The Sleeping Giant Ride

Tuesday the 11th

2011-10-11T19:15:00.000-07:00

The last ride of 2011

There was a stalwart group of about 25 out on the ride tonight. Right off route 10, Hunter P went on the first of a bunch of attacks. Joe K went with him this time and the 2 built up a good gap by the time they went over the crap road section. One street later, it was just Hunter out there alone and he hung on to a gap as the pack seemed content to bring back Joe K and then let the ride run its course. Hunter would eventually come back by the first risers on Mountain Rd. Then it was Special Ed, Little T and Justin Neuman and pushing the pace on the next set of risers. Chris "safety never takes a vacation" Crowle and Hunter P were left to sew up the short gap to that group. After that is was all together to the light on route 68.
    Hunter P and Little T looked ready to rock n roll for Moss Farms, but it ended up just being Hunter peeling off another training interval. This time Justin N bridged up and it was 2 up the road. They worked the short gap up a little more before Justin N packed it in, leaving Hunter out there. He got caught during the run into the chicane but was soon off the front again chasing Dillon P up the hill to Marion. Another interval that lasted a kilo or so and Hunter was caught before the corner to the industrial park.
    Everyone stayed together for a little while but then Special Ed, Gregg F and MoMoney rode off with no one really responding. Little T was late to jump on and got stuck in no mans land before sliding back to the peleton. The trio built up a gap and rolled onto West Johnson with 10 seconds or so. They kept on the hammer and the gap went up for a bit but as the risers dug in, they started to come back. It certainly didn't help that Special Ed had peeled off at some point, going straight instead of turning so that he could head home. Chris C, John Gregory, Eric M were keeping the pack close on the run in to Reinhard. Koski made a push to get across the gap and he was followed immediately by Jacinto and the Amity rider on a Trek. Mike McG was also up there and he ended up playing the familiar role of leadout for Little T. The leaders had fractured by now with only Justin N fighting to get the sprint. Little T got another win, going about 20-5 on the season for the midway point sprints. Eric M and Joe K put in digs but it T was never in danger of losing this one. He rolled down Peck ln and thru the construction zone all alone as the guys who were going to punch it next were sorting themselves out. Little T ended up being chased by Justin N, Joe K, Hunter P and MoMoney. It quickly turned into just Justin and Hunter as they passed Little T, each working hard going the rest of the way up Peck all alone. They would get caught shortly before route 10 as the field was being led by MoMoney, Koski, Chris C and Mike McG.
     It was all together going onto route 10 and with the increased traffic, it was an uneventful and kinda slow ride back to the center of Cheshire. Heading into the Stop n Sprint, Red lights, traffic and a flat tire coming from the front ( Dillon P ) slowed the action down. Jacinto still managed to get into a leading group, although there wasn't much of a gap. Little T jumped, this time with Mike McG trying to come around him. It ended up being a close gallop between Jactino and Little T, but T slid by and stayed there.
     From there the ride back into Hamden was decently quick. Extra traffic made it a but dicey at times. After rolling thru some utility work trucks in Hamden, Hunter P and MoMoney jumped to bring back Justin N, who had snuck off as the pack came up to the blinking lights. That made a trio off the front. They had a long way to go though and the pack brought them back a couple of minutes later. Just in time to square up for the final kick, which was crowded this time. Too dark to call, and no one is talking.

So that's it. 2011 in the books. It was very much a great year for the SG ride. Thanks to all the new faces that came out and made pretty much every week a little interesting. Thanks for reading. Thanks for your ever insightful anonymous comments. Thanks to the drivers of Cheshire who put up with our crappy road manners. We'll be sure to post news from the Sunday morning ride as it comes in. Everyone should try to make it out to Cheshire Cross, Nov 19th. Cheshire Park, route 10. Come have a beer in the woods, just like freshman year of high school. Heckle the dumb racers. Although we hear that Eric M will race, so you know its gotta be pretty cool. And the day will probably end with Little T going shirtless up against Crowle in some yard game duel.

Tuesday the 4th

2011-10-04T17:39:00.000-07:00

The rain brings wrecks another week of SG fun

Unless you are the Snoopster... Then its you kicking everyone off the ride because you have deemed them too weak to ride in such conditions. Ratatatat and Jacinto got an invite and so it was just the 3 of them riding tonight.

Let's all hope that next week bring redemption.

Sunday the 2nd

2011-10-03T07:26:00.000-07:00

Let's all hope the rain holds off for tomorrow.

5:30 start.

There was only a handful of riders out for the Sunday SG ride. Most Everyone chose to participate in the Petit Foundation Ride for Justice.

Tuesday the 27th

2011-09-27T18:19:00.000-07:00

Let's out-run and out-ride the darkness

     A couple of guys were in the lot hoping for a last minute glimmer of common sense fomr the rest of the group, but alas, the ride left at 6 after a congregation's worth of of guys rolled in from Stop n Shop at 5:56. They made everyone else late. Everyone was a little disappointed to not see Rondo's lovable mug up in the group.
     Gregg F and Dillon P got things going quick smart right after route 10. Hunter P was up there too along with Mike McG and John Pescatore, signalling to all that tonight was gonna be brisk. Going thru the crap road section, LIttle T and Koski charged off, but they would be rounded back up after everyone stopped for traffic turning onto North Brooksvale. Kudos to those that were able to whip out their smartphones and click on the SG blog advertisements in those few seconds.
     The rest of the way toward mountain road was quick. Jelle Snoop was setting a good tempo followed by Mike McG. Some traffic turning onto Mountain road slowed most of hte field down so Hacker and Hunter P took advantage of that by immediately stepping on the gas once onto Mountain. Mike McG came along for the ride and by the end of the risers it was Mike and Hunter with a decent gap on everyone else. Tall John crushed the gap shortly after and joined up to make it three up the road. Behind the speed was ramping up with Little T, Snoop, Hacker and Jordan coming up. The 3 stayed out front for kilo or 2 and when they were caught a pause gave a chance for a new group to get up the road. Jordan, Antonio, Hacker, Little T, Special Ed, and Jacinto were working well to try to get to a green light before everyone else. Dillon P, Tall John, and Hunter P were all at different points stuck in no mans land but a red light at route 68 brought it all back together.
   Once the light went green, Hacker went straight off without much response from anyone. He opened up the gap on the initial sections of Moss Farms and it took a little while before anyone would spear-head the chase. A bunch of different guys were up front and Hacker still maintained his lead. He would go into the chicane with about 7 seconds gap. That would finally get erased on the hill up to Marion. After the corner, Tall John was going good enough to get a gap with Jordan, Special Ed and Hunter P. That gap would get closed moments after everyone turned into the industrial park. Snoop hit the front and kept tempo up followed by Special Ed, Jordan and Jacinto.
     Tall John would have antoher go once onto West Johnson and he had Antonio for company but they never made it very far off the front. The peleton barreled along at a reasonable clip toward the risers and Rienhard. MoMoney led all onto Reinhard and there was minimal jockeying for position behind him. Mike McG picked it up from there with Jacinto, Hacker, Little T, Dillon P and Hunter P right there. Mike started the sprint out but wasn't in it to win it. Hunter P went first as Little T had to get around some traffic. Jacinto, Hacker also fired the jets but it was quickly a 2-up with Little T right on Hunter P's wheel and T was able to come around with some room to spare. Hacker and a new guy with a Virgina U kit ( Justin Neuman ) kept it going on the descent and had a gap rolling down thru the cut up roads. They were soon joined by Tall John, Snoop and a new guy in a CVC kit (?). The new lead group was well organized and rolled onto Peck ln with a 6 or 7 second gap. The response was slow behind, with everyone taking it down a notch as the leaders were hammering it up Peck Ln. Back in the field, Hunter P came up on the false flat along with Antonio D and the 2 took a couple of good pulls to close down the gap to 40 meters or so. Up front, Tall John and CVC got disconnected leaving Hacker, Snoop and Justin N up front. Those 3 hit route 10 with a good gap and kept on it enough to stay out front going up the hill ( location of Cheshire CX 2011!!). Koski, Mike McG, Hunter P, Tall John, etc chipped in up front but the trio had the legs to stay out all the way to the base of the sprint. Just like a flat TDF stage the breakaway was sadly eaten up by a well timed kilometer chase from the pack. Within the field, Little T was able to keep aero behind bodies, surfing up to the front just in time to jump easily to get the Stop n Shop Sprint.
Any efforts to get off the front after the sprint were negated by red lights. It was time to roll the dice with the traffic and head back to Hamden in the dark. Plenty of lights and blinky things kept the peleton out of trouble for the most part... ( who flatted at 32 mph?! Thank you for not crashing). It was an interesting, semi-quick ride back into Hamden and after Dillon P flared out off the front with a couple hundreds meters to go, it was anyone's ballgame. Well, not anyone.... Maybe just 3 or 4 guys. Kudos to Antonio D for getting up there again after a strong ride. 5:30 next week. Don't listen to Mike.

PS - everytime you check out an SG blog advertisement Chris Horner finds another watt in his body.

Tuesday the 20th

2011-09-20T19:16:00.000-07:00

Bring yur lights!

There was a smaller group out tonight. It was decided without much controversy that it was going to be the original short loop, the O.G., the loop that started it all, for the night.

Things started out fast, even on Route 10. Tall John and Chris “ I do it with my socks on “ Crowle were up and off the front looking to raise trouble. Jelle Snoop took over once on the back roads and Mike McGillicutty was up there too. The speed stayed high for the opening miles. French Casey was also up there chipping along with Guido. Everyone rolled thru a red light at route 68 as a big colorful blob and the speeds stayed high on Moss Farms as well.

Tall John was one of the first guys to kick it up a notch on Moss Farms and he was allowed some room to roam. Mid-way thru Moss he was hammering out a 6 or 7 second gap. He would hold onto that right till the corner of Marion Ave. French Casey, Chris C and Antonio D bringing the group up. Heading toward the industrial park a small group rode off the front. Richy Sachs Chris, Jelle, Chris "I mean business, see my socks" Crowle and French Casey. Guido bridged up and the gap up before the corner going into the industrial park. They stayed there a bit as Thomaas B chipped away at the gap. Silent Steve did a big push on the front to bring it all back together then handing it off to Mike McG and Snoop to lead the way into the corner for West Johnson. Hunter P attacked hard getting up the road 100 meters or so before the climbing stopped. Antonio D jumped out of the pack hard and that got everyone to respond. Hunter P was caught at the base of the climbs toward Reinhard and right then a small group pushed off the front. Gregg F, Dillon P, Guido, and French Casey again. Builder Pete also briefly went up the road with them. From there things started to split up as the hill dug its nails into everyone's pedaling tempo. By the time everyone got onto Reinhard, Guido was coming off the front, Mike McG and John Pescatore were leading the way, and Hunter P was coming back up with Little T in tow.

Little T got the front and jumped for the corner with only Hunter P and Jacinto challenging. Everyone survived the treacherous descent down toward Peck ln. Late on Peck lane, Jordan Lynn, Mike McG and Chris C got a gap and they had mates in the field that wouldnt chase it down. Jacinto got across the gap once onto route 10 and that brought it all back together. From there, Mike McG was working hard at the front along with Todd H and Jelle to keep things moving. Those 3, along with Jordan Lynn lead out the sprint to Stop n Shop where Little T jumped again with no one coming around him. Hunter P once again gave futile chase.

The ride back to Hamden was dark and fast. Late in the game a break from French Casey, Guido and Dillon P looked like it might have a chance with a kilo to go, but they indeed got overhauled. That left Little T duking out the finish with Antonio D. It was too dark to see what happened with those two.

Tuesday the 13th

2011-09-08T12:17:00.000-07:00

If anyone wants to do the majority of reporting for the ride next week, let us know. The Cheshire Cycle crew will be attending Interbike. Email us at info - at - cheshirecycle.com

Long loop or short?

2011-09-05T16:16:00.000-07:00

Speak up ( intelligently ) everyone or don't complain when someone else decides. The dark ride home matters little to the Cheshire riders heading back on bike trail. New Haveners? What do you think?

Tuesday the 30th

2011-08-31T07:03:00.000-07:00

Long Loop goes out with a bang

The cancellation of the last East Hartford Crit meant that four of the CCNS guys rolled on up in the van ready to dispense their weekly allotment of pain. Add in a couple of Bikers Edge guys, a couple of Benidorm guys and the ride had a fast crowd. The SG usuals were ready to oblige. Right off the start, Mike McG was patrolling the front. Perry the new guys was also up there along with Hunter P and the Otto-inator. Everyone followed Perry Thru the crap road section and it got pretty quick. Then one street later it was Hacker taking advantage of te next corner, attacking and getting a small gap. Koski, Rattatatat, one of the CCNS guys and Hunter P were right on that and it didn’t get very far. Then Joshy G hit the front along with Rattatatat. Ratta and one of the CCNS guys (?) kept up the pace all the way to Mountain rd and were able to ride up a little gap for the corner. Back in the peleton once onto Mountain there was some brief sitting in by teammates. That left the chase work to Mike McG and MoMoney and a couple of others. The 2 were brought back on the risers. Some car traffic slowed things down before the next set of risers, with Chris C being the next to go into the deep end of the pool. From there it was single file all the way to the light. The first quarter of the ride was in the books and it was faster then usual.
Right away on Moss Farms, Otto and Hacker lit it up and rode got a gap. A chase group quickly formed ( Ratta, Mike McG, Little T ) and were making ground on the 2 up front. Then the Teany NY rider went into no man’s land. The group up the road all came together within 750 meters and with some CCR guys choosing not to chase Ratta down, the peleton was briefly on cruise control. Just as Sasha from CCB rode up and onto the front, getting everyone’s attention, the motivation went out of the front group. Maybe too many cooks in the kitchen, and it seemed no one was going to carry them along. That gave the field a change to bring it back and it was all together by the chicane. Ratta, CCB and Mike McG charged up the hill to Marion, getting a gap past the corner. Aiden, Chris C and hunter p would come across the gap shortly after, making it another dangerous group up the road. The field behind wasn't ready to roll over dead yet. Todd H, Eric M, A.Zane, Otto, Tall Dennis and a couple of others headed up the chase efforts and it was back to together by the industrial park. Joe K hit the front and Ratta was still up there. CXCchris and A.Zane also hit it giving that four a gap that they kept to the light on 322.

Hacker, Otto and A.Zane were pushing it to Mount Vernon after the light and tore off a respectable gap initially. Joshy g was spearheading the efforts in the pack. Chris C drilled it, followed by Hunter P and that was enough to get a chase group clear. Aiden and BigBadBenWolfe rolled thru another CCNSer, Mike McG, and CXCChris. The peleton was in high alert chase mode but there was still enough horsepower up the road to stay clear. Soon the 3 leaders would get swallowed up, making it a cozy 10 up front. The group would rumble along for another couple of minutes and despite some good turns of speed from Mike and Ben, it would get brought back. Perry and Joshy G doing a lot of work to pace the rest up. The speed came down a bit after the catch, leading to an eventful ride up the false flat section. Things sped up again after the false flat, with CCNS, Mike McG, CCB and Otto drilling it. It was fast enough to create a gap halfway thru the field. When the pace slowed dramatically the entire back end of the ride swapped with the front and a new group of riders set pace for the road remaining to the corner.

A couple of CCNSers and Otto led the way onto Welch. Jordan Lynn then hit the front and set a solid tempo for nearly the rest of the way, in the process, gobbling up Otto and an attack from Hacker. Mike McG jumped from the base of the hill and went hard all the way to the corner. Hunter p and Joe K were the only ones to respond. After Mike was done, Hunter P hit the front and the trio was clear. Joe K took over as Hunter P fell back. Joe had a decent amount of road to cover but threw in a sprint anyway. Mike was able to sneak past him by half a bike length for the sprint. Joshy G was the only one to try and bridge the gap and he nearly monstered across it in time. The red light district slowed everyone down back to bunch.

Aiden was off the front again after going over the highway, which led to a record speed down the rest of West St and onto Atwater St. Ratta rode off the front once the group reached Canal St. Hunter P would also make a jump for the 322 crossing but it came back together there at the light. The ride stayed fast after the light and onto Peck lane. Hacker was up there, Chris C was up there, CCB as well as Dillon P. As soon as the ride hit Route 1 again, Aiden, Wolfe and Hutner P jumped off the front, getting a gap up the road by Cheshire Park. Those 3 would stay on the gas for a while, making it hard for the rest of the field to catch up. Hacker, Perry ,Julio L and Joshy G were up there going hard as well. Thanks to the hard pace and little gaps that opened up, Little T got a head start on the stop n sprint with Jacinto. Jacinto would do most of the leading out on this one, letting T come around at with room to spare. Hunter P and Ratta were trying to flying across the gap but had no chance in making it up once Little T got going. Once the stop n shop plaza lights were done with, Aiden and Wolfe jumped on it again, taking along Hunter P, Hacker, and a couple of others. The peleton had to wait at a light that the front group got thru and that was all that was needed to spring em free for the rest of the ride. Little T, Joshy G, Aidan, Hunter P, Wolfe, Hacker, Otto, and Jacinto. That group worked well and stayed away. In the end, Little T escaped very early on, but got swallowed up before the finale, letting Hacker and Jacinto duke out the final bit.

Back in the peleton, as the peleton barreled thru the Cook Hill rd intersection, there was a some weird braking, some overreaction to it, and a touch of wheels. Down went CXChris (?), Knee High Tri Guy Scott, Gregg F and one or 2 others. Everyone was pretty much ok. Maybe someone will fill in some details regarding the crash.

Other then that, it was a good ride. Fast Fast Fast thanks to the new faces. A good way to perhaps end out the long loop. There is sure to be some discussion as to whether or not do one more week or switch to the short loop. Check back here on Tuesday to find out.

Tuesday the 23rd

2011-08-24T07:30:00.000-07:00

The SG ride.... Earthquake edition.

Perfect day for a bike ride. Quickly after getting off Route 10, Tall John took off in TT mode. Soon after Hunter P jumped up to bridge. That got everyone's attention and by the crap road section the field was pulling the 2 back, led by Chris C, Eric M, VQ Rob and a couple of others. Tall John managed to stay off the front and no one cared to bring the lone rider completely back into the fold. He would hold that slim 30 yard gap till the initial risers on Mountain Rd. VQ Rob, hunter P and Yelle Snoop brought him back. VQ Rob and Snoop would stay off the front a few seconds longer but for the rest of the way down mountain road it was all together. Save for the very end of course, where Mike McG was pulling away off the front. Dillon P put in a good pull to bring him back with Tall John and VQ Rob right there. The light on route 68 was green for an extra long time, giving Tall John just enough time to sneak thru. VQ and Dillon P followed suit and the 3 got thru far and square. The rest of the peleton was technically right there, less then 2 seconds back, but everyone else had to sit and stop.

The 3 sneaks went right to work building up a gap. When the rest got going onto Moss Farms, they were out of sight. Jacinto, French Casey, and took off right away, dragging Eric M, Hunter P and then the whole field along with them. Chris C had a dig later on down the road, with Hunter P following it but not advancing it with the boss-man up the road. Snoop led everyone into the chicane with Eric M setting initial tempo up the hill to Marion. Chris C took another flyer, this time taking Richy Sachs Chris and Hunter P with him. From there it was all together heading to the route 322 crossing.

The leading trio had to wait for the light there. They got thru as the peleton approached it turning back to red. So everyone ended up having to wait for the light there. All three in the break were working so there was a small chance it could go the whole way. Back in the field the reaction from the field after the light was swift. Jacinto, CXChris, DeepRimsDennis, and The Mike Sernyak were drilling it. The attacks flamed out as traffic and the rest of the riders behind erased any advantages. Chris C and CxChris kept up the pace after the turn onto Mount Vernon Rd, chased by Hunter P and Joe K. Things got slow for a bit, but then ramped up in anticipation of false flat section. Up ahead, the rise in the road had done Dillon P in, and he would slowly drift back into the pack after the uphill section. VQ Rob and Tall John kept on working together, and they hung onto their gap for another solid couple of miles. They would get caught just as everyone was turning onto Welch road.

Mike McG jumped early on followed by Hunter P. Yahor from CCB, Little T and CxChris then sped off the front with little response from anyone else. BikeShopBob went after them but got stuck in the middle. CCB and Little T were working out the escape, leaving CXChris behind. Little T would jump up from a ways out, before the corner, but was able to stay way out in front all the way up to the sprint. The hill was again working its magic on everyone, with groups forming and gaps opening up. But it all came back together after red lights. Tall John would again try to ride off the front shortly after, but never got too far.

Heading back into Cheshire was uneventful. Hunter P attacked on the hill going underneath the highway shortly on Canal St. No one went along and he was caught just before the light going back over 322. On Peck Ln, Mike McQ had a dig after Chris C tried to sneak off the front. Mike's effort drew out some strong guys ( CCB, Hunter P, New guy on a Scott, Chris C, Eric M, Todd H, New Yale Guy, etc. ) and kept the pace fast up to Route 10.

Route 10 started out confusing as a few guys went thru a red light, making all the rest stop. Mike McG was unhappy with the lack of team work and logic shown and went off the front with a stomach full of pissed-off. Yelle Snoop was along for the ride and for a bit it looked like the 2 could ride off with the Stop n Sprint prize. Behind, the new Yale guy, Tall John and BikeShopBob were bringing it back quickly, with Little T right there. The catch was made just Little T was jumping for the sprint. Hunter P and Jacinto jumped as well but came up way short.

The ride back into Hamden was boring. It slowed down too much in a couple of spots and in the end, a foursome comprised of Mike McG, Eric M, Little T and Jacinto were left to fight out the end. Up the hill went Hunter P and Joe K ( doing the whole ride tonight as part of his century effort ). Joe jumped too early on the hill giving Hunter the chance to scoop up the prize there. Also there for the leg breaking finish was one of the Bikers Edge guys, Rick on a C Dale, and the ice cream craving Mountain Man.

Tuesday the 16th

2011-08-16T20:24:00.000-07:00

Generational gaps? Traffic light adherence? Don't need em.

      The started a little slow this week as Guido had radio'd ahead to let us know he got a flat a mile from the parking lot. Everyone was cool with waiting and that led to a leisurely pace once it got going. Dillon P and Antonio from CCR led everyone thru the initial back road sections and it started to get going once onto MOuntain road. Sorry to see the new rider ( Justin Neuman ) get hit with a flat on North Brooksvale. That section is a widow maker.
     Yahor from CCB and Guido got things going on the second step up on Mountain Rd. Special Ed and Jordan Lynn, the SG ride's newest Cat 3, followed that up and then Chris C and Hunter P had a dig. Hacker VQ Rob and Mike McG were up there as well and the rest of mountain rd was quick with that core group rotating thru.
      Hacker looked antsy as the light on Route 68 turned green and sure nuff, he, a CVC rider ( Mike Sernyak ) and Hunter P took off right away. The trio worked up a small gap as Larry M and Jelle Snoop were bridging up. The CVC rider dropped back, making it 4 going into the chicane. All four would work up front and Larry had his work cut out for him as he was on his CX bike. Meanwhile the peleton held back at 10 seconds or so. Jordan Lynn and Chris C led the field up and onto Marion and before everyone hit the industrial park, it was back together again. Chris C would attack again going over I84, this time taking Hunter P along. Jordan again responded and caught the 2, in the process bringing everyone up.
      The light on 322 was green, giving Hacker and Jacinto a chance to attack right away. Those 2 held that gap for a solid chunk of road, getting caught shortly after the turn onto Mount Vernon. Mike McG, VQ Rob, and Hacker were putting in solid work to bring it back. Then it was CCB and guido who attacked right after the catch. Jordan jumped on that one as well and the trio had a gap that never got far, but was still a real gap. That break would get caught on the false flat section. Hacker jumped strong from way back in the field as Mike McG was pulling everyone along. Hacker didnt make it out of the peleton's tractor beam and settled back in as Mike would eventually ride off the front by a few meters as no one took advantage of the bone crunching section. From there the rest of the trip down Mount Vernon was uneventful. French Casey took a flyer before the corner of Welch to try and goad some action into things but no one took the bait.
       Onto Welch, Special Ed, Guido, Hacker, Jacinto, Hacker and Jordan Lynn got an early gap and Jacinto buried himself to extend the gap. Guido took over but Snoop, Tri Doug and Hutner P were close and led the peleton back before the hill. A stopped car at the corner made it tough for the peleton to get thru, so only the first 5 or so ( Jordan, Specail Ed, Hunter P, Hacker and Jelle ) made it onto West St with any speed, and even then it wasnt very fast. Special Ed took control of the pacing for the rest of the way to the sprint. Hunter P jumped out and took it over a chasing Mike McG, who was closing in after freeing himself from the mess of the pack. After that a small group of 10 or so had a weird gap of about 40 meters but a red light brought it all back. Going back over I84, were red lights usually slow things down, green lights and a determined Special Ed ( ? ) drilled it on the riser there, putting lots of guys into the hurt. There was a gap to about 15 riders up front but as the road started downhill again, it came back together.
      From there it was quick up to the 322 crossing, with Gregg F, Jordan, BikeShopBob, Tri Doug and Chris C doing a lot of the work. Back onto Route 10 where Hacker led led everyone up the hill by Cheshire Park, followed by strong pulls from Guido, Todd H and Yahor. No real gaps though as the field was attentive. Coming off a green light, Hacker attacked hard. Larry M, Jelle, CXChris, Mike McG, Jacinto and Tri Doug where the only ones to respond. There was enough of a delay in the response so that the lead group would be the only ones with a chance at the sprint. Snoop and Jacinto went toe to toe for the Stop n Sprint, with Jacinto getting to the line first. The 2 kept up the pace as the peleton behind was slowed by 3 red lights in row. Yelle and Jacinto would be out of sight soon and they ended up riding away with it as the rest of the bunch begrudgingly, obeyed the red lights ( sort of ).
     For the final kilos, for the front of the peleton at least, props to Spencer from Yale, BikeShopBob, Dillon P, Tri Doug, French Casey, Hacker, Bikers Edge Owen, and Mike mcG as the ones setting the last good turns of speed. Up the hill Tri Doug took it over Dillon P and one other rider ( ? )

Tuesday the 9th

2011-08-09T18:27:00.000-07:00

SG ride in the rain is like being spit on a million times over

It poured on top of the pouring tonight. What started the day as a 40% chance of rain turned into a 6-7pm window of no rain and actually ended up being a deluge for the entire time. There was about 18-20 riders or so in the parking lot ready to go. Chris C got it going on Route 10 and the pace stayed decent thru the back roads. Everyone made in the crap road section on Brooksvale despite it being like a Sarajevo mine field with all the water covering up the holes. Jel!e Snoop tried to sneak away before mountain Rd and hunter p tried to sneak away on the hills starting out on Mountain but both were brought back. Snoop Doggy Dog would be at it all night, applying pressure on all the right spots. Joe K and Snoop tried to get away on Moss Farms initailly but that was brought back by Mike McG and Hacker. Hacker, Chris C and Mike McG had a gap heading into the chicane.It looked like a move that might stick but traffic in front of them slowed it all down just in time for Dillon P to stomp out the hill up to Marion ave. As the ride passed the industrial park, Mike McG hit the front and rode off alone, soon to be joined by Hunter P. The 2 were allowed to ride for a bit and eneded up working the gap to the light on 322. The light was green and the leaders went thru. Behind the whole peleton also was able to sneak thru because Jelle and Guido and Jacinto were bridging up and in no mans land, effectively making the peleton 2oo meters long.
      After everyone calmed down a bit, moving onto Mount Vernon, Luekens rode off the front alone and needed to be chased back by MoMoney, Jel!e, Arlene Zane, Eric M and a couple of others. From there it was quick and most everyone got involved up front. Mike McG was again tempo'ing off the front on the false flat section. Chris C and Hunter P were there as well and the trio got a gap that they held on to for a couple of minutes. After that the pace went back to normal, Guido would come up and set a good example, in the process stretching things out single file among the 15 riders that were left.
      Once onto Welch, a couple of guys looked a little twitchy up front. Arlane Zane, Snoop, Joe K, Eric M, And Hacker not too far behind. MIke McG settled everyone down with a good pull and Hunter P was the first to go right on the hill before the corner. Arlnd Zane followed suit and the 2 had a small gap that was brought back quickly by Mike McG, Jacinto, Hacker and a couple others. The lead group swelled to about 7 or 8 soon after as Chris C, Eric M, Guido, Joe K and one or 2 others joined up. Hacker was the first to jump for the sprint proper but was still a ways out. Mike McG and Eric M where the only ones to answer and then respond with a duke-a-roo that went down to the line and it was awfully close at the mailbox ( Eric? ).
      Everyone recollected after that but soon after it was Hacker and Snoop getting off the front and winding up a goooooood gap that they would hold all the way to the light to back over 322. It was red which brought everyone back or else the two def would have had a chance to go for the full monty. There wasnt much more to report for the rest of the ride. As everyone charged up to the Stop n Sprint, a small pond awaited, taking up the whole of the lane. Despite some swerving and some very quick decelerations in the 6 inches of water everyone made it thru. In the mayhem, the very front of the ride, 3 of 4 guys, were the only ones able to fight for the sprint. Jacinto took advantage of the confusion and attacked hard enough to go alone up the hill with everyone else 20 meters behind. From there a few guys disbanded, headed back to the Stop n Shop parking lot or back to Cheshire Cycle, so perhaps once everyone is done repacking the bearings on their bikes someone can fill in the last parts of the ride.

Tuesday the 2nd

2011-08-03T06:32:00.000-07:00

Time to get your Strava on!

The usual crowd was out tonight. Everybody dealt well with the new intersection off Route 10. Bummer to see Neil Suto get hit with a flat rolling into Cheshire. Kicking off the rides antics shortly after turning off route 10 was Otto from Team Gaul. He had plenty of guys to directly follow early on, VQ Rob was up there as well chipping in. THe ride rumbled thru the chip sealed section of North Brooksvale with Hunter P up front. Hunter P rolled off a gap and was joined by Otto, MoMoney and a couple of others but the peleton wasn't letting that go as everyone wanted to blast thru the rough stuff at speed and everyone got thru it we think without incident. Heading up to Mountain Rd with Guido, BkeShop Bob and Otto up front, the pace was good. Everyone stayed together initially on mountain rd. On the 2nd set of risers, the speed picked up and there was some good pulls to knock the not-so-strong out of the rotation from Hunter P, Jacinto, Chris C, Little T and Thomas B, but it settled down after that, despite some opened gaps, and everyone got the to the light together.
       Joe K hit Moss Farms first and hardest, working off a small gap despite everyone chasing behind. Bobby German was the next to go down with a flat. Joe K and 4 or 5 others eventually tore off a gap (Luekens, Bike Shop Bob, Otto, Eric M, VQ Rob, ). Jelle Snoop, Hunter P, and Thomas B would bridge across just in time for the group to decide it was going to slow down, so it was all together going into the chicane, despite BSBob and Eric M still working hard up front. Chris C jumped first on the run-up to Marion ave. Hutner P saw that and raised it up some more, taking Tall John along off the front by the corner. The 2 went to work and were able to hold the gap till after the industrial park. Persistent chasing from A few guys, Eric M, Guido, Chris C, eventually bringing them back. Guido, Joe K and one other then tired to sneak off but the new road surface let everyone zip thru there. The green light going over 322 also was a bonus, kept the speed high and no doubt, in the end, put a tenth or 2 on everyone's average speed for the night.
      Initially on Mount Vernon, a small group was a few meters up and trying to sneak away ( Dillon P, Koski, Guido, French Casey, Luekens, Joe K etc ) but they too didn't keep the go button mashed long enough and it was altogether. Things settled down it there were plenty of guys to work the front. The false flat section didn't bring any damage, just some solid tempo from Otto, BSbob, Hunter P, Little T and MoMoney. From there it was all together till the turnaround, although there was plenty of little digs up front from the likes of Sasha from CCB, Yelle, Julio L, etc.
       Onto Welch, where at first, YelleSnoop laid claim to the "just off the front". Hunter P then followed it up with a strong pull, taking along Julio L, Jacinto, Otto and CCB with him. CCB was next to pull, then Jacinto, and the field was still 400 meters from the corner. A couple of others came up and kept the speed up. Just fast enough to let Little T and Mike the-social-assassin McG keep up the launching speed. Little T jumped followed by Mike just before the corner. Attempts to chase from CXChris and Hutner P were futile. The 2 worked well up front, trading off a couple of times before the sprint point, which Little T rolled thru first in. The 2 kept going and had a big gap over the recollecting pack, but a red light brought them back. That was the only red light tho as the rest were all green going thru the I84 zone. So the ride continued faster then usual.
   Business as usual as the ride headed back into Cheshire. Hunter P again jumped on the rise by the overpass, tis time taking Guido along with him. Those 2 were allowed to ride off a solid gap, a dangerous gamble with the traffic light coming up. But it was indeed red, bringing everyone back together. From there the ride went back to fast tempo. Otto stayed up front, looking to get something started. Guido also, despite having a fever, was up there working. French Casey would hit the front once more, sprinting out the front and manically laugh while watching the field follow thru. Hacker attacked strong on the riser up Peck ln, Otto and Hunter P followed suit with Hunter covering the gap to Hacker. Sasha and O'Shea followed it up with a well timed attack of their own, putting the pressure on Hacker to respond. Those 3 would roll onto Route 10 with a small gap, but would eventually come back as a red light early on Route 10 slowed everyone down. Sasha would stay up near the front tho and he, Otto, and Guido had a small gap as the ride approached the sprint. VQ Rob, Jacinto and BikeShopBob would go on the chase, with Little T coming out to finish the gap off just in time to sprint. Hunter P went along but couldn't come around T who racked up number 2 on the night.
        The ride back to Hamden was a touch dramatic, thanks to a group of guys who snuck thru the light at Higgans Rd. They were able to build up a gap but the chase would start soon after and thanks to some good efforts from the likes of Mike McG, O'Shea, Guido, Builder Pete, Hunter P and couple of others, the gap was erased in time for the final kilo. Guido, VQ Rob, Little T and Guido duked out the final meters with Guido sneaking by everyone. Little T had to settle for the uphill on Shepard, where he dispatched Hunter P again to take the crown there. Also heading up the hill were Dillon P, Dennis, MoMoney, C dale Rick, the Bikers Edge MTB crew, and one or 2 others.

Tuesday the 26th

2011-07-26T19:25:00.000-07:00

The storm clouds opened up just in time for the ride this week. It was a fast moving front but the field rolled out of the parking lot in a downpour. The Cheshire Cycle crew used their home field advantage and stayed in the locker room till the heaviest rain stopped. Soon after the ride turned off route 10, Eric M jumped off the front and was joined by Builder Pete, and Monty B from CCR. Also jumping in pursuit was C-Dale Rich and BenGe. The rest of the Cheshire Cycle crew rode up the course and found Eric M driving the break hard with the 2 CCR guys attached. Unsure of who or what was in pursuit, Hunter P, Dillon P, Gregg F and Joe K rounded up the stragglers and reconnected with the break by the middle of Mountain Road. The light at route 68 brought the entire ride back together, as the peleton had started up riding chase on Mountain rd as well with Guido doing a lot of work along with Luekens.

Onto Moss Farms where it took less then a kilo for Yelle Snoo!P to attack off the front. Time Trial Pete and Perry would chase a bit, then Saul-not-Gaul, in a strong display as he returns to the fold, took over and by then it was all coming back together. Arlene Zane was out tonight on the ride, no doubt a homeless racer seeing as how the Crit at the Rent was canceled. MoMoney led everyone into the Chicane and Dillon P drove the pace up to the corner for Marion. After the riser, everyone rolled back together and it was to slow for Guido. He hit the front hard, taking along Hunter P and BenGe. Perry was also up there and the foursome tore off a small gap just before the industrial park. The chase was on though and as it was coming back together, Guido surged again, taking only Hunter P with him . Those 2 hung on a bit longer but ended the attack after the ride slammed into the unexpected construction section right before 322. Everyone seemed to either go very slow over the gravel or very fast. Joe K, being one of the few SG riders who has competed in Battenkill Roubay, rode off the front, no doubt looking for a green light at route 322. It was red, so gruppo compacto. Surprisingly, no one got a flat thru the rough stuff.

Onto Mount Vernon where Eric M and a faster then last time Luekens hit the front but everyone took a bit of a breather thru this section. MoMoney, BenGe, Jacinto and Yelle Snoop were early pace setters on Mount Vernon, but the pace remained on the sedate side. Guido would roll up and pitch in along with Bike Shop Bob and Joe K. Robyn was never far from the front as well. YelleSnoop, Joe K and Team Gaul would start things out on the false flat section with Hunter P attacking quickly to build up a solid 50 meter gap by the time the road went level again. No one really responded, leaving Hunter to dangle out front for a close to a kilo before a group of poursuivants led by Guido would bring him back. The bump in speed started to develop small gaps but a pause up front let it all clam down for the run-in to the turnaround.

Leading up to the corner for Welch rd, a small group had a crack of a gap into the corner. A CCBer ( Yahor? ), Team Gaul, and Tri Doug with Gregg F, YelleSnoop, “Divine Electric” Perry and Hunter P in between but closing in on the leaders. That led to Team Gaul setting a solid tempo followed up by Hunter P who didnt keep up the assault, letting the peleton come back slowly but surely. The next group to go off the front was Luekens, Arlane Zane and Yahor. A dangerous trio in this situation. Perry and Hunter P responded, along with an IRS Medic rider ( Chad? ) . Arland Zane clicked down a couple of gears and rode off the front before the corner, taking along Perry and Hunter P. All 3 would rotate thru the front as the speed was just high enough to keep the chasing peleton 30 yards back. Jacinto, Guido and Bike Shop Bob tried to bridge the gap, but it was too late. Hunter P easily jumped away to collect the prize. Guido would try to summon everyone to keep up the attack but a red light near I84 would get it all back.

BenGe snuck thru a light and would go into full on attack mode on the descent of West St. The pack was slow to respond but was back to 6 or 7 seconds by the corner of Atwater St. BenGe, in a liberal show of defiance, hung on and drew out the gap, leaving Perry, Thomas B, Eric M, Otto from Team Gaul, Hunter P and Tri Doug working hard to keep it close. The 7 second gap was erased quickly when Hunter P blitzed the hill by the underpass, bringing up Guido, Arland Zane, Mountain man and a couple of others. Guido followed up Hunter P's sruge with one of his own, and BenGe again dug in and went with it. Those 2 got to the light first with Gregg F and YelleSnoop in between pack and Tete de la course.

There was more gravel on the first sections of Peck lane, so any attacks were held back. Hunter P got hit with a flat. The rest of the way to Route 10 was peaceful with no damage being done up front. Once onto route 10, Keltic O'shea and Eirc M kept the pace high on the riser up past Cheshire Park. Heading into the Stop n Sprint, JelleSnoo!p attacked fast at the last remaining light with Otto Gaul. The field was content to watch it unfold with only 1 or 2 guys responding. One or two single. Jacinto put in a strong dig to close the gap with Bike Shop Bob and Guido on his wheel. Coming up was Dillon P, with Little T lurking in his shadow. Jelle and Otto were caught by the base of the hill, giving everyone a chance at the sprint. Little T gets back in the win column by easily taking this one. A passing truck proved too much temptation for T and he jumped on for some motor pacing with only Guido, BSBOB and Jacinto chasing. A red light by Route 42 ended the chase though and brought the field back together except for Little T who was well off the front by now.

For the finale, Little T, despite getting dropped by the truck, was well ahead of everyone else. Up the hill. Tri Doug and Mountain Man duked it out after passing Dillon P. The were both snookered by Gregg F who beat them to the line, leaving Perry and MoMoney behind in the process. Mountain Man has vowed revenge.

Tuesday the 19th

2011-07-19T20:37:00.000-07:00

New Equipment Day at SG ride.

    The heat index was pegged again tonight. It seemed to slim the crowd down a bit but anyone with half a brain for this type of thing could sense the fireworks coming down the road. The pace started up slow thanks to the rough stones leaving the access road. Everyone waited on route 10 for the most part to make sure the whole group was accounted for. Once on the backroads, Stage one and Guido were up front along with a new rider in a Yale Kit ( Andrew Adare ). Also present was Silent Steve, VQ Rob, sporting a new set of deeeeeeeeeep Zipps. He had along with him BikeShopBob and another CVC rider who was too tall to be CxC ( Mike Sernyak ). There was also new guy in a Amity Kit. Hacker was also up there along with MoMoney, French Casey and Hunter P ( also riding on some "new" wheels ). MaHoney would get hit with a flat and drop out. Everyone stayed together up until the approach for Mountain Road, when Jel!e Snoop took off the front all alone. He hammered out a small gap before the corner onto mounatin and the subsequent climbing.
      His attack drew the fire of some guys on the climb and soon after a small group got spit out the front. Eric M, Chris C, Dillon P and Guido. On the next section of rollers, Hunter P bridged up and that got everyone to pick it up and reconnect with the front. Pace making for the rest of Mountain rd wasn't too smooth and there was another group that rolled off the front late in search of the green light. Yel!e, Eric M, Dillon P and Little T. When Chris C and Hunter P bridged up, again the rest of the field jumped on it, not letting any hard to close gaps open up.
      Once on Moss Farms the deck got reshuffled a bit. Mike McG came up and along with Eric M, Hacker, Gerry O'Shea, and Joe K. When the pace slowed, Joe K attacked and Hacker went with him. The 2 got a gap quickly that they would hold onto past the Chicane. As they worked hard up front, the Cat n Mouse was going on behind as no one seemed to want to be the one to tack it back. Up the hill to Marion, Eric M was going hard, along with CxC, Yelle and Mike McG. The effort shredded riders behind and several were dropped. Hunter P and Chris C bridged up yet again, but this time, Mike McG has rolled off the front alone and caught up with Hacker and Joe K, making it a trio up the road. The pace dropped a bit with Zane's and Cheshire Cycle represented up the road, bringing it back just yet wasn't priority one. Joe K would come back a little ways after that as Guido was faithfully setting a solid tempo up front along with Mountain Man ( on a nice new Bianchi !? Not very woodsman of him ). Hacker and McG would cut the gas before the crossing of 322 and it was gruppo compacto.
       Eric M would jump along with Jacinto, Bike Shop Bob and Guido but that was short lived with VQ Rob, Hunter P and McG closing the gap before the corner on Mount Vernon. Then, once on Mount Vernon proper, pigs decided to sprout wings and fly! Little T attacked and attacked with vengeance. The chase wasn't immediately strong, VQ Rob and Chris C doing some work. LT kept on the gas for a solid mile and a half, and the rest were content to let him roast a little in the heat. Dillon P took it upon himself to bridge the gap quickly and then set out on his own flyer. He gave it up right as the false flat section started but managed to stay up front to usher the pack up along with Bobby German. The speed was way off from weeks past as everyone expected McG to start up an interval, but instead he sat in the pack. He would roll off the front along with Eric M once past the incline and more disorganization in the peleton meant that Guido had to be the one to bring em back.
      Heading onto Welch, Hacker attacked and his frat brother Guido went with him. A strong push that only CVC ( BikeSHopBob, Sernyak ) responded to. The foursome would bang out a decent gap as the field hesitated just long enough. Without anyone to really start the chase, guys like Jacinto, Chris C, an ever faster Robyn and Mountain Man would hit the front. Eric M and Little T showed attack right past the corner but got back into chase mode as it seemed the break would get it. Meanwhile up front the 4 were working well together, and Guido lead out Hacker before the corner, giving him a good jump on the rest. Hacker, not one to let opportunities pass by, was able to hold the gap convincingly and would immediately dedicate the sprint win to the national debt ceiling.
     Gruppo compacto as the usual lights slowed everyone down on West St. At this point the ride was down quite a few guys to maybe 25 total. Going back over 322, Eric M attacked off the quick green light, taking Guido, BikeShopBob, and the Sernyak with him. Hunter P, then jumped up and caught onto the back of the group, again setting off alarms in the pack. Jacob, McG, Yelle, and a few others chasing hard, not wanting to be left out of the fun. That led to a quick run up Peck Lane. Hunter P had a dig at the end but quickly got caught as he had no one to make the run to route 10 with.
      Once on Route 10, speeds went up and that scattered the field quite a bit. When the dust settled it was Hacker off the front with Jacinto chasing him hard. The 2 duked it out for the Stop n Sprint point but Hacker was able to fend off the challenge, making it 2 in row for him. The ride back into Hamden was fast and uneventful, besides Hunter P almost curbing himself, and Eric M nearly yard sale-ing over a dead racoon. VQ Rob, O'Shea, Middlebury Nate, and the Suto's would do a lot of work up front, keeping the final kilo's quick. For the finale, an small group got a gap after Hacker and Guido had one last attack with half a mile to go. That led to Little T and Eric M fighting it out for the very last meters. Mountain Man used good positioning and a initial gap to take the hill prize over Hunter P.
     Good ride everyone!

Tuesday the 12th

2011-07-12T19:30:00.000-07:00

This Year's Breakaway Award goes to.......

   Every year at the Tuesday Worlds there is one week that ends with a break that leads the entire ride and clears the finish alone. Some seasons there are 2, rarely there are 3, but there's always at least one. This week we got it out of the way. The long breakaway took the cake.
      There was a decent crowd for ride at the parking lot. Heat was on but it wasn't overly oppressive. Good too see the resilient Craig Luekens out and not phased by the crash of last week. Rolling down Route 10, Tri Doug would roll off the front alone. Then as soon the ride hit Brooksvale, Hunter P jumped off the front and took along a couple of riders, VQ Rob, Perry ( the new guy, a painter on a C'Dale ) and a young rider with an "I ride with Diabetes" jersey. The foursome would hit the rough road section still with Tri Doug a little up the road. Back in the peleton, the response was sedate, and CCR riders Gregg F and Dillon P would set tempo early on. The break, being driven by VQ Rob and Hunter P, would collect Tri Doug and set off toward Mountain Rd. Soon they were joined by more riders who had taken off the front early on and were chasing. Rob C from Bikers Edge, Yel!e Snoop, Richy Sachs Chris, Nate with a Middlebury Jersey on, Jacinto and one or 2 others who never pulled thru. The group, still being driven along by Hunter P, VQ Rob, and Tri Doug would break up a little on the risers of Mountain Rd, but tempered their efforts and stayed together. The break came up to the light on Route 68 with a solid gap and got a well timed green light. Behind Hacker, Momoney and Guido had attacked hard off the front on Mountain road and were flying across the gap. MoMoney didnt stay attached and it was just Hacker and Guido making it to the light. They missed the green but were able to sneak thru barely red and continued the chase. The peleton had to stop and wait at a red light.
        The break, now encouraged from the green light, set off on Moss Farms with determination. Meanwhile the pace in the Peleton wasn't slow, but it wasn't fast either. Team Zane's was rumored to be on active recovery mode tonight ( whatever that means ). Yel!e apparently didnt get the memo tho cause he was tearing it up. Guido and HackAttack would get up to the break midway down Moss Farms. All of a sudden, with a solid chunk of the ride's horsepower in the break, and the remaining horsies behind lacking organization, it was the break's gap to lose. Guido and Hacker wasted no time in hitting the front, giving the other strong men a little more of break from the front. Despite the big guns, the break stayed mostly together in thru the chicane section and up to Marion avenue. 1 or 2 riders, those who weren't taking pulls were eliminated by the industrial park. The break got another green light at the 322 crossing, and they went thru with just a lite touch of the brakes.
      On mount Vernon, Hacker, Guido, Hunter P, Tri Doug and Yel!e Snoop did most of the work. But credit pretty much everyone with putting in efforts up front. Behind, Mike McG set off on another one of his legendary intervals and pulled the peleton along for nearly the whole length of Mount Vernon. Not enough to close the gap down tho and when the break saw no one coming at the turn for Welch Road, it seemed like they could pull it off. The jockeying started a bit for the sprint, but everyone stayed together till up on West Street. Perry put in a long pull along with Jacinto and Hacker. Hunter P waited and jumped up to take the sprint in front of Jacinto. In the process breaking the iron-fisted rule and the long streak of sprint wins that Little T had been enjoying as He was behind in the peleton. The sprint would trim the break down a bit, most notably losing Ye!le Snoop and VQ Rob. So it was down to: Middlebury Nate, Hacker, Hunter P, Guido, Rob "middlefingers" Carmen, Tri Doug, Perry, and Jacinto. Behind in the Peleton, The ride would get split up once on West St, but the descent would allow everyone a chance to get back together. Watch out for flying french fries everyone..... Dillon P would be targeted by some post pubescent girls out a car window. Nice!
       As the break rolled on back into Cheshire, there were a few comments about heatstroke, being completely done in, and other complaints. Guido, surely going against the Hippocratic Oath he took, was still up their giving no one a chance to cool down. Hacker as well was getting antsy and was not ok with the slackers in the bunch. His chance to thin the herd would come after the incline up Peck lane going towards Route 10. Hunter P would hustle down a couple of gaps along with Jacinto. Again heading up past Cheshire Park, Hacker and Guido would bring out the tag team and put the others in a world of hurt. Hunter P and Rob C got briefly gapped but red lights would give them a chance to claw back. The Stop n Shop sprint was taken by Hacker as he narrowly held off a supa strong Tri Doug. In the center of Cheshire, Guido would drop his chain and had to stop to reload it. No problem, he would just chase back on 2 miles later. Not only that, but he would then TT attack off the front of the group to finish out ahead, Jacinto being the only one who would try to chase him down. It would be a solid 4 minutes before the peleton would come rolling in. Hope everyone enjoyed their beers tonight.

Tuesday the 5th

2011-07-05T20:45:00.000-07:00

The “S” in crash is for Sucks

Decent ride tonight, a little on the slow side but hey everyone was probably working off burgers, beer and too much sulfur inhalation. The weather was perfect and a large group was out for it. Everyone stayed together thanks to a good pace on Route 10 from Peter K and VQ Rob. Soon after, Dillon P and Tri Doug moved off the front and got things going. Peter K also was up front drilling it.... No wait, that was from last week's notes... They may get scattered in with this week.... sorry.

No one attacked through the first few miles of the ride, although Guido found himself off the front as apparently no one else was zee-zocken enough for it. Thomas B came up and bridged the gap and brought it all together mid way thru Brooksvale Ave. On the rough roads, Yel!e Snoop got hit with a flat and so did another unidentified rider. Once onto Mountain Rd the Yellow-shoe-team of Eric M and Rattatatat did a good chunk of work and from then the usual guys came up and helped. Toward the end of Mountain, as the speed dropped down, a small group got off the front ( Eric M, Ratta, Chris C, a new guy on a C'dale and a couple of others ). Guido charged up to the group along with Hunter P and Mahoney but it was a little too late and the red light brought everyone together.

The start of Moss Farms was also slower then usual. Once it got going a handful of strong guys briefly made it off the front but the peleton was attentive and the group was chased down despite some good turns from Mike McG and CCB Sasha up front in the break. It was all together going into the chicane and the speed went down again briefly before being resuscitated by Ratta, Eric M and Mike McG. That same core group pushed the pace to the industrial park along with help from Tri Doug, Young Suto, and a couple of others.

Once over 322, VQ Rob hit the front and rolled off it but no one responded right away, Guido also got involved but for the most part, it was break time in the peleton until a little ways down Mount Vernon. A lot of guys got involved up front ( nice to see Sean from Berlin Bike\Best Cleaners out on the ride ). The false flat shook things up again as Little T, Tall John and Christian Olympics hit the front hard, giving a couple of guys the chance at riding off the front toward the end of the section. Thomas B, Chris C had a decent gap which Hunter P and SashaCCB closed soon after. From there it was back to the usual for the run-in to Welch Rd turnaround.

Once on Welch, Mike McG, who has become the Mark Renshaw of the SG ride, was up there setting a solid tempo along with Bike Shop Bob and Guido. The pace making let the sprinters sort things out behind without worrying too much about attacks, and sure enough, everyone went thru the corner for West st all together. CCB, Scott Glenney, Little T, Hunter P, Eric M were up there at the sharp end with Eric M doing a chunk of work before Little T jumped with Hunter P on his wheel. T gets another as neither Hunter P or CCB Sasha could come around. Jacinto and the new guy were up there as well but so long as Little T is channeling his inner Philbert, it will take a different approach to get the best of him. Oh and Matt Sack again scared everyone with his cleat coming un-engaged, which is a feat considering he is in India right now.

Behind, the rest of the ride was close and in contact on the descent. On the the downhill we all got to enjoy the weird sight of the legendary christmas tree light recumbent rider. But like a nerdy cousin, if you ignore him, he will most likely go away to tinker in solitude. On the ride up West St, Luekens went down when he got squeezed into the curb and hit some sand. Fortunately he was ok and he had a couple of guys hang with him for the ride back.

Up front, the ride didnt get going again until Peck lane when Hunter P, Mahogany and Tri Doug ramped it up and everyone else was game. This led to a brisk pace ( Sasha, Berlin Sean, Glenney, Etc ) up the false flat section of Peck ln and decent speed in thru the new street surface section. Once onto Route 10, Mike McG came back up front and was drilling it. Yel!e Snoop, who had reconnected after fixing his 2(!) flats, got hit with another. Sux! The soft pedaling new haveners looking after Craig L were able to stop and provide another tube for him.... Cause the animals in the front of the ride certainly weren't going to stop and help. You guys are mean.

The run-in to Stop n shop was fast fast fast.... As Little T recruited CCB Sasha for a leadout, Chris C, Keltic O'Shea, Koski, Thomas B and the New guys on a C'dale were at a good clip up front. CCB's leadout wasnt the best, but Little T didnt need it anyway as he danced away with another. Eric M got a good chance at beating him but just came up short.

The ride back into Hamden was uneventful. Eric M, Bike Shop Bob, Neil Suto, Sasha and a couple of others would try to sneak off the front but nothing would have much of a chance. For the finale it was Little T duking it out with Mike McG till the bitter end. And up the hill went Tri Doug, The Mountain Man, Hunter P, Gregg F, the Bikers Edge MTB crew, MoMoney, and one or 2 others. Tri Doug gets this one, coming around Mountain Man at the very end.

Good ride everyone! Now stop yer belly aching....

Tuesday the 28th

2011-06-29T09:51:00.000-07:00

Recap coming soon ( hopefully )

Its been a busy work and training week. Sit tight everyone and till then, vote the poll, feel free to post a comment about the ride, guys on the ride, girls seen whilst on the ride, bikes on the ride, bad manners from the ride, etc etc etc

here's a brief version:
Eric M, Guido, Tim Ratta, Joshy G all went fast with some help from others, Little T followed up his 5th place at Keith Berger with sprints at the turnaround and Stop n Shop. Matt Sack needs new cleats. No one got off the front for any significant amount of time ( besides Crowle and Tall John cheating at the very beginning.... )

Tuesday the 21st

2011-06-22T06:54:00.000-07:00

The rains came and went just in time for the ride to get going. It seemed to thin the crown a little but the core 30 riders were there. The start this week was a little less mellow then weeks past and as soon as everyone got their legs wet it got going in ernest. Mike McG and Guido were early on up front. Dillon P, Hunter P, Hartmann, Thomas etc etc etc. There wasnt much by way of attacks until Mountain road when Eric M rode the first riser section hard, taking Guido and MaHoney with him. Those 3 looked dangerous up there and it seemed like Koski was playing a bit of defense for his man so the chase got going and the trio was reeled in shortly after. From there a lot more guys got involved in the rotation. Tri Guy Knee High, Yelle!Snoop, Chris C, Richy Sachs Chris, GHC Dennis, Tall Johhny, Elder Foley, etc. At some point the Robyn-ator got hit with a flat and Hubby Hunk Rondo gave up a wheel to let her carry on. So romantic!

Onto Moss Farms, where Eric M took off asap. Koski and Hunter P were right there and that got the pack going, stringing things out for most of the way down to the chicane. Tall John, looking fit as ever, and Mike McG came up and took over and it stayed fast till the corner. BikeShopBob and Jell!e Got things up the hill but it stayed compact onto Marion and all together heading up to 322. Pescatore, Chris C, Carquest Doug, Joshy G all getting involved up front. Joshy G lifted the pace as he approached the traffic light. It was red and everyone rolled thru together. Little did the peleton realize Joshy would keep on rolling the dice with the traffic lights in the hopes of getting a green.

Tall John jumped off the front coming up to Mount Vernon but no one was game so it was all together at first, Joshy G and Hunter P got things going leading to the usual mix of guys up front keeping the pace somewhat respectable. Too many faces up front to really get the rivets bent though and it stayed slower then it has been through this section. Guido moved up to get things going but some sloppy pace lining let him instead slip off the front, Yelle!Snoop bridged up shortly after and the break looked determined. BikeShopBob and Mahoney then powered up and as everyone was deciding whether to be concerned or to let it ride, the break moved up the road a decent amount. As the false flat section bit though the steam came out of the break. Eric M, Special Ed, and Mike McG drilling it up front certainly helped as well. The only other movement off the front came when a gap opened to Special Ed, Peter Kenny, Chris “I only have one cycling outfit” Crowle, and Eric M. That was short lived though and it was all together and calm for the turn onto Welch, although Larry M was at the front looking to start a fight.

Larry M at first on Welch, then Guido took over. Eddy A was near the front the whole time and that probably kept everyone alert. There was brief gap to the leading 5 but that was sewed up by Yell!e and Tri Doug. Once it was all together, the speed dropped for a bit as BSB, Thomas B and Larry M manned the front. Mike McG was the first to jump up and had Joshy G, Eric M and Hunter P right there. Mike shut it down after the corner, leaving Joshy to go it alone. He dug deep and got an immediate gap. Eric M also dug his heels in though and kept the gap to a minimum the entire way to the sprint point. A couple of times Josh would hit it, keeping the gap open, but every time, Eric would buckle down and keep him within 20 feet or so. Eric started the sprint but Hunter P was right there and came around the 2 and was able to hold off Jacinto, who had also tagged onto the leadout train.

Things slowed down as the ride moved back toward Cheshire. Heading under the underpass on Canal St, a gap opened up to a couple of guys up front. Guido stepped on it up front, taking advantage of the opportunity. Joshy G then attacked hard, thinking green-light-means-go for route 322. Guido and Joshy G had a 30 yard gap and sure enough the light was green-turning-yellow as they hit the intersection. The peleton stopped for the light and with the cycle lasting at least 30-45 seconds, everyone quickly realized it would be tough to bring the 2 back. Eric M,Thomas B, and a CVC rider snuck thru the red light to a chorus of boos from everyone else unclipped from their pedals. The 2 slowed up and waited for the pack while Eric M was turbo-ing up to the not-gonna-slow-break. He would never make it to the leaders though, even though all 3 were out of sight when the pack got onto the long straight of Peck ln.

When the peleton could,t see the break, it became evident that the catch was unlikely. Mike McG did his best nonetheless to police the chase and coax a solid pace from the front of the ride. MaHoney, Koski, Hunter P, Tri Doug, Tall John, BenGe, Chris C etc, all having a part in the chase. Stomachs full of anger as the peleton was single minded. Hell even Robyn was up there chasing hard, and soon enough Eric M was back in sight. The police led the ride slide thru some one lane road construction on Route 10 super fast ( thanks guys ).

The stop n shop sprint was negated for everyone, as Joshy G and Guido were working super good up front, despite the headwind and of course the chase behind did not sprint it out. Eric M would hang on, fighting off the front, till nearly the end. But all everyone could think of was the cheeky move thru the red light. Josh and Guido would end up with a 45 second win, despite hitting their fair share of red lights thru Cheshire.

Up the hill went Mountain Man, Dennis, Gregg F, Mahoney, Christian Olympics, and Hunter P, who got to the top first.

Tuesday the 14th

2011-06-14T20:45:00.000-07:00

With rain coming form the North tonight it was mostly New Haven-ers gathered at the park at ride time. The group picked up several riders on the way up route 10 though. Probably 40 or so all told which is pretty impressive considering the cold, very wet weather. The ride got going with dosed efforts at first as everyone did their best to chat and look comfortable. Yelle!Snoop was the first to have a go and with no one chasing and Jelle still unawares of the ride route, ended up going straight by Mountain Rd and that was the last time he was seen for the night. So technically his breakaway never got caught. Chapeau!

The pace picked up after the first rizer on mountain and around the second riser it was finally good ol SG ride with a steady fast pace all the way to Rt 68. On Moss farms Jacinto and Chris C took a short flyer to make up for Saturday in New Britain but that got brought back pretty quickly. From there on the Peleton stayed together with good pulls at the front from numerous folks to Rt 322. Most riders opted for long loop, despite the cruddy conditions.
Once onto Mount Vernon the pace started out slowly. Or at least slower then usual but there was a headwind to deal with. Once past the flase flat the speed picked up and stayed high all the way to the turn. Mike McG, Eric M, VQ Rob, Joshy G, and Guido doing all of the grunt work. Guido went solo off the front at the corner on Welch, and the rest were content to watch for a while. JoshyG went in pursuit shortly after but Guido held the gap to the corner onto West street. Joshy G, by then towing all the other fast guys ( Eric M, Jacinto, Mike McG, Little T ) went up and through Guido and kept the pace all the way up to the sprint point, where ??? took it.

Nothing out of the ordinary going back toward 322. Everyone pretty much working to get home in good time. On Peck ln, Eric M, VQ Rob, Guido, Joshy G, and Yahor from CCB stepped it up a notch or 2 and got things going.
Once on Route 10, Guido and Tri Doug got a little gap on the rizer going by Cheshire Park and those 2 were able to keep it for a decent amount. Red Lights before the sprint brought everything back together. It was slow upon resuming, which led to a mess of a sprint by Stop n Shop so hopefully the winner will please come forward to collect his prize. Joshy kept it going after the center of Cheshire and then things got chaotic. Joshy had two or three riders with him (LT, Chris C, Bike Shop Bob??). The peleton behind was suffering from a lack of organization and with lights starting and stopping the chase the lead group had good conditions to make an escape. Eric M, VQ Rob and two or three others started the direct chase. 2nd chase group on the road being anchored by Guido but behind him there were less then 15 riders left. Eric M and that group were close to making the bridge to the lead group, with a red light not stopping them. Guido jumped off his group and went thru that same red light leaving Rondo, Mike McG, and Yahor to do the chasing once it it turned green.

With the front 2 groups together and then Guido and Mountain Man also catching on near the Cook Hill Rd intersection, you'd think a group that big would just motor on home right? Wrong.... Joshy G, VQ Rob and Eric M, turned it up and went off the front, getting a gap over the remaining. Guido once again bridged the gap shortly after that, making it 4 up front for the final push, where Guido duked it out with Eric M.

Tuesday the 7th

2011-06-08T05:47:00.000-07:00

Another mello start to the ride this week. VQ Rob took off early and everyone was cool with that. Also left the front and then Weaver left soon after to join him. The group behind moseyed along with Stage 1 up front. Soon enough things got going with Guido taking a bit of a flyer in order to bridge up. He made it across the gap and the trio shot thru a corner or 2 where the pack had to pause. So the gap went up initially. Eric M, and Koski started the rally with help from a bunch of guys. Bobby German, Thomas B, Mahoney, Todd H, and others. The gap was down to a handful of seconds starting on the initial ramps up Mountain Rd but but the trio, anchored by Guido would just not let it die and the gap went back up ever so slightly and in the process Weaver got dislodged. It took some more strong efforts from Eric M, Hunter P, Chris C, Mahoney and JelleSnoop! to finally bring them back. For the rest of the way down Mountain it was status quo. Nothing to report, with some good pacing being done by a few guys.

Once a ways down Moss Farms it got going again with Sasha from CCB leading the charge. No one was letting that get very far and it stayed together and fast-ish. Eric M took advantage of the tempo pace and charged off the front as it got close to the corner and Chicane. Dillon P, quickly bridged up and it was 2 off the front going up to the corner for Marion. Dillon P. hung on as Eric M twisted the throttle as Larry M, Guido, Chris C, CCB and O'shea let the field up. Things calmed down a little heading towards Route 322. O'shea was ripping it up up front in an effort to summon up 2008 when he was always hitting up the S.G. Ride.

That brought everyone to Mount Vernon where the Belorussians from CCB were moving ahead and rode some nice pulls. Things got interesting right before the false flat with Eric M taking a long hard pull followed by Hunter P and Mike McG along the shooting range. Good to see Tall John also up there hitting it hard. Heading into the turnaround section, O'Shea was up there again along with Guido and VQ Rob. Oshea briefly was off the front along with Bike Shop Bob which led to BSB getting the jump on the hill on Welch. Everyone else behind him was cuing up \ sitting up \ watching a few select guys. Not too many fireworks thru hill and corner. A group led by Air Jordan moved off the front for most of the run-in but never too far behind was the sprinters, led by Koski. Eric M, hunter P and Little T were all up there and waiting. The front group getting overhauled with 150 meters to go. Little T jumped fast again and took this one over Sasha from CCBer

Eric M pushed the pace on the backside but it was all everyone was all together to gawk at Mountain Man as he was experiencing some shrinkage issues ( of the seatpost kind ). Once onto Peck it got going again with Guido, Larry M and Sasha leading the charge. On the rizer up to the top of Peck ln Eric M charged off with Bike Shop Bob, Chris C and Hunter P. That group punched it over the top and thru the construction, sending the field into chase mode. The other half of the CCB toss up, Yahor, got hit with a flat on the broken up road.

Things settled down on route 10 as the field kamikazed to the stop n sprint mark, although Todd H was hit with another flat, 2 weeks in a row. He needs a hug. In a bizarre turn, Jacinto was leading a balls-to-the-wall lead out. With him was Koski and Guido. Koski jumped for the sprint but right there was Little T yet again. Someone pop his tires or something.... Putting up a good fight was Julio L.

Rolling thru Cheshire, a break of 3 or 4 ( Eric M, Little T , ??? ??? ) slid thru a light and then caught a green when the field had to wait. That let them build up a gap. Initially only Guido and Benge were chasing hard, but by the time it got back into Hamden, others had got involved ( good to see the kids from Bikers Edge, Owen and Alec contributing to the chase ) and the gap was coming down. Kudos the break for staying out there for as long as they did. VQ Rob, Hunter P and Larry M powered thru the final kilo to get the break back and that gave Guido and Jacinto a chance to ride and thru them to duke the finish out. Up the hill, Tri Doug led the way with good position at the corner, holding his gap over Gregg F, Hunter P and Dillon P.

Great ride everyone !

2011-06-01T06:28:00.000-07:00

Ride changes flavor this week - Attack & counter-attack

Mellow start to the ride this week as everyone was ok to let Peter P, the National Kit, and Joshy G roll the pack out slowly. Eric M took off once onto North Brooksvale and took along Tri Doug and Bike Shop Bob. 45 seconds later Guido launched hard to get the bridge. The trio up the road were going good, making Guido work for it. Thomaas B also tried to get up there but was stuck in no mans land. There wasn’t much of a response from the pack for a surprisingly amount of time, as everyone seemed ok to let the gap go up. Chris C, Koski, and Mike McG finally kick started the peleton, and by the corner of Mountain Rd, the chase full on. Meanwhile up the road, Guido pulled close to the break but the risers on the first parts of Mountain gave the break a chance to stretch the lead. Soon after however Tri Doug had to come unlatched. Eric M and BSB kept the gap up all the way to the light on Route 68.

In cunning fashion, Hacker jumped hard thru the green light, as the group didn’t have to wait too long for it to change. The counter attack was well timed, albeit a little awkward. Hacker rode up a decent gap once onto Moss farms and with a limited but steadily increasing pace from Guido, Eric M, Thomas B, Rattatatat, BSB, and a couple of others, Hacker was able to hold the gap all the way past the chicane and onto Marion, finally getting caught after more strong efforts from Larry M, Chris C, Mike McG and Peter P. Whether he turned off the burners or was out of fuel, is in the eye of the beholder. Impressive nonetheless. The catch allowed everyone to sit up and recover a bit, although Larry M would wade into the deep end a bit, briefly getting a gap as the ride barreled toward the industrial park. There was some more scrambling off the front as the ride got near to 322 but it all stayed together. Props to the Bikers Edge kid on an ancient Cannondale. Someone get that guy a new bike. One at least from the current era! There was also a new guy ( Yelle Stoop! ) with a blu-ish kit that had some Belgian name on it. Both those new guys were up front as the ride got to and went over 322 and would get up front later on during the ride at a couple of spots. Yelle can now teach a class on SG First Ride Introduction Habits to all the newbies out there.

    The crap road section before 322 gave Toddo H a flat ( sad face ). Once onto Mount Vernon, Joshy G, Hacker, Eric M and Mike McG were out to make everyone’s life miserable by getting all hot-N-heavy with themselves at the front of the ride. It stayed up over 30 mph for a solid 3 or 4 kilo’s, or at least up to around the false flat section, after they were done, Joe K hit the front running along with Rattatatat and kept the speed up during that section. Rattatatat stayed up front for some extra credit time and back came McG, Eric M, Guido and Hacker to the front. It settled down after that and that let a few more guys get up front to put in some work.
     As the ride neared the turnaround, Hacker again jumped hard thru the corner onto Welch. After a few seconds, Eric M went up the road to bridge, triggering a tsunami of disorganization behind. Several guys jumped off the front, others prairie-dogging it near the front or in no mans land. DJ Dan, Larry M, Bike Shop Bob, Thomaas B, etc... Everyone deserves props for giving it ol college try but as per usual, the steady pace of the pack, led for a ways by Chris C, would end up collecting all but the 2 up the road. With about 250 meters to the corner, Brian Girard( good to see him making time for the SG ride ) jumped hard and looked like he meant business. Once onto the hill, Mike McG jumped along with Little T, still with a gap to make up to Hacker and Eric M with Girardo even further up the road. It ended up being a 3 horse run to the line with McG and Little T catching Girardo with some room to spare, letting T easily get this one with little contesting from the others. It all got rounded up on the backside, but not before Eric M took a flyer on the downhill that Peter P had to chase down. Koski and Guido would also drive up the pace for a bit but mostly it calmed down for the ride back to route 322 due to a pretty stiff headwind. Flat #2 on the night went to Mike McG, and some of the stragglers breathed a light sigh of relief. The light was red at 322, and a couple of guys snuck thru with the obvious intention of getting gap. Eric M, DJ Dan, Bike Shop Bob, and Ratta. Long way out to the sprint but that is what a couple of the front runners were thinking and they went to work building a gap as the pack slowly got going after the red turned green. There were a few guys pissed at the cheeky move. The leaders looked strong but a quick acceleration from Chris C got the chase going on Peck and the break would eventually get caught on the rizer up Peck Lane after hard efforts by Guido, Girardo, and Bobby German. Girardo led everyone thru the still-chewed-up road section.
    Once back onto Route 10, it calmed way down for a minute or 2 and then ramped up again for the stop n shop sprint. A bunch of guys were in position for this one and there was some chaos as DJ Dan got hit a flat during the fast run in but was able to part ways without bringing anyone down. The ruckas didn't affect the very front tho where it ended up being between Little T and Hacker. T gets this one, upping his streak to 87 in a row or something like that.
Woe to us all and who oh who will step up to end his tyranny???

The ride back through Cheshire was pretty fast, with some good work into the wind done at the front. Eric M, Hacker and Ratta again, capping off solid rides. Guido did a long pretty fast pull from the center of town to McDonalds Land. Then more riders did stepped up. For the last section Pter P came surging to the front with about 1.5 miles to go and did some nice work to string things out. There were still way too many riders standing in line for cake for the final half kilo despite Ratta bolting down the cannons with flame in hand. Guido hit the front towrad the end as usual but this time to send off an Seal Team 6 to duke out the kill. ( Bob the Lady Germinator, Little T, HackAttack, Bike Shop Bob )

Tuesday the 24th

2011-05-25T06:25:00.000-07:00

Not much time for a re-cap this week guys ( and gals ), we stayed up too late at the Dancing with the Stars After party ( Kristie Alley was robbed ! )

It was a decent sized group out tonight. With the 'Rent starting up a few guys were missing from the SG scene. But on the other hand we got Guido and Crowle back and both were looking to miraculously make up for lost training time.
   Right from the get-go CVC Rob and Tri Doug hit the front along with Guido, Thomaas B and DJ Dan. Mahoney also worked his way front and the pace was steady for the first few miles leading to Mountain rd. Once onto Mountain, Eric M hit the jets and strung thing out behind him as he towed Bike Shop Bob up the hill. From there on the pace was good with lots of different guys getting involved up front and a slight tailwind. Everyone wisely sat up for the ultra fast light on Route 68, giving everyone to recollect and get ready for Moss Farms.
There, Eric M, Thomas B, DJ Dan ( not the REAL Dj dan, but still a cool guy ) VQ Rob and Rondo got things going to which everyone was game. Eddy A and Air Jordan then hit the front and created a gap to the leaders. Guido followed along with Hunter P and the group, even though just a few meters up the way, was looking volatile. The CCB duo along with Hacker and Little T ramped things up from behind and sewed it up. as everyone was coming out of the Chicane. Heading up to Marion, Eddy A stayed up front to pace along the ever improving Jordan Lynn, Hunter P and Eric M were up there too and without any attacks, the pace stayed high up past the industrial park.
    The stragglers were left out as everyone got the green light over 322 and then VQ Rob punched it breifly on the other side. Eddy A jetted off the front as everyone got to Mount Vernon and that sent everyone into race mode. It stayed fast for the next couple of miles leading to the false flats, with the speed just under 30 miles an hour. We can all tip the hat thanks to Mike McG, CCBs, Hacker, Eric M, Bike Shop Bob, etc etc yada yada yada..... Even Mahoney was up there driving it along. Good job everyone!
     Eddy A, Air Jordan, Hunter P, Chris C and Hacker were upfront dispatching the false flat for everyone. It stayed all together after that section and despite the CCB duo and John Pescatore looking itchy coming up to Welch Rd, everyone was getting a chance to recoup before the turnaround.
      Leading up to the corner, after some good pacing by Bike Shop Bob, a huge group massed near the front. Mike McG charged off unassumingly, taking along Yahor (?) from CCB, then Jordan L jumped to match that pace along with Hacker. They went thru the corner first right in front of Little T, who had jumped a few seconds prior, taking along Hunter P, Eric M and the rest of the guys going for it. There were some cars in the corner, which stacked things up a bit and once thru it, Mike McG, Hacker and CCB were left up front as leadout train. Mike was cool with that and kept the speed high up to about 150 meters to go at which point Little T jumped up fast enough so that once again, no one went with him. Chris C and CCB went over the line next.
    On the backside it all came back together. A red light scooped up a descent attacking Eric M. The pace stayed high as a couple of guys were ok with working thru the section. VQ Rob, Thomas B, Mike McG, Etc. The next action was before going over 322 again. A new guy from Central Wheel had jumped off the front with Guido, Thomaas B and MaHoney but a red light over 322 brought everyone back together.
    Eric M found a way to have an integrated seatpost slip so the group waited a little while soft pedaling onto Peck Lane as he fixed it. But it was back to bruises soon after. It got going again with Guido, Mahoney and Ike McG up front. Mike attacked hard at the end of the little rizer on Peck, causing Yahor and Chris C to bridge up hard as Mahoney, Hunter P, Eric M and Guido chose the slow-and-steady route back to the leaders. It all came back together once everyone was past the road construction it was gruppo compacto turning onto Route 10.
    Going up the hill by Cheshire Park, a new rider in a white and red (?) kit was setting tempo pace. Then VQ Rob took over and a CCBer. Soon enough it was time for the Zane's train to hit the front. Koski and Rondo kept it brisk as Little T, Tim "best legs of the pack" Ratta, Hacker and Hunter P were sitting in. Little T jumped taking along Rattatatat and Hunter P. The big guy in the Innova Health Jersey (?) was sliding backwards and slowed the sprint for everyone but Little T, although Rattatatat was feeling the 3 hours he put in before the SG ride (!) and was fading fast. T gets this one as well by a healthy margin.
    Fast forward to the end, where empty-the-tank-efforts from Rondo, VQ Rob, Eric M, Guido, and Hacker left an elite group up front, fighting Little T all the way to the bitter end. Up the hill went, Dr. Dennis, Mahoney, Hunter P, Gregg F, and a couple of others.

All in all a good ride with the workload shared, smooth rotations up front and solid speed throughout.

Tuesday the 17th

2011-05-17T21:08:00.000-07:00

Nothing like a little positive peer pressure to get out in the miserable stuff.

The Cheshire Cycle trio of Dillon P, Gregg F and Hunter P rolled up to the ride to find a few stalwart souls ready to ride. Ratta, Eric M, Hansel and Zoolander, Bruce, VQ Rob, Cosmo “Sigma Alpha Epsilon” Catalano, and Yahor (?) from CCB. Once the group got going it collected Pescatore, Mountain Man, Mike McG, Koski, Frenzilli, Little T, Jeff “my pick-up truck is cooler then yours” Gelt, and a couple of others. High fives all round to those that made it out. The rain actually didn't hit as hard as it was supposed to and besides being wet, and some tire spray, riding wasn't that bad. The ride got going with Dillon P and Eric M early instigators. Few surprises early on up front. The usual guys up there setting pace. CCB was always ready to push it and Eric M, VQ Rob, Little T and Mike McG were ready to follow. Cosmo would have a good dig once everyone got going on Moss Farms but Pescatore shut it down. Eric M moved up to be in a good spot for the chicane but went over the yellow line to get there, DQ'ing the entire ride..... race..... whatever. Mahoney was the first one up the hill toward Marion but it settled down after that. A few guys peeled off for the short loop bringing the group down to about 15-18. Eric M and CCB kept it quick heading to 322 which, combined with the rizers there, put some guys into the hurt.

CCB, Eric M, and BenJe shot off the front briefly after going over 322, but it was held together by Rattatat and Hunter P. The ride down Mount Vernon was quick and windy with a bunch of different bikes up front doing the work. Heading onto Welch Rd and the turnaround, Cosmo, Mahoney, VQ Rob and Rattatatat rode off the front as Gregg F and Hunter P tried to coral the front. VQ Rob dropped off before the hill, just as Cosmo and MaHoney were upping the bet. After the corner Eric M took over the chase with Hunter P, Mike, and Little T close behind. Cosmo and Mahoney were the last to fall after putting in a solid effort to hang on to it. They got caught with about 125 meters to the sprint, just as Little T jumped fast enough to make everyone look around for a second to try to find the good spirits they all musta just dropped. T ride up and over easily and started working on the descent. Lost a couple of guys thru all that, group down to 8 or 9 as the front came together and started drilling it over I84. Gelt punched it right past the highway and then Mike McG took over with a vengeance. Lights that are usually red were now green and Mike was looking to dig himself and everyone else in a tidy little hole as the last ride went over the last climbing sections of West St. Pace was well good enough to pop a couple more guys. Things calmed down a bit for the section back to and over 322 again. The red light there gave a those couple of guys a chance to get back on.

The ride was standard fare from there on out. Cosmo tried a couple more times off the front, getting his gas money's worth. Heading into Stop n Sprint, Eric M hit the front and set the pace for the final 3\4 kilo coming up to the sprint. Little T got number 2 in a row, adding to his lead in the points competition. Gonna need someone to fill in the blanks for the rest of the ride, but good guess says it ended with some fast guys riding fast.

Tuesday the 10th

2011-05-11T06:41:00.000-07:00

Faster then last week? Is it tuesday? Yes and yes

It was another strong crowd out tonight. All the usuals... The Yalies were on vacation but we got a couple of new faces to fill in for them.
     Just like last week, no one was interested in warming up any more then was needed. VQ Rob was the first to have a go, getting an early bird gap that would hol for a kilo. Aidan was the next to jump a few minutes later. Hunter P and Dillon P went after him and that got things going. Eric M, tore off a slight gap going into the crap road section with Chris C and company chasing. By the next corner it was all together. Aidan and Eric M stayed up front, making sure no one went to sleep behind. BenGe, Joe K, and a Stage one guy ( Todd H?, Dave?!!) hit the front after that and rolled off a gap as the ride made its way to Mountain Rd. The improbable trio held onto the gap for a decent amount of road, getting caught on the first riser on Mountain. In the dance off, it was Mahoney's turn, and he pushed the door open a bit with help from Eric M, Aidan, Richie Sachs Chris, Koski and Steve Grey. That was brought back by the end of the risers section just in time for Eddy A to collect his Padawan; "Air" Jordan Lynn and make a trench run to the front. Eddy A was bullish for nearly a kilo, not slowing to let anyone by. After he was done, Steve Grey, Todd H, Hunter P and Chris C rolled the group up to the red light on route 68.
   Onto Moss Farms where Aidan, as training in anticipation for the CX season, sprinted things to a start right off the line. Hacker and Eric M were wise to it, and didnt let any gaps open up.... except for the ones behind them. After everyone got a chance to adjust, a few more guys came up and did the heavy lifting at the front. Weaver, Mike McG, Bob "club Fit" German, Hunter P, Little T, Air Jordan, Todd H and Jeff "the businessman" Gelt to lead everyone into the Chicane. Hacker started the approach up to Marion Ave, but it stayed pretty calm as the ride came up to and past the industrial park. Coming up to Route 322 Sasha from CCB attacked taking a couple of guys along. No one was getting fooled by that and there was a quick scramble to jump up and match the pace.
    Once the light went green, Aidan and Sasha stayed on the throttle and were responsible for sending a couple of riders out the back. That turned into a foursome off the front as everyone went thru the corner of Mount Vernon Road. Jacinto, Hacker, BenGe, and Sasha had a small, but workable gap as the headwind started to pick up. Behind, Steve Gray, Eric M, VQ Rob, and Hunter P worked to bring them back. BenGe fell off the pace, as Weaver and a couple of others worked off the front to close the gap, eventually the break up the road was broken up and there were guys all over the place. In theory, it would have been a great time to attack, but the headwind was taking its toll and it came all back together in time to hit the false flat. Mike McG gunned it hard enough to get off the front, taking along the mini Peter P ( Jordan Lynn ) and Mahoney ( to even up the score with you know who ). Eddy A sensing an opportunity to lead by example, lit the burners to close the gap, taking along Chris C and Hunter P with him. Soon after the climbing stopped,everyone came together, making it 6 off the front. A dangerous group, with a lot of guys feeling the effort back in the Peleton. It wouldnt be given much room though, and Aidan, Eric M, and Steve Grey and a couple of others brought it back soon after. Everyone took a bit of a breather as the turnaround was coming up. Turning the corner onto Welch, Hacker and Larry M attacked, getting a gap pretty quickly. BenGe, Todd H and Ferraro tried to jump across but came up short. Weaver moved up to set pace for Eric M as it became apparent that the break wasnt going to stay out there. LIttle T then jumped hard 30 meters from the corner and quickly made it across to Hacker and Larry. He left without saying goodbye or signing anyone up to come along, but it seemed a little too far to go all in. Behind, Eric M and Chris C kept up the tempo but in a few hot seconds it became apparent that no one would catch T. So a hearty high five to him for sticking this one.... Oh and yea, he won the Masters Sterling Race.
   On the backside, it all came back together, but with CCB and Hacker up there drilling it, it wasnt easy. Thus started the slow section of the ride.... NO wait, Aidan is going again. This time Tall John was with him right away and the 2 peeled off a couple of guys, Hunter P, John Pescatore, Hacker and Bike Shop Bob. So that kept it interesting heading downhill to the corner. Once pass the 84 exit ramp, Aidan stayed up front and kept it spirited. It stayed fast all the way up to the 322 crossing with Mike McG, Bike Shop Bob, VQ Rob, CCB, Jacinto, etc going hard.
   Nothing to report until Hacker attacked hard going up Peck Ln, looking to take advantage of the tail wind. Eric M, Aidan, Sasha, Hunter P and a new Central Wheel rider were right on that, but more guys were being put thru the ringer behind. Hacker stayed just out front, bringing everyone up to the road construction at speed. Cash register bells ringing for Bike Shop Bob and Dillon P as guys bikes were taking unexpected hits. A couple of guys got flats (?). Meanwhile the CCB was drilling it up front and ended up hitting route 10 with a 30 meter gap as Todd H, Central Wheel, and Chris C chased. Sasha kept on the gas 110% going up past cheshire park as Central wheel, Hunter P and Crowle buried it to close the gap. The catch was made half a kilo past the hill just as everyone was teetering on the edge of scorched. A red light stopped everyone before the Stop n Sprint point. A small group containing Eric M and Jacinto jumped right off the red light looking to surprise everyone. Aidan gave chase and that kept it all together but the trick worked. Eric M got the best look at the sprint, and was able to stay out in front of Aidan and Hacker for the points.
   The usual full-on escape tactics ensued thru cheshire but no one was able to get away. The ride back was nice and fast. Jacinto tried some last minute stuff, taking Eric M with him up but it got rounded up and there was a big group riding the last meters together. Up the hill, Mahoney got snuffed out midway up as Larry M rode away from Hunter P with Steve Grey on his 6. Those two crested the hill together with Ferraro, the new Central wheel guy and other guy also going up the hill. Phew.... Time for a break....

Tuesday the 3rd

2011-05-04T07:04:00.000-07:00

Rondo yelling at someone - check

Cross-eye inducing speed - check

The long loop (at only minutes more then last week) - check

Everyone's Favorite Dave spitting on someone - check

Zero entry fee - check

Robyn cursing!?!?

Another great ride tonight folks. Plenty of guys, plenty of drama, plenty of speed. And we all managed to keep it safe as well. Right from the get go the message was clear. It was gonna be one for the books. The front got crowded very quickly and a couple of guys pegged it early. There was a new guy in a TargetTraining kit who was putting on a seminar all night long. VQ Rob and Mahoney were also up there early on. It was a true drag race to get to the pave section but everyone seemed to get thru ok. Zero vehicular traffic def helped as guys were diving all over the place. From there Hunter P hit the front with Guido, Rondo, Dillon P and the Target Training guy. Strong efforts were needed to stay up front. Guido rode the front alone for kilo heading up to Mountain rd and then guys like Hunter P, Target Training, and Mahoney took over. Good to see Tall Johnny back in the fold as well.

Mahoney got things rolling on Mountain road, and was followed up by Mike McG and other Zane's guys. With the tail wind and everyone's eager-beaver attitude it very well could have been record time to the light at route 68 for the peleton. Tensions ran a little higher then usual when there was some slower work up front and gaps allowed open. Rondo made sure everyone was on the same page though.

French Casey sprint started the group once onto Moss Farms after the light, but then promptly checked out for the night. Coming up to the corner and the chicane, there was a dangerous looking group forming off the front a bit ( Guido, Eric M, A Yalie, The Garbernator, Aidan, etc.) but Chris C, Julio, and Hunter P shored up the gap before the dive thru the comer. That slowed things a little as everyone hit the hill, giving Chris C and Hunter P a chance to roll off the front briefly. It was back to full gas as the full peleton went past the industrial park and toward Southington. Only a couple of people pulled off for the short loop. Good to see solidarity. Heading over the highway, another group was muscling off the front, ( CCBer, Eric M, Mike McG, Joshy G, GGarber, Guido again, and a couple of others. ). There were a couple of guys to pull it back together, Benje, Hutner P etc. Also the light was red, so everyone got a breather.

Aidan, Target Training and Mike McG rode hard once onto Mount Vernon, forcing everyone to pick up the slack. Joshy G started to hang out near the front and inflict pain. Hacker as well. The ride to the turnaround was more of the same, fast and deliberate. No one was accidentally finding themselves up front. The false flat section, usually a spot of field detonation was rendered moot thanks to a D bag parked in the middle of the lane. Aidan got rolling after that along with Rattatat, Eric M, and DJ Blizzack. A subsequent pull from Ratta almost broke a trio free but it stayed together. Target Training still was up there and content to go fast for everyone. Things calmed slightly before the turn to the sprint. But once onto Welch rd. it started getting interesting. There were no monster attacks or efforts as the bunch got to the corner, although Tri Doug was up there serving up some humble pie to the naysayers. He rolled thru the corner first as the strong guys lined up behind to ramp it up. Mike McG started it off immediately after the corner, pulling off a couple of riders and stretching it out into the wind. It quickly became a limited race for the sprint as gaps and distances were too much for guys to make up. Up front Mike, Joshy G, Target Training, and GrahamCrackerGarber were not getting caught. Mikey gets the notch in the belt this time, ringing the bell for first. It all came back together soon after. Giving everyone a slight chance to recover. Eric M had a dig on the descent, rolling off with a gap but gettting caught before the corner on West St.
The ride went sedate for a while with Dillon P's demo set of Cole's the only thing breaking the silence. Once past the chopped up road on Sandbank rd., Chris C, Bike Shop Bob, Mahoney and Dillon P moved up front to set the pace and feel out the front. Dillon P then rode off alone for a bit but would come back to the group as everyone started the charge uphill by Cheshire Park. The headwind would take its toll on the run in to Stop n Shop. After the CCBer, Danny B, Peter P and Tall John got done with pulls, THX, Tri Doug and Graham jumped out front. That was short lived as Rattatat was leading the rest of the sprinters ( Jacinto, Chris C , Hunter P, Mike McG ) up and into the sprint. Little T jumped from 6 or 7 wheels back and was able to hold on to it, despite a good charge to the line from Hacker and Jacinto.

Once past the lights, Aidan hit the front full gas and tore of a gap that would take some chasing down. At some point Everyone's Favorite Dave took issue with the humming noise coming from one of the Yalies' ( Ian Forsyth?) cyclocross tires. Some words were exchanged, some threats to "F*ck%n pull over to get shown some more". In the end, the Yalie seemed content to laugh it off like last semester's housing bill, with Dave more determined on making a point with his saliva glands. We all got a good chuckle out of it, and once it was back to riding, it was almost time to wrap this baby up. Too many guys to list had a hand in the final kilo's. For the last push, the regulars had it timed well. Mike McG, Eric M, Jacinto, Little T off the front with Guido, Aidan, Graham and Ferraro from Central Wheel shooting across the gap. Guido rode up and thru in usual fashion.
Up the hill, Mahoney jumped very early in response to a downright Schleckish Dillon P, but both imploded midway up, letting Hunter P get the prize for both "up the hill first" and "ugliest socks of the night". Gregg F, C-Dale Rick, Tri Doug and the Central Wheel boys also closed the ride out on the hill.

Tuesday the 26th

2011-04-26T18:20:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Sleeping Giant Gran Fondo.
Special thanks to cheshire residents and the Police force for their patience.
Official apology; see below....

All the fair weather riders oozed out of the wood work tonight. Nearly 70 riders eventually hooking up with the ride. Thankfully there was a southerly wind and some fast guys up front to make everyone feel good and fuzzy about themselves. The ride started off slowly as everyone was content to enjoy the nice weather. Either that or everyone was ogling the monstrosity that Dillon P was demo'ing tonight. ( Litespeed Archon C1... super stiff, uber fast, gets few points for comfort. ).

Mike McG, MoHoney, Vivid shorts guy ( aka Danny B ), Dillon P and a NYU rider finally got things rolling along right before the crap road section. Chris C was the first one to really dig in the heels on Mount Sanford Rd but Mike McG, Eric M and NYU lifted things, keeping Crowle on a short leash. That took everyone to Mountain Rd where the gent on the older litespeed, Hunter P and Guido kicked things off. Guido rolled off the front along with Hacker for a brief moment but there was PLENTY of guys rolling thru. From there, all the way down Mountain, you pretty much had to take a number in order to trade paint up front. Plenty of guys to do work + tailwind meant any ol fred could roll along with the boys... But that's a nice change right?

Once onto Moss Farms Bob German, Hacker, Guido and Eric M hit it hot up-front right away to keep everyone on their toes. Rattatat moved up front along with Joe K and kept it fast up to the chicane. Mike McG got it rolling up to Marion Ave. followed by Hunter P and Thomaas B but a parked truck at the corner brought everyone to a screeching halt. It took a little to regroup and get rolling again but Chris C put himself out there along with Mike and a CCB rider. Into the industrial park with guns blazing. Again, it was perfectly possible to wind along, work pretty hard and never make it to the front cause there were plenty of guys. The hills on West Johnson started to thin out the front. Yalie with the vivid shorts (name?) launched off the front in a bid to get himself a sprint upset. Mike McG, Jacinto, Bob German, Eric M, Julio L and Everyone's Favorite Dave also took the chance to move off the front but everyone, including the Yalie was brought back pretty quickly. Mike McG, looking to get in a get workout, stayed up front and kept the speed high as everyone started looking for position. Mike actually rolled off the front alone as everyone figured their best chance was to sit and wait. Die schnelle maschine, Guido, wasn't cool with that and hit the front to close the gap. That gave everyone something to follow up to McG just at the crest of the hill on Rienhard, before the sprint. Guido passed Mike alone as Eric M, Hunter P, and Ratta were queuing up behind. Ratta started if off, Hunter P was next, but Little T was waiting in the shadows and had plenty of time, plenty of room, plenty of kick to come around all, taking it over Hunter P easily.

Larry M and Eddy A quickly rolled off the front on the descent, looking determined to pounce. But Eddy was just teasing us and ended up turned to head north. Gruppo Compacto heading up Peck Ln toward Route 10. But not before Joe K rolled off the front alone, into the headwind, throwing caution out the window. He was uncatchable for a bit as everyone on the front was either a teammate ( Ratta, Hunter P, Larry M ) or gassed from the effort. He came back just as the cut up pavement section was crossed. Eric M, Rondo and BikeShopBob peeled off due to flat tires.

The headwind on route 10 stood everyone up. It was slooooow. No one was willing to drill it for obvious reasons. Guido moved up to the front not giving 2 craps about wind speed. He had a little help but overall it was lollygag time. A few guys rolled off the front, plus a few guys who took shortcuts were getting caught in time for the stop n shop sprint. There was a small group off the front being led by Rattatat. On his six was last weeks winner, Blue tires \ blue shorts ( Danny Blizzard ). Behind Guido was catching up and Jacinto was leading the usual suspects across the gap. Guido gets the prize for this one tho, well deservedly so.

The rest of the ride was a circus side show........Fine motorists of Cheshire ( and the officers who police them ), many apologies..... Bicyclists get all jittery when the wind blows at our face. We will be better next time. Promise.....

For the final kilometers Rattatat gets the Big Balls Award for stomping his way up and ahead of everyone a couple times. In the end Guido rolled off the front with Little T in hot pursuit. Up the hill, Hunter P had a head start and stayed in front of Mahoney, Tri Doug and Gregg F.

Good ride everyone. Next week the big loop, which hopefully will dilute traffic on the return home. If not, things are gonna get all.... Bacon-y

Tuesday the 19th

2011-04-20T07:48:00.000-07:00

"F#ck*n pull thru!" - Ronnie's Back!

     Small group out tonight ( <25 guys ) to battle the rain and cold ( again! ). Something must be wrong with the rest of us when Rondo can miss 5 weeks of rides, spend a week in the hospitable and still keep up and push the pace when he comes back. Anyway it was good to see him back out and giving everyone a hard time.
     Once off the route 10, Chris C and hunter P got things going off the front. That wasn't given much room, which got the ride going for everyone. Dillon P managed to bridge up to the 2 at the end of South Brooksvale, which kept the break going for a little longer but it only would last for a 2-3 kilo's. Once the ride slowed down a bit. That gave Mahoney and Weaver a chance to get off the front but that move never made it farther then 50 meters off the front. Once everyone got onto Mountain road, the cream of the crop came up and drove the pace. Aidan, Hunter P, Mike McG, Eric M, PeteReed, the Suto clan and even Rondo was up there. On the second half or Mountain, others got involved up front and it stayed fast till the light.
     Aidan charged on the front once on Moss Farms, right away spreading things out. Eric M, new guy on an older litespeed, a couple of Yalies, Young Suto, and Hunter weren't giving up much there and kept it together. Despite the small group out tonight, no one was really willing to try to attack the bunch. Going thru the chicane and up the hill, with Chris C and PeteReed danglin off the front, Eric M started to go, taking Aidan and hunter P with him, Hunter P kept up the pace thru the corner but sat up as no one else was responding.
     Going into the indutrial park, Eric M was up front and going hard with Weaver there for back-up. Aidan, Mike McG and PeteReed were paying attention and didnt let the gaps open up. Turning onto West Johnson, Aidan was once again up there and keeping it heavily starched up front. When no one would chip to help Aidan, Chris C took off to have a go, hacking off a decent gap as the climbing section hit. No one seemed overly concerend about that, although, Weaver and a Yalie also jumped off the front looking for an upset. He would get up to Chris just as the bunch was winding up behind. The climbing started on West Johnson steady pace. Mike McG would lay down an attack right before the corner for Rienhard. He rode up and thru the 2 up front as guys started looking around for wheels to latch onto. Aidan jumped at the crest of the initial climbs on Rienhard which looked pretty convincing. He scampered up to were MIke McG was just as Eric M was moving out of traffic to start the sprint. Hunter P was latched on though and was able to come around all of them with room to spare, passing Mike about halfway up the hill.
     On the backside, Eric M rolled off the front with a couple of guys but as usual, it all came together before Peck Lane. No real surprises heading back to Route 10. The group had to roll over some chewd up road but everyone seemed ok. Once onto route 10 heading south, the tailwind picked up and got things going. Guys started jostling around for a good position and wheel to follow. A police cruiser exiting a side street 1.5 k's from the sprint would bring everyone to a halt. In the ride's younger days, no doubt we would have blown right past him, making the po-po wait for us!
   Once everyone got going there was no time to lose for the stop n shop sprint. With a couple of yalies, Eric M, Aidan and others up front, it was going to be fast. The Yalie with red tights and Weaver tore off early on getting a gap and then turning it into a sprint as Mike McG blasted off the front. There was a red light on the hill with traffic stacked up, slowing down a crowded sprint. The away team gets this one though as Red tights narrowly stayed off Mike, Weaver , Eric M and Hunter P.
   The ride back into Hamden was quick thanks to the tailwind (and the Suto's). Weaver and PeteReed would duke out the final little bit as Mountain Man, Gregg F, Tri Doug, Mahoney, Hunter P and one other went up the hill to finish things off there.

Tuesday the 12th

2011-04-13T07:44:00.000-07:00

This ride must be famous, new guys all over the place... in the rain no less

The assured rain that was soon to hit didnt stop about 35 guys from rolling out tonight. There was all kinds of famous-ness in the parking lot. The fastest guy from Battenkill, a winner there ( one of 35 top-steppers from that race ), a rider who may or may not have been a former national champion on the track..... and VQ Rob!

Right out of the blocks, Guido was looking to get in a good workout and hit the front started rolling away. Antonio D, Mountain Man and Hunter P jumped on and the ride got going. Peter Reed from Breakaway bikes was up there and would end up help to animate the whole ride. It was good to see Joshy G out as well hammering early on. The newbies made it thru the crap roads ok and the ride steamrolled toward Mountain Rd. Guido continued to work the front, a couple of times pulling a gap with other riders. MaHoney and VQ Rob mainly.
   Mike McG moved up on Mountain road, chipping in when Joshy G came off the front. Thanks to the quick pace, guys were getting popped early on. The ride tore down Mountain Rd with a hnadful of guys doing the work. Chris C, Aidan, Little T, MaHoney, PeteReed, Hunter P, Jacinto, Guido, etc.
     There was no surprises moving thru Moss Farms rd, everyone played nice the pace was decent. Chris C jumped off the front after the chicane, taking a gap into the corner for Marion. He would be joined by Aidan, PeteReed, and another new rider. Those 3 went through Chris C and had a gap as the ride approached the industrial park. That was a little too dangerous looking and the front of the peleton put in out couple of extra watts in order to keep the gap close. As the ride turned into the industrial park the rain started steady. The gap was still a fast moving 50 meters or so. Chris C again hit the front and took back most of that, stretching the pack out and nearly causing a split in the process. Mike McG and Hunter P finished it off the break. Mike continued, riding thru the trio, taking along Aidan and then Hunter P. Aidan surged as the ride went up West Johnson and Hutner P followed. Those 2 appeared determined to fight for a gap, so again, the front of the ride went in to damage control mode. Joshy G, PeteReed, Guido, Mike McG and a couple of others were in charge of keeping tabs on the front. Aidan and Hunter P would get caught 100 meters or so from the corner to Reinhart. The chase efforts good enough to spring a new break simply by attrition. Mike McG, Little T and PeteReed held a short lead heading to the crest of the road before the sprint hill. Joshy G put in a huge effort to get across the gap as best he could before hte sprint happened. Once on the hill, Mike was surely working for Little T to make sure the home field advantage kept the win from going to the new guy, and sure enough, Little T danced off the front to roll thru the corner alone.
       Joshy G was intent on keeping any gap the sprint created and rolled off the front with Little T and PeteReed as the ride came up to Peck Ln. That trio killed the throttle though when Little T slid back to the group and everyone hit the false flat on Peck lane together. Near the top of that rise, Aidan ( New Haven's biggest pain monger since Craig Luekens ) hit the front running, getting things going and putting more bodies in hurt. He peeled off a gap as the ride went over the old train tracks and Guido jumped up after him. Then Mike McG went up, which started pulling more guys up to speed, but still Aidan was alone up there. Guido and Mike eventually did make it across as the ride was back onto route 10. The chase on route 10 for the 2nd week in a row put the peleton into the blender. This time a chase group pulled clear on the hill by Cheshire Park as PeteReed, Chris C and Hunter P sped off the front. Guido lost contact with Aidan and Mike on the hill but joined up in the chase, making it 4 guys chasing Beauty and the Beast up the road. The chase grew as JoshyG again bridged a hard gap, taking along Little T and one other (?).
       As the chasers came up on the center of Cheshire, Aidan and Mike rolled past Stop n Shop alone, proving they don't need a sprint point to show their dominance. Red lights slowed them and allowed the chase group to catch. Damage was done though as the rest of the field was long behind, out of sight nearly. The lead group of 8 or so never had a chance to get going strong again. Red lights and traffic gave the Peleton a chance to catch up and as the ride was leaving Cheshire, it was all back together again. Perhaps someone can fill in the blanks for the rest of the ride, as the Cheshire Cycle guys rode back to the shop at this point.
      All in all, a great ride despite the rain. Thanks to the new guys for making it interesting. Hope to see everyone back next week.

Tuesday the 5th

2011-04-05T21:21:00.000-07:00

Aprils Fool weather for the SGR..... Sucks......

Cold and slightly wet for the ride tonight. It was a smallish group. No more then 30 out. Notably missing was Eric M, most of the Stop n Shop Crew, Little T, a few guys from CCR and of course.... Rondo. But on the other hand, we got Hacker and a cadre of Yale riders, 4 or 5 of them.
   As soon as the ride turned off Route 10, Guido took control up front and the Yale guys were right with him. Chris C, Hunter P and MaHoney were up there too. The initial couple of miles were brisk, with the Yalies taking turns off the front and the others sitting up and blocking. A couple of times it looked like gaps were gonna stick but it always came back together. Guido seemed determined to guide his young Whiffenpoofs thru the cobbled section way off the front and out of trouble. Can't really argue with that logic. Once onto Mountain road, the pace settled down and more guys got involved up front. Aidan was up there and so was the Germanitor. Hacker, Jacinto, THX-1138 and Mike McG also came up and thru. BenGe too (?).
   Weaver got things going on Moss Farms, but the pace wasn't back-breaking. Guido and Jacinto were allowed to ride off the front and the Yale guys just sat up and let their New Haven compatriots ride away. Maybe that's how they do it in D2, round these parts though that doesn't pass muster. Hunter P jumped up and bridged the 100 meter gap and that got everyone going and chasing. The now trio kept up a gap for maybe a kilo, making it thru the chicane alone, but would be caught on the run-up to the corner for Marion Ave. German Bob, Aidan and Mike McG leading the peleton. There was also a new guy on an older Litespeed (?). Aidan punched it after the corner good enough to spring a group free. Jacinto, Aidan, Litespeed, Hunter P and Hacker. But that group would be caught as they turned into the industrial park. A A Aidan kept up the pace though as the cross winds started to bite.
Once onto West Johnson, Mike McG took control up front along with THX1138 and Mahoney. Cross wind became a tailwind and the front scampered up the climbs on the way to Reinhard. Mike McG peeled off, then Guido, then a couple Bulldogs. Aidan hit the front again with clear plans to pound out a big one. Mike stayed with him briefly but then retreated as the group started on Reinhard. Jacinto followed Aidan and the 2 quickly had a decent gap of 75 meters. Mike McG rolled up and grabbed Hunter P for a sprint dash. Mike got the sprint started, leading out Hunter and letting him loose with maybe 50 meters to close on the 2 up front. Hunter caught and passed them with room to spare pretty much uncontested. Hacker had gotten a flat at the start of Reinhard and Guido, always the gentleman, stopped to provide impeccably styled german assistance. On the backside, everyone rolled up back together, although Mountain Man suffered a flat at the top of the false flat of Peck Ln. Chris C and Aidan were bent on making the others hurt, pushing the pace for the way back onto Route10. THX1388 and Mike McG also chipping in.
The very first light immedialty on route 10 was red, but as soon as it changed, Aidan lit it up like it was a cyclocross race. The sting of the hill, plus the cross wind was putting everyone into the red. With no knowledge of any upcoming sprint, the Yalies buried themselves in the name of sport, and that was enough to tear the peleton into 3. Mike McG made the gap along with CxC and a couple of others. Behind, guys ( and Robyn ) had their hands fulls getting it sorted out. Not even Chris C could bridge the gap to the now smoothly working front group. They hit the stop n shop sprint rolling strong with no time or desire to sprint it out. The red light at the corner of Route 68 was the only thing that kept them from doing the rest of the ride alone.
      So gruppo compacto for the rest of the way to hamd-...... nope, Lux et Velocitas back up front and drilling it thru Cheshire. 3 of them had a gap for a little while but Aidan, Mike McG,, THX 3811, Chris C, and Hunter P erased that quickly. There were a couple of more individual attacks from the Yalies, with some more subtle-as-a-sphinx blocking from the teammates. All in all, it was fast ride back into Hamden, with Jacinto using Chris C as a launch pad to ride the last few hundred meters all alone.

Tuesday the 29th

2011-03-29T19:21:00.000-07:00

Windy day at S.G. brings out the best in everyone....

     A big ol North wind greeted everyone for the ride tonight. Somehow it made things a little more interesting then usual. It wasn't the largest crowd, not more than 35 riders. Right from the get-go, a small group pushed off the front. Koski, Bob German, Weaver (?), Suto, Chris C and a couple of others. Guido then jumped up to the group and that started the chasing behind. Meanwhile the ride is less then a mile from Route 10 and blasting into the headwind, so there was plently of guys seeking refuge wherever possible. Eric M made the jump and that really whipped everyone into shape. Alas, a corner with some traffic slowed the front group and brought it all together for the ride to Mountain road. A new guy in a Verizon vest would hit the front a couple of times and pick up the pace. There was also a new guy in all black ( Cervelo? ), a new guy in a CVC kit and the great Peter Petrillo as well. So between the new faces and the wind, the ride wasn't routine.
      The Mountain rd section was a steady pace with a good group of guys pushing the pace. Eric M looked antsy a couple of times and surged off the front. Ratta, Tim, was also up there turning the screws. Chris C rode into a gap with Thomaas B and a couple of others toward the end of Mountain road but the light was red.
     The pace slowed down on Moss Farms as the front of the pack grew weary of the wind. Same thing for the chicane and the rizer up to Marion. Guido once again pushed the pace there and towed along a group of 5 or 6. Chris C, Jacinto, the Frenzilli Monster, Hunter P, and the Verizon dude all were up there but no one followed thru after the corner it all got rounded up for the ride into the industrial park. Chris C was active up front all the way down Knotter and rolled off the front with a couple of New Haven guys and the Verizon dude. After a little game of "Who's on first" at the front of the peleton, Dillon P and Peter K took matters into their own hands. They charged off the front, chasing down the group in time for the corner of West Johnson, doing a good job of setting up teammates, Rattatatat and Hunter P for the sprint. The Verizon dude kept up the attack after the corner and was waitin for no one! Hunter P rode up and thru the group but got stuck in the middle of the growing gap to the lone leader and the field behind, now led by Guido at a respectable pace. Verizon dude started to slow and was sliding back to the group with about 100 meters to the corner of Rienhard. Rattatatat and MaHoney were now leading everyone up and thru the corner and into the base of the climb. Ratta started the sprint but was no doubt gassed from setting the strong tempo. Eric M, Little T and Peter P were the ones to jump, and it quickly turned into a 2 horse race with Peter P getting gapped with 100 meters to go. Little T had the position battle and was able to come over Eric M, but needed pretty much the whole drag to do it. On the backside, Guido kept the pace up and rounded up everyone before the turn onto Peck Lane.
     The tailwind was Peck was epic and it was easy for the group to charge up the false flat there at almost 30 mph. Verizon dude wasn't satisfied with that crap and attacked. Chris C, Jacinto, Eric M, Hunter P and a couple of others were up to the challenge and went with him. The tailwind made sure no one was cracking tho and it was back to all together as everyone went over the old train tracks. The tailwind kept up the pace once back onto Route 10 and it all stayed together for the run-in to the Stop n Shop sprint. There was a couple of guys up there driving the train for the sprint, Koski, Weaver, CxC (?) and a couple of others. Ratta jumped from about 3rd wheel and took along Eric M. It was another good sprint, with Tim able to stay out in front of Eric just barely.
    Everyone was keyed up on the tailwind heading in thru Cheshire and it was full on ( cars or no cars!) the whole way back to Hamden. A couple of guys had a go at the front with attacks. Dillon P and Ratta most notably with 750 meters to go. Eric M, Bob, Jacinto, Chris C and Guido covered it and went thru to the end, with Little T slugging it out with Eric for the final push. For the hill finish, there was only a couple of guys that went up Shepard. No one wants to finish with a true climb apparently.

Tuesday the 22nd

2011-03-22T18:13:00.000-07:00

      It was a cold grey day for the ride today and that matched the prevailing mood at the parking lot. Ron's health ( like it or not Ron ) was on most people's mind. That said it was nice to see Robyn out and smiling. Despite calls to have everyone go ride over to the Fantano's with last year's Giro on DVD, pizza, beer and Eric M's travel kit for a night of fun with Ron, everyone instead slowly rolled off into the headwind.
     Once off route 10, Guido, Jacinto and Dillon P got things going. The ride collected all the late StopNshoppers and then it was Benje's turn to hit the front for a bit. Iden was up there and so was Mike McG. Jacinto looked like he was a little frisky early on but no doubt the headwind kept him close. Cosmo C and MaHoney were next in the cue up front. Aiden started turning screws once on South Brooksvale and it briefly got strung out for the lead in to Mountain raod. Everyone stayed together onto Mountain, and there was a consistent long line of willing guys at the front. Pace was respectable if not slightly faster then usual. Aiden, Guido, Eric M, Hunter P, CXChris, Mike McG, Chris C etc, got it going once onto Moss Farms and it was pretty quick thru there too. All in all, with the wind and the speed, no one was eager to attack.
      Guido once again pulled a little extra out of his account going up to the Marion Ave corner after the chicane. This time, Aiden, Silent Steve, Jacinto, Hunter P and a Devils Gear rider all followed suit. Aiden and the Devils gear rider rode into a gap for a little bit but Tim Rattatattat and the Rivet Racing dude were there to close the gap so it was all together heading into the industrial park. The changing wind put a little zip into everyone step and it ticked up a bit heading to the corner for West Johnson Ave. Joe K was pushing it and finally got Aiden to come off his wheel thru the corner. Joe was all in for the sprint and he quickly tore off a 75 meter gap. The pace was still decent behind him as a couple of CCR riders ( Cosmo, Hunter P ) got up there and tried to give Joe as much breathing room as possible. As the road started to bite 300 meters from the corner to Reinhard Joe still had a decent gap and was looking maybe 50\50 that he could pull it off. Jacinto was keeping it real up front with Eric M right behind. Rattatattat hooked on to Merrill's wheel and the 2 jumped up in pursuit of Joe K, who was cobbling together a sprint but would need to stay on the gas the whole way up to stay off the front. Eric was able to catch and pass him with some room to spare but the Big Balls Award of the night goes to the Joe "imagonna break this bike" Kubisek.
    It all rolled back up together on the descent. The speed heading to route 10, thanks to the tailwind, was quick. Some more punches from Aiden almost split the now reduced field in two but the turn onto route 10 was slow enough so that everyone caught back on. It was a good uninterrupted run-in to Stop n Shop. After Ratta and Larry M put in some good turns up front, everyone got to see a good duke-A-roo with a few guys. Eric M, Little T, Mike McG, Chris C, Jacinto, and maybe one other. Little T had a solid jump and was able to take this one.
    As everyone rolled thru the center of Cheshire, Chris C snuck his way off the front, this time taking Rattatattat along with him. They dangled out there for a little bit as everyone was at warp 8 behind them and then got held up by a light. Those same 2 managed to sneak off the front like 3 times during the run into Hamden which if nothing else kept everyone on their toes. There was a crap load of guys all there for the ending. Guido and Eric M rocking their butts in the saddle strongly at 37 mph for the very last of it. MaHoney, Cosmo and Hunter P turned up Shepard ave for the road racers finish, MaHoney toughed that out. Good job.
    Everyone missed Rondo. Maybe next time the weather sucks we will all get around to the Giro marathon.

Tuesday the 15th

2011-03-16T06:58:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the 2011 Sleeping Giant Ride!

aka: The Throwdown , The Sword Fight, The Plainville Training Series Midweek Race , The Tuesday World Championships , Luigi's Ride , The Amity Bikes ride , Crazy and Stupid.....

Whatever you call it, it's back and better then ever.

There was a good size group out for the ride tonight. Maybe 35 riders. No, there was no celebrity rider out today. Right off route 10, Mike McG and Brian Suto rolled off the front and were soon joined by Guido, Chris C, Antonio D and a couple of others. They built up a gap of 12 seconds before the counter moves started. The catch was made right before Mountain road, thanks to some power riding by Jacinto, Joe K and Hunter P. Soon after that Eric M and Rondo got on and it became a good sized group barreling down Mountain Rd. With everyone ( mostly the guys who have been racing on the weekends ) taking turns up front, they quickly moved out of sight of the Peleton. It didnt help that power-house Dillon P got a flat on Mountain and couldn’t contribute to the chase. The light on route 68 stopped the front group and gave the ride a chance to regroup. With no red light, the group was gone for the day.

Rondo got things going on Moss Farms, and a couple of rider rolled off with him. A sudden attack from Mike McG nearly ripped the peleton in 2, as he drilled it 120% for a brief moment to get across the gap. Everyone stayed on for the most part though and it was all together for the chicane and the run into Marion Ave. Guido was the only one to test the frigid waters off the front, and he stayed off the front for half a kilo or so once onto Marion. The front runners started to look antsy again as the ride was preparing to turn onto West Johnson, but it stayed civil, with mostly new haven guys ( new face? ) up front.

For the run up to Reinhard, Rondo rolled off the front but it was others cuing up behind who were going to be contesting it. It started off lazy enough but Eric M hit the gas from the very base of the hill, taking Joe K along with him. Eric pulled away at first but its a super long drag and Joe got him self back into it, pulling neck and neck and then rolling thru the corner first... But it was nearly a tie. Jacinto, Chris C and one or 2 others were the ones well behind but still off the front of the main group.

Everyone got their composure back and the ride back onto Route 10 was normal. There wasn't any funny business till the Stop N Sprint, where it was Zane's in the familiar role of keeping the speed high for Eric M. Eric again started the sprint first, this time with the reliable Anthony, back-in-the-saddle-Alessio right on his six. Little T was able to pop around for the flowers there.

Heading into Hamden, Chris C and the Mountain Man tried to get off the front but that didn't last too long and it was all together for the ride back. For the sit sprint finish, Eric M scored some points, getting there first, besting Guido and Dillon P, who rejoined after fixing his flat.

The kick-off

2011-03-14T07:35:00.001-07:00

5:30 roll time for tomorrow the 15th
DONKEY KONG TIME

Tuesday night fun is coming soon!

2011-02-15T08:06:00.000-08:00

The time change is just around the corner.

Are we excited yet?

Tuesday the 12th

2010-10-12T19:26:00.000-07:00

The TWC serves up one more week of fun

The weather looked good and there was some yet still ansty legs out there so the ride continues for one more (last?) week. There was about 16 or 17 guys out for the ride.

Eric M, hot off a solid 5th place in Jamestown yesterday, was doing a lot of work tonight. The Rivet racing dude was up there early on. Joe K, Hunter P and Gregg F for Cheshire Cycling. MaHoney along with BenGe etc etc.

Chris C joined up midway thru Mountain Rd wearing a nuclear shade of neon yellow, sure to be visible to a blind person at midnight, and went straight to work, continuing his late season form.

Stefano attacked on Moss Farms, East Johnson Ave, and on Peck lane. Hunter P chased him down each time.

Chris C attacked on the hill to Marion with Antonio D from CCR and then when on to hold the a gap over the ho hum chasers up to the industrial park.

Joe K was forced to lead out Little T for the Rienhard sprint and didnt really have a chance in the end. Little T would also take the Stop n Shop sprint over Hunter P and Eric M.

See ya'll next year.

Tuesday the 5th

2010-10-06T06:06:00.001-07:00

Rained out......

Though there were reports of the 2 Richard Sachs dudes riding... If so, good on em.

Tuesday the 28th

2010-09-28T20:14:00.000-07:00

Screw work! Let's ride at 5:30!

One of the last weeks for the ride was made pretty mellow by all-day rains. But that didnt stop a hearty crew of about 12 or so from rolling out. Mike McG, Rondo, Robyn, MoMoney Mahoney, Gregg F, Dillon P, Peter Kenny, Koski, Hunter P, Eric M, a new guy on a cross bike who would get left behind halfway thru, Stefano from Italy with the Paris Sports jersey, Richard Sachs Chris, and a couple of others.

The early pace was MoHoney and Dillon P. Then Eric M came up and would put in a long pulls with some help from Mike McG. Soon everyone was getting involved and it was pretty smooth to Route 68. A couple of guys would get left behind as as the pace picked up at the end of Mountain rd and as everyone hustled thru the green light. Eric M continued to do a lions share at the front, but the Paris Sports Stefano was chipping in more and more. At the top of the Chicane, Hunter P used some traffic to make a jump off the front that lasted into the industrial park.

Heading up West Johnson Ave, Stefano would roll off the front with Eric M right on his wheel. None of the Zane's would chase him down so the 2 hit the corner for Reinhard with a pretty substantial gap. The gap would keep going up as it was Hunter P and Mahoney left to lead the rest. Mahoney would jump cleanly into no-mans-land early on Reinhard as Eric M and Stafano were working well togetrher by avoiding a full out sprint. Hunter P jumped at the base of the sprint hill to try to cover the huge 200 meter gap. Mike McG jumped a little after that and would mark Hunter P all the way up. Despite the gap being all but erased, Mike McG would hold off on coming over the top and Eric M would get to sail thru the corner first.

On the backside, the 4 would team up and go to work right away into the headwind on Peck ln and that was more then enough to keep the gap over the remaining 5 or 6 riders that were behind. Hunter P took the Stop n Shop sprint uncontested. On the way back into Hamden, all four worked well. Mike McG was the last one to hit the front for the finale.

All in all a decent ride despite the rain. Thanks to those who braved the weather.

Tuesday the 21st

2010-09-22T07:43:00.000-07:00

Double the Rage tonight... Double the fun...

Good to see Robyn back on the ride after her crash last week. Here we go! Hunter P and Dillon P put in two monster pulls and had everyone on the rivet!!!! Oh thats right were in the real world this week I forgot. The ride started out low key, rt10 was taken at 20mph or so. As we turned off onto the back roads Eric , LT and Crowell were doing most of the work. With a strong tailwind the speed was high and nothing was going up the rode. It was good to see Brain Spiotti out he was on the front for a spell. At rt42 Eric , Koski and Crowell got a gap but Guido brought it back before the turn onto the climb. The pace was high on the road to the light at the rt68. Going toward the chicane the work on the front was pretty much stats quo with MCG and Petey thrown in the mix now. The ride was all strung out as we hit the hill after the chicane at the top a CCR rider attacked (Joe K?) but MCG brought him back and took a long pull into the industrial park.

Once into the park the pace was a steady 30+ all the way! Gotta love that tailwind. When we got out of the park the pace settled in with the crosswind from the right. As the ride approached the first sprint of the day. Eric and MCG set up LT for a easy win at the top. The next guy was 100 meters behind! Eric got tailed off from his long pull so I sat off the back to help him back. Thats when I saw group of 5 OTB with Bengay leading the charge back up, they didn't make it. Round 12 to Mahoney I guess its a TKO. The false flat after the green house was taken at tempo due to the dug up road. When the ride hit rt10 the pace was tame with the wind dead in the face.

At the S&S sprint Guido took the title of king of the hill. Down 10 we got every light so the ride was pretty uneventful until the finish. Guido showing some late season form took the prize once again. It was almost dark at the finish so I think this was the last 6:00 pm ride so 5:30 next week.

Tuesday the 14th

2010-09-14T20:16:00.000-07:00

Crap! Crash casts a shadow on an otherwise exciting ride.

There was a big group out tonight to watch the main event... Chris “the Terror of the Tri's” Mahoney in one corner looking to knock boots with Ben “Hard Life” George.

Sure enough, the front row was the spot to be to watch this one as the 2 took right off outta the parking lot.... Even too soon some would say and once onto Route10 there was a group of 6 ( Tri Guy Scott with Knee highs, also riding like he had an axe to grind, Eric M, Mahoney, BenGe, French Casey, and the Seven Rider ) riding off with little regard to any no fire zone. Hunter P jumped across just before the group turned off route 10 but ended up being an anchor in order to reset the ride and give the peloton a chance to regroup. Despite Eric M, MaHoney and BenGe drilling it thru the early streets,it came back together as everyone turned onto Mount Sanford Rd. Round one goes to BenGe. Once it all came back together Larry M, looking to get some good cyclocross training in, attacked hard, taking Hunter P with him. Those two had a gap for the way to North Brooksvale. Joe K was riding hard out of the pack and caught the 2 and continued on for a little bit. He motivated a few guys to get it in gear, Peter P ( on his TT rig ) Todd H, Steve Gray, Jacinto, etc... Joe K rode for a few hundred meters by himself before getting corralled. Peter P then strung it out while down in his aero bars.

It was a hard opening few miles to the ride this week . Turning onto Mountain rd, Steve Grey, Todd H, Hunter P and a new rider in a French Jersey hit the front, with most of the guys who had been front still there. Hunter P was on the front when a huge bang\pop could be heard from the back. Mike McG barked out the stop command and it was game paused. Unfortunately there was a touch of wheels mid pack. Details are sketchy, but Robyn went down hardest. Also hitting the deck was French Casey. Robyn was slow to get up, as she banged her knee and head. Everyone was concerned but with traffic now squeezing thru half a lane and 50 bike riders doing little more than making the popular side street more colorful, it was decided to ride on. Rondo was on his way, Mike McG and Peter P stayed behind, and there were no doubt others who assisted and helped on scene. Hopefully we can get an update on how Robyn is doing very soon. No need to point fingers at who is at fault, but there was some strangely sheepish looks on a few faces.

It didnt take long for things to get back to pressure cooker level 9. Eric M, Mahoney and Chris C making sure of that, riding off the front on the next incline. Again, Hunter P, jumped the gap to make it 4 up the road. That lasted for kilo or 2 but then it was gruppo compacto for the rest of Mountain Rd except for a surge by Larry M, looking to jump the light.

Once onto Moss Farms, a couple of new faces moved up to the front, Little T ( great to see him back on the bike and pushing the tempo ) Hacker, Ciocci, and LaFlamme. It was Team Zanes leading everyone into the Chicane, with Little T drilling it on the uphill and thru the corner with Larry M, Hunter P and Hacker right there. It was enough to spring the group of 4 off the front and for a little bit, it looked like this one had the right legs. But the rest werent too far behind. Chris C, Mahoney, Ciocci etc. bringing the gap back. Round 2 – Mahoney...

It was nice and quick in thru the industrial park thanks to Little T, Steve Grey and Chris C. On the inclines on East Johnson Ave, Rob from Bikers Edge, being a TWC rookie and thusly unaware of the intense nature of the next sections of road, took off, forming up a little group right off the front with Steve Grey and Chris C. That would keep the speed nice and crisp for the rest of the way and the turn onto Rienhard where it was Eric M and Todd H up front. Lot's of guys jostling about for position the road turned up again for the sprint. Steve Grey jumped first, from the front, with Hacker in his wake. Also jumping late was Larry M, who took up Hunter P and Jacinto. It was a true drag race, with lots of bodies at speed up there to follow thru the usually decisive opening 200 meters. Hacker looked to be in a good spot, then Jacinto, but all were trumped by Joe K, who dashed up the left side at the right moment and powered thru everyone, hitting the corner first with Jacinto and Hunter P close behind. Well done....

I'm sure all will hear soon enough which one of our main event 2 non-sprinter combatants had the upper hand on this one. No one was up to attacking the pack on the downhill after that horse race, so it was all toggethre moving onto Peck Lane and up to Schoolhouse. Everyone motored right thru the uphill section on Peck ln, thanks to Eric M, Joe K, Thompson, and of course.... Mahoney and BenGe. MaHoney looked to be in a spot of bother at the top.... Round 3, BenGe. From there Hunter P, Todd H, Crazt Chris, Steve Grey and Thompson took over at the front.

The speed shot up as everyone turned attention to the Stop n Shop sprint, Julio L, Koski, Todd H and Little T up front. Lurking close by were Hacker, Chris C and Mahoney..... Round 4 to Mahoney? Koski was burying himself, with Hacker on his wheel. When he was done pulling Hacker chose to jump, being left with a whole hell of a long 400 meters to the sprint point. Chris C jumped after him, having to close a solid gap and with Hunter P with him. Hacker couldnt sprint the whole way, burning out halfway up the hill. Hunter P had a long drag sprint as well but was able to come up and over with plenty of time to get to the light first. Julio L rounded out the podium.

Riding back into Hamden was an interesting affair, as a dude on an electric recumbant, who had been shadowing the whole ride, decided to give the guys up front a little motorpacing. Once all the red lights were dispatched, it was game on, with Eric M taking the initiative to stay stuck on his wheel. The speed hovered around 33 mph the whole way back as lots of guys were getting popped.... In 2's and 3's they would drop as soon as a gap opened up, no way to close it going that fast. Credit Eric M for staying right on him as the low rider couldnt have been an ideal draft. Behind him, Ciocci, Hacker, LaFlamme, Peter P, Hunter P, Little T, BenGe and a couple of others were the direct beneficiaries of the high speed train. Round Five to BenGe? When Eric M would finally give up the ghost, it was a mad dash to reconnect with the battery powered thing. Peter P and Little T made it, and with Peter P in the aero bars and perhaps pushing a 55t chain ring, was able to stay in front of Little T for the Finale.

Tuesday the 7th

2010-09-07T18:03:00.000-07:00

The Short Loop strikes back!

Hey, it's the short loop again...

There was a good group out tonight for the ride. Notably missing was Eric M, Rondo, JoshyG and Little T as well, who is recovering from hernia surgery. We all wish him a speedy recovery. Feel better T, the ride is not the same without you macho'ing it up in the sprints.

Things started out pretty quickly when Chris C moved up to the front and took an early flyer, inviting any who wished to try for the long break. Team Gaul and Dillon P obliged and there was a quick trio up the road with Thomaas B chasing. The break would get caught pretty soon with Hunter P bringing the pack up. It was all together thru the cobbles as Mahoney, Team Gaul and Dennis from GHCC set a good tempo. Some traffic in the subsequent corners brought the good pace to a halt. It going a bit again
as Hacker brought the group up to Mountain Road. Mahoney and a Team Thule rider got it going on Mountain Rd. After the risers, there was some fragmenting going on at the front. CVC ( Peter P and BenGe ) moved up and got the front proper again with CCR ( Chris B and Hutner P ) coming thru after that. The rest of the way down Mountain was normal with a group of 12 of so rotating thru nicely.

Once on Moss Farms, CCR dropped the hammer with Gregg F, Joe “the beast” K and Chris B moved off the front quickly. Along for the ride was Jacinto. A chase group formed up with Peter P, LaFlamme, and the rider from San Fran. Hacker jumped from way back to bridge the gap, taking Hunter P and Team Gaul along with him. Hunter P doing his best Shleck impersonation dropped his chain but was able to get it back on and jumped back up to Hacker's wheel, who was by this point, overhauling the 4 leaders. More guys would follow and soon it was all back together. Team Gaul and Stage 1 led everyone up onto Marion and everyone got ready to dive into the industrial park. LaFlamme, Team Gaul, MaHoney, Joe K and a couple of others led it thru the park and everyone was down right giddy when the ride turned onto the new pavement of West Johnson ave.

It was back to the good ol days for the run-in to the sprint, with everyone trying to walk the line betweeen conservative and aggressive for the climb up to to Rienhard. Peter P and Thomaas B were leaning more toward aggressive, and moved off the front slightly with Hacker and Hunter P were right behind. Chris B pedaled thru them all and quickly got a respectable gap with 150 meters to go before the turn. Hacker took off and joined up with Chris and a late jumping BenGe also made the jump, but was quick to get disconnected once on Reinhard. Chris B and Hacker had a solid 70 meter gap at the base of the sprint hill. Thomaas B and Team Gaul were heading up the pack as the climb started. Hunter P jumped from a couple of wheels back and got a gap. Jacinto also jumped up and came by Hunter P. The 2 were close the whole way up. Meanwhile, Hacker was leading out Chris B in a half-speed sprint and with impeccable timing, moved off the front. Hunter P was able to come around Jacinto and settled between Butler and Hacker, but this one goes to Hacker.

On the backside Hacker kept his gap up for a little while but would be caught soon on Peck lane as Chris C, Joe K and others came up quickly to resume full speed ahead. A car got in between the front group on Peck and the rest of the peloton. Everyone was fortunate the driver seemed cool about it. It slowed the front group down and by the old train tracks, it was all together again. It took some balls to voluntarily hit the front of the ride once back onto Route 10, as there was a pretty stiff headwind. Peter P, Thomaas B, LaFlamme, Team Gaul and a couple of others were up to the task. Heading into the Stop n Shop sprint, a healthy group of guys rode off the front ( Chris C, Dillon P, BenGe, Seven Rider, Peter K, a couple of Bethel riders, Bill Thompson, Team Gaul, Mahoney, Hacker and LaFlamme ) . Mike McG jumped from the front of the second group, taking along Hunter P. Those 2 quickly rode thru the front group but Chris C was up the rode. Chris was the only one that took advantage of being in the front group, and started his sprint at the bast of the hill. Hunter P lost contact with Mike halfway to the sprint and then it was just the Irishman chasing the ??? ( Greek? Polish aborigine? ). Depending on who you talk to and where the imaginary line is drawn, Chris C may have stayed out in front long enough. It was very close. The judges ruled in Mike's favor though and the ride continued into the headwind, back into Hamden. The final section of the ride was pretty sedate. Chris Butler rolled off the front with a kilo to go, taking Dillon P and Peter P with him. Jacinto tried to gun them all down but was put out in front way too early. Mike McG overhauled the front with 350 meters to go, taking along Team Gaul and Hacker. No one was able to come around McGinley though.

A good ride.... Everyone made up for the lost miles with more intensity.

Tuesday the 31st

2010-08-31T20:18:00.000-07:00

The long loop goes out with a whimper?

It was a different kind of night, with plenty of action off the front but nothing that was really leg breaking. The Shaver ( Team Gaul, The New Zealander, The Hail Mary, Pulthruandsitup, whatever.... ) got things going soon after turning off Route 10. Mike McG came up fast and was pedaling good to get thru the rough section first. Then Chris C jumped up and it was a trio. They sped through some late comers and looked like the early break might have a chacne to get some breathing room. Behind, Hunter P and French Casey led the bunch thru the cobbles with Robyn and Builder Pete setting good tempo. Traffic thru the corners, plus no one putting the hammer down would bring the trio back. The ride then soft pedaled for a spell. Coming up over the initial riser on South Brooksvale, things got going when Hacker hit the front hard along with Guido and quickly there was a gap of about 30 yards to a group of 7 or 8 ( Dillon P, Mahoney, The Shaver, Chris C, Jacob, Guido, BenGe, The only guy on a Seven ). Not waiting around for the bunch to get in the game, Ciocci jumped across taking Hunter P with him. Those two rode thru a few of the guys coming off the back and by the first step-ups on Mountain rd, Ciocci had ridden across to Guido, Hacker, and Chris C. There was no one to really drill it up the hill and so the peloton had a chance to come back.

The ride down Mountain was uneventful at first, but then another group rode off the front when Steve Grey came up to the front and turned it on. ( Guido, BenGe, Chris C, Steve Grey, Shaver, Gregg F, Mahoney, Ciocci ) Chris B and Hunter P jumped across this time, but that got everyone proper and started the re-connection. Joe K and Chris B took the opportunity to ride off the front before the light, no doubt looking for a little green light action. No dice though and it was all together moving onto Moss Farms.

It didnt take long for another group to fight its way off the front. This time Joe K was punching it along with Rattatatat. Also present was Mahoney, Jacinto, Shaver, Hacker, Mike McG. Chris B and Hunter P again provided the get-up and go to glue it all back together again, though that group would stay at the front and drive things along thru the Chicane and up to Marion. Team Gaul duked it out with Joe K on the runup to the corner, with Joe K bringing the field thru. Ciocci, Chris C and a CCBer right there. That quickly led to another small gap forming with the CCBer driving the pace, Hacker and Hunter P along for the ride. Again, no one to really crack kneecaps and it was all together by the short loop turnaround. Mike McG took over the front and kept things legit all the way to the light on Route 322.

Once things got going on Mount Vernon Rd, Steve Grey came up to the front and strung everyone out behind him. That kept it fast till the false flat where there was some more gaps opening up but nothing sticking. Guido, Mahoney, Jacinto, Hunter P, CCB, and Team Gaul driving it up. CCB stayed up there for a while again, hammering out a tempo that any former Cold War Eastern European athlete would respect.

Heading up to the turnaround and the sprint, more action off the front as Chris C, Steve Grey, Guido, BenGe and Rattatatat found some breathing room and took advantage. Things sped up behind quickly though as most of the CCR team came up, looking to support the Joe K or Hunter P. Chris C slid back into the fold and it was Joe K, Tri Doug and Todd H setting tempo on Welch Road after The Shaver successfully bridged the gap. By 100 meters to the corner it was apparent that the front group was coming back quickly, proving again just how hard a long attack to the sprint point is. Going thru the corner, even though Guido was first, Joe K had a good jump and was ready to go through him. The real heavy hitters were right there in the front 10 bikes, negating any chance to power away for this one. Traffic and a red light, however, tragically put a kybosh on any sprinting.

Even without a sprint, the field was content to rest up and enjoy some new asphalt on the back side. There was no real activity off the front for the ride back over route 322. The ride actually was sedate for a while. CCB, Guido, Steve Grey, BenGe and a couple of others doing a good chunk of work at the front. The run-in to the Stop n Shop sprint was interrupted by a red light. Once the pushing and shoving started, Koski was doing his best to make up for the absence of Rondo and Little T, setting tempo at the front for Mike McG. The usual guys were queuing up. Rattatatat, Steve Grey, and Jacinto were close to the front and got the first jump with Hacker, Mike McG and Hunter P second wave. It turned into Mike McG trying to cover the ground to Jacinto but coming up short, as Jacinto was able to stay out in front.

Speeding back thru Cheshire, a few guys ( a suggested name is: “Douchebags” ) decided to blow a red light, forcing all but 8 or so guys to stop. That disrupted the ride back as some guys were moving up and some were moving back. In the end, there was 5 or 6 strong guys at the front, but seemingly with one mind, simply soft pedalled in and did not sprint......... Sit........... Sit-sprint.... whatever.

All in all solid ride. Last time for the long loop? Last year the powers that be ( The Fantano Family ) led us halfway up Mount Vernon road before turning right. Thoughts?

Tuesday the 24th

2010-08-24T20:21:00.000-07:00

Ride or hide day at the TWC........

30 or so guys rolled up for the ride giving no notice to the rain... Good to see Craig Luekens back out on the ride.

The pace got going when the the “Team Gaul\War Child” in black rider ( name??? ) moved up to the front and punched it. Ciocci and Eric M were quick to police the front together as the ride moved thru the backroads of Cheshire. Early on there were a couple of times when gaps would form to small groups usually containing Eric M, Ciocci, Team Gaul, or VQ Rob. Chris C and Hunter P were punchy over the first risers of Mountain rd, but mostly it was group compact to stacked up traffic at the light by Route 68. Eric M, VQ Rob, and then JoshyG were the ones that got it going on Moss Farms, but for the most part everyone was nice and polite letting everyone have a chance to settle in after dealing with the traffic. Once past the chicane, Team Gaul started the surge up to Marion with Chris C and Hunter P punching it past the corner. Hunter P had a gap for a ways, but no one went with him and it rolled back together near the short loop turn off. Aidan Charles, looking glowing from a successful wedding and honeymoon was trying to get back into race shape for a couple of key remaining events, hit the front and got everyone’s attention as the ride came up to Route 322. Gregg F, Mike McG, and Hunter were up there too.

Once onto Mount Vernon Rd, the battles for who was gonna drive the pace started up nicely. Peter P was present with the Zane's crew and VQ Rob. Craig Luekens hit the front about a mile in and really strung things out. Pretty good for someone with only a few tens of miles in this summer. JoshyG followed up his effort with a real gut buster. Leaving the pack into the deep end of the pain pool. This left the sharp end of the peleton in turbo mode for the start of those dang false flats. Rondo and Hutner P again driving the pace up them. There wasn’t much of a chance for a separation at the top as most of the strong guys were pretty gassed. It rolled back together and took a little while but things got going again with Eric M, Mahoney, Team Gaul, and Peter P up front. Then it was time to start thinking about the turnaround. Team Gaul and Thomaas B were looking like they were wanting to sneak off before the corner onto Welch Rd. Eric M, VQ Rob, and Ciocci kept it all together. It was pretty much those five leading the way on Welch up to the corner. Luekens moved up the right hand side which pushed everyone along. Chris C jumped up the left hitting the corner first and taking Hunter P with him. Chris C led the whole way from the corner to where the spring would be starting. Hunter P sat quietly behind as Chris C did all the work of building up a gap of about 30 yards or so before Mike McG would start to eat into it. Hunter P jumped past Chris with about 250 meters to go, but Mike McG had already gotten all the momentum he needed. He was dragging Jacinto the whole way and Jacinto did put up good numbers right to the end, but Mike was able to stay out in front.

It seemed for a second that the two would have a good chance at keeping up their gap, but there were plenty of guys to push it on the descent and thru the traffic lights over 84. There was a tailwind and the peleton got all green lights, which was a nice chance. The ride ripped thru the rest of West Street and during the corner by the 84 exit Gregg F slipped off the front with Team Gaul, Rondo and VQ Rob. Rondo peeled off soon after and left the trio to work the gap. The speed was nice and crisp due to the tailwind. Mike McG, Aiden C, and a new guy in a Tosck (?) kit. The leading trio would get caught on the hill by the overpass and it was all together to the light with Chris C leading the way. Team Gaul was back at the front once past the light leading to a pretty good clip heading up Peck lane. Once over the old train tracks, Guido, who missed most of the ride cause he was late and backtracked to West St to join up, and Aiden hit the front with a purpose. Hunter P jumped on and the 3 were off. They hit the corner onto route 10 with a small negligible gap, with Peter P just off the wheels. Guido kept on the throttle in the way that only he can, drinvg the pace up the hill by Cheshire Park ( site of CheshireCross 2010, November 20th, mark your calendars! ) Aidan and Hunter P chipped in a bit, and Peter P was able to latch on, leaving a foursome to head into the Stop n Shop hill. The lead group caught a light that would slow the bunch behind and that would be all that was needed. Hunter P was able to jump off the front and get the sprint there with Aiden giving chase. The group would come back together soon after but get slowed by a light in the center of town. Behind, any springing that the pack would have was negated due to a red light at the top of the hill. Credit Dillon P for jumping up and getting thru the light in ever so somewhat fair fashion ( it was yellow! ). Dillon put his head down and closed the gap to the leading four by the highschool in Cheshire. Getting some revenge for the flat he was hit with early on during last weeks ride.

Guido was driving tent pegs with his legs the whole way back, making sure he made up for his abbreviated workout. The others would help when called on, but it was pretty much a one donkey show. Aidan C was the first to call it a day, waving the rest away 2 kilo's away.. Dillon P was next to pop. The remaining trio soft pedaled into the end.

We will wait to see what everyone has to say about it, but its pretty good guess that says that it will be the shorter loop next week.

Tuesday the 17th

2010-08-18T09:59:00.000-07:00

Just a few weeks left, gotta make em count.

The ride was slow to get going this week. Seems everyone was still recovering from Chappy's party or maybe the end of the summer is closer that we think.

Eric M was the first to up the ante and Mike McG was quick to follow. Soon after that Hunter P jumped across the gap and the 3 went to work. There was little chance of a trio like that being let go, especially when Guido jumped up tho the group ready to go to work. Sure enough, it was being chased back in earnest thru the cobbled section and it was all together by the turn onto South Brooksvale. Rondo then had go, taking along French Casey and Todd H. That was short lived though and it was all together heading onto Mountain road. Chris C took a dig at the front after the initial riser sections but that was brought back pretty quickly as well.

The pace was smooth for the rest for the way to Route 68. Once onto Moss Farms, Rondo and crew were setting the majority of tempo at first. No one was challenging that, and there were plenty of guys to chip in at the front. Eric M led all into the Chicane and it was controlled heading up to Marion Ave with Chris C and Steve Grey setting the pace up front. Brian the other Brian from Stage 1 took the lead in pushing a small group off the front on Marion, follwed up by Special Ed but both surges were covered and it was all together up to the lihgt on 322.

Once past the light everyone played nice and there was little drama on Mount Vernon road. The false flat section took its toll once again, leaving Jacinto, MaHoney, Hunter P and Rondo to take the initiate up it. Once it settled down from that effort, it seemed guys started to set up for the turn around. Steve Grey and Special Ed, neither huge sprinters, were moving up, no doubt looking to explode the ride on the climbs. Special Ed, took a flyer with Kilo to go on Mount Vernon, leaving Eric M and Steve G to chase it back. Once onto Welch, the jostling began. Special Ed took another flyer, which got everyone's attention. It was kept together by the likes of Eric M, MaHoney, Todd H, Larry M and Guido. Julio rolled thru the corner first with plenty of firepower right behind him. He kept on the gas and was quickly joined by Chris B. They had a gap for a couple of seconds before Hunter P jumped across the gap, dragging the handful of guys who were left. Chris B was at the front for the next 400 meters, settling into a solid pace that let no one sprint past. Hunter P was the first to jump but did so too soon as Mike McG and Jacinto had little problem sailing past with 100 meters to go. Mike's turn of speed was good enough to keep him out front and he got this one with Jacinto close behind.

Heading back into Cheshire was the usual with no one attacked and the pace was steady. It did speed up as the ride was coming back up to Route 322. Chris B, Chappy, and The Other Brian were doing a good job making everyone work. The light on 322 took forever and a day to change and once it did, Chris C took the opportunity to practice his cyclocross starts, jumping off the line and getting a gap till peck ln. That got things going decently again on Peck.

Heading into the Stop n Shop sprint, the Zane's guys took the initiative to drive the pace. Eric M doing good work. A couple of stage 1 guys were up there too. Mike McG jumped first past Rondo, taking Hunter P right with him. On the left side Julio L came up fast, blocking Hunter P from coming around. From there, it was a dog fight right to the very end between Julio and Mike with Julio hanging on. Jacinto made a last second sprint but was well short of the 2. It was an solid and proper sprint from Julio, who apparently was out to silence the critics...

From there was no surprises heading back to Hamden. For the finale, after the Zane's guys were done pushing the pace, Chris B looked good sneaking off with 750 meters to go. Guido jumped on with Hunter P in tow. Hunter P was able to get around Guido and hold him off for the ending.

Tuesday the 10th

2010-08-11T06:01:00.000-07:00

Good ride....
Joe K or JoshyG gets most aggressive rider of the night???

OK first off, Hunter, Dillon, Matt, Gregg, Chris.... Whoever is usually responsible for bringing you the drivel you are used to reading are taking a week off and they have let me fill in.....

Who am I??? Just call me Anon the A-Hole...... I usually am at the ride, usually near the front, and usually pretty tired of the crap the so-called "strong guys" fling around and pass off for impressive riding..... Usually mind you, not always.

So instead of writing this like a bunch of menstruating teenage cheerleaders are reading it, i'm gonna re cap the ride like a real man would. Sorry if it pisses you off.... At least the recapping of noteworthy, actually strong riding wont take much of your precious time.

The ride started pretty slow, which was fine. It cant be gang banging from the gun every week.

Ciocci and some Stage one guys got things going without sweating too much. Guido also was going the same old hard one speed as he usually does. But mostly the ride wasn’t that fast. There was a couple Tri guys at the front even on Mountain Rd ( !? )

From there the only thing recounting is the 3 or 4 attacks put in by Joe K. That dude knows how to punish himself.... Mike Mcg would chase down one, I'm pretty sure Chris C would chase down another ( his only semi-remarkable feat this week ). Basically Joe K was the only one trying to do anything until Joshy G came up and started hammering. If Joe K knows how to punish himself, Josh knows how to rape himself. He drove the pace just for the sake of making the pace hard, most of night. He got things going on Moss Farms, on Mount Vernon rd, Peck ln, etc...

The most interesting section of the night of course came at the turnaround sprint, which mind you is pretty freakin hard to be a part of. Yea yea Little T this Little T that poop poop brain surgeon that he is is always the favorite coming into this section. This week was cool cause he had nothing on the guys who made this sprint a contest.

First off, on Welch, Joe K attacked when everyone else was looking to recover and follow wheels. A+ !!! He was followed by a couple of guys who were feeling like they were worth it. Hacker, Thomas B I think and a couple of others. It seemed like he turned it off when he knew he would just be dragging all the sissys up. That's when Joshy took over, attacking like a man possessed by Nero himself. Josh took a group of 4 or 5 up the road, 400 meters before the corner to West St. Props to those who went with him, but don't get your panties in a bunch over your big balls.... Josh still worked us all over good like when he dropped the rest with a surge after the corner. The rest off the peleton was closing in and collected all the guys that were off the front with Josh. Mike McG and Chris B did a ok job of dragging it together but no one was catching Josh, not even Little T who maybe was counting on the early attack to all come back. Despite the usual attempts to keep any gaps on the downhills that followed the sprint, it was all together cause of that damn light by the Hardford insurance company... No worries, cause everyone ( even I ) was reaching back for some aspirin after the sprint tore things apart. ( Zing!.... a drug reference! I crossed the one line I shouldnt have! )

The ride when back to boring as it often does for the ride back into Cheshire.

For the Stop n Shop sprint, everyone was looking to Little T to get revenge. Josh G wouldnt go down without a fight and for this, he gets most aggressive of the night. He attacked off the front again with about 750 meters to the sprint and nearly got it. Little T was paying more attention this time and was able to pass Josh before the top of the hill with Hacker and Hunter P getting first losers behind Little T.

In my mind that's where the ride ends, cause of all the newbs and the silly sprinting rules that usually come along with the final 3 miles of the ride.

Random props:
That guy in the dark kit from New Zealand - He was near the front a lot tonight, seemingly riding hard for the sake of riding hard and not to score some dumb sprint points.

The CCB guys - These guys seem to turn on\off the 11tooth like it's a spigot. All the while never saying a word or enjoying any friends out there. Don't worry guys, I didnt get invited to Crazy Chris' dumb party either :(

Check to see if they still have a pulse please:
Julio L ( didnt he win the national championships of Guyana or something a while back? )

Rondo too!

Editor's note:

One of the CCBer's took the final prize on the night, out riding a small group of the usual guys who are left by the fast run into Hamden.

Good ride! Thanks for everyone being a good sport with Anon's write-up. One or maybe 2 more weeks of the long loop?

Tuesday the 3rd

2010-08-04T07:37:00.000-07:00

There was nothing too exciting about this weeks ride. Just a bunch of ol bikers tryin to puttn on the hurt on each other.

Things started a bit weird with Chris B soft pedaling slightly off the front on Route 10. He was joined by French Casey, Hunter P, Guido and Hacker. That group turned off of route 10 with the peloton less then 15 yards behind. Once off of route 10 though it was game on, with Chris B and Guido sprinting and TT'ing for the first mile or so. Casey got involved and then Hacker and then Hunter P. The group rolled thru some late comers and picked up young Brian Suto from Bethel Cycle. Soon enough though, French Casey and Suto would get left behind, leaving the 4 to work together and extend their gap. They did and by the time the group got onto Mount Vernon Rd past 322, it was pretty evident that they would stay away at least till the turnaround. All four were working with Hacker taking the lead in making sure things stayed together and Guido of course mashing on the pedals and encouraging the most efficient pace\pull time\wind direction ratio's. Behind the chase was not very smooth, ranging from fast to unfriendly to downright amateurish. The usual strong guys ( Zanes, CVC, Chris C & Stage One ) were the ones making the pace high.

Upfront, the leading group hit the turnaround together with Hacker hitting the corner hard, making Hunter P chase and Guido getting slightly gapped. The 3 slowed once onto West St letting Guido claw back on. Chris B then rode a solid pace, letting Hunter P time a good jump and hold off Hacker for the sprint. The group stayed together for the backside. Behind, traffic messed things up for the main bunch and killed a good contest to the line for the Peloton.

There was a brutal head wind for the way home and that would def eat into the lead group's advantage. By the time the 4 crossed route 322 again the pack was in sight and right behind, although caught at the red light. That got things moving a little more efficiently upfront and the leading 4 were able to make it onto Route 10 still out of sight of the chasers. The leaders picked up some stragglers and got a little help in driving up the hill by Cheshire Park. But heading into the Stop n Shop sprint, they were all alone again and Hacker was able to get this one after a solid lead out by Hunter P failed to give Chris B the springboard he needed. Behind in the bunch, Eric M and Mike McG were going hard and puttin blood in everyone's spit.

The headwind continued to wreck the front, as Hacker rolled off after the sprint and put his head down to get back to homebase alone. Guido was having none of that and whipped everyone in shape, driving a brutal pace after all the lights in Cheshire to reconnect and close down the 500 meter gap. Guido got rewarded for the efforts ( Correction- Hacker gets it )

Behind, in the disorganized pack, Little T rolled thru the finish first.

Tuesday the 27th

2010-07-28T07:31:00.000-07:00

Guns and Body Armor everyone.... Guns and body armor....

Good ride tonight.... The usual healthy family of riders out to enjoy the nice weather. Let the 3rd half of the season commence!
The ride started with Fire and Brimstone as Ciocci, Rondo and Eric M hit the front and set a good tempo. LaFlamme joined up and all that orange and black up front kept everyone on high alert for most of the first 5 miles of the ride. Guido, Builder Pete, Hunter P, John Gregory was up there as well. Soon Chris C, LaFlamme and VQ Rob rolled up and that was enough to keep it going good. No one attacked though. Chris C punched it a bit onto South Brooksvale but it was all together ( albeit stretched out ) to Route 68. Credit always-at-the-front VQ Rob with bonus wattage points and Hacker with closing down a couple of gaps on Mountain rd.

Moving on to the uphill section up to Marion rd, Hacker led it with an assist from Steve Grey. The ride then settled down for a while past Route 322. The false flat section shook things in familiar fashion, this time letting Rondo, VQ, Gordan D, Ciocci, Joe K, and a couple of others get some breathing room. That didnt last long though. Props to Joe K for stinking it out at the front and keeping the hammer down after the deck was reshuffled. After a kilo or 2, everyone settled down and got ready for the turn south. This week's sprint would be a good one.

Heading up before Welch Rd, VQ Rob powered off the front, followed by Hunter P. That led to a strong CCR trio ( Matt Sack, Chris B and Joe J ) getting some space off the front. That wassnt going any where though as Hacker, Rondo, Eric M and a couple of others kept it tight thru the turn onto Welch. The CCR guys dropped back as the law offices of McG Little T and Guido opened shop. It was pretty much as full out to the corner as we've seen it this year with at least 7 guys following Chris C's initial jump. McG and Little T, Hacker, Steve Grey, Matt Sack, Chris C, Hunter P, Ciocci, and Chris B most noteworthy.... once onto West St, Scott Glenney from Berlin bike spat something impressive out and attacked off that front group that was closed to being gassed. Strong move.... Glenney had a good look at the finish, although it was a long way off still. Steve Grey, Hacker and Little T regrouped and dragged back those 30 meters in time for a showdown to the line. Little T got to the front and stayed there, continuing his season long dominance of the sprint.

Everyone got to stop at a couple of the next lights and catch their breath. That calmed the ride down all the way back to Peck Ln in Cheshire. The ride should be interesting the remaining weeks after Peck Lane is repaired as it will no doubt let the strong guys think less about the road surface and more about hitting the hill there with intent to kill.

The Stop n Shop sprint was a little less dramatic... Mike McG jumped earliest with Little T getting onto his wheel late, Scott Glenney was again there along with a new guy on a white Cervelo. Little T took this one as well.

Going back into Hamden was nice and swift, despite some moronic riding up front thru a stopped car and a bus. Once it got going again it was a group effort to the end, and with a lot of bodies up at the front Guido was able to ride the wave past the Zane's train and hold off Chris B, Scott Glenney, and a CCBer to get to the end first

Tuesday the 20th

2010-07-21T12:00:00.000-07:00

Next week, Gogu and Scott Kaplan report on the TWC!

Today's ride started off in a mellow way, and it took longer than normal to get up to speed. French Casey and Gregg F finally got things rolling along with Guido and Thomaas B. From there it was a steady tempo thru the cobbles and onto Mount Sanford. The ride went from “summer BBQ” to training ride as Hacker, Little T, and Mike McG moved up. Good to see Peter P also up, there semi retarded ( tho getting better ) and all. There was a small split heading up onto South Brooksvale but that was pretty quickly sewed up. VQ Rob and Eric M with other Zane's rides led the field onto Mountain Rd, looking antsy the whole time. Turning onto Mountain was quick as Hunter P, Eric M, JoshyG and Ciocci pegged it on the early parts. JoshyG kept it up, dragging Chris C and one other up the road for a brief bit. That was corralled pretty quickly and JoshyG stayed up front along VQ and a couple of others. Soon enough the front started rotating pretty well and it was steady all the way to Routye 68.

Eric M, W Thompson, Ciocci, Hunter P and JoshyG got things going on Moss Farms. JoshyG fiercely pulled thru a couple of times with no one willing to immediately able to back him up. The young Zane guys where there for the most part. Gordon “Lightfoot” also was present as the ride turned into the Chicane. Eric M and mostly Ciocci led it up to Marion with Hunter P making a late surge that no one followed so it was all together heading to Route 322. Everyone got thru the light without stopping which was a nice bonus. From there Chris B hit the front and would not relinquish his spot till the ski hill. The ride was uneventful moving on from there. The usual guys were up front keeping it steady. Things started to get interesting on the false flat section with VQ Rob and Rondo duking it out. Chris B, Chris C, Eric M and hunter P were there to follow up. It went single file for a solid 3\4 mile.

Heading to the Welch Rd there was a small group very slightly off the front... .Little T, a CCBer, VQ Rob and one other.... Gregg F pulled it back together as guys started to think about who to watch to the corner. Hacker just then timed a strong attack well, with Guido in tow. It caught enough guys by surprise so that no one immediately followed. Eric M and then Thomaas B dug deep and jumped to close down the gap. Up front, Guido was helping Hacker to the corner first. Behind, Mike McG and Little T were squaring up with MaHoney, Crowle, and Silent Steve getting in the way as well. Sure enough, the gap was coming down as Thomaas B and Eric M had shut down the engines. Hacker made it thru the corner cleanly and left Guido for dead. Chris C jumped hard from the pack taking Little T with him. T quickly dumped that ride, making made up the difference and joining Hacker by 100 meters after the corner. Ciocci jumped latest of all but was 3rd wheel squaring up for the run in to the sprint, although well behind Hacker and Little T. Hacker had sat up and wasnt going to tow Little T up the road, giving Ciocci a chance to make the catch, all the while dragging Hunter P. Just as the four were coming together, JoshyG shot up the right side, having gained speed all the way from the corner. His jump was strong enough to not let anyone follow him. Chris B came up and tried to get him a couple of seconds after, and then Peter P followed suit, etc and so on.... So with 8 guys all of a sudden together, it gave Mike McG and Little T a second chance at the sprint. SO with 150 meters to go Mike jumped and took Little T with him. T was able to catch JoshyG, but Joshy had to pause ever so slightly for the last light before the top of the hill. So then it was a 2 horse race to the line ( the black mailbox on the right). It was a close call with Little t probably getting over the top of Joshy. This one officially goes to JoshyG though on account of him slowing that little bit for the light. ( at least he didnt get a traffic ticket this time )

The next noteworthy part of the ride was the descent down West St, which was milled into a haphazrd stretch grooves and ridges. There were probably 5 or 6 flats thru the 1\5 mile section. Eric M the first to go, shredding his sidewalls as he came to a slow stop. Dillon P also flatted. Mike McG used to opportunity to try to use the harmonic properties of carbon fiber to speedwobble open a wormhole in the universe. Remarkably, Rondo “smooth as butter” Fantano made it thru with VQ Rob. Rondo turned back to aid his teammates, and quite a few guys stopped. The group of 20 that rode on had to detour when it seemed that some driver had decided to takeout a telephone pole right before route 322. When all was said and done the earnest riding didnt get going again till Peck Ln. It was slightly slower from there on out, as the the front group had lost a lot of horsies. But it still remained competitive, as Ciocci was continuing to ride strong as well as Attorney Gordon and Chris B. The Stop n Shop sprint was easily won by Hunter P with Gregg F and John Gregory coming in after. For the finale, Central Wheel Dennis, Eldest Foley, the new young guy in the red jersey (?) and Hunter P all squared up. Chris B rode off in familiar fashion, but took the new guy from San Fran area ( Sothby's kit ) with him. Sothby's took it, easily coming around Chris B. Back in the B ( for broken ) group, Eric M, LaFlamme, Rondo and a couple of others took it easy and followed Dillon P to Cheshire Cycle to buy some tires purchased from Malaysia, but relabeled to make em look like Conti's...... haha jokes on them!

Tuesday the 13th

2010-07-13T19:07:00.000-07:00

The rain killed the ride tonight like the Col de la Madeleine killed Cadel. There was a small group that did go out amidst rain wind and thunder..... Rondo and Robyn "Podium" Passander, Chris C, Rattatatata, Eric M, MaHoney, Guido and a few others.... Hats off... oops, errr..... "Chapeau" to them.....

See ya'll next week

Tuesday the 6th

2010-07-06T18:43:00.000-07:00

It was hotter then donut grease tonight for the ride. A group of about 40-50 guys rolled out and Dillon P and Joe K got everyone rolling into Cheshire. The real stories on the night would take a good news bad news angle. All the CCR guys were riding concerned for Matt Sack, who crashed hard during the Fitchburg Crit. Matt is a tough guy who was having a great stage race and despite road rash all over and staples in his head he was looking to ride even tonight. Get some rest Matt. On the flip side we were treated to domestic pro COREY COLLIER hitting up the ride with us. Corey would be active at the front pretty much right from the start and as everyone tried to get on his dance card, the ride ended up being all the more interesting for it. Many times, starting right on Mountain Road, there were surges, and gaps formed as the pro would seemingly nary break a sweat and ride off with 3 or 4 guys at a time. Everyone seemed to have a chance to either jump on a break or chase one down. Mike McG chased hard, Special Ed, Chris C, John Gregory ( aka Rondo ), Chris MaHoney, Joe K, etc. It would take a while but late on West St, Collier rode off the front with a small group. Give Ciocci, Guido, Hacker, and BenGe props for sticking it out. The break got a boost when they made a light on West St.

The last ditch efforts came right before the turn onto West St. from Joe K, Peter K and a couple of others to try to salvage the sprint ( which Hacker took ) but when it was apparent that no one would be catching the break, the Peleton went into summertime chat mode. From there, it the pace was easy as everyone was feeling the heat. We got to hear pearls of wisdom from Mike McG - “ if you take 4 links outta a bike chain, it wont work”. Despite the heat, credit Joe K, and a couple of newbies for mounting a respectable chase when no one else would before heading back over route 322 on the way into Cheshire.

Tuesday the 29th

2010-06-30T08:00:00.000-07:00

Weekend race training proves valuable for the real prize….. The SGR

Everyone was slow in getting going as Mike McG and Little T led the ride into the back roads. Dillon P and Ciocci got things going though soon after, and Mike was obliged to follow suit. Also present at was Chris Mahoney, Eric M, Todd H and Jacinto. The ride crept along Mount Sanford and then onto South Brooksvale with no one really taking the initiative. Coming up to Mountain road, Julio L, Hacker, and Joshy G were seen making their way up to the front and it got strung out a bit from that. Hacker drilled it fr a bit once past the climbing part of Mountain Rd and that got things going as well. Halfway thru the Mountain the CCB duo moved up along with Chris B and Hunter P. That kept the pace high and guys like Joshy G, VQ Rob, and the Tall Timex Girl rotated thru and contributed. Coming up to the light there was a surge from CCB and Joshy G, no doubt to try to catch a green light, but everyone had to stop.

Things got going quick on Moss Farms when Hacker zipped up the right side and hit the front with CCB. The pace was crisp as no one was letting any real gaps form to the pacemakers. Hacker and Eric M led thru the chicane and some weird traffic slowed the group a bit. Hacker sat up a bit on the hill up to Marion and Eric also slid back. The trip up to the turnaround was a little slower than usual. On the run in to Route 322, Larry M and a CCBer snuck off the front, to which Mike McG and Hunter P responded quickly and bridged up. The four had a small gap that could’ve been dangerous if they made it thru the light alone. But everyone else, led by Guido and Chris B snuck thru the light with varying amounts of conviction. Hacker kept up the pace and Guido along with Hunter P joined up with him. That was short lived though as everyone else behind got their act together quickly. After that, a small group was allowed to ride off. ( Thomaas B, Chris B, Ciocci, Eric M, Larry M, Todd H and a couple of others ). It was slow getting going behind them but once it did, it went fast and it put the screws to more than a few riders. A couple got popped off the back ( and one was even thrown right off his platform pedals into the grass ) thanks to the slow-then-fast speed as it was single file to reconnect with the lead group, who was also booking it. Within a mile or so, it was all back together and normal up at the front. From there it was standard fare up till the false flat, where efforts from Larry M, Joshy G, Rondo, Hunter P, dropped a couple more. It led also led to a good sized group getting a gap a kilo down the road. CCB pinned it along with Zane’s and it was a scramble for the front of the peleton to catch up. Once they did Hunter P, trying to open things up for some of the CCR guys who don’t have “Little T finishing speed” attacked. It drew out the CCBer, Chris B and Little T. The gap was covered by Gregg F, Mahoney and VQ Rob but the front was anything but organized turning onto the corner of Welch Rd.

In the ensuing scramble, after Chris B made a strong pull and allowed a small group to ride into the corner with about a 20 meter gap. Steve Grey, Hacker, Matt Sack from CCR, Ciocci and maybe one other, with enough room to hold it to the sprint. Hacker was able to stay in front of Matt S, who surprised all with a hard fought “second”.

Heading down from there and going thru the subsequent lights, the strong trio of Eric M, Joshy G and Hacker snuck off the front and held a gap all the up to route 322, despite some decent chasing from Mike McG, CCB and Hunter P.

Once over 322, Chris B tried to sneak off the front, but wasn’t given much room. It was splintered and disorganized heading up to Peck ln and then slowed down to get back onto Route 10. Going thru the first couple of lights on Route 10, Eric M and Josh G sneaked off the front again and were making a bee line to the Stop n Sprint. Behind them, Mahoney, CCB and Larry M were setting tempo at the front. Behind them, the real trouble was brewing as Mike McG was setting up Little T with Vq Rob and Hunter P playing rock-paper-scissors for his wheel. Mike launched Little T in the usual spot and only Hunter followed, T was able to get by Eric M and Joshy, who now looked slow, and took this one with a small to middland amount of room to spare.

The run-in to Hamden was standard fare, with lots of arm chair quarterbacks surging up to get some last minute TV time. It led to a larger then usual group with a shot at the finale. Guido and VQ Rob pulled hard one last time to make sure there would be no faking it, and between the trio of Mike McG, Little T, and Larry M, it was a loose call with Little T taking the corner first.

Tuesday the 22nd

2010-06-22T19:40:00.000-07:00

This is the best place to show-off wind tunnel tested wheel skewers!

The weather was crap tonight, with a light rain all night. Still, at least 40 guys showed up.

Eric M and sidekick DaFlame, as per usual, were the early go-fasters. They had help from Dave H, VQ Rob, and Hunter P. Ciocci also got involved and it got quick thru the cobbles. It was quick up to Mountain Road. Then a healthy Guido, BenG, and Larry M got involved. Mike McG, Tim Ratta and Rondo were the next group to hit the front. Rondo was fresh off surprising everyone with a strong ride at The Harlem Skyscraper. Seems he has been taking advice from an old master. There was enough bodies up there to keep it quick all the way to Mountain Rd. Ratta hit the rizers first, followed with a surge from Hunter P. Eric M kept up with that but the 2 eased up on the backside and the gap was gone quickly. Chris C, and Eddy A were up there setting a good tempo.

Chris B tried to escape toward the end of Mountain road, but everyone hit the light together. Eric M and LaFlame were up there again with VQ and Larry M on Moss Farms. Guido jumped off the front toward the end of Moss and going thru the corner, slid a tire out on the still wet roads. He didn’t go down too hard and wasn’t moving that fast, but it was still a bummer to have to watch. It took a while to get everyone on the same page, as a small group kinda kept going. But when Guido was confirmed ok, the riding slowly got back to normal. Team Zane’s got it going on Mount Vernon along with Ratta.

For the Turnaround Sprint, Little T had little trouble dispatching it. Mike McG and Chris B were duking it out well behind him. VQ kept up the pressure past that, and had a small gap on the backside with Eddy A chasing. The peleton met up with the crew of guys ( mostly new havener’s who like to go fast ) who had properly waited for Guido. Shame on those who didn’t take a moment from the mostly futile efforts of glory to see if Mr Wollmann was ok.

Fast forward a bunch and the Zane’s Leadout was back to business for the Stop n Sprint. This time tho it was a little sloppy, with Rondo getting Eric M off the front. Eric couldn’t hold the gap for the very long run in, so that left Mike McG to make sure Little T was in a good spot. T jumped out with Hunter P and Ratta in tow, with Hunter the only one to give him any trouble. Little T had this one sewed up pretty good as well.

The rest of the ride was standard issue…. Rondo, Guido, and Chris B being the most active heading back into Hamden. Chris B had a good gap heading into the finale but had to sit up. Time to go wash the bikes and dry the shoes...

Tuesday the 15th

2010-06-16T05:27:00.000-07:00

Summer Vacation starts for the SG ride

The ride tonight started pretty quietly, got interesting a little bit and then ended quietly.

Right from the start, the 3 guys that were feeling up to the task of pace-setting were VQ Rob, Eric M and that new guy from Zane’s that no one apparently wants to I.D. The 3 were staying crisp at the front, perhaps trying to duplicate the magic of last week’s ride. Everyone stayed together though and there were no real attacks off the front. Hacker came up and brought the pace up a little along with Ciocci. All the while the 2 Zane’s riders were up there, pitching in where they could. Ciocci led everyone on the intial section on Mountain road and was followed up by Hacker, VQ Rob, Larry M, Chris C and the usual strong guys. Good to see Todd H out tonight as well.

It all rolled up to Route 68 together but as soon as the turn was made on Moss Farms, Hacker lit the jets looking to get a gap. He was covered well though by VQ you-know-who, Tim Ratta and the other Zaniacks. A little down the way he attacked again, looking to either get a workout in or to separate himself from the dude with the aero bars but again he was covered….. But just barely, the gap was open for a bit. It wouldn’t have mattered though cause there was a little traffic turning into the chicane. Everyone went thru there without incident and attack despite some strong guys up front riding unusually slow, albeit alert and ready. Call it the velo version of Mutual Assured Destruction. The ride moseyed over route 322. The speed picked up a little on Mount Vernon Road, but nothing leg shattering. The false flat section again triggered a separation with Rondo, Hunter P, Chris C, Mike McG, Ratta, Larry M, VQ, Todd H and a couple of others riding off. That was short lived though with Peter K and others chasing it down. It all was together for the rest of the ride northward. Hacker attacked right before Welch Road and took along the Eric M and the other Zane’s rider. Hunter P jumped on late as well. That was shut down pretty quickly by a few guys, Larry M, Ciocci, Chris C, the Innova rider, among others. That put a lot of guys in the running to contest the sprint, but this would be a proper battle with no fakers allowed as the black mailbox on the righthand side of the road at the top of the climbing is a long way away from the corner….. Rondo and Mike McG kept the pace up thru the corner for Little T and a select group… Chris C, Hunter P, Hacker and Steve Grey. This turned out to be a knock down, drag out battle…. The way a mid ride sprint should be. There was little time for cat and mouse games, after a bit of a pause, Little T hit it with only Steve Grey able to follow. Rondo and Chris C had faded, Hunter P was a little late in getting into the group and Mike McG had come off the front as well but was able to claw back a bit. Little T and Gray would go all the way to the line but it was Little T who was able to stay out in front, sprinting uphill 250 meters to do it.

After some shuffling, the front group hit the descent fast, but it was pretty much all together as there was some strong riding buy guys to cover the gaps. Going thru the traffic lights and heading back into Cheshire was ho-hum standard stuff. It got going again once back onto Peck lane for the false flat section there. There was a brief gap as Steve Grey put in a solid pull along with Eric M. For a little bit at the high point of the road there, about 7 guys had a small lead but that would get erased shortly and it was all together heading onto Route 10. Hacker was looking like he wanted to go after Cheshire Park, but no one would chip in. The leadout for Stop n Shop started soon after and it was full tilt. Ciocci was up there along with Rondo laying it out fast enough to set up Mike McG and Little T. The 2 punched it in unison as a gap was opened behind Little T. Hacker and Hunter P would kind of look alive on this one, but really the gap was opened so fast from Mike mcG’s sprint that Little T had no one to compete against for this one.

The group went pretty mellow through the rest of the lights. the pace finally picked up led by one of the wheelhouse riders. with about 1.5 to go the pace was pretty high and with about 1 miles to go mike mc g upped the pace to 30. he pulled off and rondo upped it to 32ish. he hung in there for a respectable time before pulling off and the vq rob took over getting all the way to 35 for about 30 seconds before he crumpled allowing eric m to ride the last 100m to victory with relative ease. the guy on the tt bike actually bested eric by a bit, but that doesn't really count!

Tuesday the 8th

2010-06-09T05:24:00.000-07:00

The SGR... Safer and more organized than the CT Stage Race!

Despite the ride missing our beloved German for another week while he recovers, today was a good night for the SGR. Its amazing how despite this ride being the same guys, same roads, week in week out, the ride continues to be never quite the same twice. Today it was a group of 3 ( Chris C, Eric M, and VQ Rob, ) who were either looking for a good workout or wanting to stay clear of Chris Mahoney on aero bars(?!). They punched it off the front early on and powering their way thru to the end, despite some pretty raw chasing.

The group went up the road once Chris C hit the throttle on Mount Sanford Road. The gap was small for a couple of miles, as some traffic thru the corners kept everyone close. Once onto South Brooksvale, with the 3 big teams represented in the break ( CCR, Zane’s and Stage1 ) the impetus in the peleton went away and the gap went up. Some more traffic for the main bunch getting onto North Brooksvale gave them a little more breathing room. That was really all they needed as Eric M turned on his newly installed Spartacus7000 and spearheaded the pulls in the break. The chase behind didn’t really start in earnest till the second half of Mountain road, when Chris B took off in one his many solo chase efforts on the night. His effort was followed up with a strong pull from Gregg F. It was also good to see Gordan “I am not Corey Feldman” Daniell out and also hammering the front to try to get some response from the rest. The Peleton had to stop at the light at 68 while the escape made it thru the light without much stoppage. By the time the rest of the field got onto Moss Farms the leading three where well out of sight. Chris B again attacked thru the chicane. The pace was pretty good for the rest of the way to Route 322. Credit Rondo, Ciocci, and Gregg F with hustling to get the peloton thru the light crossing 322. The breakaway was outta sight for a while. In perhaps what was the strongest display of the night, Joe “raging bull” Kubisek reminding all who they were dealing with and mashed his way off the front of a hard chasing pack for what seemed like an eternity. The false flat section finally brought him back… Kinda… As Hunter P used the incline to get out and bridge the gap. But those two would be caught within a mile. Hunter P was back pulling along with Joe Policarpio from CCR and Chris B late on Mount Vernon and then onto Welch Road. The CCR boys had help from Ciocci, and a new guy atop a Look. Mike McG was up there too but he was laying low, probably playing John Madden with the Peleton, patrolling and keeping things real up at the front so that his teammate Eric M would have the best shot at staying away. The breakaway was in sight ( half mile up the road! ) as everyone came up to the sprint turnaround, but everyone in the main bunch would be fighting for first loser as they say. Despite strong jumps from Peter P, Ciocci, and Little T, the sprint was pretty much negated due to a red light and stacked traffic on West St.

The 4 up front would have no problem on the backside and subsequent traffic lights. With Eric M taking strong pulls, continuing his claim to “Best Rouleur”, they continued to up their advantage until Chris C and Joe K again hit the front hard going past the exit ramp for I84. The gap was under 20 seconds at the light going back over 322, but the main bunch had to stop for what seemed like 3 minutes while the light decided to turn green. That was when the fat lady sung. There was no catching the break. Chris B would again try to single-handedly bring back the gap on Peck Ln, this time surging off the front with help from Julio L and Hutner P. Those 3 had a solid gap for a couple of miles, all the way up past the hill by Cheshire Park. Chris B would try a couple more times heading back into Hamden but for tonight, the hats go off to the 3 who lead wire to wire, no doubt pulling rivets out to stay out in front the whole time. Eric M was the one who takes top honors, getting the best of his breakaway companions for the final sprint points.

Great ride! Some good attacks, some strong countering and a lot a hard chasing.

Tuesday the 1st

2010-06-02T07:42:00.000-07:00

The "unsung's" get their day in the Sun ( sort of )

Rain, thunder and hard efforts from some in Killington over the weekend kept today’s ride on the small side. Less than 30 guys were out. Twas good to see French Casey out as he led a brisk pace up route 10 and played crossing guard for bunch.

Once on the back roads, the orange and black kicked things off with some help from a Target training rider (?) and the rider on the Seven.

Little T was hit with a flat on Mount Sanford Road and after some soft pedaling at the front, the ride was given permission to carry on. Credit the whole Zany team for holding up and waiting for their muscle blessed teammate.

With the field down to approx 20 and most of the horse power changing tubes behind, there was some new faces that drove the ride. The speed was down a bit, but not much. Maybe 1 mph. At the front was Builder Pete, John Gregory, Rich Foley, and pretty much the whole CCR team… John B, Peter Kenny, Dillon P, Antonio D. Mahoney was up there animating things along with French Casey.

Once onto Mountain Rd, the speed came down a bit but Kyle F and Mahoney was there to bring it back up again. A gap developed as French Casey attacked toward the end of Mountain Rd, but Dillon P and Pter K chased it down. As everyone was recollecting, Dillon P surged off the front for a bit and without anyone from the team dare bring the “CEO” back, he stayed out there for 3\4 of a mile and was caught as everyone pulled up to the light on Route 68.

Once onto Moss Farms, Pter K and Antonio D along with C-Dale Rick got things going but it was pretty mellow. Chris B started turning screws toward the end of Moss Farms with Hunter P and Dillon P following up his efforts. Tri Guy wi Knee Highs was also present and led everyone delicately into the chicane. Chris B stayed right at the front for the charge up the hill, keeping a solid tempo. Hunter P rode away from the front once around the corner and had a good gap that only Chris B could bridge. The 2 stayed off the front for the rest for the way down Marion up to the turn for the short loop. John Gregory and C dale Rick chipped in to bring them back.

The ride down Mount Vernon Rd was “new-look”, with lots of guys up front who usually hang out mid-pack. Speed didn’t seem to suffer too much though, especially when Kyle f rolled up and pulled for a solid mile and a half, stringing out everyone behind him. It took the false flat section to finally take him off the front, giving Hunter P a chance to jump on dwindling field. The target Training rider was the only one that stayed with Hunter P and the 2 had a gap for a while until Chris B dragged John Gregory, the Foley’s and the rest of the field up to them. After that, everyone stayed together until the turn around.

Chris B was again sneaking off the front right at the college, but Target Training was glued to his wheel along with Hunter P. The 3 probably would have ridden off if not for a solid effort by Mahoney to bridge \ drag the gap back. It was gruppo compact heading to the hill \ corner, where Chris B jumped up only to be passes right after the corner by Kyle F and Hunter P. From there Foley and Pronovost traded pulls a couple of times before Hunter jumped away to get the sprint without much trouble from anyone else. On the backside, everyone who was left after the hill collected themselves and met up with the Zane’s team who had taken a shortcut.

Everyone rolled onto the Cheshire side of Route 322 together. Even with the 5 Zane’s guys, the field was only about 12-15 guys at this point.

Coming back onto the short loop section of Peck Lane, a group of 4 pulled off the front. The Foley’s, Eric M, and Target Training (?). They went off without an answer from the Zane’s guys and had a solid 20 second gap by route 10, despite some chasing by Little T and Mahoney. The pace on route 10 didn’t improve much and everyone was content to let the 4 fight out the stop n shop sprint. Eric M got that despite a solid challenge from the Foley pair.

Rolling thru Cheshire, the stage was being set for a beat down of the escapees, who had a 250 meter gap thru all the lights. Going thru town things got Lady Gaga crazy as guys were timing lights, drafting cars and opening \ covering gaps left and right. The group of 4 had been joined by Mike McG, Rondo and Mahoney. Chris B pulled a huge effort outside of Cheshire on open roads and covered a fast moving, big gap. Dragging Hunter P, Little T and a couple of others with him. The rest behind were done for the day with no chance of catching back on. From there the speed stayed high into the finale. Little T surged early and pulled off with nearly a kilo to go. Chris B attacked \ surged a little closer to the end and only Mike McG stayed with him. Those two went down to the line with Mike able to get over Chris in time for the corner.

Tuesday the 25th

2010-05-26T06:55:00.000-07:00

More miles, more endurance, more scenery… It’s the Long Loop

Not too much excitement today on the ride. It was on the slow side.

Maybe the heat?
Maybe everyone is lazy from watching the Giro all day long?

At any rate, there was a big crowd out today for the ride.
Dave H and a couple of new timers started the ride out - the initial pace was downright anemic. Eric M started things going and then Guido got involved along with Chris C, Ciocci, Jacinto, and a couple of others. The slow pace allowed that group of 7 or 8 to roll off the front on Mount Sanford but traffic turning onto the next street brought everyone back together. The pace got going a little more after that as Mike McG, Koski, a new Zane’s rider and others got involved. On South Brooksvale, Eric M, riding hard, snuck off on the run in to Mountain road. A few seconds later, Larry M and the new guy in a Divine Electric\BH Jersey hit it to bridge up. They were just making contact to Eric when the corner for Mountain Road slowed everyone and brought it all together. The pace on Mountain rd was nothing spectacular. The usual characters were up front. The CCB guys started making their way up.

Onto Moss Farms where again, there wasn’t too much pep in the pedals. But no one was attacking so it stayed gruppo compacto. The CCBer’s were again ramping things up before the Chicane. They had Guido along for company. Eric M charged into the chicane first and up the hill to Marion. There were no attacks as CCB stayed at the front. Ciocci rolled up after the corner and got things rolling along with Eric M, Mike McG, Hunter P, Silent Steve and Yalie Adam as well. Everyone rolled along to Route 322 without incident and with those same guys setting the tempo etc. A few guys peeled off on the short loop, but all in all, everyone was of one mind regarding the long loop. Larry M had an unfortunate flat and dropped out.

The ride down Mount Vernon road was uneventful and slow. Hopefully next week the attacks will come. The false flat section shook things up…. Same speeds \ More wattage. Jacinto, Guido, Ben just Ben, led it out with CCB and CCR guys Gregg F and Hunter P punching it on the top. It was enough to shell a few guys and pull things single file, but with no monster efforts after the incline, it was a missed opportunity to blow things apart.

Onto Welch Road, where Chris B snuck off the front as the Zane guys, Guido, Jacinto, Silent Steve. Morgan from Keltic, and a couple of others were shifting around the front. Chris was able to get to the corner of West St first but Little T had jumped and passed him shortly after that on the way to top o the hill prize ( !?….. See the survey on the side ). Behind Little T was Eric M, Hunter P and Keltic Morgan. A little ways up Gregg F joined the group and as is usually the case…. The hill had forced a separation. Chances for any group at this point are slim if traffic lights are red and sure enough, that’s what brought this all back together before crossing over I84. On the backside, heading to Atwater Street, a small group had hammered out a gap on the descent. Eric M, Rondo, Guido, Chris B, Ciocci, Jacinto, Devils Gear Jeff, and a couple of others. But there were enough wheels behind that saw the gap and responded, closing it down before the corner. A small group snuck thru the traffic on West Main, but most of those guys sat up or were caught by the light on route 322.

Yalie Adam took advantage of the slow speed after that traffic light to jump off the front. Soon after, Chris C jumped off too. Chris was caught soon after the ride got back onto familiar Peck Lane territory, but Yalie Adam was still out there. Heading up the riser before Schoolhouse road starts, Gregg F hit it again along with Hunter P. That was a short lived gap though as the CCB guys were starting up again. Yalie Adam was finally caught soon after turning onto Route 10. The headwind heading back would buffet the front of the ride as there was no activity to speak of off the front. Heading into the Stop and Shop sprint, the Zane’s guys were up front along with Guido playing nice. They were setting a good tempo for their man, Little T. Little T hit the sprint hard with Dzmitry (?) from CCB directly in tow. The 2 went down to the line but Alessio was able to stay in front. Little T would keep up the pace in thru the center of town and had a gap as the slimmer, more traffic-friendly Peleton got caught at a couple of lights. Once out of town, the speed picked up, but the headwind was cutting into things. Little T was slowly getting reeled in and it looked like he may have a chance with about a kilo to go. Behind, after efforts to close the gap from Guido, Ciocci, the Divine Electric guys and a couple of others, the Orange and black were all over things. Eric M sat up, giving Little T one last chance to stay away. Chris B almost snookered them all though, jetting past with enough speed to create a gap that the trio of Eric M, Mike McG and Rondo had to close down. Having already gone over Little T, Rondo got a push from Mike and was able to get by Butler, but with Hunter P in tow, playing back up to Chris’ attack. It went down to the wire, with the 2 exchanging the lead a couple of times. Despite getting out of the saddle early on for a quick second, Rondo will get credit for this one, edging out Hunter in the final meters.

Tuesday the 18th

2010-05-18T20:57:00.000-07:00

The rain hit hard today. Despite some big talk from some about riding in the rain, the only guys who were out were Chris B, Dillon P, Chris Mahoney, Hunter P, and Matt ( I’m back from my internship with the Dharma Initiative ) Sack. Guido was a minute too late to the parking lot and had to chase the ride down, eventually meeting up on West Johnson Ave.

Everyone rode hard and it was a good ride. Chris lead-pedal Butler was going hard on his 25 pound rain bike and Chris techno Mahoney was making sure his new PowerTap was registering watts in the many hundreds. Matt Sack will be a strong rider during the TWC for the summer months.

Tuesday the 11th

2010-05-12T06:44:00.000-07:00

Lights, Cameras, Action!

The ride continued to have unseasonably cold temps as approx 45-55 rolled out. Rondo, sporting the second camera in the Peleton, drove a unsettling pace right out of the lot and down route 10. He had help from Dave H and Chris C. Some on-coming traffic cut into the ride as the front was turning off of route 10. It stopped 2\3 of the group dead as as the 10 or so eager beavers lit it up. Eric M moved up as well and for about a mile, it looked as if the ride was fracturing into two. It took some hard pulls from guys like Chris Mahoney, Dillon P, Devils Gear ( Jeff W? ) and others to keep it together. Next to hit the front hard as the ride turned onto South Brooksvale was Jacob H. VQ Rob moved up to the front as well and it looked as if another gap would form… But with more solid pace making from the trick or treaters and Chris C, it was all together and fast heading onto North Brooksvale. It got crazy fast for a bit as Guido, who revealed that he keeps a cyanide pill taped to his top tube in case of enemy capture, and Joshy G spared no red blood cells in pinning the rivot. Lots of oncoming traffic at the corner of Mountain rd gave guys a chance to catch breath. Ciocci hit the hill on Mountain rd. hard.

The ride down Mountain was again nice and fast as many guys took pulls. Jeff W, Rondo, Stage one, Eric M, Hunter P, Guido, Ben G, VQ, and others all up in the mix. Coming up to Route 68, Hunter P took a flyer in anticipation of a potential green light but everyone rolled up and together under red. Once onto Moss Farms, Chris B and Pete K from Cheshire Cycle, Yalie Adam, and the Jeff W rider hit it hard enough to get a small gap going but Joshy G and the CCBer’s were having none of that. The pace stayed high and the group following Joshy G rolled out a subsequent gap that took hard pulls from Chris B and Jeff W to shut it down coming right up to the Chicane. Jacob H rolled thru there in a good position to hit the hill first and his efforts got another kinda sorta gap going. It became the real deal tho after 12 or so riders kept up the pressure after the corner. Chris C, Hunter P, Guido, Larry M, Joshy G, Eric M, Jacob H, Crazy Chris, a new guy in a CVC kit and others had a gap of about 30 yards max before it got pulled back by big efforts from Kyle F and an assist from Gregg F ( riding strong atop his new Scott Addict R3). Thru the industrial park, VQ Rob, Eric M, Guido, Larry M, etc, worked the front and the ride didn’t really slow down at all the whole time.

Heading up to Reinhard, with Little T missing, the sprint was as wide open as the two zero one zero Giro d’ Italia. Late on West Johnson ave, Jeff W, looking to play the role of Vino took a flyer but under the CCB \ CVC pace he was overhauled before the corner. Rondo was up there with Eric M and Hunter P in tow. Joshy G and one of the CCB dudes punched it on the first little riser and hit the dip with a gap. Rondo peeled off behind after sprint-leading out Eric M a quarter of the way up the hill. Eric hit it and just as the catch of the 2 up front was happening, Hutner P was able to get around all with Jacob H in tow. Hunter kept on the throttle enough to hold off a late surging Hacker to the corner. On the backside, Hacker kept on it and had a healthy gap that didn’t get erased till the turn onto Peck ln.

Some D-bag driver got things riled up when he tried to pass with incoming traffic right before Route. Ben G for a second looked like he was gonna go Batman on the dude but once onto Route 10 everyone calmed down for the crazy ride home. Joshy G was still up there pushing the tempo along with Eric M and a couple of others. Heading into Stop n Shop was a little slower than usual. Eric M again tried early to jump with Hunter P in tow but behind a CCBer, Mike McG and a couple of others had this one staked out pretty good. It went down to the line between CCB and Miles&miles Mike with the CCB just getting it at the post. After the sprint a couple of guys were thinking break but traffic and red lights kept it together. If there is one good argument for starting the long ride ASAP, it’s to thin out the peleton that rolls thru Cheshire. Next week anyone???

The rest of the ride was standard fare. Respectfully fast and well mannered despite the headwind. Jeff W had another flyer that got swallowed up. In the last half kilo, Guido was the first to peel off, Jacob then hit the front with too far to go and was passed by Hunter P and VQ Rob, coming up thru them all in the last moments was Yalie Adam, and it seemed like VQ shut off the gas at the last moment, giving Yalie Adam the final award for this week. Footage for the ride will no doubt be available soon on Entertainment Tonight.

Tuesday May 4th

2010-05-04T20:32:00.000-07:00

Rain threatening? Not if the ride stays ahead of it.....

High winds and possible T-storms didnt stop about 45 guys and girls from riding. The CCB-ers were out tonight and with a couple of fast guys ( and guys who keep getting faster ) it would show in the pace. As soon as the ride hit the backroads, the pace went up thanks to Eirc M, Tim Ratta Chris C, Guido and Hunter P. Soon after that Mike McG, Josh G, Peter P and Rondo hit the front and the ride was steam-rollin.

There were a couple potential gaps but no one was dropping the big one off the front so it stayed all together. Ciocci, Guido and Mike McG led everyone up the hill on Mountain Rd and the speed was high the entire way down. There were probably plenty of strong guys who would have been willing to contribute on the front but it was manic and fast enough so that just getting to the front was a workout. Basically the ride should be like that all the time.

Coming up to Route 68, the light was green and everyone got the go ahead. On Moss Farms the fun didnt stop as Joshy G and the CCB ers hit the front and again, the gaps started opening up and guys had to dig deep to close em. It was here that the ride started shedding guys like a 4 day old sun-burn. The CCBers actually started powering off the front by themselves as the ride came up to the Chicane but that was shut down by Hunter P and Joshy G. It eased up for just a bit as everyone hit the hill up to Marion. Hunter P jumped with Chris C in tow and the two had a small gap that would end up being the most anyone would get tonight. It was shut down halfway to the industrial park and with Eric M, Guido, JoshG and a couple of others, it was fast all the way up to West Johnson ave.

Heading up to the Reinhard sprint, Mike McG and rondo were setting up their man well with hard efforts that told everyone to stay in line or else. Chris B was trying his usual shenanigans up there but there was no getting off the front. A group of about 7 hit Reinhard in a good spot with everyone else keeping it respectable behind. Little T was able to pop out and hit the hill hard, fending off a solid challenge from Ratatataata, and was able to get to the corner first. On the backside, it came all back together as guys were happy to get a chance to shine their shoes and get out of the red zone. Once onto Peck Lane, Chris B tried again to ride off the front, but that was quick to be dispatched and everyone came up to route 10 en masse.

The tail winds helped everyone along for the ride back. Eric M was still up there, Julio L, Josh G, CCB, Larry M was up there too. Coming up to the Stop n Shop sprint, Ratta took a huge flyer from 800 meters out.
He looked like he had a chance at it, but the speed ramped up a little and again, the Zane'ys hit it hard and kept it all together. Chris B as well as up there. Little T jumped out and nabbed this one again, with Guido and JoshG putting up a fight a little way behind.

Joshy G kept on the throttle after the hill and rolled away pretty quick by getting thru a light in the center of town. Behind him, Guido, Hunter P and Little T were also thinking breakaway and started going hard with the rest of the ride waiting at a light. Josh blasted thru the light at the high school with plenty of late day traffic still on the roads in front of a cop. The cop did a NYPDBlue 180 and sped up to pull Josh over. He was already out of the car and talking it over with JoshyG while the 3 chasers decided whether or not to ride by ho-hum-we-dont-know-him style. The whole peleton kinda slowed up and re collected amidst talk and reflection of how fortunate we all are to have police professionals who care enough for cyclists to point out matters of unsafty. Hunter P however, had kept up the hard riding and was looking to cheat sneak his way to the end. The ride finally got rolling along with speed and the usual strong guys were driving it home. Yalie Adam, Larry M, Eric M, Julio L, Rondo etc... Hunter would get caught with 500 meters to go just as Mike McG was leading the ride out to a decent end. Little T gets it in the end? There were a lot of guys up there as the ride into Hamden was a little somber due to the snatching of one rider who left the safety of the Peleton.

Tuesday the 27th

2010-04-28T07:18:00.000-07:00

Tuesday Night is the new Sunday Morning

Brrrrrrrrrrr. Cold today. But that didn’t stop nearly 50 riders from heading out. Compared to last weeks crew, this weeks was a little “calmer” and it showed in the opening parts of the ride. Rondo and Stage 1ers Chris C and Dave H led the ride into Cheshire and Eric M ( looking forwards this week ) was quick to get to the front in a spot that he is quickly becoming accustomed to. Also pushing the pace early on was Silent Steve, Mike McG, Chris Mahoney, Dillon P, Gregg F ( riding with the CCR puke green Fi zik Test saddle ) and Cheshire Cycle Racing’s newest rider Larry Merling ( aka : the Bianci Man ). Larry M would be up at the front all night long for the most part. Heading down Mountain Rd, lots of guys had a turn at the front. Good to see Steve Grey ( or is it Gray ? Or can it be spelled either way? ) up at the front as well. The elders of the ride even got along with ( kinda ) a couple of newbies trying to cut their teeth in the paceline. Some fancy braking was needed at one point as a certain experienced rider was playing stop-dead-in-his-tracks

The ride got thru the light on Route 68 and that led to a small split develop with Chris B, Eric M, The Devils Gear Rider, and a couple of others getting off the front for a bit on Moss Farms. Crazy Chris, John Gregory, and Mike McG rode hard to keep it altogether heading into the chicane. Tim Rattatatataa and Guido along with Jacinto ( a powerful trio that was sticking together tonight ) lead everyone thru the Chicane and up the hill. Chris C had a dig going up which got things going for the length of Marion and into the industrial park. Larry M also up there mixing it up. Rondo and crew along with Stage 1 pushed thru the industrial park. There was significantly less activity off the front than weeks past. Heading into the sprint on Rienhard, Rondo hit the headwind hard before the corner with Eric M & Ratta in tow along with a couple of others. Immediately behind was a fractured group of about 8 riders looking to square up for the sprint. The lead group had a decent 30-40 yards when Rondo peeled off the front at the base of the hill. Larry M was among them and jumped up to try to get to the top first. Behind, Little T had a leisurely start to the sprint, getting up to full speed well past half hill. He had enough road to overhaul Larry M a stone’s throw from the corner.

Larry, however kept up the assault on the backside and was joined by Chris B for a bit but by Peck lane, it was all together for the most part. Heading up to Route 10, Steve Grey took a flyer and turned the corner with a 6 second gap. Behind him the Devils Gear rider was trying to bridge up. The tail wind up the hill by Cheshire Park meant everyone was flying. The Devil’s gear rider fell back and was replaced by a Ciocci who was chasing hard and made it up to Steve G. That pair had a small gap when a traffic light past the prison rounded everyone up. The light def helped a handful of guys recollect after the punishing uphill section. Slipping thru the light however was Eric M, Chris B and one other (?). They would quickly roll off and get forgotten by the angry peloton.

Heading into the Stop n Shop Sprint, Guido was working well with Ratta and started to go to work on a gap that formed nearly a kilo from the sprint. They worked well and Ratta was the one that was able to stay clear from the chasers in the P’ton. Alessio was there but was pretty much taking a back seat to this one as it was decided early on thanks to the big, but getting slimmer by the week, German.

Guido again this week was trying to push a separation in thru Cheshire. His posse was up there with him, but traffic lights and efforts from Larry M, Peter P, Rondo etc would keep it all together. Heading into the finale, after Mike McG and Rondo leadout and peeled off, there was a big group strung out but in striking distance. Steve Grey went toe to toe with Little T started the final push with Steve Grey going toe to toe with him. The two finished practically dead even. Technically, though the prize ( along with the Stop n Shop sprint ) goes to the escapees Chris B and Eric M.

Tuesday the 20th

2010-04-21T06:31:00.000-07:00

Just when you thought it was safe to be up front...

The ride today was interesting with a bunch of new faces rolling up. Humble pie was on the menu as a lot of usually strong SG riders were thrown to the gutter and forced to watch as strong guys from afar drove this weeks ride right out of sight.

It started with 3 or 4 guys from Central Wheel driving the early pace. Throw in the locals looking to avoid the potholes and it was fast from the start. A split nearly happened early on but the Devils Gear guys, also with some new faces present, kept it together. The two teams would go back and forth pushing the pace all the while with Eric Merril doing a good job of CameraMan and staying mostly in front of the action. Props also to Chris C, Hacker, VQ Rob and Guido who also managed to contribute to the pace making.

Past the light on route 68, Tim Ratta and the Central Wheel crew kept it hot. Also up at the front was Aidan Charles. Later on past the chicane, two riders from CCB moved up to the front and were riding hard. It was probably the most amount of horsepower at the front of the SG ride for quite a long time. It was only a matter of time before a split happened and sure enough, in the run up to the sprint on Rienhard, a crew of 15-18 rolled off the front and never looked back. Congrats to Little T for being unfazed by the visitors and snagging the sprint there.

Aidan, Mike McG, the CCB guys, Ratta, Guido, and a couple of others kept it fast in the "A" group, while Dillon P, Gregg F, John Gregory and others kept it going in the "B" group. The 2 groups were stopped at consecutive red lights within viewing distance in the center of Cheshire, but Group A, in proper fashion, rolled off first and never looked back.

Leave a comment about the rest of the ride if you were blessed to be part of that. Back in the Killer B's, Dillon P hit the finish line first.

Hopefully the Central Wheels, the Russians, and Aidan Chuckster will make it a weekly habit.

Killer Ride!

Tuesday the 13th

2010-04-14T08:42:00.000-07:00

The Arnold Palmer ride, Half & Half, Hard then slow.

The ride was a buzz with excitement as the weather was nice and butt cam was getting charged up!

A late roll off due to some last minute media issues. The camera man had to make sure the POV angle was as unflattering as possible!

Straight to work off RT 10 CCR's Joe K, Stage 1's Chris C and Dave Broke all kinds of back road speed limits and opened up a gap right Quick. Tim Ratta and Eric M were quick to join but stop signs and potholes slowed em down and the Peleton (not working together, just jumping) brought it back.

Just Before MTN RD a group of 3 more tried there best to open something up (names?) but this time Joe K, Mike M, Eric M, and Chris C didn't let to much space open up. That fast, don't let em go, pace continued even when all were back together on MTN RD. 30mph+ was the drink of the night for the 1st half.

Once on Mtn road there was a fast driving pace line effort to keep the speed crazy fast. Guido, Eric M, Mike M, Stage 1 guys, Joe K, Little T, Lehigh team kit guy(name?), and some others. The pace stayed high all the way to the light which was red, as the group approached the light it turned green and we all sailed through. The same bunch was keeping the pace super fast on Moss farms. Mike M came to the front to drive the group to the corner of Marion, as we hit the corner a flying Guido made a hard dig to try and solo away from the bunch. He got a good gap and stayed away until the turn into the ind park.

A group of about 6-8 guys got a small gap but it came back together turning onto West Johnson. Heading onto Reinhard Mike M was at the front followed by Josh CVC? and Joe K. Mike M lead the group over the hump and down the hill. Joe K attacked first, followed by Josh CVC? and of course Little T. At about 150m to the stop sign Little T gunned it and easily made to the corner first followed by Joe K and CSC guy.

At that point boys became men and a few jumped up to the break on school house and the break was now 6 strong with Joe K, CHRIS Butler (EDIT ...Larry Merling), Guido, Eric M, Josh CVC?? . Joe K popped after peck and 5 were left.

This was when the Peleton decided that we were all going to fast for laws of nature to allow and the pace dropped off up peck and for the rest of the night for that matter and the drink of choice had switched to lemonade for the peleton kids.

Up the road the afore-mentioned break was killing it to the chants of Guido yelling that Bmw and Audi's are the only cars to drive and that the rest of the break was wheel sucking! "Maximum effort!" could be overheard by kids lapping up ice cream at DQ. "Mommy, what language is that?"

Hip Hip for the break though, It stuck all the way home with Guido taking Gold

Back in the now not so red-lined Peleton the S&S sprint was approaching and with some help from his new team Little T took the prime again. From there Rondo'nt, Little T and John Gregory broke away and kept away as the main group got stopped at some lights.

The group then put in some hard efforts toward the end there just to kick up the HR again, Silent Steve, Dillon P, Gregg F, Mike M, and a host of others taking pulls to not lose to much clock to the the split.

A fast 1st half and some strong breaks spells the recap.

Time to rest little one, Mommy and Daddy are taking a joy ride in the Audi....

MAXIMUM EFFORT!!!!

Tuesday the 6th

2010-04-07T06:46:00.000-07:00

Freak show? Tuesday night BDSM? Gang warfare? Training ride? You decide.

Everyone was looking to get right back in the swing of things after 2 weeks of crap weather. 50 -60 riders with a bunch of new faces that are starting to become regulars.

Right off the bat, there was a good surge of speed anchored by Chris C, Time Trial Pete, Dillon P and Chris Mahoney. It was apparent that there would be a group of guys that would fight to stay out of the blind spots as the ride hit the crap roads. Call it practice for the riders that will be heading to Battenkill Roubiux… Chris B, Joe K, Chris C, Crazy Chris is who we know of. Best wishes to everyone racing there.

After Brooksvale Ave, the front of the field changed and was now being headed up by Koski, Mike McG, Eric M, Hunter P, Chris C, Joshy G, etc. (Rider on a Red and white C dale?). Heading down South Brooksvale the “heads of state” massed at the front of the ride. Hacker, Peter P, Rondo and a couple of others joining up. Joshy G had already started cranking up the heat and continued to do so on the initial risers up Mountain Rd, followed up by efforts from Mike McG, Yalie Adam, Peter P,, Hunter P and a rider on a Blue (?). A small group fractured off shortly after but things were held together with efforts from Chris C and Guido.

The pace was still high at the front thanks to New Haven’s finest and it was single-file head-down for the majority of Mountain Rd. An extra long green light, welcoming the SG ride back to good weather let a small group sneak thru the light. But this group held up right away in the name of fair play.

On Moss Farms thought, College St Bob and Thomas B snuck off while the pants were down. Chris B also hit it and Yalie Adam was stuck in the middle too. The rest of the ride rolled back together and shot back up to proper speed. The sneaks off the front wouldn’t get far and everyone was back in a bunch right after the chicane. Joshy G gets the Rockstar award for the night for answering a cell call whilst fighting gravity and wind heading up the hill to the corner of Marion doing oh hum about 27 mph. After the corner there was some accelerations from Hacker, Hunter P etc but nothing back-breaking and it all rolled into the industrial park together with Guido at the helm.

Nothing too exciting for a bit. Pace stayed high thru the park of industry. Silent Steve, Eric M, College St Bob, Thomas B and Zane’s riders up front, also the college kid on a blue trek with unique form…. Name? Turning onto West Johnson ave, Chris C shot off the front for a brief bit. Heading to Reinhard the usual faces would make their way to the front. Just before the corner, when the rivet is being downright danced on by pretty much everyone, Josh G and Hack Attack did just that, riding off in romantic duo fashion. It wasn’t a fierce jump, just an impressive surge, followed up by a little team work. Peter P, Little T, Eric M, Little T, Jacinto, and others were sorting themselves out behind. Eric M put in a decent leadout for his mate Little T who jumped at the base of the sprint hill with Hunter P in tow. The gap to the Gewitz and Hacker was far too much though. Joshy G rolled thru the corner right in front Hacker and the 2 appeared to keep on the gas for the backside.

After everyone turned onto Schoolhouse, heading downhill, Guido and Jacinto had jumped off trying to bridge up and had a bit of a gap turning onto Peck Ln. Rondo and Mike McG, after an apparent mechanical, were seen meeting back up with the front of the ride. Once on Peck ln, headwinds took their toll on everyone and even the 2 up front throttled back, giving everyone a chance to regroup. The overall size of the field was def a good bit smaller, with probably close to 20 riders being shed up to this point. The speed ramped up a bit before and onto route 10, as Mike McG surged up the hill by Cheshire Park.

Heading to the Stop n Shop Sprint, Rondo went to the front for a spell, turning 30 mph into the wind for a minute and half or so, putting pressure on already thin ice. This def helped his teammate Little T, who was tucked in nicely. Yalie Adam and the rider on the Blue would give a crack at the sprint but would be easily beat by T. There was def some worked over guys coming to rest at the lights in mid Cheshire.

The rest of the ride was standard fare. Good to see it was a little safer blasting thru lighter, later day traffic. The headwind would excise its own tax, popping a couple more guys off the back heading into Hamden. A group of 6 or so had a chance to duke out the final meters. It took all of the road available for Peter P to finally edge past Hacker right before the corner of Shepard Ave.

All in all great ride.

Tuesday March 23

2010-03-23T18:29:00.000-07:00

the ride was rained out today..... Peter Kenny, Chris B, Chris Mahoney, Hunter P, and possibly TT pete were the only ones who showed up to ride tonight.

Tuesday the 16th

2010-03-16T19:48:00.000-07:00

New Faces, same pain.

Leave your checkbooks at home and get your leather on boys, its Throwdown time.... Welcome to the Sleeping Giant Ride…O ten version.... Or if you listen to Chris C's complaining, the "Stop N Shop ride leaving vie-se-vie Sleeping Giant State Park". The Stop n Shop boys were late in getting to the park at 5:30 today. As the ride rolled out, no one was complaining about the lack of bubbles. Lord knows they woulda made it in time if they drove to S.G. instead but then they would lose the male bonding time and the chance to hit on the female staffers at Mr. B's Pizza in Cheshire after the ride.

Anyway, once everyone smelled each other's butts right after turning off of route 10, the ride started up for the season like a freshly tuned chainsaw. Peter P looked good early on, along with Thomas B, Eric M. & Chris C. That was the early group punching it thru Brooksvale Rd. which now barely passes muster as a back country pass, there are so many potholes. Hunter P and Chris Mahoney bridged up but it was short lived. Hacker went to work pushing the pace right after that and like some kind of wise, strong hyena, his work up front signaled the New Haven Pack that it was time to go to work tearing flesh. There were a few strong new haven riders out leaving their mark today. Hopefully we’ll get some help on the names. Black and white Bianci, Jeff W (Devils Gear Rider on a Fuji) big Dude in a white Inova jersey with blue print. Yea yea, its been a while, sorry for forgetting names.

The ride almost had a split coming up to mountain road, but it came back together and slowed a bit on mountain. For the first half of mountain road there was only a few guys doing the work, Chris C, Koski, Jeff W, Hacker, Bianci, Yalie Adam etc. The second half others started to chip in a bit. Dillon P, and Empire Matt among them. The ride went by a cop in waiting, and even though Rondo could have been cited for indecent exposure, there was no harassment from the Po Po ( tonight at least ). It was all together hitting route 70 and the ride got the green light, letting everyone thru.

Once on Moss Farms, the new haven guys were back at it, stringing it out pretty quickly. Once the false flat sections started though, no one took the opportunity to really detonate things with a super effort. So everyone hit the chicane together. There was no real attacks on the hill, but after the corner onto Marion, Hunter P attacked with Black\white bianci and Thomas B. That trio had a gap for the rest of the way down Marion but it was gruppo compacto heading into the industrial park. That’s when the crap really hit the fan.

First it was the Devils Gear rider, kinda just riding off the front as everyone charged thru the intersection of west Johnson and Peck. He rolled back into the group just as Mike McG and Hacker started off the front. That led to those 2 plus black & white bianci and Jacinto (?) with a slight gap turning onto Reinhard. The four hit the bottom of the sprint hill with a 4-5 second gap. Behind, Yalie Adam, Craig Luekens, Peter P and Little T were bringing the rest up. Little T did jump out in pursuit on the hill, but Hacker lit the burners up front, taking along Bianci with him. Little T sailed up and thru all, but was well short of catching Hacker who gets the credit for this one.

Then, with a display that certainly will take several weeks for anyone to top, Hacker continued his assault, no doubt aware that with each 1\8 mile, uphill or down, guys way back were getting spit out with their heads spinning. He stayed away, or at least solidly on the front of the ride for up till route 10 by Maple ave, Along the way getting help from a few guys. Hopefully the ride this year will see more ball busting efforts separating the chaff from the wheat.

The run in to the Stop n Shop hill was fast, but with it all together, Little T was able easily pounce on this one, especially with a little inadvertent lead out from yalie Adam, who rolled up 2nd. Heading thru Cheshire, Hacker and the clearly strong New Haven crew kept it going quickly. The ride turned idiotic as guys were going and chasing full speed, expecting rush hour traffic to magically part for them. The ride went super single file out of sheer necessity and with a couple of red lights eventually split right in half. All the Cheshire Cycle guys were caught up at the red’s. So thusly the ride ended for us much more mellower than it was up in the front group no doubt. Perhaps someone up there can fill in the details of how the ride ended. All in all, a great first tuesday night.

Yea yea the recap is a little brief tonight… .Chalk it up to easing back into the seasin. Oops, I mean season… ( Too much off season “Rondo’s Rage” )

Time Change Time!

2010-03-14T17:45:00.000-07:00

Alright - its on like donkey kong!

Forget the male enhancement pills, the Obama's playing XBox and the hot new stock tips....

It's T.W.C time!

Looks like the ride is taking off at 5:30, with or without an ailing Rondo.....

See you all there.

Tuesday the 16th ( March 16th )

2010-01-30T18:18:00.000-08:00

ok ok so its not even February yet, but we just wanted to remind everyone out there when it all will go down.

Also, the long loop won the poll by 2 to 1 over the 2nd place highlight ( "all the newbies" ). No doubt the long loop will continue in 2010 to be a thorn in the side of West Haven area residents.

Check out the new poll... Just something to chew on for the next 52 days.

Tuesday the 6th

2009-10-07T07:43:00.000-07:00

The final ride of 09 leaves us all a little teary eyed.

There was little parking lot talk of this being the final edition of the TWC. But once the riding began in earnest, you could def sense that guys were looking to leave it all out there with the hopes of putting a mark on what has been a pretty darn good year for the Throwdown.

Right off route 10, Ridley Ben and Thomaas B were early instigators. Hunter P got involved along with Guido and that was enough to spring the day’s first group willing to role the dice against the impressive forces behind. Also in the break was Eric M, Dillon P and Chris Mahoney (?). That rolled along thru the Mount Sanford and then thru the cobbles , but some traffic turning onto North Brooksvale slowed the group and it came back together. Right after the catch Chris C moved to the front to make himself known as did Lityle T and Mike McG. Also moving up was Hacker and Chris Jones. Good to have CJones back out on the ride, especially with a nice little I'm-riding-a-Cross-bike handicap.

On to Mountain Road where Thomaas B and Hunter P got things going up the first riser. There was another momentary gap but it came back together behind Chris Jones, Mike McG and Little T. From there the pace was good as the heavy hitters stayed near the front and kept the pace making brisk.

Onto Moss Farms where pace was decent again, Peter P, Guido, and other beefcakes keeping it real. Hunter P and Guido led everyone into the Chicane, with Guido dropping back a bit to collect himself for the attack. There was no activity behind Hunter P till Guido came surging off the front again. No one immediately responded, but a couple seconds later Hunter P jumped off the very front to slowly catch Guido a little past the corner. Guido’s surge plus Hunter’s broke the front up a bit, and a few riders took advantage to drill it after the corner. Steve Grey and a Bethel Cycles teammate, Eric M, and another rider ( Peter P?) came up and with Guido and Hunter off the front, a break was formed. This rolled along for a kilo, with Guido and Hunter P doing the brunt of the work. Behind the usual guys were riding tempo, slowly bringing it back. By the industrial park, it was all together again, although Steve Grey remained at the front and pushed the pace up till the corner of West Johnson Ave.

Coming up to Reinhard, the speed was a little higher than usual, as no one was really attacking the front. ( cue Chris Butler? ) Jones and Hacker moved up to the front, doing what they do, and was putting the pressure on the sprinters behind to keep em close. And plenty of sprinters behind there were. You name em, they were were present and accounted for. Really…. At this point in the year, do we even need to name them??? Anyway up the first part of Reinhard, Steve Grey actually found a way to still be up there but he was as good as a pig on a spit up there spinning slowly and dying quickly. Hack Attach and Jones continued to stay at the front locked in “dare me to go” poses. Julio L may have been the first to jump proper, but Little T was right behind him. Also there to respond was Joe K, who ended up being the only one to fight Little T to the very very end. Little T hit the corner first tho by a meter or 2, continuing his nearly unbeaten season in the trivial throwdown sprints.

After the corner, 16-teams-a-year-Jones and Hacker continued the strong riding, fyling down the road toward Peck lane as the working class sorted themselves out behind. They hit Peck Lane with a thin 4 second gap over Joe K and then another 3 seconds to the peleton. Joe K would try to catch them on Peck, but he would get brought back by the field. The 2 up the road however, kept the gap steady up to Sandback Rd. Behind them, Guido came up to the front and pulled everyone with a vengeance from the old train tracks to Route 10, a good kilo+. That cut deeply into the gap. A red light right immediately at the base of the hill on Route 10 slowed the chase and delayed the catch another couple of minutes. In that time, Julio L was also needed to come to the front and take a long drag on the front. With it still fast, and still strung out like a junkie after Yom Kippur, it was kinda anyone’s guess for the Stop N Shop Sprint. Kinda because not too many doubted that Little T was gonna bend chainrings to lock up his sprinter‘s Tee shirt prize. Still…. He had some work cut out for him, not being in the front 12 bikes or so with 300 meters to go. Mike McG, everyone’s teammate except for Chris C, came by Little T and dragged him up to and past the fornt, leaving Little T only a bit of homework to do to get past Hacker and a couple of other guys who were in a decent spot.

Rolling thru a tired rush hour Cheshire, for the last time this year was bitter sweet. You almost had to smile with affection as a truck pulled out and nearly took out the front of the ride. Thomaas B tried to ride off the front. No dice. The usual guys were doing the work down into Hamden, plus Jones and a cute chick in a ACT jersey (name?). In the end, Julio L, Chappy, and others ( where was Guido!? ) had a chance, but Little T sealed this year up for everyone.

Who knows what a week will bring… Maybe the sun will pause in the sky for us for one more week of immature fun on 2 wheels. We doubt it tho.

All n all, it was a great year. Please be sure to check out the new “best of” survey on the sidebar and leave your vote. Come over to the shop and buy a SG tee, we’ll have a dart board with a picture of Rondo on it.

Tuesday the 29th

2009-09-29T20:11:00.000-07:00

A decent sized group was out tonight, despite the 5:30 start time. With only fun charity rides, long NH hikes, or tortuous cross races left on the calendar, everyone seemed up for a jab or two and right off Route 10 Guido was up there trying to get something started off the front. Bergie was having nothing of that and pegged that gap back quick for everyone. Then it was Eric M and Chris Mahoney trying to sneak off but again, the pace was quick thanks to Chris C and others and it was all together heading to Mountain Rd.

Hunter P and Greg Ciocci flew up the first slopes there got things rolling. Peter P was up there too along with Mike McG and Little T. For a second there was another gap on the 2nd set of risers but that was short lived as guys like Yalie Adam and Joe K were moving up. For the rest of the trip down Mountain, there were plenty of guys willing to work and the ride snapped like a carbon fiber whip. Yalie Adam was once again powering off near the end of Mountain, maybe to sneak off. He had Hunter P and Dillon P right there but with the red light, it all came back together again.

After the ride nearly suffered a collision with a car from behind on Moss Farms. It was French Casey leading the charge with John Gregory, Julio L, Chris C, Eric M, Rondo, etc. all close behind. Rolling into the chicane was pretty calm with no one really gunning it. Once at the top though Rondo, Chris C and Chappy Chris hit the gas and no one followed immediately. Once there was a gap it seemed like everyone would just rather wait and see how this one turned out instead of chasing the happy trio down. The gap went up to 7 or 8 seconds as Yalie Adam moved to the front and set a catch-em tempo. Then, as pigs were flying across the road nearly making bacon of themselves, Rondo turned it off and let the Chris’s roll off. Gianni Bugno was rolling in his grave* as the breakaway of 2 then disintegrated. It was pretty much all gruppo compacto heading into the industrial park. There, Guido (?) gave it a go and gapped the field briefly with Chris C still fighting it out off the front. Behind them, Peter P was leading the rest. Chris turned first onto West Johnson and gave it another stab but Peter P and Hunter P were right there and then it was Hunter P’s turn to go and he rolled off alone. The front of the field went into a brief tempo mode, giving Hunter a decent gap heading up to Rienhard. Guido was the first to jump and jump hard he did, going right past Hunter P hitting the corner first with a decent chance to get the sprint. Behind there was a real deal chase group riding away from the rest, Mike McG, Ken just Ken, Joe K, Greg Ciocci, Julio L, Peter P. Little T was close behind. That group swept up Hunter P and set the sights on the German. Just as the catch was being made, Little T jumped, taking most of the group with him but only Joe K had the fighting chance. T stuck it out and hit the corner first. Behind, Hunter P and Ciocci were rolling thru and collecting the near dead in order to keep up a gap off the front. A group of 5 or so got going fast down the back side, but traffic turning onto Peck Ln stopped everyone, bringing it all back together.

Coming up to Route 10, there was a brief move off the front by Peter P, Chris C, Chappy & Hunter P, but that didn’t last too long. From there the pace was decent up to the Stop N Shop sprint where a small group was quick to get into position off the front. LittleT, Julio L, Ciocci, and Peter P. Little T out-dueled Peter P for this one, making it two in row.

Moving thru Cheshire, TT Pete was seen dangling off the front, no doubt looking to pounce on any chance to get a gap to drive it home with. Guido was also up there getting ready to hit it in between lights. Once thru town, Julio L came up to the front and drilled it. Leading out all for a solid kilo before the likes of Mike McG and Eric M pulled thru.

For the final couple of clicks, the pace slowed for a second or 2, giving an unlikely Dillon P the honors of burying himself for Rondo, Little T, Hunter P and a couple of others. The race to the end was a 3 way battle till the Guido came rumbling thru in time to pass Little T and let him know how it was going to end. Little T sat up and rolled in right behind Guido, Hunter P and Bergie right there as well. Although for standing during the final, (cough - ahem - err) “sprint”, he gets a big fat DQ on this night.

Great ride everyone… Probably only one more week of these shenanigans left.

* Gianni Bugno is alive and well and probably, along with his fellow Romans, cursing the near overnight dominance of SRAM Road groups.

Tuesday the 29th

2009-09-29T07:26:00.000-07:00

Looks like the ride is leaving at 5:30 tonight. If you have any questions, leave them here or feel free to call the shop.... 203 250 9996

Hope to see ALL the usuals out there.

Tuesday the 15th

2009-09-16T07:56:00.000-07:00

Sniff Sniff, we miss the long (easier) loop

A good sized group out tonight and right from the start there was a group that was threatening to pull off the front… Julio L and John Gregory the main offenders among them.

But things settled down quickly, even tho the the pace was “tense” for a while. Eric M took over pace making along with VQ Rob. And soon enough, Mike McG and winter racer Kurt Davis were heading up to the front and turning the microwave to “defrost” mode. Cruising up Mountain road, Kurt D led for a healthy spell and by the second set of risers was starting to lead a small group off the front. Chris C, Tall John, Steve Grey, Ciocci, Tim Ratatata among the guys up front putting down a strong tempo. Then nearing the end of Mountain Rd, another group almost got free, no doubt looking for green daylight, but everyone stopped for the light on route 68.

Kurt D went straight to the front on Moss Farms and took Hunter P and T. Ratta along with him. The 3 went to work together but were being given zero to none leeway from the leaders of the peleton. Mike McG and Chris C among the ones keeping it close. The trio up the road wouldn’t fade easily and so the pace heading to the Chicane was brisk to say the least. Once caught, Davis wasn’t yet done and continued to stay near the front and help things move along with plenty of fiber. After that stretch, things calmed down and slowed down leading into the Chicane and no one was there to really drill it. Mike MaHoney, Eric M and Ciocci (?) were up there bringing everyone thru. Once everyone made it safely thru the turn into the industrial park things got going again with Little T and Ratta trying to separate themselves…. Crazy Chris, Julio L and a couple of others were up there as well and for a moment it looked like they may succeed in at least getting to West Johnson Ave with a gap but things slowed down a bit, no doubt due to Ratta’s short ride virginity. Next was Davis as he accelerated up the first initial risers of West Johnson. He took along a couple of Stage 3 guys (?) but that fizzed out by going thru the intersection of Peck Lane. Rondo took a dig, no doubt using that extra time he spent on the short bus kicking butt with the other “B ride” riders to his advantage. He looked like he was in a decent position to go for it as he went up the initial part of Reinhart with a few seconds but that evaporated pretty quickly as Little T sped off with Mike McG and Hunter P in tow. Those 3 took off and stayed exactly in that order as Little T kept on the gas all the way to the corner, leading out and winning the sprint in impressive fashion.

On the backside it all came back together before Peck Ln. Heading up to route 10 Julio L and Chris C obviously hatched some type of plan and were gunning it before and into the corner. Ratta, just looking to not go slow, jumped on and the 3 had a gap of maybe 7 seconds at the base of the hill by Cheshire Park. Hunter P jumped from the front of the rest and bridged up just as it was coming apart. Ratta sensed the hesitation and attacked the front, riding off alone. The Peleton was going up to the leaders, led by a host of guys, VQ Rob, Guido, Ciocci, Bergie, Mike McG, Little T etc. Hats off to Robyn as well for staying right up there close to the front, all ride long for the most part. Ratta got thru the first light on Route 10 as everyone behind had to stop. He soft pedaled after that and let everyone catch back on. Super sporting of him as he no doubt could have given it a fair & square run the whole way to the Stop n Shop sprint with the gap he had.

Once it came back together the pace went up again as it was single file to the sprint with only a few guys in position with the speed to contest it. Ratta, Mike McG, Hunter P, Julio, Chris C, and 1 or 2 more with a chance. In the end it was Ratta leading out Little T which is never gonna end pretty and Little T came around easily to secure more “Green SG Tee Shirt” points.

Heading back to Hamden was normal. We think there was some scheming being done again by TT Pete and Guido but any gap off the front they had was small & brief. It got a little clogged up in the finale after Curt D put in his final 2 cents worth and pulled off. With one on to follow, it slowed and then with Mike McG and Little T air ramming the left side, that was the place to be… Julio was up there? Or was it VQ Rob? Either way Little t got it and rounded out the hat trick for the night. Making up for last week’s debacle.

Good ride and a thanks to Curt D for helping make it a proper fast ride.

Tuesday the 8th

2009-09-08T19:56:00.000-07:00

Everybody brings their A game in search of the last chances to get some ink…

A smaller than usual crowd out tonight and it was decided by the powers that be… ( not Rondo ) that the ride would do a type of medium longish short loop, cutting off Mount Vernon rd mid way down the usual run.

Everyone agreed and the ride was off. It took a little while to get up to speed, and in the interim, Dillon P and Antonio rode off the front soon after route 10. They were joined by a couple of others… Tri Guy, Texas Ryan (?!) etc… No one was in a huge hurry to rope em back… Koski, Eric M and Mike McG were setting the tempo that would bring them back.

The ride got going a little quicker then with Tim Ratatatat Ratta up there pushing it with Texas Ryan, Hunter P and Ken just ken. Dillon P had another dig on Mount Sanford, only to be ignored back into the group. Once on mountain rd, Mike McG and Hunter P kicked things off in a good way, driving it up the first riser… Julio L and Chris C followed up and things were moving right along. On the 2nd set of risers, Hunter P attacked, taking along Guido along him. The 2 hit the top with a bit of a gap, but that survived as long as a Thor Hushovd victory sprint. Again, Koski, Mike McG and Rondo up there bringing it back together.

Once on Moss Farms, it was Hunter P, Texas Ryan and Rondo setting early tempo on much improved-from-last-week roads. It was a free for all heading into the Chicane, Ken just Ken, Mike McG, Peter K, Gregg F, etc all up there. Little T bided his time on the ramp up to Marion and when he did jump, was challenged by Guido. Little T went thru 1st with Guido and Hunter P right there. That became a dangerous trio as the 3 worked together with a no joke gap flying to the industrial park. It took some elbow grease to bring them back but with the help of Green Mountain Stage Race Veteran Eddy A, they were brought back in time for the weekly “who’s going short, who’s going long….errr…..medium” debate. Only a few guys peeled off as peer pressure reared its ugly head once again.

Once over 322, Little t got things going and then was followed by Peter K of CCR and Ken just ken. The pace was good down Mount Vernon Rd. with a few guys taking turns. Tim Ratatatat was up there a lot with Special Ed. Tim R has been rumored to be fielding offers for O ten from the Medics, the Bubbles, the Targets, the Yalies, the Cheshire Racers and Guido’s soon to be announced one man team (?!). No word on who his spiritual advisor and manager is pushing him toward…. Not to mention the fact that he still has a year left on his deal with US Army\Central Wheel, mopping the bike shop floors at night and shooting things and people during every fourth weekend. Stay tuned for late breaking news….

As the ride got to the false flat that ironically forces most to the truth about themselves, Mike McG had a dig and Hunter P followed. Special Ed was there…. Ratatatat too maybe, but that was pretty much it. Even so they couldn’t make it far off the front, instead just putting everyone in a pot of hurt. We're sure there is no love lost by some as we say goodbye to Mount Vernon till the winter rides.

As the turn down Jude lane approached, the speed dropped off a bit…. Joe K, playing the game with perfection, quietly, yet effectively, rode off the front, using the hometown advantage he had. As everyone behind got used to the new surroundings, He was off and that would be all he needed. By the time the Peleton got going under the wheels of Chris C, Texas Ryan, Eric M and Mike McG, Joe was up the road and not to be caught anytime soon. The hill up to West Street brought the ride to a new all time low speed, but even still, everyone stayed together… Julio L throttled it downhill toward Main St. Still Joe K was off the front alone. He would end up having to stop at the light on 322, which brought the ride back together. The way into Cheshire and to route 10 was fast. Gregg F, Hunter P, Jacinto, Chris C and a couple of others went full gas into the cobbles and the riser up Peck Ln, but no dice…. The powers that be kept it all together. Once on Route 10 things settled down a bit. Traffic lights again proved to be pesky. On the light at Maple Ave, Mike McG lept off the line, taking Jacinto with him. What looked like an innocent gap turned into a we’re-gonna-make-it-type gap… Mike shed Jacinto at the last moment on the run it to the sprint hill. Behind Little T jumped up from a few bike back, passing Julio, Hunter P, Ciocci (?) and others, but was not able to get up to Mike, who took it.

Heading back into Hamden, the usual suspects were up there, driving the pace. Rondo, Eric M, Chris C, Silent Steve, Todd H, Ratatatat, and Texas Ryan. At one point (the last light in Cheshire?), Guido slipped away with one other rider (?). It a bold move, he tried to defy huge odds and ride it home by himself. He was caught after a kilo and a half or so, just as Mike McG was pulling thru for the last time. Soon after that Little T hit the front alone and fast… Riding off with a solid kilometer+ to go. It was down to French Casey and Dillon P to start the last second chase and they obliged, setting up the rider from San Fran (?) and then Hunter P to catch him. Just as Hunter P went over the top of T, the foreign freight train that is known as Julio L and Guido blew by all remaining and went off to settle it moungst themselves. Julio L gets the credit for this one, riding past Guido by a bike length when all was said and done, leaving Little T with a rare winless week.….

Great ride…. Next week back to the shorter loop. Its been confirmed…..

Also, because the SG ride kicks everyone’s ass now and then, and because it is like no other, and because this summer was an especially good one for the tradition and legacy of the ride… We’ve decided to make up some tee shirts. They will be sold at Cheshire Cycle for $13 each.

So far it’s just the one design, but depending on demand, we may do a second one. It would be helpful to us to have an idea of how many to make, so perhaps drop a line to info@cheshirecycle.com and let up know you want one. You can also tell us which type of cotton is best for your skin, the size that best shows off your calves, and the color that brings out your eyes… But regardless of all that, they will be in stock by the weekend. So come by, buy one, and show off the fact that you can hang with the ride that Rondo loves. We will be sending one to the Police Chief of Cheshire ASAP.

NOTE! We have just gotten confirmation.... Wearing this shirt to any social function held by Todd H or Tall John gets you unlimited keg stands ( once Crowell is done ) and control of the karaoke system.

Tuesday the 1st

2009-09-01T19:48:00.000-07:00

BIG group out tonight…. Maybe 70 guys and a few new girls on the ride too. It seemed to be almost like a end of the summer ride….. With only a couple of guys going up to VT for the Green MNT stage race, most racing seasons are over and so the only reason to go fast is of course… The Tuesday Night Throwdown!

Soon off route 10, Guido and Dillon P rode off the front and they had Chris C, Hunter P and Julio L chasing. Mike McG and Koski also moved up and it was blazin thru the crap section of Brooksvale Ave. Getting close to Mountain Road, The rider in the Landry’s kit was back up at front along with a couple other new faces. Chris C, Hunter P, and Julio L led the initial charge up onto Mountain Road with Chris C and Hunter getting a gap that was closed down within a half mile by Mike McG, French Casey, Koski, etc. The rest of the ride down Mountain road was decently quick. Chris B shat pure power near the end leading out the final half mile, probably in pursuit of the elusive green-light-means-go.

Moss farms was a gravel driveway in the name of road improvement, so the speed turned to “aggressive neutral” though that section. French Casey unfortunately got hit with a flat. Once the road got good, it was Hacker and Empire Matt moving to and then off the front a little, Ciocci, Todd H, and Hunter P were hovering close behind, careful to not let that get ugly fast. Hacker charged up the hill to Marion, as things got kinda strung out behind him. This led to Hunter P, Guido and Gregg F getting a gap and going to work with it. It was short lived as they got caught right after the industrial short loop turn off. More than the usual amount turned off for the short loop., including some bruisers who usually are straight. Talk of this being the final week of the long loop filed thru the peleton.

Before getting to route 322, Joe K had a chance to jump of the front and he was joined by Hacker and a couple of others but all had to stop for the light. Onto Mount Vernon Rd were Matt S from CCR was up front along with Hunter P and Stage one guys. The ride down Vernon was ok, there was some sloppy rotating going on and a brief attack off the front by Hunter P before the steady uphill section. That led to Joe K getting in a counter attack effort and he was able to hold that for a while. It came down to Chris C and Todd H to close the gap down as everyone seemed to be getting ready for the turnaround back south. Just as the front was coming back all together, Hacker jumped up sensing an opportunity. His chain jammed up tho, bringing some type of salvation to those that would have to chase him down. The front of the ride slowed a bit in a lame attempt at waiting from him. Gregg F, Jacinto, Hunter P and a couple of others led everyone onto Welch Rd. Gregg F kept the speed good going up to the base of the climb just as Chris B and Ken just Ken charged up and off the front, then it was Mike McG, a couple of others (???) and then Hacker, and Hunter P heading into the corner fast. Hacker had to jump to catch Mike and he had hunter right on his wheel. Soon it was just Mike, Hacker and Hunter heading to the sprint point. Hunter was able to come out of the draft and jump around for the sprint, going past Mike.

There were some guys (Steve Gray, Little T, Matt S etc) willing to drill it in between lights heading back to Cheshire, so it stayed interesting. Empire Matt actually sorta attacked on the descent of the last part of West St, taking a rider from Central Wheel with him. The two had a gap and traffic at the light on Marion let them open it up a little more. Once thru the traffic, it was Guido, Hunter P, Texas Rodhouse, Jacinto and one more new guy, working together to try to bring the gap down. That effort got disrupted on the little hill by the underpass on Canal St which let Gregg F get involved. Up the road, the leaders made it thru the light on 322 while everyone else of course had to stop.

The rest of the way to route 10 was normal. Little T and Hunter P led everyone up Peck Lane as Ken just Ken was hit with a dropped chain. Empire Matt and the Central Wheel rider decided to hold up and wait… A sporting move on their part. There was more traffic as everyone was turning onto Route 10, and then another red light before the Sprint… Once it got going, Mike McG was flying at the front, with Hacker, Little T, Chris C and a couple of others behind, ready to go. This one was all Little T, keeping Hacker at bay despite a red light at the top of the hill.

More red lights thru Cheshire…. Red lights on top of red lights, showing that the long loop and school days don’t mix well together. Then, it seems Time Trial Pete, testing the "new" 80 year old fabric Skinsuit, designed to mimic the taunt skin of an 80 year old, escaped thru a light in the center of Cheshire. He got through the light with Eric M and one other rider... With the peleton stopping for the light, that was all the gap they needed to stay away, fair & very square style. Behind, things ramped up again with Rondo, and Mike McG at the front, putting everyone behind in work mode. Heading into the final Kilo, it was a free for all, as Mike McG turned in a good effort and cleared out with plenty of road to go. Then it was Hacker, driving the front and pulling the rip cord. Then it was Peter P’s turn. This all led to more than the usual guys with a chance at it. Even so, Little T was able to come around Julio L in time to wrap things up. But give this one to the eternally suffering TT Pete... Good job boys.

Tuesday the 25th

2009-08-26T07:01:00.000-07:00

The Sleeping Giant Ride continues to hold morale and self esteem hostage...

Probably close to 65 out tonight. Everyone was nice and friendly heading out to Cheshire, although Julio L was pushing the pace as the turn off route 10 came up.

It didn’t take long before Josh G was up front again, pushing the pace and looking to make it hurt for everyone else. He had help up there with Otto, Dillon P, Eric M and the Yalies. The pace was fast for the whole way to Mountain Road. That turned into a solid all out pace line going down Mountain Road with lots of guys taking turns at the front.

Coming up to the end of Mountain, as the speed was winding down, there were a couple of guys riding attentively at the front. The light was turning and a small group made it thru fair and square. Josh G, Tall John, Steve Grey, Chris C, and Hacker all made it thru and showed no signs of waiting. Also getting thru the intersection in less than law abiding manner was Julio L, Hunter P, Silent Steve, and Otto von Wedlesfast. The rest of the peloton stopped by the red light. The group of 5 took off and used all the time given them by the light. The group of 4 behind hesitated and played he “do we chase, do we wait” game. The lead group was off their rocker tho and gone up the road. The group behind, once onto Moss Farms, was a mission tho and quickly making up ground led by Special Ed Angeli, Mad Mike McG, Rondo, Eric M, and others. Going over 322 into Southington, it was the group of 5, splitting the work load pretty evenly and then the Peleton behind.

Joe K got things off to a good start on Mount Vernon Road. The Yalies were going good too…. ( with nice new bikes for the school year? ). Special Ed was up there. Koski, Ken just Ken, and Matt S from CCR, CT Coast Ben, Chris Mohoney, Otto etc…. As the front of the ride was coming up to Welch Rd, the lead group was in sight with a gap of about 20 seconds or so. Just goes to show, even with a lot of horse power up the road, with a red light gap, the Sleeping Giant ride will relentlessly bring it back. As the lead group hit the base of the climb up to West St, they turned off the gas, knowing their fate. Hacker however, bored with 7 foot skinnies, drunken dancers, and wiley lawyers, used the chance to jump off in search of solo gold. Behind, Mike McG was destroying pavement, leading everyone up thru the corner, and pushing hard past. There were guys that were there for moral support, Joe K, Crazy Chris, Hunter P, Otto etc.. Chris B was also up there as he and Ken just Ken had tried to pull off the front on the climb but couldn’t come around Mike McG for long. Hacker gets the credit for the new and improved sprint point as he stayed off till the 84 crossing on West St. Mike McG, fittingly, lead the rest of the ride up through the sprint.

The rest of the ride was good. The pace was good. Effort was good. Josh was up there a couple of times, putting twofold efforts in, getting the pace up. The Yalies were up there too, Otto, Tall John, Thomaas B, Mahoney. Etc… Coming up to the Stop n Shop sprint, everyone was going fast. Even so, Mike McG took it by a solid gap.

We’re gonna need someone to fill in what happened for the rest for the way back into Hamden.

Good ride. Relentless…. The way it should be….

One more week of the long loop???

Tuesday the 18th

2009-08-18T21:14:00.000-07:00

The Sleeping Giant Ride…. Safer than training alone!

A lean and mean crowd out tonight.. Maybe 45-50 guys and a couple of girls too.

The ride got off to slow start but that lasted about 2 blocks as Old Man Josh Gewirtz came up to the front breathing fire and brimstone. He tried to get a gap on a couple of occasions… Guido, Hunter P, Mike McG, Brian K, Eric M, and a couple of others were up there at different times to help out. Nothing doing on the breaks tho and a lot of traffic turning onto Mountain Rd slowed things way down. There was another gap going up Mountain as Old Josh, Chris MaHoney, Jay Pearlman on a Parlee, Ken just Ken, and the Non Kiwi rider in black hit it hard. Things got strung out, but it stayed together.

Yalie Adam was the only one to make it thru the light at route 68, and all reports have him not being heard of again as he didn’t wait.

*Apparetnly, Tall John and Chris C had been off the front. Attacking everyone in the only spot that could allow them to get away, on route 10, right around Wentworth's, 30 seconds into the ride. Whether or not that counts as a true breakaway is your call. General consensus is that it is not. Save those bullets for when it counts boys....

The pace down Moss Farms was respectable as Thomaas B got involved as well as TriGuy with Knee highs. Chris Mahoney was up there as well. Crap nearly happened as a nice big golden retriver nearly got away from his owner in order to run into everyone. That woulda sucked.

No one really attacked going thru the chicane and then the hill after. The pace was crisp though and a small group formed after the hill. Mike McG, Guido, Old Josh and others with a 30 yard gap. Crazy Chris and Todd H kept the speed up in the pack and brought it back within 300 meters though. Mike McG stayed up front and was drillling it past the industrial park and to route 322. Good to see Rondo arrange his busy schedule to stay on the long loop tonight. He stayed on probably cause Chris C was no where to be found.

The trip down Mount Vernon Rd was fast… Again Old Josh and Not a Kiwi were up there. Guido got involved and gaps would form briefly. On the long riser where the strong guys can turn the screws on the weaker guys, there was some activity… Though not enough to spring anyone. On the next small riser Hunter P shot off and was joined by Guido. The two weren’t given any room though and were brought back with a kilometer. As soon as those two were caught, Mike McG attacked and took a new rider, New Haven Jacinto (on a Duratec) with him. The 2 worked a small gap heading onto Welch as guys behind started realizing that Little t wasn’t around. Cha-Ching Cha-Ching as dollar symbols flashed up in everyone’s eyes and it was game on for the sprint. Meanwhile Mike had left Jacinto on the Duratank behind and was calmly beginning the long assualt of Welch Rd. Chris B then shot up the left side, as expected, and took along Hunter P with him. Those 2 quickly left the front of the group, now being led by Not a Kiwi and Ciocci along with a couple of others. Guido responded to the surge, sensing Mike McG would not have the gap needed. Guido took along Joe K and Julio L. Chris pulled away from Hunter ( or he let a gap open to make Guido chase ) just as Mike was killing the thottle. Chris was caught by Guido just as the hill kicked and although Guido gave it a good sprint after chasing for 300-400 meters, Joe K was just sitting there ready to jump around him and was able to with room to spare. Good team work from the CCR guys to get to the corner first.

It has been decided though that for the remaining long loop weeks ( 2 or 3 max? ) that the reported winner of the sprint needs to get to the very top of the hill first… The top of the hill past the corner… Call it to the light at Spring St. This should make things interesting and create a chance for a true sprint. Let’s hope Little T gets over his fever and is back in the protection of the fold next week.

The rest of the ride into Cheshire was uneventful. Old Josh and Jacinto were up there along with Mike McG and Rondo setting tempo on Atwater and Canal St. Then on Peck ln. going up toward Sandbank Josh G was back at it, trying to find guys willing to drill it. Once back onto Route 10 the speed dropped probably cause of the head wind. That didn’t stop John Gregory and Not a Kiwi from setting a good tempo going up past Cheshire Park. Heading to Stop n Shop, the speed went up again as guys were getting ready for round 2. Julio L was not to be beated this time, riding away from the rest…. Jay Parlee, Ciocci, Thomaas B, Ken just Ken, Peter K etc…

Heading into the finale, Todd H hit the front with too far to go. Hutner P followed with still too long way to go. That led to a gap opening that Julio L and Guido closed in hurry once the end was in logical sight. Guido was able to come around Julio at the end….
This report may undergo a couple of changes as reports start filling in Wednesday morning.

Good ride….

Tuesday the 11th

2009-08-11T20:09:00.000-07:00

Its been decided… The ride is better in the winter when no one can talk to each other.

Another good size crowd out for the TWC tonight in the thick August air. The ride got going with Chris C and Dave "Horny" Hartmann blasting tempo off the front, pretty much right from the start. Following was Mike McG, Hunter P, Eric “electric shift” Merrill and Maison C from CCR. Maison has just been chosen to model the CCR 2 thousand &10 kit. So watch for that. The pace was up and down coming up to Mountain rd. There were no real attacks on Mountain as a super long pace line developed 15 riders long. Hitting it twice was Hacker, Ciocci and Eric M and Mike McG. Hell, even Rondo was up there pullin. Little T jumped off the front right before the light and sure enough he got thru the light. Yalie Adam was chasing but didn’t make it. Everyone waited patiently, confident that Little T wasn’t gonna drill it alone off the front for too long.

On Moss Farms, there was a brief gap that developed with Thomaas B, Todd H, Matt Sack from CCR. Also there was the strong new guy with the jersey from New Zealand (?) on a badge less carbon frame. They never got more than 20 yards and heading thru the chicane it was all together. Little T was waiting up the road and went thru the corner first. Behind, hacker and Guido were twisting the throttle and leading everyone through. It all stayed together down Marion with a few guys up there doing work… Mike McG, Silent Steve, Steve Grey and Joe K among them. Maybe a few guys rolled off into the short loop. Sadly, Rondo was one of them….. L Before the peleton got up to route 322 Brian Girard from Stage 1 rolled off the front without protest and made it up to the light by himself.

Into Southington the pace was ok. Midway thru Mount Vernon Rd Guido, Joe K, and a Stage 1er ( Dave H?) moved off the front. The gap was 30 solid yards as the Stage 1 rider was shed, leaving just the 2. That lasted up the tough false flat\uphill section. As they were caught, Hacker attacked and Joe K, not yet finished, got his leather on and stayed on Hacker’s wheel for another go off the front. That group ended up being Joe K, Hacker, Chris C and one other (?). Behind Mike McG jumped hard with Hunter P just as the hill was leveling out and with the added horses the group of 6 rolled off the front. That set off alarms in the front and the peloton went into panic mode. The break was caught in a couple of minutes with help from Steve Grey, Little T and Ciocci. Hunter P and Joe actually stayed off the front for a bit more but called it in seconds later. The pace slowed down as everyone started to remember their date of birth and zip codes. Also everyone was prepping for the assault on Welch road.

Coming up to the hill, Gregg F slipped off the front and quickly got a gap as the others were ok with letting out some leash. Guido then came up and started the chase as Joe K sat on up front in a bid to let Gregg take it. Gregg nearly shocked em all, nearly missing it as Little T came storming around with a healthy amount to share. Joe K gave it the sprint a good shot and was 2nd. Hunter P, Hacker, and Guido were close behind. Mike McG and Crazy Chris jumped up and joined the group after the corner but that group didn’t get far… The West St. breakaway remains an elusive edict for even the strong riders to make.

Heading past the highway, there was some swervy riding going on or something like that and then Little T & Brian K were being unfriendly to each other. Once again, this one is too close to call folks. They are similar in size. The edge Alessio has in strength could be offset by the fact that Koski has worked for Cannondale. And we are pretty sure that once you get a paycheck from them, you have all sorts of imps, goblins and succubus’s ( succubi ? ) at your disposal. In the end, they were just being dramatic with each other but while it was being hashed out, Chris Butler had snuck of the front and was soloing away on his own like only he can. Once everyone started down toward the highway off ramp, the chase got going with Mike McG and Little T up front. Chris was eventually caught after the little riser on Canal St. It was gruppo compacto for the rest of the ride back to into Cheshire and onto Peck lane. Mike McG and Girard were the ones pushing past the cobbles and up onto Sandbank Road. That led to Yalie Adam and Mike getting a real deal gap onto route 10. But that was shut down due to a red light.

The Stop n Shop sprint was all Little T again, but this time he had a good fight come a steppin from Maison who only was a couple of bikes behind the whole way to the light. The ride back into Hamden was normal. Good to see Time Trial Pete hitting it hard on the front for a spell. Same goes for Kyle F who tried his hand at a late sneak away attack. For the last kilo, Mike McG hit it hard early with Hunter P on his six. Hunter hit the front too soon and killed the throttle, making Guido and Little T duke it out till the bitter end. Guido gets this one probably cause his legs are a couple of pounds heavier than Little T’s… It was that close.

Good ride all in all. If your name should be in here somewhere, leave a comment. Throw in some other names if you don’t want to seem the gloat…. On Tuesdays, it’s everyone's chance to get some street cred.

Tuesday the 4th

2009-08-05T08:02:00.000-07:00

A massive crowd out tonight. Seemed like nearly 75 riders at the start. Good to see some old faces with Gordon and Josh Gewirtz out just like the olden days. Also out was French Casey, Steve Grey, and Empire Matt. So there was plenty of get up & go out for the ride.

Once everyone rolled into the backroads, it was VQ Rob and Mike McG setting early tempo. Mike was up there just to get thru the cobbled section of Brooksvale. The 2 of them actually rolled off the front but were caught at the next intersecion as traffice slowed everyone down. After that the pace was high thanks to VQ Rob still up there setting good tempo along with Hunter P, Peter P and a new rider with a flame tatoo on his leg (?). There were a couple of other new faces involved in the mix. Gordon was up there as well. Guido came moving up to the front along with Empire Matt and Hacker coming up to Mountain.

Right before the corner for Mountain Road, Mike McG flatted, Julio stopped to assist, and in the hesitation…. “ do we stop? Do we go? Do we wait?” A group of 4 or five rolled off the front. Guido, Peter P, VQ Rob, and a couple of others. Behind, riders were strung out and isolated up the initial climb. Dillon P was leading what was now the peleton with Hacker and Hunter P right on his wheel. Hacker jumped up to make the bridge and took Hunter P along with him. That made a dangerous group of about 6 guys up the road. Behin d, the field was starting to come together and the chase was on thanks to Eric M, Little T, Joe K Josh G, and Empire Matt. Up the road Hacker, Guido, Hunter P, and Peter P were doing good work keeping the pace up. The chase was a good one though and with all thought of waiting for Mike McG erased, the break would eventually get caught a little past Cornwall Ave. From there, Hacker kept the pace high with Joe K and Empire Matt.

The pace stayed high on Moss Farms with plenty of guys doing work. Toward the end of Moss Farms, Josh G attacked and took Hutner P with him. Hacker jumped up as well as the 3 had a gap heading down toward the chicane. The field responded and moved to shut it down, Empire Matt, O‘Shea from Keltic, and Steve Grey at the front. The 3 were caught as everyone hit the base of the false flat to Marion. Hacker again stayed near the front, with Little T making his way thru in time to attack on the hill. Hunter P was right with him and Hacker jumped later and made it thru the corner with the 2. That trio formed a decent gap as well. ( plenty of good breaks today, but too much strength overall to keep the gaps ) They flew toward the industrial park, with Empire Matt, Yalie Adam, A newer guy on an older Trek, and Steve Grey doing a lot of chasing. The catch of the break was about to happen when Empire Matt shot off and thru everyone with an impressive dosage of speed. It was enough to kill the break and the will any one would have to try to catch him. Matt ended up staying off the front all the way to route 322 as the pace behind him slowed a bit for more cobbles. Again, not too many to turn off into the industrial park, though the fast pace of the night was definatly thinning the herd quite a bit. Onto Mount Vernon Road, CCR riders Chris B, Joe K and newcomer Matt Sack were leading it for the first sectors. The pace went up and down a couple of times, based on who was pinning it at the front. Hacker was absent, making sure his dropped and retrived Garmin was still registering power in the thousands, but Empire Matt and the Yalies kept the speed up along with Flaming Legs (?), Peter P and Steve Grey. As the ride turned onto Welch, CCR ers Joe K Chris B and Hunter P massed at the front for a run to the corner. Joe K and Butler then got a gap that Yalie Adam, Thomaas B, Guido and VQ Rob had close right as everyone hit the hill. Little T was up in the mix, being trailed by Hacker. Joe k had jumped for the corner hard but was passed by Guido, Little T and Hacker. Despite a furious charge by Little T, Guido gets the credits for this one, just holding it to the corner.

Hacker kept it going past the corner along with Little T and Crazy Chris but a severe headwind kept them from getting much of a gap. It was group bunched heading down West Street as Mike McG and Julio met back up with the ride. Once everyone recovered from the hill the pace went up quite a bit with Empire Matt and others tearing down the backside toward the highway. Mike McG had a brief go off the front with an antsy Josh G on Canal St but by the light at 322 it was all together again.

Heading up Peck lane, with Thomaas B and VQ Rob a little up the road, Hunter P rode off the front and no one was too concerned to try to catch him right away. He pedaled thru the uphill cobbled section of Peck alone and was caught by a now charging front end-o-the ride, led by MIke McG, Peter P and Young guy on Older Trek. The 3 had caught Hunter P with a bit of a gap behind them so that made 4 now up the road with a 6 or 7 second cushion for pushin. That gap held up to Route 10 were Hunter P and Older Trek attacked once more and got a gap heading up the hill by Cheshire Park. That was short lived though and it was all together once at the top of that climb.

Heading into the Stop n Shop sprint, thigns got spread out pretty quick as Little T, Guido, Steve Grey, Hacker and one other (?) all were going for the sprint. Little T had this one in the bag tho, taking it by a couple of lengths from Hacker. The rest of the ride into Hamden was slow cause of red lights. Everyone did a good job of taking up 65% of the total road and French Casey even gotta little motor pacing in.

Little T turned off on route 42 so that meant dollar signed poped up in everyone's head for the final test. And heading into that it was fast with a buch of guys looking for the right wheel. Guido however, needs no wheel to follow and was the last to hit the front with a solid 500 meters to the end and he railed it the whole time. Leaving Mike McG, Julio, Hacker, and others just shaking their fists in the now dusk skies.

Tuesday the 28th

2009-07-28T20:41:00.000-07:00

The (long) ride is back with a vengeance. And so is Professor Hacker.

Plenty of guys ( and a couple of grrrls too ) out tonight to enjoy the heat and humidity. It was good to see Jacob Hacker back out on the ride as he has moved back to CT.

Right off Route 10 Action Figure Mike McG rolled off the front but everyone was ok with letting him just cruise by himself out front. Chris C jumped off the front and caught him quickly right after the cobbles section and then the 2 took off. Maison from CCR was taken out by a flat, there may have been one other with a flat.

Mike and Chris made nice and started working well together as the pace behind started ramping up under the coaxing of Eric M, Guido, VQ Rob, Greg Ciocci and a new rider on a Time with one of those fugly jerseys that you get on a charity ride. The gap to the break stayed a strong 8-10 seconds as everyone was working hard. As the ride roared up to Mountain Rd, a chase group behind the break was forming under the sheer speed. Ciocci (who was flying tonight), Eric M, Todd H, Tall John, VQ Rob, Charity Ride Time, and a couple of others had a brief gap. Turning onto Mountain it kinda came back together, just to see it start to get ripped apart again as those riders in the front drilled it up the hill. Still the break stayed out there, just outta reach. Little T and Hunter P played seamstresses and kept the Peleton, still 40-50 guys strong, close enough charging up the hill so that it came back together on the other side. The catch of the break didn’t happen for another kilo as it was none other than Hacker putting the finishing nails in the chase, after Craig L, Hunter P, Little T, and others team time trialed up the gap. There was some surges\counter attacks right after, but everyone seemed gased and it was together up to the light.

Onto Moss Farms where the pace was a little slower. Lots of guys doing work including some new faces to the ride. Guido and Peter K, with their scariest game faces on, led the ride thru the chicane as everyone winded up the engines for the attacks. They came from Little T and Craig L who shot thru the corner first with a small gap. The two worked for a bit together but folded pretty soon as Mike McG, Chris C, Joe K, Crazy Chris and others were going hard right behind them. Everyone did a good job setting up for the long\short group split, but really only a handful ( 6 or 7? ) turned on the short loop and it was game on as soon as everyone on the long loop got the warm and fuzzy feelings out of their system.

The pace down Mount Vernon road was respectable as CCR standouts Peter K and Joe K kicked going past Mount Southington. Tall John, Hacker, Luekens, Charity Ride Time and a few others pitched in some gas money and the ride rolled along all the way till Welch Road without attacks or breaks. There was some accelerations that stung, but nothing too crazy.

Onto Welch Rd. where everyone with eighth of a brain could see that Luekens, Little T, Chris Butler, and HackAttack up front wasn’t too good a thing. The pace went up as everyone else played musical chairs to see what space they would fill for the hill. Ciocci (?) was in a good spot for the sprint up the hill but sure as summer rain, Little T jumped up and shot round all for 1st into the corner. Crazy Chris, who is starting to read the uphill sprints like a Nigerian Shaman, also flew thru and was in good position to help pace everyone else into the cruel headwind on West Street. The front of the ride regrouped and rolled along back into Cheshire without incident.

Fast forward to the Stop n Shop sprint, where a red light or two slowed things down on the approach. Also Mike McG and Hacker stopped abruptly… Either to fix a flat, or it also seemed like they may have been simply done with pedals and handlebars and were gonna settle it with their fists. All bets are off on that one. Mike clearly has the strength, size and the Irish potato-mongering lineage. But Hacker probably has some voodoo health care reform\power-up potion in his jersey pocket 24\7 so he may be able to outlast Mike’s punches. In either case, we hope they got back to riding soon after that. Back to the sprint where again it was Little T, duking it out and proving up the challenge of a few stubborn sprinters. Julio L, and Leukens among them. The “wins” keep coming for T, who recently bent his chain ring nearly in half while doing hill repeats. Either that says really good for Him or really bad for the Cannondale crap he’s on. We think its equal parts of both….. Here is as good as time as any to shamelessly plug the Scott bikes, now on year end sale, available from Cheshire Cycle.

The rest of the ride back into Hamden was standard issue. The finale was the usual fake sprint setups & leadouts. In the end it was Little T coming around Julio L with a solid 600 meters to go with a right time\right place Hunter P on his wheel. The two tried to put Speed out of business and left a hard chasing Guido. In the end Hunter was able to come around Little T to cockblock the hat trick(?!).

Tuesday the 21st

2009-07-21T17:58:00.000-07:00

The ride has gone off in blizzards with better turnout....

Just a few brave souls out today. Chris Mahoney, Builder Pete, John "i dont race" Gregory, Dillon P, Hunter P, Guido, and a surprise visit from everyone's favorite coach, Aidan C with Ronny "Sprints" LaRose and Peter P in tow.

The ride was good till Ron flatted. Everyone waited and then the ride got good again with Aidan doing steady strong man tempo, Hunter P attacking, Ronny Sprints countering and Peter P chasing. Everyone turned at the industrial park in honor of Rondo. Then Ronny flatted again and then again in minutes and everyone went their separate ways, sad and solemn to think of what could have been.....

Rain sucks, but on the plus side Builder Pete's shorts were producing only a little special sauce this week.

Tuesday the 14th

2009-07-15T07:57:00.000-07:00

We only have time for a quick report now... Our man Fabian Cancellara looks like he's gonna out sprint everyone going up the false flat finish in the tour today!

The Usual total numbers out tonight but the short ride had low attendance. 17-25 guys. The long ride was up at about 45-55 guys. Awesome.

Chris C had a solo early gap for the early streets off rt 10 as everyone was cautious about the worsening road conditions on Mount Sanford. It was all together then until the Mountain rd little grinder hill where Joe K just pedaled away from the front and stayed out to Cornwall. Impressive. A lot of the bubble boys and mike McG pulled him back.

It was fast all the way to the turn around in Southington where Little t made the right at the light 1st just edging out Joe K.

The pace back to into Cheshire was respectable. Little T made the S&S sprint 1st just passing Chris C. Little T kept going after the hill ended and made it thru a light by the town hall and started on the solo effort. The rest of the field got caught up at 3 lights in Cheshire and interviews with Little T at the end proved that he made the rt 10 break red light free, no stops. So hats off to T for the hat trick tonight.

In the group finish behind little t was a cervelo guy in a skin suit, guido, then dillon

Tuesday the 7th

2009-07-08T07:02:00.000-07:00

The continuing Seattle-ization of the Northeast continues with more rain tonight.

The rain was looking like it would hold out. It did not. The pouring started at 5:20 and pretty much lasted till 7 pm. Even so there was probably 30 guys out tonight.

Right off route 10, in an effort to stay warm, a couple of guys started to push the tempo up. Hunter P, Tall John, Thomaas B, Dillon P, Gregg F from CCR as well. It strung things out a bit and the chase was on. Moving thru the cobbles on Brooksvale, the guys up front drilled it, taking advantage of the fact that all the holes looked the same with water filling them. Tall John let up as the front blew thru the intersection with brakes that didn’t work. This left Dillon P, Hunter P, and Gregg F off the front heading up Mount Sanford. The 3 went to work and were given a bit of room at first. The gap went quickly up to about 10 seconds before the chase back started. The leading trio rolled long and was working well together. Behind them, the peleton was ramping up under the supervision of Mike McG, Peter P, Little T, Rondo and others. The break hit mountain rd with a shrinking gap and clung to it, making it up the initial riser before getting caught on the other side. The pace continued to be respectable as Mike McG, Rondo and Little T kept on the gas. As the field hit the second set of risers, Joe K found some breathing room and broke the leash. There was some chasing and attacking behind and when it all was settled, Joe was still off the front, but joined by team mate Chris B. They held onto a 20 yard gap as everyone rolled up to the light on Route 68 and stopped.

The Cheshire Cycle show continued once on Moss Farms, with Hunter P and Chris B setting early tempo. Maison C, Kyle F, Gregg F and Chris F-bomb Mahoney was up there. After some shuffling, posturing, and surging, a group of 6 or 7 ended up with a gap but it was not significant as the strong guys were just keeping tempo 10 bikes behind. All the same, 5 CCR guys lead the ride thru the chicane and toward the hill. Once on the hill Little T attacked hard and quickly had a gap with Peter P and Hunter P chasing. The 3 briefly joined forces after the corner but it was all coming back together within a minute or two.

There was some confusion heading into the industrial park area, with guys going straight and guys turning. All in all, despite the fact that many just assumed everyone was all aboard the short bus this week, no one was in danger of being taken out. Most of the riders did turn however, leaving only about 12-15 guys to go straight on. Mike McG, the CCR guys less Ken and Maison, Ben from New Haven, Tall John, John Gregory, Little T, Dave H, the 2 Petes, and others.

Once on Mount Vernon Rd, after a kilometer of chasing Tall John to reel him in, the pace remained solid despite the low numbers. Everyone was taking turns at the front. Halfway down Mount Vernon, on the long false flat before a gentle right bend, Hunter P attacked at the top with Chris B in tow. The calculated move worked, and the 2 took a gap right away as the rest were re-sorting themselves after the 20mph surge up hill. The other CCR guys, in classic cat 3 fashion, were also doing their best to disrupt any chasing. So with the rain finally stopping for the night, the ride went into tempo mode and the gap to the break shot up. Chris B and Hunter P were working well together and hit the Welch Road with a gap of around 40 seconds.

Moving onto West St for the leaders, Hunter P rolled thru the corner with Chris B, and tried to minimize any losses as the group behind had ramped it up as soon as it hit Welch. Mike McG along with Tall Johnny riding hard now, along with Little T and one other (John Gregory?). This caused a split as the CCR guys were able to hold it together at the front no more. The catch finally happened right before the I84 interchange. Chris B tried to surge one last time before getting caught and may have trumped everyone if he had been a second earlier to make it thru a light, but everyone had the stop at this and the next light and so the ride was all together again.

The ride back into Cheshire was normal and fast considering the small group. Mike McG and Tall John, doing much to spur it along. Coming into the Stop n Shop sector, Tall John rode it the way it should be with 750 meters to the hill, going hard and taking along a couple of guys, Dillon P gave chase to keep it together until he realized Little T was camped at his six for the ride up. That led to Little T hitting the wind with 300 meters to go with Hunter P right at his side. The 2 took off at almost the same moment, side by side. Little T got the gap quickly on Hunter and took it with room to spare.

Heading back into Hamden was routine, Little T had a brief gap coming up to McDonalds. (an attack?) He may have just been concerned about his antique lamps needing repair. Any electricians out there? Going thru the light for Cook Hill Rd, Hunter P attacked one last time, getting a gap of about 70 yards before settling in. Dave H tried to bridge but was reeled in 30 seconds later. Hunter P stayed out there for a couple of minutes, but was carpet rolled up with about 2 k to go.

For the finale, Mike McG, a little under the weather to boot, pulled off first and let Chris B and Little T go at it. A gap was allowed to open and that was all the 2 needed to pull off the front. Chris B towed for the next 500 meters and Little T had no problems coming around comfortably for the end.

Tuesday the 30th

2009-06-30T21:31:00.000-07:00

The 2 group nonsense continues as the ride gets all fast and new-look.

The B group headed out 5 minutes early and the group was larger this week probably cause of the threat of rain. It ended up being about 30-35 riders in each group. Again, most of the strong guys went second, including the return of Empire Matt, Guido, and Chris Jones. Couple those with the CCR crew, the Bubble boys, Target Training’s Ed Angeli, Time Trial Pete, and Todd H’s Coppertopped hair, and the A group was blazin. The B group had French Casey, Rondo, and Eric M…. Good to see Casey back in action.

Off of route 10, it was John Gregory and Dave Hartmann setting early tempo. Then Mike McG, also with a new “dew”, and CJones took over and set tempo heading onto Brooksvale ave. The pace heading up to Mountain road was solid.

Turning onto mountain and up the risers, Empire Matt, on a TT bike, had jumped up to the front along with Craig L. Jones and Mike McG joined them quickly and there was a brief split as the foursome hammered it up the hill a mile or two faster than normal. The front of the group behind wasn’t having any of that and quickly closed the gap… Peter P, Thomaas B and Little T sewing up the gaps.

The rest of the way down Mountain rd was quick, with a group of 8 or 9 heading up the efforts at the front. Tall John, Crazy Chris, Julio L, Todd H and Maison from CCR were up there with the others doing work.

Onto Moss Farms where again, in a scene that would be played out a bunch of times tonight, Empire Matt surged off the front and Jones tracked him down. Crazy Chris, Mike McG were also up there with Luekens. That kept the pace high as the field flew thru the chicane, led by Thomaas B. Up the hill past that, Empire Matt hit it. Hard. Really hard. Others were scrambling for a piece of the wheel. Jones, Little T, Mike McG. Hunter P, Peter P. All were flying in pursuit. Matt kept up the gap up thru the corner and beyond, with Peter P, Hunter P, Jones and Mike coming up to form some type of group, but it was pretty much all together. The A group came within 5 seconds of so of the B group, just as it turned into the industrial park.

Once thru the lights and onto Mount Vernon Rd, it was Mike McG and New Haven’s version of the “3 Amigos”; Luekens, Empire and Jones setting tempo. There were others up there too of course. Notably, Tall John, Ed A, Julio, Maison, Little T, etc. With the tailwind, the pace was crisp, not falling below 28 mph. A couple of times, it seemed there was a group getting off the front…… Whenever Empire Matt would look for aero-bar-breathing-room off the front or when there was a slight pitch in the road and a gap would open up. But all in all, it stayed together and the pace was fast. Peter P got hit with a flat and dropped out as the crazy pace over the rough spots took its toll.

Turning onto Welch Rd, there was a pause in the speed, then it looked briefly like Luekens was going to have a go off the front. Mike McG was up there too and so was Jones. Chris B was also moving up and looking for daylight off the front, but the pace was just too fast. Little T jumped from 4 bikes back at the base of the hill and rounded everyone well before the corner. Coming thru after was more Stage 1 guys, Crazy Chris and Julio L, along with Hunter P. Little T kept up the attack and was up the road as the trio, Crazy Chris, Julio, and Hunter P was closing the gap. Julio killed it and caught T and then kept on going past. Then Hunter P took a turn as things were shuffling around behind. Mike McG and the New Haven crew were all right there and then had a good go off the front. Luekens, Jones, Empire, McG, Crazy Chris, and 1 or 2 others might have seen the game winning break if it weren’t for a red light by the highway. Things got rolling along again lazy like, but by the decsent down West Street, Empire Matt was fully stretching the limits of his 56 tooth chainring, pulling the ride out single file down the hill. After that, things calmed down all the way back to Route 10 in Cheshire.

There were plenty of guys rotating thru on the way up to the Stop n Shop sprint. Little T jumped from a ways back, taking Hunter P and Maison along for the sprint. Julio L was also there looking to sneak away. Neither could come around and Alessio got it by a healthy margin.

For the ride back to Hamden, red lights kept it slow. Although noteworthy was Tall John getting thru a light on his own. That was all he needed to attempt the long ride back by himself into the wind. After clearing Cheshire, the field ramped it up again with Empire Matt getting a few last good pulls in. Jones, Luekens, Thomaas B, and Guido were up there as well with others.

For the finale, Little T looked to jump at the right moment with a bunch of guys kicking his heels, but a rider in Bethel Cycles jersey was able to come around him at the last moment. Seemed little matter though, as Tall John was able to hold off all with his ninja red light skills and rode in first, fair and square all alone.

Good fast ride… Can we get some details of what went down in the B group?

Tuesday the 23rd

2009-06-23T21:20:00.000-07:00

The Sleeping Giant Ride is a School bus... Which one were you on?

After much backroom bargaining and name calling, The Sleeping Giant Ride was officially split into 2 groups today… the “B” (for boring) group to do the ride as normal, and the “A”(for ass#oles) group that would do the winter loop, adding about 11 miles or so. As half the ride rolled out under the Flag of Rondo, The other half waited for a couple of minutes to depart for the longer loop. And as the tradition of one group, with solidarity, was broken, wherever they were on this night, Luigi Delbouno muttered the F word more than Paulie Walnuts did on the 3rd season of The Soprano’s and John Elengo became for the first time, Angry JohnnE.

The second group ( A group ) was made up mostly of the Stop n Shop crew (bubble heads and Mike McG), the CCR crew, 3 Yalies and other notables. So most of the ponies were going long and hard tonight. Hopefully we will get some details about what went down in the first group ( B ) and anything to report will be added to the recap.

Right off route 10, Mike McG and Eric M filled the familiar roles of early tempo setters. Also up there doing some surprising early work was Little T, who was coming to grips with the fact that there’d be no Reinhart Sprint for him tonight. The first one to have a go off the front was VQ Rob, who would be jumping off the front all night long. His first go was brief, and heading in thru the cobbles it was all together. He would next give it another go heading into Mountain Rd, but that was swallowed up for a field led by Tall John and Chris C. Some traffic on the corner for Mountain rd slowed things down a bit, but once thru Joe K would jump off the front with Hunter P in tow. The 2 tore it up the hill and were joined by Crazy Chris and it was officially a break. The 3 went to work together and held a gap for a decent length run, getting caught after the 2nd set of risers after the intersection for Higgans rd. Eric M, Mike McG, Julio L and others were chasing pretty hard to catch the trio.

The rest of the way down Mountain was quick as the lean and mean group shared the work load well and many guys were dipping their wicks into the wind.

The B group was just moving thru the light, no doubt caught by a red, as the A group Peleton was coming up to the intersection. The groups would stay separate as the second group waited out the red light and got rolling along without urgency once thru it. The pace down Moss Farms was good, nothing huge, VQ Rob was again rolling off the front for brief spurts along with a 1st time rider in red atop a sliver bike with yellow Time shoes. Heading into the Chicane, it was all together as Hunter P led the field thru. Yalie Adam and Craig L led everyone up the hill initially, and then Little T busted out some sprint and jumped off the front with Joe K in tow. The 2 ripped thru the corner with Hunter P closing the gap quickly. This made a trio again off the front with a small but respectable gap. The 3 would go to work but would be caught right before the turn into the industrial park. Everyone of course barreled thru and headed to Southington for the extended loop. Once onto Mount Vernon Rd, Mike McG resumed pace making along with VQ Rob, Eric M, and others. The pace was going good and there were a couple of solid but brief attacks. The first coming from Chris C, lasting a quarter mile and then Joe K pushed off coming up to the turn by Briarwood but was soon pushed back by the headwind. Again, work was being spread out well with more than 15 guys rotating thru nicely.

As the field turned right onto Welch to go by the golf course The rider in Red had a go off the front but was eclipsed by Mike McG’s sudden attack coming up to the hill. Craig L and the Yalies were up there to patch up holes in the front as the P’ton hit the base of the climb to West St. Little T, who actually found a way to beat everybody in B Group up the Reinhard sprint, nipping Greg Ciocci to the corner, was back with the A Group and seeing the hill to West St as a good substitute for sprint points, jumped hard after Mike McG. Little t came around Mike with a little room to spare and came thru the corner first. Mike kept up the attack as the hill keeps up past the corner. Hunter P was up there in the mix and went with Mike. The two had a gap when Crazy Chris jumped across and then it was 3 for a little bit. Back behind, Little T had stayed up front along with Chris C and a reshuffling up front, it was Chris and Mike leading the way. As expected, there were guys all over the road during this section as it may be the toughest Sleeping Giant stretch, Winter or summer loop. It all came together as the ride had to slow for a light late on West Street. Once on Canal St., the rider in Red attacked once more, this time taking Hunter P with him. The 2 kept the gap up to the light on 322, which as, usual, was red.

The pack took a couple of moments to recover, and then went up Peck Ln a bit faster than usual. There was a small split toward the end of the uphill section, before it turns to Sandbank Rd, made up mostly of the Stage 1 guys. That turned into a leading trio moving onto Route 10 of Crazy Chris, VQ Rob, and Hunter P. That was short lived and heading into the center of Cheshire it was all together.

There was still plenty of get up and go left in the legs for the stop n shop sprint. And heading into it there were a bunch of guys up at the front and ready to go. Julio L, Little T, Rich on C dale, Craig L, Joe K and the Yalies etc… Mike McG was the first to jump, from quite a ways back and had a gap before Little T, Rich and Julio L responded. Little T had the best shot to come around Mike, and there was some traffic to make it interesting, but Mike held off the Alessio charge to the top with Rich being a close 3rd.

The ride into Hamden was faster then usual. The group, not having lost anyone really, enjoyed the tailwind all the way back. Hunter P and VQ Rob had a brief go at the front, but that was crushed by Little T and Mike McG. The speed stayed at 30mph or higher the whole way back, except for a couple of red lights. Heading into the final kilo, there was again a solid group of guys ready to dive it home. The Stage one guys ( Chris C, Dave H, rider on a colnago, Tall John ) gave the front a final shove before letting Little T go out early and burn out, Then it was Mike McG pulling off, leaving Hunter P and Crazy Chris duke it out with Hunter P getting the final kick to the end.

Dillon P was 5th!

No one went up the Shepard Ave hill.

All in all it was a good ride. The A group ended up riding back thru Hamden about 20-25 min later than the B group probably… Maybe even less.

And as there was some premature talk of doing the winter loop again next week, perhaps the New Haven crowd will keep the timing in mind, as there was still more than 35+ min left of daylight to ride home.

Tuesday the 16th

2009-06-16T21:38:00.000-07:00

Everyone seemed to have something to prove tonight as the ride had plenty of punch.

Right off of Route 10, after enjoying the tail wind from the parking lot, the group of about 55-60 was speeding right along. Mike McG was upfront, Rick on a C-dale, and Time Trial Pete Johnson was setting early tempo. Mike McG stepped on it running though Brooksvale Ave. and Hunter P along with Eric M were there to follow it up. Going up Mountain Rd, Mike continued to drive the front along with VQ Rob, Julio L and Tall John. Pistol packing Peter Kenney was up there as well. The pace down the ret of Mountain Rd was good with little break from the soliid tempo. Chris C and Rondo were working well together along with a new (?) Stage One guy on a Colnago.

Onto Moss Farms where Rondo and Hunter P jumped up the road early on along with VQ Rob, but that was shut down pretty quickly as EriC M and Mike McG were also rolling along fast at the front of the main pack. Tall John rode off the front going into the chicane and had a small headstart on the hill up to Marion Ave. The pace kinda dropped here as no one really took the opportunity to attack. Maison from CCR was off the front, semi attacking up the hill. Adam from yale was up there taking the main field thru the corner when Hunter P came off the front and surged past Maison. Hunter P stayed off the front alone for a minute or two, almost making it to the industrial park, but was caught by a strung out pack led by Mike McG, tall John, VQ Rob, Joe K, Julio L and others.

Into the industrial park where the pace remained high, with no one making any separation off the front. Chris B was inching his way up to the front in a move that has hidden from no one. He was first thru the corner for west Johnson but there were plenty of guys to mark his pace and he stayed at the front of the field. VQ Rob was up there again setting pace as everyone barreled thru the intersection of Peck Lane. Rondo may have gotten a flat somewhere at this point (?) The strong guys were setting up for the sprint with Alessio up there, Eric M, Maison, Hunter P, etc. Chris B impressively attacked again before the corner, taking Hunter P along with him for the early snooker shot at the sprint. The 2 stayed together with Chris charging the way up to the hill. They had a slim lead of 40-50 yards. Chris did a good job gathering himself for a sprint and jumping away from Hunter just as the guys in the pack were winding up. Greg Ciocci gave it a good go, jumping early and getting the jump on the rest. Mike McG and Little T were the next to go and nose to nose, swept thru the guys up the road, Ciocci, Hunter and Chris. The 2went pretty much down to the wire with Little T pulling thru the corner at the last moment. Alessio kept up the pace on the backside, but so did most of the riders behind and it was back to fast heading into Peck Lane. Nothing too unusual for the run in to Route 10 and into Cheshire. Chris Mahoney, Thomas B, Tall John and Julio and others were up there setting tempo. There was new faces out tonight, good to see some new guys out enjoying the ride.

The run in to Stop n Shop was quick, with a slowing at the end as everyone watched Little T come up to second wheel and then pouncing. Hunter P gave chase, Maison had an impressive jump and was in position to pass for a bit. Mike McG jumped as well and despite a rear tire losing air, was the only one to take it the long way to the line with Little T. Again Alessio was able to edge it out, but just barely.

Nothing else to report for the ride back into Hamden. Stage 1 was doing a lot of the pace making. Dave H was up there along with Crazy Chris, Julio L and Tall John. Coming into the final kilometer, Little T saw the front of the field a little eary and decided to run with it. He got a gap and looked for a moment to be on the way to the hat trick, but close behind there was an usually large group, maybe 10 guys just ramping up the speed and ready to turn on the afterburners. Dillon P, Eric M, VQ Rob, Ciocci, yalie Adam, etc. In the end Little T was passed by Vq Rob and Julio L who shared the honors of bringing the ride to an end.

Up the hill, Chris B wasn’t tired yet, he jumped up and past Gregg F and Chris Mahoney.

Tuesday the 9th

2009-06-10T10:02:00.000-07:00

Report coming?

It was a good ride. Lots of guys out despite the rainy weather. Right off the bat... Literally right from the the parking lot, Chris Butler from Cheshire Cycle, Eric M, Tri Guy with knee highs and another rider in a Medics kit (?) attacked and left the bunch.

Even tho this type of sucker punching may be deemed inappropriate, it should be noted the group was not seen till late on Peck lane.

Hopefully we will get some details posted about what it was like in the main bunch during the ride soon.

> from Chris C <

The ride was relaxed up until the first rise turning onto Mountain Road when Greg Cocci attacked and I went with him. From that point to the light the ride was fast paced. It eased up a bit down Moss Farms road and through the intersection. Once into the Industrial Park the pace picked up again and after we went through the stop sign and turned right onto West Johnson, Mike went to the front and pulled all the way past the Kawasaki dealership. Single file, with no one able to pass. Very impressive! The pace stayed high down the hill and up the Peck Lane hill where we caught the break. There was only a few guys left at this point due to Mikes pull. Me, Mike, Eric M., Pete P., Tri Scott, Chris B., Rondo, Eddy A. and maybe one or two others. We kept pushing the pace all the way down RT-10. It is not far from an exaggeration to say we never went much below 30mph for the last 2 miles of the ride. I could barely hold on. Ron kept "f-ing" with me in the rotation which didn't help much. Great ride last night. One of the hardest in a long time. Definitely sore today.... (Chris C )

Feel free to post whatever details ( strong pulls, sloppy pace-lining, team taunting, flirting etc... ) you remember from the ride in the comments section.

Tuesday the 2nd

2009-06-03T03:59:00.000-07:00

Entry Fees? 4 corners? The USCF? Forget it man, the Tuesday party continues…

The usual amount of riders were out tonight. Nothing spectacular, but decent as always. Pretty much from the get go - Mike McG was out in front setting tempo, He had help from Eric M and Thomaas B. The ride went slower this week thru the first cobbled section and everyone stayed together going up onto Mountain Rd. Thomaas B, not quite finished yet, jumped early on mountain. Chris Butler went with him and that started the chase in earnest. It was single file but it was all together. Mike kept the pace up after that and things moved along nicely down Mountain Rd. with a bunch of guys working at the front.

Onto Moss Farms where Tomaas B again jumped first and again, it was Mike keeping it the stitches strong. He had help from Eric M and the pace remained high up to the chicane where Richard Sachs Chris led everyone thru. Mike again jumped on the hill leading up to Marion, this time taking Chris C, Todd H, Ed Angeli along for the ride. Mike had a good jump, making the 3 work but once they came together they had a gap. Behind the field was being led up and thru the corner by Little T, Eric M and Kyle F. Kyle took it upon himself to cover the gap to the four and within a quarter mile, had single-handedly brought them back, even though they weren’t really turning screws in unison in the break. Along for the ride was Hunter P and Crazy Chris which made it 7 up front. The new larger group still had a gap but that was being chased down by Greg Ciocci, the rider in yellow and black from Mass (?), Julio L and a few others. By the time the turn into the industrial park came, it was all together again. and Things moved along nicely into the industrial park with no activity off the front. Right after turning onto West Johnson, Hunter P jumped off the front in a an early bid to get up to Reinhard. That was short lived though and He was brought back when Maison jumped hard off the front. He along with Chris B, were attacking, and stringing things out before the corner for Reinhard. Gregg F was up there as well with CrazyChris, Rondo, Julio, etc, in between. Maison was brought back before the sprint started and Chris B started the hill with a 50 yard gap. Rondo had played the position game well though and jumped the best in pursuit of Chris. Back in the main bunch, Little T was too far back, Eric M jumped for bit, and Hunter P jumped hard but was also too far back. Rondo cruised thru first, with Hunter just coming around Chris B before the corner.

Things stayed together till Peck lane. Mike McG shot off the front with an interval and it took up to Route 10 to catch him. From there the field stayed together up to the Stop n Shop sprint. All green lights meant that there was a good roll out bfore the jump, and guys were squaring up. Mike McG was first to leadout, getting the speed up. Tall John was up there, Julio L, Rich from Cuevas, Eric M etc. Little T was sitting 5th or 6th wheel when we went and there was little chance of catching him. Hutner P gave chase but it was a distant 2nd.

From there the pace was good through Cheshire. There was a brief split thanks to Stage 1 guys drilling it by Macdonald’s, but as Johan would say, never attack on a downhill. heading in to the finale, the usual suspects were going good, Tall John, Kyle F, Chris C, John Gregory, The Medics, a Rider from IBC ( Boston ), Thomaas B, etc. There was a brief Team leadout going it seemed with one Devils Gear rider leading out Matt from Devils Gear. That was wrapped up with a kilometer to go though. In the end, a group of about 7 were in position to jet off for the finish. Hunter P was first to go, Little T, was next, Eric M…. In the end it was Crazy Chris and Mike McG spinning past Shepard Ave.

It was good to see a bunch of guys head Shepard up for the real test. Rich on a C-dale, Gregg F, Chris B, Ken just ken, Chris Mo’Money Mahoney, Hunter P, Bill Thompson from Keltic (?), the Devils Gear riders…. No one was stopping Chris B this time and he walked away from the rest to get the top first.

Tuesday the 27th

2009-05-27T07:31:00.000-07:00

Good ride tonight despite the cool temps. Must get the bad news out of the way though….. Massimiliano ( Max ) Accaputo who lives in Glastonbury went down in a final lap’s crash in the Pro race in Hartford and broke his femur. Max is a good guy of the Peleton who was enjoying his best season to boot. Bummer is a terrible understatement. Look him up, call Pig Iron Sports, ask a CVC rider, get his info and drop him a line. He will be off the bike for a long time sadly.

On the night’s ride and on a bit of a brighter note, We all got to see Curtis Easton’s beaming face out on the ride tonight. Curtis was back in town for graduation events and came out to play ball with us… Nice!

Right off the start of tonights ride, Matt from Devils gear took off down the road and was quick to get away. It wasn’t long after that that Chris C and Josh Freidman took off and it was clear the ride was going to be good and quick. Chris and Josh got a good gap of about 10 seconds before Mike McG moved to the front to set tempo. That turned into a full on attack\bridge as the ride was going over the cobbles of Mount Sanford rd. The ride splintered as guys were dodging potholes and Mike sped off with Greg Ciocci and Hunter P in tow. The trio started to work together and it was right around the start off brooksvale that they caught Josh F and Chris C. Matt from Devils Gear was still up the road. The 5 were out of sight of the peleton. Back in the bunch it was a bunch of guys doing to the work. Peter P, Chris Mo’Money, Rondo, Curtis too. The break caught Matt early on Mountain Rd and so then it was 6.

The Lead group worked up a good gap with all doing an equal share. They had to stop at the light at Route 68 and that gave the big bunch a chance to catch them, or else they no doubt would have stayed away the whole time.

Onto Moss Farms, D.G. Matt was right back at it. Charging up the road. Curtis, Rondo, and Mike McG went up and also worked up there and for the ride down Moss Farms, it seemed like there was legs that wanted to attack, but the pace was too high to allow it. Mike McG led the field for a solid half mile before and into the Chicane. He had Chris C right on his wheel for the charge up to Marion. Mike's efforts was followed right away by Rondo, Hunter P, and Todd H. That kept the speed high into the industrial park.

Once on the flat roads there, It was Rondo and Mike going good and for a second, they actually rolled off the front as no one was interested in coming thru. Moving onto West Johnson, the ride up to the corner for Reinhard was fast-ish. A lot of guys were working it, no one attacking... Just some solid efforts. Chris B again, for the 11teenth time, rolled off the front and had a good gap in the corner. Other guys squaring up were Mike McG, Julio L, Eric M, Chris C, Crazy Chris, Cuevas Rich, Peter P, Curtis, Hunter P, Rondo etc. A drop in speed just before the sprint kicked allowed a few guys to get ready and Chris to get a little more of a gap. It looked like he might be free and clear this time. Julio L was in good position, 2 bikes off the front when he started the sprint Eric M gave chase with a couple others. It was a true sprint that required a good starting position. Julio needed all the road to first catch Chris, and then come around him just at the last moment. Great job Julio. Chris B is getting closer and closer to pulling off the improbable. Soon, guys will be latching onto his wheel and then we will see some real carnage on the hill before, during, and after the sprint. Eric M, Crazy Chris and Hunter P rolled up through after the Chris\Julio express train started back down toward Peck Ln. Chris C and Hunter P kept the pace high but there were enough bodies coming up from the main bunch to fill in the gaps and it was gruppo compacto once on Peck Ln. Things didnt get going again till up past Cheshire Park on Route 10. The usual suspects were driving it and once again it looked like it was going to be a good run in to the Stop n Shop sprint but the rare red light across from the Police Dept brought things to a halt. Once rolling again it took about 4 seconds for Little T to light it up and try to win the brief match sprint up the hill. Julio L and Hunter P gave chase with Hunter getting the closest, but T had the jump from the stand still and was all over this one.

The rest of the ride was standard issue stuff. No one attempted to move off the front. The Medics, the Stage 1 guys, Thomaas B, Curtis, Peter P, Richard Sachs Chris, etc were all up there going into Hamden. The finale was fast, with a group of 5 or 6 splintering off the front at the right moment. It ended up being Rondo and Josh F riding up and thru the last light together with a few guys also soft pedaling in close behind.

Tuesday the 19th

2009-05-19T20:46:00.000-07:00

Hey the weather was good tonight… Lots of riders out ready to get some good training in.

Pretty much as soon as the ride turned off route 10, Mike “di luca” McG went to the front and set tempo. He was joined by Eric M and things were starting to hot-up nice and early on. The pace thru the “cobbles” of Brooksvale was fast and with guys darting around ever growing potholes a group managed to ride off the front. Mike McG, Eric M, Chris C and Todd H all drilled it and were away briefly before being snagged by traffic turning onto Mount Sanford. The Medic set pace didn’t relent and going toward Mountain rd it was still mostly Mike and Eric up front. They had some help in the form of Ben from CT Coast, Tall John, Julio L and a couple of others. Turning onto Mountain was slow cause of cars but once clear it was again Mike setting early tempo up the hill along with Rondo. Things settled down a bit after that but Mike persisted in the pacing and he had help from Yalie Adam, Chris Mo’Money on a Scott, a bunch of Bubbles and others all the way down to the light.

Once past the light on Moss Farms, Todd H and our favorite rider on a Se7en ( name?) took off but that was reeled in pretty quickly by a couple of guys and it was gruppo compacto for the rest of the way down Moss. Toward the end coming up to the chicane, it was once again Mike up front, along with Yalie Adam and Chris C. Heading up the hill toward Marion, a few guys started darting around looking for a chance to jump, even tho the pace was still pretty decent. Chris C started the surge, Little T was looking ready to go, Mike jumped hard at first and then to that, an even harder jump. He rolled thru the corner first with Hunter P directly in tow. Hunter P put in another surge right after the corner and the 2 were well clear of a rivet popping peloton. Craig L was in control of his bodily functions tho and was able to bridge the gap up to the 2 pretty quickly and so the 3 went to work. Behind in the pack, Julio L, Little T, Todd H, CT Coast Ben and yalie Adam were keeping it close for everyone.

Moving into the industrial park, the trio still had a decent gap and were working well together. Coming up to the corner for west Johnson, Julio L had turned himself upside down and shook enough pennies out to cover the gap. That got things going in the main field and it would be “bunch packed” on West Johnson, halfway to the intersection of Peck. Craig was still looking good and would set some pace before the hill toward Rienhard. Chris B would again charge off the front with brute force and he was getting a decent gap. Ken just ken would also try to the same trick and was halfway between the peloton and Chris. It was brisk turning onto Reinhart, with little chance to slot into position for the sprint. Several guys were looking good for it. Eric M, Chris C, Craig, Mike, etc… Little T was rolling up to the front as well. Chris B had a solid 5-7 seconds at the dip in the road just as it going uphill with Ken still in between but coming back fast. Eric M was the first to jump with Little T right on his wheel and Hunter P right on T’s. They all went up the left side of the road, where Ken had come to a near halt. It was a close call getting around him and Hunter P had to jam on the brakes and was out of the running. Little T passed Eric halfway up and started in toward Chris. Chris was still powering away, but not fast enough as T got him a little before the corner. Eric was there a little ways back and Hunter P was farther back. Great to see Little T back and kicking butt after a few weeks off the bike due to illness. Rumor has it tonight was just his 3rd ride in a month, and he also had other things on his mind as his good friend Mike Regan’s Mother passed away recently. Everyone should really take a note…. Mike’s a great guy who loves riding, was in the industry for a while, and is still more enthusiastic about talking bikes than Rondo is about Gianni Bugno’s new pizza joint. Mike has insurance offices in Waterbury, look him up and say hi.

Over the top, thru the corner, and down towards Peck, Hunter P took off and had a bit of a gap, but toward the top of the riser on Peck he was caught and it was all together for a brief moment. Coming up towards Route 10, Crazy Chris, Chris C, Todd H and a fourth (?) slipped off the front, but that was shot down quickly and it was all together into the wind heading up the hill by Cheshire Park.

Heading into Cheshire was slowed by traffic lights and the run in to stop n shop took a bit to get started but once it did it was Little T rocketing off again. Mike McG was chasing as well. The best guy to beat T was America’s Team Rich on a C dale. Good to see him out again for the whole ride as well. He came close but Little T stayed in front all the way to the light.

Heading into Hamden was pretty standard issue. Craig was up front, Adam, the Medics, Tall John, etc. Guido was up there as well. Guido missed the start of the ride by like 15 short seconds which sucks. Heading into the final kilometer, after Rondo and Mike McG had put in the last dig and peeled off, guys like Little T, Hunter P, and Guido were a bit boxed in, leaving Craig and Todd H to charge in. the 2 rolled in together with a clear gap over the rest…

Tuesday the 12th

2009-05-12T20:23:00.000-07:00

The ride route relocates to Northern Belgium so that the weather can be deemed “pretty good”

More rain and cool temps today forced the ride down to about 25-30 riders. Everyone was feeling very lovey dovey and let the Stop n Shop crew take a tinkle at 6:01 without booking off in abandonment. Right off route 10 young Kyle F lit a match and took off down the road. The front of the ride hesitated, watched and that let him get down the road and outta sight. Late on Brooksvale, Chris C jumped off the front in pursuit and was joined a bit later by Eric M and Time trial Pete Johnson. Good to see Pete out there mixing it up. A traffic pause at a corner slowed the lead group down a bit and then Hunter P dragged the field up to them pretty quickly on Mount Sanford. Coming onto Mountain road there was still no sight of Kyle F. Turns out he had met up with Rondo, who had snuck off right outta the Sleeping Giant parking lot and was up the road. The two were working together and had a gap that kept them out of sight until mid way thru Mountain rd.

As the field turned onto Mountain, Mike McG and Hunter P looked ready to attack at the front but just ended up setting tempo for everyone else. Once past the hills and when it all came together, a bunch of guys were rotating well and putting out a decent, if not a little slow, pace up till Route 68\70. There was some “talk” from a Stage 1 rider to Guido… Something about Guido’s pulls and how meatless “turkey” bratwurst is a complete waste of money. We say leave Guido alone…. Its obvious he doesn’t enjoy riding with people unless you are his 30 second man and he is putting your bike in an ass vortex.

Onto Moss farms where there was a couple of hard to recognize riders (Ciocci? CT Coast Ben? Jeff Weaver?) punching it early along with the Medics. The pace picked up as the Youngster Josh from Fiordifrutta who is not so young anymore came up to the front and got things going. Peter P looked to be the first thru the chicane, and the pace was respectable heading into the industrial park. Tho once there some sloppy riding opened up a gap to a trio, Mike McG, Rondo and another rider (Ciocci ?). Guys like Chris C, Todd, H and Thomas B(speckled) worked to sew things up. Some traffic in the corner to West Johnson slowed everyone down and it was all together for the push up to Reinhard. Chris Butler moved up to the front and then rolled off alone with 2 chasing him…. Chris C and another ??? Chris was riding off and away from the chasers and everyone else when Hunter P jumped hard from the field and bridged up to him just as the road went up before the corner. The 2 worked for a bit to hold a gap but lasers were set to kill in the field behind. Mike McG, Eric M and a rider on a Cerevelo with mudflaps worked to bring everyone back together. That led to a small group of about 9 being ready to pounce on the hill up Rienhard. Mike McG started the sprint at the base and took Eric M along him. Maison from CCR was there, Ciocci, Crazy Chris, Julio etc… Mike gave it up at the end and Eric rolled thru the corner first. Eric kept it going on the backside tho and Hunter P pressed go on the go button as well. But some strong efforts from Thomas B(speckled) and young Josh got it all back together as the ride was getting onto Peck Lane. Josh kept the pace up along with Chris B and a couple of others. Seemed like everyone was getting pretty gassed as it slowed down moving toward route 10.

Rondo, Peter P, Eric M and others took charge of the front on the hill going past Cheshire park. A red light at Maple slowed the run into town down and once things got rolling toward Stop n Shop it was pretty much single file. Julio L jumped early on the hill and got the better of everyone. Maison jumped too but could close the gap to the Jumping Bean.

A couple of lights in town allowed a few guys to re-connect with the ride and things got going decently once out of Cheshire. Peter P used the start off the last light at Cook Hill to move off the front just a bit. Hunter P once again jumped up, bridged the gap and took along the rider on the Cerevelo. The 3 worked up a bit of a gap with the Cerevelo doing a crap load of work and making it hard for everyone else. Eventually the field would catch up and that led to a pretty good showdown with a kilo to go. Rondo, Eric M, Mike McG, Josh, Todd H, Guido, Kyle F etc…. Lots of guys wanting to stand up but knowing better…. In the end Mike McG got the best of everyone, Guido was right there as well.

Tuesday the 5th

2009-05-06T08:00:00.001-07:00

Riding..... Not hiding...... from the rain

The rain kept the field down to about 20 or so guys tonight. But it seemed everyone was happy to be out on their bikes. Right off the bat, turning off route 10, Chris B from CCR came straight out and set a really stiff pace. Dillon P, Hunter P and Eric M were on him and the ride got rolling long. Chris soon turned over the reins to Rondo and Mike McG. The small crowd out tonight meant that it was going to be a spirited ride. No hiding today….

The front of the ride onto Mountain Rd. was controlled by the Medics, a Devils Gear rider, and Julio L. Midway thru Mountain Rd, there was a nice rotating group of 7 or so, ready to share the work load.

The field met up with Tall John and Chris C at the light on route 68. Onto Moss farms, Rondo early on kept up the pace and then turned it over to CT Coast Ben and a Devils Gear rider ( Jefferey Weaver ?). All in all, everyone was together for most of Moss Farms. Tall John found a chance to sneak off the front before the chicane and we went into chase mode. Mike McG was up there making sure everyone paid attention. Traffic turning onto Jarvis St slowed things down a little and that meant that everyone was together for the climb up to Marion Ave. Mike McG, Hunter P, Todd H and Eric M drove the pace up and past the corner, but no one was willing to attack and so it stayed all a bunch into the industrial park. In the industrial park, there were a few guys doing most of the work. Tall John and the Medics were up there predominately. Turning onto West Johnson, Eric M flatted and a couple guys held back to wait for him. Mike, Ron, Chris C and a couple of others. The group that forged ahead was down to about 12-14, and they slowly ramped up the pace again toward reinhart. Chris B came again up to the front and was setting a really hard pace thru the peck lane intersection and up the hill before the turn onto Reinhard. He actually just rode off the front in pursuit of the sprint. Behind him the rest of the group was sorting things out Julio L was looking to get a good position. Tall John was at the front of the chase. CT Coast Ben and John Gregory were up there too. Hunter P jumped from the back of the group, and set out to gun down Chris, who by this time had a solid 50-60 yard gap going on the field. Hunter P, with Julio L on board, needed the whole length of the road to close the gap, but ended up coming around Chris with 40 yards or so left before the Schoolhouse corner. Down the backside Tall John jumped hard into TT mode and Chris B tried to follow him. But by the turn onto Peck, it was all pretty much together.

Meanwhile, behind, as Eric was changing his tire, Chris C had gotten taken out by Greg Cimino while he was making a U turn back to Eric. The 2 guys went down hard. Chris C was deemed ok, his new bike was not too badly damaged. He limped back to his car at Stop n Shop. Greg was a little worse off, and needed to wait for a car ride pick up. We need confirmation that he is in the hospital right now. Mike and Rondo waited with him. Chris C says don’t ride your new bike in the rain, only bad things happen.

Up ahead, the front of the ride was turning a nice gear past Cheshire Park. Ct Coast Ben, Todd H and Tall John were setting a good tempo. A couple of lights slowed things down but heading up to Stop n Shop, Chris B was again at it, trying to ride off the front. This time he had a couple of guys with him. A devils gear rider ( who had taken a shortcut to be up front ) and BlingBling Maison. Chris was on his way to collecting the stop n shop prize when the light turned red, so everyone sat up. But Chris had it in the bag.

A couple of riders turned off in Cheshire, which meant that there were less guys to drill it back home. Tall John again tried to sneak off the front, but was marked this time. Todd H was up there, Julio L, Elder Foley, and Entry level Chris ( on a Scott ) was up there too. John Gregory took everyone into the final 200 meters, along with Tall John, but there was no duking it out to the bitter end this day.

A good ride, had it not been for the unknown accidents and incidents. Lets hope for better skies and better fortune next week.