Tuesday the 28th

Tide Comes In, Tide Goes Out….              

    It was a lighter week in the grand picture. Maybe the cloudy skies, maybe the vacations thinning the ranks a bit, maybe everyone was on an easy week... There were efforts here there for sure but overall, it was a step or 2 off from recent weeks. Right off the bat, the Crowells got it going relatively fast with Alan B and Big Red also getting into the fray. That lasted a few hundred meters. Once it was all back together again, the pace remained respectable. Big Reg attacked a fewe times, new guy Expo Ryan also was keeping it real up at the front. Tall John and Chris Petron were riding up front for Stage One. Overall, the slightly lower pace let a good number of guys get involved up front.
     Kyle C detoured off at route 68, no doubt to save the legs for Junior National Championships in Kentucky later this week. Give em Hell Kyle!!! If you bring back a Stars N Stripes jersey, Nuemotion, The Sernyak and Hacker have agreed to foot the bill to for Yale tuition.
     On Moss Farms, it was steady pace. Same for of the chicane and onto Marion. Big Red would get in a couple of good digs off the front but never had company with him. The field got the light on 322, which led to a steady pace on Mount Vernon. Stage One stayed active at the front, along with Jimmy C, Expo Ryan, Ciocci, and a couple of others, but the hard attacks were few and far between.
     Up the false flat, Alan B led a strong attack, taking along Expo Ryan. The peleton chased the hardest to bring that move back but did so after a couple hundred meters. Heading into the turnaround, Dillon P drove it hard to the base of the hill with Alan B and Big Red in tow. Those 2 took off and despite a solid charge from behind from Chris C, Mike McG, and Little T, they were able to stay away to get to the sprint first. Alan B gets this one over Big Red, who continued to to charge hard on the backside but was soon corralled near the highway.
     The ride continued as normal from there, all the way back into Cheshire. The Stop n Sprint point was all Little T, who snuck in the back door as Alan B was wrapping up a solid pull at the front. T took off and was for the most part uncontested to the top of the hill.
     Not too many surprises heading back into Hamden. A trio of police cars brought the ride to a halt, and a couple of red lights slowed it up some more. For the finale, it was Little T again, taking it over The Full Nalini, Ciocci, and a couple of others.

Tuesday the 21st

The Crowells are gone = There’s a huge crowd out tonight!

    Biggest crowd of the year by many estimations. A few CCAP juniors along with Aidan C, Bryan McGill, and all the regulars, save of course for 2 Crowells, who were away today.

    The pace was calm out of the parking lot but just as soon as the ride turned left, Noah Blue Eyes Levine was off the front in a flash along with McGill. Response was quick from a few others… Dillon P, Tall John, Crazy Chris and a couple of others. It was soon all together but then Nick S shot off and the first half of the ride was follow that pattern. Attacking juniors with the rest chasing em down each time. Alien Burgess would get involved, Aidan C, Nuemotion, the Pac Swim dude on the BMC and a couple of others.
    A couple of early attacks on Moss Farms got the pace going but it stayed together till the end. Gibertoni rolled off the front with a couple of meters to go before the corner and took a slight gap into the chicane. The field was string out because of that, slow riders thru the corner and then a car coming up on the intersection. By the time it was sorted out, Hunter P was attacking up hill to Marion and would take a solo gap for a bit. From there it was altogether for a while thought McGill would lead  another flyer, which would be foiled by the light.
    Noah was at it again on the early parts of Mount Vernon, there was others to push the pace so it ended up stringing out pretty good into the moderate headwind. Next action was on the hill / false flat section, when Hunter attacked hard and took Alan B, Joe K, BMC and Numotion with him. The response was swift to that. The lead group came together moments later and worked up a gap for a few hunter meters but then split up as the terrain kicked again. BMC stayed on the gas and dangled out in front for a little while but it was soon all back together.
    Heading up Welch, Aidan C took off and Levine was right there to follow him. Also jumping was Keith Mullallallalalaaly. Those 3 maintained a decent gap going all the way thru the corner. They would eventually be traced down 150 meters after turning south.  Behind in the group, Mike McG jumped on the hill, taking along Nuemotion. There were several that responded it but those 2 got to the leaders first. For a hot second it there was 8 or so riders pretty much together but Nuemotion stayed on the gas, came around all and hit the jets to get an early jump on the sprint. He held on as Alan B, Ben Bruce and one or 2 others made a go of it, but were too far behind.
    The ride came back together and stayed like that all the way back into Cheshire. Once onto route 10, Alan B once again throttled the early hill there, taking along Hunter P, The Sernyak and Nick S. That group had a gap that may have gone farther but a red light brought it all together. There was time to get the speed up again before the sprint and this time it was Ben Bruce hitting the afterburners first. A couple steps behind was Alan B, Little T and Nuemotion but they didn’t have the time to get up to Ben Bruce, although it was close.
    The usual semi-white knuckle run back into Hamden happened. Unfortunately, right past the corner for Cook Hill Rd, Eddie Clark from Bikers Edge went down after a rider dove in front of his wheel. He nearly kept it up but ended up sliding down on top of his bike. He had a nasty contusion on his shin, along with the usual scrapes but was otherwise ok. 2/3rds the field stopped and most slowly continued on soon after.
     Thank goodness for corners and hills to keep most of the ride honest!

Tuesday the 14th

Anyone starting to feel tired yet???

    We’re getting toward the halfway mark of the SG season and the great rides continue. Tonight was no exception. The Cheshire boys were attacking at nearly every turn, keeping the rest guessing and working hard. Hacker, Nuemotion and both the Crowells were tearing it up as well as Big Red of course. It was also another strong week of riding from Jimmy C of the Race CF squad and the new guy atop the orange BMC (name?)
    During the first half, Hunter P and Alan B traded attacks with Big Red getting involved in the mix here and there. Ben Bruce was also in a couple of moves, usually following a fellow new havian (new havenoinian? new havenite?) The ride got green lights at route 68/70 and over 322 and it was shaping up to be a fast night. On Mount Vernon, Jeff Weaver and Alan B started things off with a good gap. Kyle C flew across it along with Jason Williams and one or 2 more. It came together shortly after and would stay like that until Hunter P attacked into the false flat section. That was enough to spring a group of strong chasers but it would come together before the top of the rise.

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    The next break was again Hunter P, jumping off the front before the corner onto Welch. The chase was quick to get going and halfway to the corner for West St it was all back together again. That led to a HUGE group of guys in position at the corner. Once thru it thinned out and 4 or 5 guys were in position to jet off the front. From there Nuemotion took the sprint, staying out in front of Mike McG , Ben Bruce, AlienB, and Hacker. More green lights thru the 84 exchange = guys getting dropped left and right.
     AlienB took off again hard on Atwater, building up a gap and then bring joined by Big Red. Those 2 hung on till past the hill underneath 84. ANOTHER green light going back over 322 and everyone was thinking the Strava KOM for the route may fall on this night. The ride was tranquil until AlienB lit it up on the hill going past Cheshire Park, but it wasn’t enough to spring a gap. Heading into the Stop n Sprint, a small group jumped off the front and was able to get to the base of the hill first. From that sprang Jimmy C to get the sprint ahead of the usual sprinters who left it just a second or 2 too late.
    The red lights slowed the ride down on the way back into Hamden, erasing any chance of it being a record breaking night. Or well… Next week we’ll try again and without a training crit at Rentshlaer Field, there should be a good group of risk takers ready for the challenge.

Tuesday June 7th

A bit of Smash, a bit of Hanging on...

    The ride toned down from it's usual level 11 tonight. Plenty of solid pace-making and steady riding up front from the guys you'd expect. Landry and Big Red were up front for much of the ride. Joe K, Tall John, Chris C and French Casey as well (good to see him out on the ride)
    No real attacks to speak of for the first half. Landry rode the front hard several times but it was never abrupt enough to break off.
     For the turnaround, Joe K once again hit the front hard and ramped it up heading down Welch, leading to near record times down that stretch and up to the corner. Alan B took over at the base of the hill kept it going for 5 or guys 6 directly behind. Landry and Big Red were the next ones to hit the front but they soon after getting onto West St, they were all done when Chris C, Ben Bruce and Hacker cued up behind. Ben Bruce went from a little ways out, taking advantage of hitting the front and he just kept motoring along. Nuemotion and Hunter P sat in for a few moments longer and wound it up with Hunter P rolling over the top in front of all.
     Heading down past 84, Gibertoni and Alan B rolled off as the rest got caught behind traffic. Those two would stay off the front all the way to the light on 322 as everyone fought the headwind. From there it was tranquil until everyone got back onto Route 10. Landry was rolling off the front and hit the hill early on route 10 with 40-50 meters lead. Big Red jumped across the gap on the hill itself and the 2 went to work nursing a slim gap over the charging field. They dug their heels in deep and would not give it up. Turns out it was enough as they got the the base of the stop and sprint hill with a gap. Landry rolled thru the sprint point in front with Joe K charging up the hill but not close to coming thru.

Nice ride everyone!!!

Tuesday the 31st

Who cares bout the ride, did you see the chick running in the 2-Piece???

Yep it was a good ride tonight. Back from the rainy week, the main dudes were out and ready to Parr-taay. Multiple attacks on the night from Hacker, Joe K, Burgie Smalls, Hunter P and Sasha. Breaks and gaps enjoyed by Ben Bruce, Ciocci, Nuemotion, The Sernyak, Kyle C, Mike McG, the new guys on the older BMC and a couple others.
    For the mid-point sprint, Alan B led it off with an attack on Welch, but got swallowed up at the base of the hill as Nuemotion and Hacker jumped in unison. Chris C was there as well before the corner, with Mike McG not far behind. The leaders held up a bit, giving Mike and Hunter P a chance to latch on. From there Hunter P jumped out and got the sprint over Nuemotion.
    Round 2 at the Stop and Sprint was a 3-way race between Ben Bruce, who jumped first, Nuemotion, and Little T. Nuemotion made it close but Little T hung on to get it. After that, the ride calmed down, except for Burgster taking off for a hott minute after the lights in Cheshire.
    For the finale, it was a 6 horse race after Mike McG smoothly led the front of the ride out. From there 3 riders would duke it out.... Little T, Ben Bruce and The Sernyak (fresh off his 5th place Masters Nationals finish. Congrats Mike!). Little T hangs on and gets the sit and sprint to close out the evening.

Great ride everyone!