Tuesday the 26th

The CWC Kicks off with a Bang!!!

     The 6PM start time meant 20 to 25 showed up for the start. The Yalies showed up ready to fight. They brought AR-15’s to a knife fight but the old men were not about to back down. The leisurely pace down RT-10 was not a sign of things to come. After the turnoff to River Road, Chris C. jumped and took a couple Yalies along who wanted to play. A small gap was created, but guys like McGinley and Todd H quickly closed the gap. The ride Down Mt Road was strung out with equal pulls being taken by the 10 guys up front. There was a bit of a gap at the RT-68 light and the light turned green not allowing for a rest. The entire group made the light (what was left of the group anyway) but I’m sure some guys ran the red.
     The tempo stayed hard all the way down Moss Farms road. After the chicane, the pace quickened, going up the false flat on Jarvis St. Once onto West Johnson Chris C. jumped with Dave Rustico but all that did was light the fuse to the Powder Keg. The Yalies set a hard tempo turning onto Reinhardt but Mike McGinley was there to counter. Hacker and another Yalie countered Mikes move and took the sprint. Hacker got the points???
      The ride up Peck lane was hard. Little T went to the front and drilled it up the false flat stringing it out. Chris C. kept the pressure up on Sandbank which created a small gap with one of the Yalies. A red light in front of the car wash brought everybody back together. Just as the light turned green, Jacob Hacker stormed through at 30mph turning everyone inside out to catch him. The pace was high up the prison hill when one of the Yalies dropped his glasses and then made a sudden turn into the prison driveway to get them. That startled some on the front of the group. Chris C. attempted to lead out McGinley and Little T but started the lead out too early which allowed Hacker to come around and take the sprint. The pace stayed high down RT-10. With 1K to go Mike McGinley jumped hard with Hacker and another Yalie on his wheel. This strung everyone out but also allowed Hacker to roll off the front. Todd Hamel put in a hard effort to catch Hacker but could not close the gap and the early hat trick goes to the professor. Well done.
      All in all an awesome way to start the Sleeping Giant ride proper. Hats off to the "Kids" from Yale for keeping the pace high and to all of us old guys who still have a little something left in the legs.

Tuesday the 19th

Happy Spring everyone!
The cold, the early start, and the slightly wet roads kept everyone away.
All the main roads were dry by 5:30 so those who did the ride were left scratching their helmets as to why there weren't more out.
There was 4 guys who took the training wheels off and did the short loop.
Gregg F, Jacinto, Dillon P and Hunter P. They were met by 2 Yalies, Spencer G and another ( Nick G? ).

Hopefully next week brings proper weather. Tentatively it will be a 6PM start for next week.

Weekday rides

For anyone who can take off a chunk of time during the week to ride.....
We're trying out a new ride

Tuesday the 9th

2012 – finito !

    It was a small group for the final official ride of 2012. Maybe 18-20 guys and a girl. Things started slowly but once everyone got thru the rough roads it got going. MoMoney, Domination Dom ( Audi Danbury ), and Chris C foremost among the pace-setters. Hacker also peeked his salt n pepper head up front a couple of times to keep things honest. Good to see Mike McG back in action, healed up from a busted shoulder blade.

    Little T led the way up Mountain road at first with Chris C taking over and splitting the field a bit. Gary from Central wheel, Danbury Dom, MoMoney and Hacker were also there and with Chris C and Hacker hammering they got a gap pretty quickly with Central Wheel Gary stuck in between. Hunter P and Mike McG closed that gap down over the next minute or 2 and it was all together for the ride to the light, although Hacker would try to sneak off again with Chris C. Hunter P was there sewing things up and the red light was red anyway.

    There wasn’t much shenanigans on Moss Farms. Hacker, Hunter P, Gary, and MoMoney worked the front and kept the pace high. Hacker and The Gilbertoni had a small gap pouring onto the chicane and up the hill but Chris C charged up and the thru along with Hunter P, keeping the pace high into the industrial park. The speed stayed respectable, if not a bit a slow, thru Knotter Drive and onto West Johnson. Little T got things on the small rise. There were plenty of guys filling in the space behind although some were going up some were going back. Once onto Reinhardt, Hacker was in good position to jump and that's exactly what he did. He got a quick 40 meter gap on the first hill there and stayed on the hammer. By the time the sprint hill started he had probably close to 100 meters and was still going pretty good. That meant any sprinters just jumping on the hill wouldnt have time to close the gap. Little T tried for a but and Hunter P came around him to try a little longer but Hacker still had a 30-40 meter cushion going thru the corner to take the final prize.

     Everyone came back together on the way down. Hacker was back at it on Peck lane, striking out near the top of the riser there along with Chris C. Hunter P and MoMoney were there as well and those 4 had a gap that they took to Route 10 but good tempo from Mike McG, CWGary, and Mountain Man brought them back for the charge up Route 10.

     Things wound up again for the run-in to Stop n Shop. Hacker again snuck off a couple of minutes before everyone else was thinking go and hit the base of the hill with that same 40 meter gap. Back in the dwindling pack, Mike McG found himself setting a good clip for a couple of guys behind. Little T wasn't going to get snookered again. He had enough time to jump out, stay ahead of Hunter P, and come around Hacker by the top.

      From there the ride kind of went into safety mode as it was starting to get dark. Monty B had a good effort off the front once thru Cheshire but was swallowed up and spit off the back as Mountain Man, Domination Dom, Mike McG, Hacker, Little T and a couple of others were going full gas to the end. Hacker started off the final 500 meters with Little T on his wheel and those 2 rolled off to the end.

No one went up the hill because there was pumpkin ale waiting at the bike shop.

     So thus ends another year for the best training ride this side of the Mississippi. Sunday morning rides are on. 10 AM. Although this weekend may have a slim turn-out as most of the conservative Stage-One crew will be tea-partying it up on a corporate sponsored hiking trip.

See'yall in March!

Tuesday the 2nd

Rained out.

Chris C, Yelle!Snoop and MoMoney were the only ones out. We're betting the conversation took on a broad range of topics meaningful to residents from both sides of the Atlantic.

So it comes down to one last dark ride in seven days. Leaving at 5:30. Hopefully the weather is good.

We will do the beer and pizza thing at the shop regardless of weather next Tuesday.

Hopefully we don't drink all the beer till then.

Tuesday the 25th

Chances to impress the sponsors are waning.

    2012's SG rides are coming to a close. There were about 25 guys and girls out and everyone was feisty... Properly so. The ride may have left a minute or so early but was def still on the access road at 6PM proper. The ride down Route 10 was brisk and it continued onto the back roads. Right away, Tall John took off and was allowed to go. French Casey moved the field along as well as Nuemtion and Thompson from Keltic. Shortly after MoMoney and Alec C took off but didn't make it up to Tall John. They would be re-absorbed right after the crap road section as Eric and Nuemotion set tempo.
    Tall John continued to be a carrot up the road nearly all the way to Mountain Rd. Yelle!Snoop and Young Suto tried to get up to him and keep the break alive but by the corner it was all back together. The ride went into cruise control for the way down Mountain, as the speed was pretty good but nothing too out-of-control. Yelle!Snoop and a couple of others made a dig for the light but it was red.
     As everyone got going, a couple of guys were spied coming up thru the cars waiting for the light. Guido and Hacker had gotten to the parking lot probably no less than 30 seconds late and had to go into TT mode to get back. Their reverse breakaway was no doubt the most successful attack on the night. They latched on and with kindey's full of rage hit the front right away on Moss Farms. Hacker jumped off the front and was riding up to Tall John, who had, in the confusion of German-English curse words, rolled away yet again. Hacler took along Hunter P and soon it was 3 with a healthy gap. Only when Guido started to make the jump across did the rest of the field respond. Everyone was together for the most part by the chicane, although gravel on the road kept some guys hanging back.
     Up to Marion charged MoMoney and then Hunter P hit it, taking along Young Suto. Those 2 would get a gap and milk it for a little while, getting caught a little before the turn into the industrial park. The charge thru there was near record speed as testified by Strava. Guido was up there along with Numotion, Tall Dennis and others.
     Once onto West Johnson, Chris C attacked from near the front and quickly got a gap. Guys like Jacinto, MoMoney, Pescatori and Chris B kept the speed high and by the last kickers up to Reinhard, Chris C was coming back. He still had a decent enough gap to make a sprint by himself and quite nearly pulled it off. From behind, Eric M, with Little T and Hunter P had jumped at the base of the hill and rolled thru a handful of guys in full gallop. Eric M pulled off leaving Hunter P to try to go around Little T, which wasn't going to happen. Jacinto also gave a good chase from his front row spot and Joe K was also there, late to the party with a strong charge.
    On the backside there were enough guys way up to try to start something. Hacker got things going by charging off the front of the chasers but the corner onto Peck is never a smooth one and it gave opportunity for it all to come back. Hacker still tried to roll on Peck, along with Gary from Central Wheel, Hunter P and Benje. The headwind was starting to bite and it kept things under control on the front. And that is the way it stayed all the way up to Route 10 and toward the Stop N Sprint. The headwind buffered any attempts to ride away, although there was still a small group of opportunists who had a tiny headstart on the sprint. Nuemotion took off from among them and was able to get the points. He only had to hold off Eric M, who jumped from a ways back, outside of the lead group.
      The ride back into Hamden was standard stuff with no surprises. There were some dark horse riders who led the charge ( Literally, they were dark. It was dark. Couldnt really see who was up the way ). And so tit was the way it ended... A small group of guys who duked it out. Maybe someone can fill in the blanks as to who took the final meters. Up the hill, however, there was no doubt that Chris B takes honors. He jumped away and flew up the hill, taking along Mountain Man and Joe K. MoMoney and Hunter P were also there but out of the action.

The miles are counted down from here on out..... 5:30 start next week.... Not 5:28, not 5:29.... 5:30

Tuesday the 18th

Rained out!

Heavy winds and the threat of rain meant that no one showed up for the ride tonight...
Well, no one in their right mind.... So that meant Yelle!Snoop and MoMoney were out and ready to rumble.