with Aidan C to set the pace. The rest of the ride down Mountain was quiet. Dillon P made a move for the light, to which TF responded, to which Hunter P responded.

Moss Farms is where Steffen H took off. He dangled a bit out there, and then a couple of guys (Hacker, Erin Rand) made a few accelerations to connect. Steffen H stayed hard on the gas thru the rolling terrain and rolled clear as the ride was coming up to the chicane. Rich N, Chris C, and a couple of others jumped hard but gaps were forming. A bit of traffic thru the intersection allowed it all to come back together for the most part but there were a bunch in the pack that were gasping for air.

Little T used the opportunity to jump hard on the hill to Marion, taking along Hunter P. Then Rich N and Chris C joined the group. The pace behind was for realz, so the move didn't go far. Chris C stayed on the gas after it came back together, but nothing got away as the ride made it to 322.

Past that, Hunter P attacked hard on the first uphill after the light. TF joined up. Those two took a 50-meter gap onto Mount Vernon. Then Hacker charged across the gap. The rest of the pack was briefly subdued by Cheshire and CW riders not chasing, allowing the trio to get a sizeable gap that went up most of the way down Mount Vernon. As everyone turned the corner onto Prospect St, the chase was on though. Wild Bill, Dan Dudzik, Aidan C, Scott Rosenthal, Chris C, Rich N were all chipping in. There was some hesitation in the break as the corner to West Street came up and it was all back together soon after.

Onto Atwater, Gibertoni and Damien R pushed off the front. Then Thule Tom and Rich N created a bit of separation. That led to a group of 3 or 4 with a bit of gap as the 322 crossing back up. Dan Smith put in a big dig on the front to bring it all back before the light, which was green. The momentum allowed Ben Bruce and TF to attack off the front and carry a gap onto West Johnson. Hunter P bridged, but the light on route 10 was red.

Past that, Damien R hit it hard early on East Johnson and got a gap. He held it all the way up the hill to the stop sign and right turn. TF jumped across soon after the corner along with Rich N. No immediate chase allowed that trio to roll clear. Big Red got the group going soon after, and other riders not on the bige teams chipped in to hold the break at 100-150 meters as it hit the Greenhouse climb.

Upfront, Damien R tried working with TF to set a decent pace up the climb. TF was, however, biding his time. Rich N was mostly sitting on, waiting for what seemed like the inevitable attack. Behind, Wild Bill hit the front of the pack and towed everyone the entire way up the climb, reducing the gap to the break to just 60 meters or so. TF rolled away from the other two soon after the trio had to pause briefly for the light. As the chase made its way past the intersection, Little T jumped hard, taking along Dan Smith and Ben Bruce. That trio sailed by TF in that order with about 50 meters to the line, and Little T went over first with little fuss from the others.

Dan Smith stayed on the gas after clearing the intersection at route 70. Chris C and Hunter P joined him, but it was short-lived. Everyone stayed together until the climb up Boulder, where Dan Smith attacked with Chris C. They took a small gap onto the first sector of Tuttle and kept it going from there. TF and Hunter P jumped on the climb but then sat up, which brought a big drawdown from everyone. The chase got going again on the backside of Tuttle, but it was too late to bring back the two up the road. Rich N collects minor points for being willing to sprint it out in the dark in front of the peleton.

Once again it was great ride!

Tuesday the 29th

 Winter has its revenge... Brrrr

There was a smaller than usual crew out tonight as the weather it was cold. A solid core group or stronger riders meant that the attacks were sure to keep coming this week.

The pace was steady but controlled as the ride took to the back roads. Dan Smith and Rich Nadeau took a small gap heading into one of the early corners but there were a few guys that pounced on it soon after. Little T had a dig on Mountain Rd, but it was all together heading down to the first light on course.

On Moss Farms, there were a couple more moves. Dan Smith, Steffen H, Kevin M, Chris C, all with digs off the front. There was a solid move off the front from Dan Smith, Hunter P, and Rich N just past the chicane on Marion. That was given a very short leash, and it was all together going into the industrial park—no big attacks heading up to the light this week.

Going up the hill on East Johnson Ave to Cheshire Rd, Little T put in a huge dig. Turner French, Hunter P, and Ben Bruce all responded and shut it down. There was a gap to the group after the corner, but there were too many fresh legs upfront and not enough cohesion in the break to keep it going. That let everyone sit up a bit, no doubt to prepare for the Greenhouse climb.

Steffen H used the drawdown to roll off the front with 750m to go before the climb. The only chasing came from Turner French, who lifted the pace at the front just enough to start eating into the gap. Steffen H was caught by the climb but stayed out there in front for a bit, setting the pace. Then Turner attacked, taking Hunter P and Rich N with him. Behind, Little T led all other would-be's 20-40 meters back.

The three up front traded pulls and rotated for a good portion of the climb, then Turner attacked once more, with only Hunter P following this time. They came up to the light at the top of the hill with an empty intersection, a solid gap behind them to the pack, and the light turning red by a couple of seconds.

Turner waited, Hunter kept going to roll thru the sprint. Hunter P then rolled thru a green light at route 68, whereas the rest had to stop at red. That was enough of a gap for him to roll away solo on the night.

Tom K slid out after a flat tire and the pack waited. That was basically the end of the action. Let's hope for warmer temps next week!

Tuesday the 22nd

 

Week 2 does not disappoint

This year's SGR is off to a flying, tough start! Week 2 featured a few less riders out there, but there was more action upfront. This season is going to be fantastic.

1. The battle between CCR and CW is starting to get good. Everyone else in the peleton benefits from thinking a bit more about where they burn their matches.
2. The Tuesday Night Criterium Series at Renschler Field features a few Thursday night races this season, which means that more of those riders will be coming down to SGR on those weeks.
3. This also gives the SGR crew a chance to prove their worth as human beings at the crit up there.

Back to the action tonight, where Dillon P hit the front with Erin R and Brian Suto early on to drive up the pace. Ben Bruce was also up there a bit. Soon after that, the CW crew started attacking. Steve B, Dan Smith, and Turner French all took turns rolling off the front. Each time a CCR rider, or Kevin M or Chris C would bring it back. By the time the ride hit Mountain Rd , multiple attacks had come from CCR (Steffen H and Hunter P) along with attacks from CW's Brian Oliver. BrianO was making this SGR debut. He comes to us from Colorado Cat3-dom, which is most of the time good enough for CTCat1 status. He lives in West Hartford now, and he wasted no time getting involved upfront on SGR.

Rolling up to the light on 68/70, Dillon P had a good move to snag the light, but it was red. Onto Moss Farms where Suto put in another dig, then Steffen H. It all stayed together though as the ride cruised into the industrial park. Dan Smith was pushing the pace there but it stayed all together. Then BrianO took a strong flyer on West Johnson. Despite accelerations from Chris C, Suto, and Rosey, BrianO rolled clear. Hunter P attacked hard to bridge the gap just in time for the route 10 crossing, but that light was red as well.

Onto the other side of the light, heading up to the intersection for Cheshire St, Turner French bolted off the front and quickly got a small gap. Behind, the chase took a bit to get organized, but with BrianO sitting on the front, the gap went out. Kevin M and Ben Bruce upped the pace for a bit to chase, but that was short-lived. As everyone rolled up to the Greenhouse hill, it was clear that TF was not going to be caught. 

Fighting for sprint scraps, BrianO launched a big attack which Steffen H and Hunter P responded to. Hunter P rolled thru the spring next, with Steve B close behind. From there, there were a few more attempts at breaking clear. Nothing worked until BrianO jumped off the front on the climb on Boulder Rd. Hunter P jumped soon after, making it two off the front. Then Dan Smith rolled up and caught them on the climb up Tuttle. Those three were able to get to work on a gap, which nearly lasted to the end. It was all for naught as Turner French took the solo escape win. Dan thru the sprint next, then Hunter P. 

Great ride everyone!

Tuesday the 15th

Can we Subtract Points from Someone???

SGR is back babeeeee!
Riding down Route 10, everyone was in good spirits excited for the first ride of the season. There were about 30 riders at the start.

The turn onto River Road started off smoothly. No real attacks. A few riders did a few short attacks Dillon P takes the cake for first attack of the year! Nothing that stuck for very long. There were surges in pace every so often stringing us out into paceline mode but that usually settled down, and the pack would always blob up again.

The first real news happened as we got to the light on W. Main in Cheshire. The Sernyak took a flyer and got a nice 20m gap or so on the rest of the group. He caught the light just as it was turning from green to yellow and cleanly made it through. Then some newbie who doesn't understand the rules of the ride completely blew through the red light to join up with him. Everyone else, including the riders alongside him, stopped at the light. Sure as sunlight, it was Chris Crowell. The pack determined he was now DQ'd for the ride for hypocrisy. He was docked 5 points on the season for blowing Sernyak's chance at breakaway glory, because Mike was good enough to wait with Chris on Moss Farms to let the group come back. A lessor man would have said "screw you Chris."

The pace throughout the day was high with surges but again not really any attacks that stuck.

Past the halfway point, as the ride turned on to Cheshire Road towards the sprint point and the climbing to come, the pace seemed to start to pick up. The Central Wheel folks took control of the ride and pace. They took turns doing attacks on the climbs. 'Lil Mulally, Little T, A Black, Joe K, and others were there to keep everything together. Everyone was cool with letting the Magentas control the pace in the tough parts. 

 

The Sprint went to Steve B and then Turner French in second. 

Onto Coleman where it was more of the same, The Central Wheels folks did some surges on the climbs putting the brakes on any real attacks by anyone else. When we hit the last segment after the stop sign by Tuttle and Mansion, four Central Wheel riders were up front. Noah Black and Dan Smith made an attack while other CW riders eased up. No reaction meant that they rolled clear and there able to hang on for the W. Noah took the sprint, Dan in 2nd. Little T took the field sprint. 

 

Great first ride of the year everyone!