5:30!
Good to see plenty of guys out on the ride tonight despite the earlier take-off time. Still, the group was down one German luxury sedan and A-book-author-too-busy-laughing-at-the-CSPAN-static-shots-of-the-House-of-Representatives-Chamber-to-Ride
The pace was once again crisp heading out of the parking lot and
it continued off route 10 as well. Dillon P rolled off the front and
with no one else joining him, he go'd it alone. He stayed off the front
for a few streets as Kyle Foley rolled up to join him. By then the
pack was coming around and it was all together. After that it was
Mountain Man Junior, Jordan Lynn taking off and holding a short gap.
He was followed up by The Gibertoni taking a short flyer. Dillon P
also had a second crack at the front but there was no real push to
get a well timed attack so it stayed together onto Mountain Rd. On
the risers there, Hunter P and Tall John hit the front running, which
started to splinter things up. Young Suto then went on the offensive,
and that led to a Trio of Hunter P, Young Suto and Nuemotion off the
front for a short bit. Chris C, Little T, Silent Pete, Mike McG and
a couple of others were all attentive and didn’t let it get very
far.
The light going over route 68/70 was red for a while, giving
everyone a chance to reset. On Moss Farms Rusty got things going
along with Ben Bruce(?) and a another not-so-new-guy (tall, both kind of squirrely on
the bike). JLynn ramped it up on the risers there and that started to
spread things out. Hunter P rolled off the front again, breaking off
a gap with only Swing the bat Gary along for the ride. Those 2 got to
work and quickly worked up a gap into the Chicane. JLynn moved to get
across the gap but got stuck in no man's land. The 2 leaders kept the
gap up onto Marion and halfway to the industrial park corner.
From there it stayed quick in thru the industrial park as there
were plenty of guys to keep the pace high.
After the corner of West Johnson, guys like Mike McG, JLynn,
Pescatore, and a couple of others kept the throttle pegged but no one
was willing to roll the dice. Towards the corner for Reinhard, Jlynn
was leading a couple of guys off the front but the gap was a small
one. The lead group started to break up as Little T jumped from the
chase, taking along Mike McG. It was a long sprint but Little T was
able to stay out in front and get to the corner first.
Things stayed together on the back side and the group rolled
toward route 10. Heading up to the corner, JLynn peeled off to head
home and as everyone paused to say adios, Swing the Bat Gary was back
at it up front. He jetted thru the corner and took Hunter P along.
One other rider, (one of the mystery men) jumped the gap and made it
3 up the road bolting up the hill ( site of Cheshire CX 2013! ). The
chase started slow but it got going soon enough. The 3 up front were
working well together and holding their gap. Everyone, front and
back, made it thru the lights and the gap was coming down by the base
of the hill. Hunter P jumped out from the group and got the sprint as
only a couple guys from the peleton tried to sprint jump the gap.
From there the ride had to deal with more traffic due to the
earlier hour. The ride back into hamden was standard stuff. After
massive final pulls from Chris B, proving it's better late than
never, along with Mike McG and Dillon P there was a group of 3 duking
it out. The Giberoni, Nuemotion, and the Full Nalini. Full Nalini
squeaks it out just at the line.
Swing the Bat gets his prize up the Shepard Ave hill as he stayed
out in front of Hunter P to the top.
Everyone is invited the end of the SG season get-together at Cheshire Cycle, directly following the final week. Which looks like it may be next week. Last year the final ride was the 9th. Next week is the 8th. Any opinions? There will probably be guys that want to ride on the 15th but we are inclined to make it official so that we have time to stock up on the methamphetamines.
Tuesday the 24th
So what's more important? The new New Girl or the SG ride recap???
Racing the dark makes for another fast short loop ride. The crowds are dwindling with every week it seems as soon it will be just the hardcores out for the weekly throwdown. 25 or so out for he ride tonight and it started rather briskly out of the parking lot. One guy who was caught with his pants down was Gregg F, who was easing nature when the pack rolled out. He chased and on any other given day, would have caught on but today everyone was out like a cannon. As soon the ride turned off route 10, Rory D and Dillon P jumped up and away. Soon after, Guido, Jordan L, Chris C and one other joined them, making for a pretty strong group up the road. Behind, Cheshire riders in the front weren't too quick to chase initially and the Gibertoni was allowed to ride clear to try to get across the gap. He ended up stuck in no-man's land though. After the crap road section, Hacker jumped up get across the gap, taking along Hunter P and that was enough to signal to the rest of the ride it was time to ride. From there to the light on route 68 it was a mix of guys up front. Jordan L, Hacker, Chris C, Tall John, Joe K, etc.
The light there was green which allowed for Chris B to lead the pack thru quickly. He stayed on the gas with Timmy Hip right behind. Soon after it was all together as guys were looking round at each other to see who would be the first to flinch. Hacker kept the pressure on going into the Chicane and Little T jumped hard to get a gap going up to Marion. Chris C and Hunter P were close behind but the speed wasnt enough to make a real gap. It was all together heading into the industrial park.
Chris B drove the pace on Knotter drive and everyone else was content to follow. There was a brief gap that opened up due to the quick pace but as the corner for West Johnson came up, everyone was at attention. Hacker jumped right after the corner, taking along Jordan L, Young Suto and Hunter P. That group had a brief gap but the chase was on in earnest. Chris B and Chris C leading the way back up to the leaders. Hacker kept on the pressure naturally after it was gruppo compacto and his dance card changed a few times before the corner for Reinhard as guys were halfway in between pace setting and hanging on. It would eventually end up being Jacinto latching on to the Professor for the final ramp on Reinhard. The 2 drove into the sprint with some solid speed as Chris B and Special Ed came out of the chase group to try to bridge the gap last minute. They came up short as well as Little T, who jumped hard but stopped the pursuit when it was apparatnt that it was 2 horse race. Jacinto used the extra time in the draft to his advantage and was able to jump around Hacker before the corner. On the backside, it was all back together again.
Chris B continued to set a solid pace on Peck ln. Joe K was also up front, trying to get away from the field a couple of times before route 10. Once onto Route 10, the speed went back up again, thanks to Tall John ripping a solid pull up the hill there by Cheshire Park (site of "Cheshire ....... Oh nevermind)
A light on Route 10 stopped the ride in it tracks. The pace was coming down at that point anyway. After the reset, Dillon P took to the front along with Guido and Hacker. There was a small group with a slight gap but Little T had no problem covering as he jumped from his usual spot and took the sprint. The ride was all together going thru Cheshire and mostly green lights meant very little slow down in pace.
For the finale, there was a couple of slowdowns, a couple of surges, and a small group off the front with less than a kilometer to go with little chance of making it. Dillon P, John Morgan from Keltic, Rusty, Central Wheel Casey, Guido and one or 2 others came up a bit short as Little T came by with the tall newer rider on the Specialized(?) Little T stuck it out to the end.
Up the hill went a larger than usual crowd. Dillon P, Chris B, Swing-the-bat Casey, The Gibertoni, Hunter P, C-Dale Rick and a couple of others. Swing the Bat Casey took the front and led it out briskly. Hunter P jumped the rest with a held on till the top.
Great ride everyone! More Strava KOM's on the night! Cha-ching! Next week the ride needs to move to 5:30. Only a couple more chances to grab some Tuesday night glory! We still do not have a ride-long breakaway for 2013... If it holds up, that has got to be a Summertime first.
Racing the dark makes for another fast short loop ride. The crowds are dwindling with every week it seems as soon it will be just the hardcores out for the weekly throwdown. 25 or so out for he ride tonight and it started rather briskly out of the parking lot. One guy who was caught with his pants down was Gregg F, who was easing nature when the pack rolled out. He chased and on any other given day, would have caught on but today everyone was out like a cannon. As soon the ride turned off route 10, Rory D and Dillon P jumped up and away. Soon after, Guido, Jordan L, Chris C and one other joined them, making for a pretty strong group up the road. Behind, Cheshire riders in the front weren't too quick to chase initially and the Gibertoni was allowed to ride clear to try to get across the gap. He ended up stuck in no-man's land though. After the crap road section, Hacker jumped up get across the gap, taking along Hunter P and that was enough to signal to the rest of the ride it was time to ride. From there to the light on route 68 it was a mix of guys up front. Jordan L, Hacker, Chris C, Tall John, Joe K, etc.
The light there was green which allowed for Chris B to lead the pack thru quickly. He stayed on the gas with Timmy Hip right behind. Soon after it was all together as guys were looking round at each other to see who would be the first to flinch. Hacker kept the pressure on going into the Chicane and Little T jumped hard to get a gap going up to Marion. Chris C and Hunter P were close behind but the speed wasnt enough to make a real gap. It was all together heading into the industrial park.
Chris B drove the pace on Knotter drive and everyone else was content to follow. There was a brief gap that opened up due to the quick pace but as the corner for West Johnson came up, everyone was at attention. Hacker jumped right after the corner, taking along Jordan L, Young Suto and Hunter P. That group had a brief gap but the chase was on in earnest. Chris B and Chris C leading the way back up to the leaders. Hacker kept on the pressure naturally after it was gruppo compacto and his dance card changed a few times before the corner for Reinhard as guys were halfway in between pace setting and hanging on. It would eventually end up being Jacinto latching on to the Professor for the final ramp on Reinhard. The 2 drove into the sprint with some solid speed as Chris B and Special Ed came out of the chase group to try to bridge the gap last minute. They came up short as well as Little T, who jumped hard but stopped the pursuit when it was apparatnt that it was 2 horse race. Jacinto used the extra time in the draft to his advantage and was able to jump around Hacker before the corner. On the backside, it was all back together again.
Chris B continued to set a solid pace on Peck ln. Joe K was also up front, trying to get away from the field a couple of times before route 10. Once onto Route 10, the speed went back up again, thanks to Tall John ripping a solid pull up the hill there by Cheshire Park (site of "Cheshire ....... Oh nevermind)
A light on Route 10 stopped the ride in it tracks. The pace was coming down at that point anyway. After the reset, Dillon P took to the front along with Guido and Hacker. There was a small group with a slight gap but Little T had no problem covering as he jumped from his usual spot and took the sprint. The ride was all together going thru Cheshire and mostly green lights meant very little slow down in pace.
For the finale, there was a couple of slowdowns, a couple of surges, and a small group off the front with less than a kilometer to go with little chance of making it. Dillon P, John Morgan from Keltic, Rusty, Central Wheel Casey, Guido and one or 2 others came up a bit short as Little T came by with the tall newer rider on the Specialized(?) Little T stuck it out to the end.
Up the hill went a larger than usual crowd. Dillon P, Chris B, Swing-the-bat Casey, The Gibertoni, Hunter P, C-Dale Rick and a couple of others. Swing the Bat Casey took the front and led it out briskly. Hunter P jumped the rest with a held on till the top.
Great ride everyone! More Strava KOM's on the night! Cha-ching! Next week the ride needs to move to 5:30. Only a couple more chances to grab some Tuesday night glory! We still do not have a ride-long breakaway for 2013... If it holds up, that has got to be a Summertime first.
Tuesday the 17th
The return of the short loop, aka leg openers for Sunday's
Downtown Hartford CT Cycling Festival.
The ride rolled out and everyone seemed ok with the long sleeves, knee warmers, etc. The pace was pretty quick even heading down route 10 ( into a headwind)... People musta been concerned with the time. The ride got going with surges from Jordan L, Riff Raff Ralph and Hunter P. A couple times Hunter rolled off the front and the pack just pushed go a little harder and always rounded. Heading to Mountain Rd, Riff Raff Ralph was next to jump off the front and he held onto a gap up the risers, but the beast would open up wide and swallow up another. There was another small group off the front toward the middle section of Mountain Rd. But it even with Hacker, Chris C, Jordan L, a new guy in a GQ Brooklyn Kit, and a couple of others, it wasn't enough to reach escape velocity.
The truce on Moss Farms lasted for about 4 feet as GQ, Jordan L, Rory D and Riff Raff drilled the front. Hacker was up there to looking for a chance to bolt. Despite a big push from him, Hunter P and and the Brooklyn rider, it was all together. One rider using the bodies in front of him well was The Gibertoni, who rocketed off the front well before the corner to the Chicane and made the most of it by staying out there alone for a while. Next up to the plate was Chirs C and Guido, who charged off the front up the hill to Marion. The response to their push was a bit subdued, but the speed picked up and by the corner to the industrial park it was all together again.
From there, it seemed that everyone's attention went to the turnaround and the fast climbing section that would follow. Sure enough, with Jordan L and a couple of others already going decently quick, Hacker charged up the first riser, taking Hunter P along. Other in the pack behind were having none of that and it was covered quickly. The speed was still pretty crisp 200 meters later but a police cruiser camped out encouraged everyone to be extra nice at the 4-way intersection, allowing all the cars to get thru. It let a bunch of riders get back into it and reset the pace for the final push up to Reinhart. The first to jump after getting thru the intersection was Little T, who was stuck with a broken shirt cable on the ride down. Making due with his 53x11 or a 39x11 he jumped off the front on the flat road to get a head start on the climbing. Chris B took it upon himself to bring the wounded bike back. He ramped up the speed on the remaining 300 meters of West Johnson, getting past Little T pretty quickly. He kept the hammer down and behind, Aidan C, every pageant queen's heartthrob, was queuing up to keep the pace high. Thanks to those 2 leg blasting pulls, the only guys in a position to sprint up the hill were Hacker, Hunter P and Young Suto. Aidan C pulled off right at the bottom of the hill and Young Suto was the first to jump. Hunter P got onto his wheel and had little problem jumping away with plenty of road left to the corner. Behind other fast guys like Mike McG, Special Ed and Jacinto had too much ground to make up and were out of it from the start. Jacinto, however, gave it a go and was closing in by the corner.
On the backside, Special Ed would charge off the front but as is nearly alawys the case with the descent, everyone was able to get back on and it was all together heading onto Peck. Mike McG, Brooklyn GQ and Chris C were among those pushing the pace up the false flat but nothing was getting off the front.
More of the same heading onto Route 10 and by Cheshire Park (site of Cheshire Cross o-13!). Several guys chipped in to keep the speed high. Hacker and Guido moved into position before one of the last lights and hit the as once through. Guido ended up riding away himself and once he saw the gap, he was all in for the sprint. Behind, everyone was finding a good spot as Hunter P took the role of leadout, pegging it for the final couple of meters. Little T was able to ramp up some speed and get a good jump in his 11. No one seemed that surprised. Behind, he had a whole slew of riders trying to get stay on his wheel. Mike Mcg was there and in contention as they both slid by Guido, but Little T gets this one. Next week, he rides a single speed.
The ride back was usual fare. GQ Crooklyn rider, and then The Full Castelli, tried to ride off the front after all the lights in the center of town. That didnt last long. It ended up all together for the run into Hamden. After the usual hard pulls from Mike McG, Chris C, Tall Dennis, Dillon P and a couple of others, it was Hacker duking it out with Chris B. Chris Stays on the gas a little longer and gets it by a bike.
Good ride everyone. Short but sweet (26 mph average!). Everyone is in great shape to have a good race on Sunday in Hartford!
The ride rolled out and everyone seemed ok with the long sleeves, knee warmers, etc. The pace was pretty quick even heading down route 10 ( into a headwind)... People musta been concerned with the time. The ride got going with surges from Jordan L, Riff Raff Ralph and Hunter P. A couple times Hunter rolled off the front and the pack just pushed go a little harder and always rounded. Heading to Mountain Rd, Riff Raff Ralph was next to jump off the front and he held onto a gap up the risers, but the beast would open up wide and swallow up another. There was another small group off the front toward the middle section of Mountain Rd. But it even with Hacker, Chris C, Jordan L, a new guy in a GQ Brooklyn Kit, and a couple of others, it wasn't enough to reach escape velocity.
The truce on Moss Farms lasted for about 4 feet as GQ, Jordan L, Rory D and Riff Raff drilled the front. Hacker was up there to looking for a chance to bolt. Despite a big push from him, Hunter P and and the Brooklyn rider, it was all together. One rider using the bodies in front of him well was The Gibertoni, who rocketed off the front well before the corner to the Chicane and made the most of it by staying out there alone for a while. Next up to the plate was Chirs C and Guido, who charged off the front up the hill to Marion. The response to their push was a bit subdued, but the speed picked up and by the corner to the industrial park it was all together again.
From there, it seemed that everyone's attention went to the turnaround and the fast climbing section that would follow. Sure enough, with Jordan L and a couple of others already going decently quick, Hacker charged up the first riser, taking Hunter P along. Other in the pack behind were having none of that and it was covered quickly. The speed was still pretty crisp 200 meters later but a police cruiser camped out encouraged everyone to be extra nice at the 4-way intersection, allowing all the cars to get thru. It let a bunch of riders get back into it and reset the pace for the final push up to Reinhart. The first to jump after getting thru the intersection was Little T, who was stuck with a broken shirt cable on the ride down. Making due with his 53x11 or a 39x11 he jumped off the front on the flat road to get a head start on the climbing. Chris B took it upon himself to bring the wounded bike back. He ramped up the speed on the remaining 300 meters of West Johnson, getting past Little T pretty quickly. He kept the hammer down and behind, Aidan C, every pageant queen's heartthrob, was queuing up to keep the pace high. Thanks to those 2 leg blasting pulls, the only guys in a position to sprint up the hill were Hacker, Hunter P and Young Suto. Aidan C pulled off right at the bottom of the hill and Young Suto was the first to jump. Hunter P got onto his wheel and had little problem jumping away with plenty of road left to the corner. Behind other fast guys like Mike McG, Special Ed and Jacinto had too much ground to make up and were out of it from the start. Jacinto, however, gave it a go and was closing in by the corner.
On the backside, Special Ed would charge off the front but as is nearly alawys the case with the descent, everyone was able to get back on and it was all together heading onto Peck. Mike McG, Brooklyn GQ and Chris C were among those pushing the pace up the false flat but nothing was getting off the front.
More of the same heading onto Route 10 and by Cheshire Park (site of Cheshire Cross o-13!). Several guys chipped in to keep the speed high. Hacker and Guido moved into position before one of the last lights and hit the as once through. Guido ended up riding away himself and once he saw the gap, he was all in for the sprint. Behind, everyone was finding a good spot as Hunter P took the role of leadout, pegging it for the final couple of meters. Little T was able to ramp up some speed and get a good jump in his 11. No one seemed that surprised. Behind, he had a whole slew of riders trying to get stay on his wheel. Mike Mcg was there and in contention as they both slid by Guido, but Little T gets this one. Next week, he rides a single speed.
The ride back was usual fare. GQ Crooklyn rider, and then The Full Castelli, tried to ride off the front after all the lights in the center of town. That didnt last long. It ended up all together for the run into Hamden. After the usual hard pulls from Mike McG, Chris C, Tall Dennis, Dillon P and a couple of others, it was Hacker duking it out with Chris B. Chris Stays on the gas a little longer and gets it by a bike.
Good ride everyone. Short but sweet (26 mph average!). Everyone is in great shape to have a good race on Sunday in Hartford!
Tuesday the 10th
Summer isn’t going down without a fight!
The usual guys were at the ride tonight. Since the short
loop has a bad rap for some reason, the idea was floated to turn soon on Mount
Vernon and create a middle loop. Response was mixed for this idea but with Chris
and Mike McG leading the call, it was agreed upon.
The tail wind helped get the ride going and once again it
was Jordan Lynn taking the reigns along with Guido and other Central Wheel
riders. The ride moved thru to the crap road section with Joe K up front
keeping the pace high. Moving onto North Brooksvale, a small group of riders
went immediately clear and started on a gap. Jordan L, Todd H, Joe K and Rusty
held on to a gap of about 60-75 meters as the ride came up to Mountain Rd. With
some traffic in the intersection, the front riders were slowed and it came back
together soon after with Mike McG
and Chris C leading the charge. The rest of the ride down Mountain was decent
and without incident. More than the usual amount of riders were getting involved
and chipping in.
The ride moved onto Moss Farms and the speed stayed high
thanks to Little T and others. Toward the end of the Moss Farms, Hunter P
rolled off the front and took a small group of guys attentive at the front.
Hacker, Chris C, Jordan L, Hunter P and Nuemotion, who joined up a few moments
after. That group hustled thru the chicane and toward Marion with the rest of
the pack wisely chasing hard. Despite going full gas for a few hundred meters,
the pack would bring them back and Guido used the catch and added some great
timing to be the next to shoot off the front. There were enough riders in
between to make up the gaps and it was all together heading to 322.
Moving past the light and toward Mount Vernon, Rory D,
Jordan L, Hacker, Todd H, Tall John Young Suto and a couple of others all had a
hand in trying to get off the front but everyone seemed to be ready to charge
down the shortened stretch of Mount Vernon. The race for the front continued to
the corner as everyone wanted to prove their sense of geography and be the
first one to the new street. Once there, guys like Gregg F, Joe K, Jordan L,
Chris C, Tall Dennis and Little T were up front and paying attention in case
someone was thinking up mischief. The road offered little by way of challenging
terrain so it stayed together for the brief trip to toward West St and the hard
right to get back on to the regular route. From there the next one to stab at
the major organs of the front of the ride was Guido, who got things going on
Atwater. The Headwind was strong and it served to tamp down most efforts to get
of the front.
Jordan L, Hacker, and Young Suto jumped the front of the
ride coming off the 322 intersection and they went clear right away. Going thru
the 4-way intersection, the main field has a serious case of “ummmm should we
go, should we stop, nah let’s just slow dow really hard, really fast”. That let
the trio work the gap up a little more. Once everyone in the peleton got going
on Peck, Hunter P jumped up to bridge and so did French Casey. Those 2 would by
joined mid-chase by Aidan C, who was riding from the South. The trio held onto
the lead, into the headwind up to the top of the false flat on Peck. The tough
pace was starting to break up the group with Hacker being the one that was
turning the screw mostly. The chase joined up and sped thru with Young Suto
getting stuck in no-man’s land. The renewed break of French Casey, Hutner P,
Hacker, Jordan L, and Aidan C kept the pressure on. Behind in the pack, It was
all-hands on deck for the chase. Sensing the possibility of a strong break
running away with it in the tough headwind, it took some strong riding to keep
the gap manageable. Chris C, Todd H, Guido, Mike McG, Nuemotion, Timmy Hip,
Gatorade rider on a Calfee and others worked the front. The higher speed would
end up shedding a few guys as small gaps quickly become chasms in the headwind.
Up front, the gap continued to go up but Hacker was the proverbial horse
chopping at the bit. The pace was a little hot for some and as a red light or 2
came up the pace-line suffered and that gave the peleton a chance to bring it
back in time for the sprint. Hacker would stay on the gas, riding up the road a
little ways. As guys tried to get into good position in among the break riders,
it gave a good line of wheels for Little T to use to ramp up the speed for the
sprint. He took it ahead of Hacker and way ahead of others. The Full Nalini,
Jacinto, Young Suto, Rusty etc. Red lights in the center of Cheshire rolled
everyone back together for the ride back to Hamden.
Nothing too interesting to report for the ride back. It
played out as usual with a solid 12-15 rider paceline keeping the speed high
all the way back. There were a bunch of guys in a position to get to the last
light first. Surprisingly Little T wasn’t among them. Someone will have to fill
in the blanks as to who got it. Up the hill Chris B rolled away with it early
on over Hunter P.
Tuesday the 27th
Don't get all lazy just yet...
Good sized group of guys and girls out tonight. Good to have Sarah W back out. It was also good to see Laura Summers out, no doubt putting up with the group's shenanigans for the sake of the upcoming CX season. Right away off of route 10 the Central Wheel boys were up and on attention with Riff Raff Ralph and J Lynn and Rory D hitting the front. That got things going right away and Chris C, Tall John, Tall Dennis, Hunter P and a couple of others made sure they didnt get too far.
The whole peleton made it's way onto Mountain Rd without too much drama as the pace stayed high enough to discourage attacks. Chris C tore up the first riser on Mountain Rd and had help from CT's very own Chris Froome impersonator, Sam Smith. Hunter P led it up the second set of risers and that led to a small group getting off the front. That was short lived though as Guido got to the front and had help in keeping the speed high going toward route 68.
Once onto Moss Farms, Hacker and Jacinto were setting tempo up front with help from JLynn, Neumotion, Hunter P, The Full Nalini and a couple of others. The pace stayed high and even with strong pulls from Little T and Hunter P approaching the Chicane, there were no real gaps behind. Heading up to Marion, there was a good sized group up front pushing the pace enough to create a gap. Sam Smith, Chris C, and Nuemotion foremost among them. Hunter P came up from the bunch along with Hacker and a couple of other riders and that served to sew things up despite the pace staying high up front. Hacker kept on the pressure along with Nuemotion going by the corner for the short loop, but it was pretty much all together going up to the light at 322.
Things got anyway past the light when a small group ( Hacker, Jlynn, Riff Raff Ralph etc ) took off approaching Mount Vernon. That got things going in the pack and it bunched up soon after. The pace all and all was decent down Mount Vernon. Things slowed down before the false flat for some reason but surges from The Gibertoni, Gregg F, Chris C, and the Full Nalini broke off a small group early on. That turned into a duo off the front, The Gibertoni and Hunter P. Those 2 got a gap and ran with it. Behind in the pack, there was a couple of incidents with the pylons and gravel in the road. Jacinto (?) hit a cone, and Hacker got hit with a flat tire. Up front the break stayed away for a few hundred meters but eventually broke down as a few guys attacked off the front of the chase to bridge the gap. It was soon after all together heading into the turnaround.
Coming up to Welch, The Central Wheel boys were leading a charge along with Sam Smith, French Casey the Bike Rhino on the Calfee (Name?) and maybe one other. Hunter P came across the gap last second, taking along Chris C. The front group didnt have much of a gap but solid work up front by JLynn, Sam Smith, Hunter P and Chris C extended the lead to about 50 meters by the base of the hill. Chris C charged off the front with Sam Smith and French Casey as Little T came across the gap on the hill. The initial chase work would fall on Hunter P and Little T, and those 2 couldn't make up their mind who would work. Others soon came up, Jacinto among them, in a good spot to pounce. Little T came off some wheels at the last moment as Chris C was putting in everything for the line. It went to the judge's box to decide who got it and it's going to Chris C who has been cantankerous as of late since his family stopped feeding him. He worked the hardest for it tonight.
On the backside it was civil and all together down to Atwater St. The pace stayed high as a bunch of guys were ok with doing the work up front. On the hill under the highway, Hunter P took off, taking along Paul Casey. Those 2 extended their lead despite a decent pace from the pack. There may have been some unmotivated-to-chase Central Wheel guys near the front, letting the duo keep off the front till the light on 322. It turned green just as the 2 leaders where coming to a slowdown, letting the 2 the now closing in pack thru as well.
The speed stayed high onto Peck thanks to the green light and it went a long way toward making tonight a record breaking fast long loop. Something like 12 riders now sit atop the Strava segment for the long loop thanks to the night's pace+favorable lights. On the riser for Peck as it was going single file up front, Paul Casey this time was the one to attack, taking Hunter P with him. Those 2 were back off the front and working hard to keep the gap for a while. It would eventually come back together at the top of the hill on route 10. From there the speed stayed respectable heading into the sprint.
Going past the one of the last lights ("HOLE!"), Dillon P hit the front and ran up a gap. The speed behind was good, but there was some shuffling of riders as guys looked around to see where they say in the pecking order. Dillon P hit the base of the hill with about a 50 meter gap and it was coming back fast. He managed to keep the gap solid enough on the hill to make Little T chase, along with a couple of other guys. Little T took it by a bike length with Dillon P rolling thru next.
The ride back thru Cheshire was pretty quick and pretty much all the lights were green, which was great. Nothing unusual for the ride back into Hamden. Pace stayed high and there were about 5 or 6 guys ready to duke it out for the sit n sprint. Little T had Jacinto on his six the final 70 meters and despite a good effort, T kept out in front.
Up the hill went only a couple of riders, and Christian, a regular on the Thursday night Cheshire Cycle Ride took the hill over Gregg F and Dillon P.... Although he may have had to take a shortcut earlier in the ride. In which case, his name will be scratched out of the trophy.
Great ride everyone! There has been talk of switching to the short loop next week, which is about right for tradition's sake. If you want to get into a heated debate over it ( or any other SG ride topics ) be sure to stop by the Funky Monkey this Saturday to support Tall John's GF, Kerri Powers, as she performs songs about cycling all night long*. Chris C will be there as opening act, doing his best drunken impression of Ben Affleck doing his best impression of Long-Lost-Rondo.
*Probably not true.... Which is a good thing.
Good sized group of guys and girls out tonight. Good to have Sarah W back out. It was also good to see Laura Summers out, no doubt putting up with the group's shenanigans for the sake of the upcoming CX season. Right away off of route 10 the Central Wheel boys were up and on attention with Riff Raff Ralph and J Lynn and Rory D hitting the front. That got things going right away and Chris C, Tall John, Tall Dennis, Hunter P and a couple of others made sure they didnt get too far.
The whole peleton made it's way onto Mountain Rd without too much drama as the pace stayed high enough to discourage attacks. Chris C tore up the first riser on Mountain Rd and had help from CT's very own Chris Froome impersonator, Sam Smith. Hunter P led it up the second set of risers and that led to a small group getting off the front. That was short lived though as Guido got to the front and had help in keeping the speed high going toward route 68.
Once onto Moss Farms, Hacker and Jacinto were setting tempo up front with help from JLynn, Neumotion, Hunter P, The Full Nalini and a couple of others. The pace stayed high and even with strong pulls from Little T and Hunter P approaching the Chicane, there were no real gaps behind. Heading up to Marion, there was a good sized group up front pushing the pace enough to create a gap. Sam Smith, Chris C, and Nuemotion foremost among them. Hunter P came up from the bunch along with Hacker and a couple of other riders and that served to sew things up despite the pace staying high up front. Hacker kept on the pressure along with Nuemotion going by the corner for the short loop, but it was pretty much all together going up to the light at 322.
Things got anyway past the light when a small group ( Hacker, Jlynn, Riff Raff Ralph etc ) took off approaching Mount Vernon. That got things going in the pack and it bunched up soon after. The pace all and all was decent down Mount Vernon. Things slowed down before the false flat for some reason but surges from The Gibertoni, Gregg F, Chris C, and the Full Nalini broke off a small group early on. That turned into a duo off the front, The Gibertoni and Hunter P. Those 2 got a gap and ran with it. Behind in the pack, there was a couple of incidents with the pylons and gravel in the road. Jacinto (?) hit a cone, and Hacker got hit with a flat tire. Up front the break stayed away for a few hundred meters but eventually broke down as a few guys attacked off the front of the chase to bridge the gap. It was soon after all together heading into the turnaround.
Coming up to Welch, The Central Wheel boys were leading a charge along with Sam Smith, French Casey the Bike Rhino on the Calfee (Name?) and maybe one other. Hunter P came across the gap last second, taking along Chris C. The front group didnt have much of a gap but solid work up front by JLynn, Sam Smith, Hunter P and Chris C extended the lead to about 50 meters by the base of the hill. Chris C charged off the front with Sam Smith and French Casey as Little T came across the gap on the hill. The initial chase work would fall on Hunter P and Little T, and those 2 couldn't make up their mind who would work. Others soon came up, Jacinto among them, in a good spot to pounce. Little T came off some wheels at the last moment as Chris C was putting in everything for the line. It went to the judge's box to decide who got it and it's going to Chris C who has been cantankerous as of late since his family stopped feeding him. He worked the hardest for it tonight.
On the backside it was civil and all together down to Atwater St. The pace stayed high as a bunch of guys were ok with doing the work up front. On the hill under the highway, Hunter P took off, taking along Paul Casey. Those 2 extended their lead despite a decent pace from the pack. There may have been some unmotivated-to-chase Central Wheel guys near the front, letting the duo keep off the front till the light on 322. It turned green just as the 2 leaders where coming to a slowdown, letting the 2 the now closing in pack thru as well.
The speed stayed high onto Peck thanks to the green light and it went a long way toward making tonight a record breaking fast long loop. Something like 12 riders now sit atop the Strava segment for the long loop thanks to the night's pace+favorable lights. On the riser for Peck as it was going single file up front, Paul Casey this time was the one to attack, taking Hunter P with him. Those 2 were back off the front and working hard to keep the gap for a while. It would eventually come back together at the top of the hill on route 10. From there the speed stayed respectable heading into the sprint.
Going past the one of the last lights ("HOLE!"), Dillon P hit the front and ran up a gap. The speed behind was good, but there was some shuffling of riders as guys looked around to see where they say in the pecking order. Dillon P hit the base of the hill with about a 50 meter gap and it was coming back fast. He managed to keep the gap solid enough on the hill to make Little T chase, along with a couple of other guys. Little T took it by a bike length with Dillon P rolling thru next.
The ride back thru Cheshire was pretty quick and pretty much all the lights were green, which was great. Nothing unusual for the ride back into Hamden. Pace stayed high and there were about 5 or 6 guys ready to duke it out for the sit n sprint. Little T had Jacinto on his six the final 70 meters and despite a good effort, T kept out in front.
Up the hill went only a couple of riders, and Christian, a regular on the Thursday night Cheshire Cycle Ride took the hill over Gregg F and Dillon P.... Although he may have had to take a shortcut earlier in the ride. In which case, his name will be scratched out of the trophy.
Great ride everyone! There has been talk of switching to the short loop next week, which is about right for tradition's sake. If you want to get into a heated debate over it ( or any other SG ride topics ) be sure to stop by the Funky Monkey this Saturday to support Tall John's GF, Kerri Powers, as she performs songs about cycling all night long*. Chris C will be there as opening act, doing his best drunken impression of Ben Affleck doing his best impression of Long-Lost-Rondo.
*Probably not true.... Which is a good thing.
Tuesday the 20th
The most boring SG ride of the year is still pretty great.
It's getting a little darker out but the warm weather was still around for this week's ride. The group was a little on the quiet side upon rolling out and getting going. Things started up and everyone was soon focused on the task at hand, having a good ride. Chris C looked ready to sneak off early on. When Jordan Lynn and Hunter P joined him that was got the ride going and it stayed fast thru the backroads. Todd H, Tall John, Ciocci, Little T and a couple of new faces were up there as well at the front in the early miles. No fireworks though as the ride kept up a solid pace up to and down Mountain rd. Chis B made an appearance up front in anticipation of the light on route 68 but he backed off as soon as he realized that others had something similar in mind.
JLynn took off early on Moss Farms with Young Suto and those 2 worked up a quick gap as the field negotiated the chopped up road. Hacker was next to go across along with Yahor from the CCB toss-up. Hunter P then went across, taking along Chris C and Mike McG. The field picked up the pace and without any climbs to put the pressure on the peleton was bearing down by the corner. It stayed touch and go thru the chicane with some gaps outside the top 10 riders but there was no real attacks on the hill as Little T led the charge up along with Hacker, Timmy Hip and Hunter P. More solid pace up front the rest of the way toward 322. Hunter P had a go off the front going over the highway but it was a solo effort that didnt go too far.
Onto Mount Vernon where the pace stayed decent as the usuals hit the front and got it going. Credit Guido for once again stepping up and hitting the front about a mile into the Mount Vernon stretch when the pace needed a bit of motivating and from there it stayed respectable to the corner. Despite the speed Hacker hit the front running a couple of hundred meters before the corner for Marion. He had bodies up there ( Guido, Timmy Hip, CCB, Rhino Rider on the Calfee ). It made for a splintered group of about 4 or 5 with a short gap early on. Behind Chris C jumped across the field with Hunter P and those 2 made it up to the group just as CCB and Hacker were leaving the station and starting on a gap. The rest of the way down Welch, Chris C, Hunter P and Timmy Hip plugged away at the gap. By the base of the hill, Hacker had left CCB and was alone with a 30 meter gap going up the hill to the corner. Little T, using the long line of guys in between the chase and the closing field, jumped hard at the base of the hill and was soon up to Hacker. Those 2 went to work trying to keep the gap up as behind it was Hunter P Chris C and Calfee doing the chase work. The leaders were coming back but Little T put in a sprint, leaving Hacker. Hunter P started the sprint from the front of the chase but was quickly overhauled by Mike McG who had timed the chase well. He would be the only one to challenge Little T, who was able to get it with relative ease.
On the backside Chris B, The Mullaly, and Hunter P tried to sneak off and instead just ended up driving the pace nice and high for the field who was quick to catch on. The only red light was by Jude Lane again, no one jumped this time on the green light as it was evident the majority were gassed. Going downhill toward Atwater, plenty of guys were up front to keep it going. Chris B was back at the front, trying to be as invisible as possible. The left-hand turn light onto Atwater was red so that stopped any chance of a sneak attack. Even still, Chris B drove the pace up higher than usual for the first half mile on Atwater. Hunter P and The Mullaly followed it up and put the front of the field in a good position to possible attack up the hill under the underpass. Dave Rustico, Hunter P and Chris C put in efforts, but no separation was allowed. From there to the light Dillon P took the front along with Young Suto.
Once the ride got over 322 again , the seed picked up again. Rustico, JLynn and Chris C hit the front and got a quick gap on Peck lane that they worked hard to maintain all the way up the false flat. Mike McG jumped across the gap at the last moment along with Hunter P but the group was unable to continue the gap. From there the ride settled into the normal speed to Route 10 and up the hill. Nothing unusual to report in the run-in to the sprint. There was a long line of guys cued up and ready to go but Little timed a gap-skipping surge well and hit the hill twice as fast as the front. He got to the top first no problem.
One or 2 red lights later, the field was abit slow to get going while Hacker and Hunter P had jumped off the front and made it thru the lights in the center of town. The field had to slow down for a couple and that was all the front 2 needed to hold a substantial gap all the way back into Hamden. The 2 in the break didnt contest the sit n sprint or go up the hill, leaving the top o the hill prize to Dillon P to collect over a couple of other guys.
It's getting a little darker out but the warm weather was still around for this week's ride. The group was a little on the quiet side upon rolling out and getting going. Things started up and everyone was soon focused on the task at hand, having a good ride. Chris C looked ready to sneak off early on. When Jordan Lynn and Hunter P joined him that was got the ride going and it stayed fast thru the backroads. Todd H, Tall John, Ciocci, Little T and a couple of new faces were up there as well at the front in the early miles. No fireworks though as the ride kept up a solid pace up to and down Mountain rd. Chis B made an appearance up front in anticipation of the light on route 68 but he backed off as soon as he realized that others had something similar in mind.
JLynn took off early on Moss Farms with Young Suto and those 2 worked up a quick gap as the field negotiated the chopped up road. Hacker was next to go across along with Yahor from the CCB toss-up. Hunter P then went across, taking along Chris C and Mike McG. The field picked up the pace and without any climbs to put the pressure on the peleton was bearing down by the corner. It stayed touch and go thru the chicane with some gaps outside the top 10 riders but there was no real attacks on the hill as Little T led the charge up along with Hacker, Timmy Hip and Hunter P. More solid pace up front the rest of the way toward 322. Hunter P had a go off the front going over the highway but it was a solo effort that didnt go too far.
Onto Mount Vernon where the pace stayed decent as the usuals hit the front and got it going. Credit Guido for once again stepping up and hitting the front about a mile into the Mount Vernon stretch when the pace needed a bit of motivating and from there it stayed respectable to the corner. Despite the speed Hacker hit the front running a couple of hundred meters before the corner for Marion. He had bodies up there ( Guido, Timmy Hip, CCB, Rhino Rider on the Calfee ). It made for a splintered group of about 4 or 5 with a short gap early on. Behind Chris C jumped across the field with Hunter P and those 2 made it up to the group just as CCB and Hacker were leaving the station and starting on a gap. The rest of the way down Welch, Chris C, Hunter P and Timmy Hip plugged away at the gap. By the base of the hill, Hacker had left CCB and was alone with a 30 meter gap going up the hill to the corner. Little T, using the long line of guys in between the chase and the closing field, jumped hard at the base of the hill and was soon up to Hacker. Those 2 went to work trying to keep the gap up as behind it was Hunter P Chris C and Calfee doing the chase work. The leaders were coming back but Little T put in a sprint, leaving Hacker. Hunter P started the sprint from the front of the chase but was quickly overhauled by Mike McG who had timed the chase well. He would be the only one to challenge Little T, who was able to get it with relative ease.
On the backside Chris B, The Mullaly, and Hunter P tried to sneak off and instead just ended up driving the pace nice and high for the field who was quick to catch on. The only red light was by Jude Lane again, no one jumped this time on the green light as it was evident the majority were gassed. Going downhill toward Atwater, plenty of guys were up front to keep it going. Chris B was back at the front, trying to be as invisible as possible. The left-hand turn light onto Atwater was red so that stopped any chance of a sneak attack. Even still, Chris B drove the pace up higher than usual for the first half mile on Atwater. Hunter P and The Mullaly followed it up and put the front of the field in a good position to possible attack up the hill under the underpass. Dave Rustico, Hunter P and Chris C put in efforts, but no separation was allowed. From there to the light Dillon P took the front along with Young Suto.
Once the ride got over 322 again , the seed picked up again. Rustico, JLynn and Chris C hit the front and got a quick gap on Peck lane that they worked hard to maintain all the way up the false flat. Mike McG jumped across the gap at the last moment along with Hunter P but the group was unable to continue the gap. From there the ride settled into the normal speed to Route 10 and up the hill. Nothing unusual to report in the run-in to the sprint. There was a long line of guys cued up and ready to go but Little timed a gap-skipping surge well and hit the hill twice as fast as the front. He got to the top first no problem.
One or 2 red lights later, the field was abit slow to get going while Hacker and Hunter P had jumped off the front and made it thru the lights in the center of town. The field had to slow down for a couple and that was all the front 2 needed to hold a substantial gap all the way back into Hamden. The 2 in the break didnt contest the sit n sprint or go up the hill, leaving the top o the hill prize to Dillon P to collect over a couple of other guys.
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