Tuesday the 23rd

North Winds + First Long Loop = Weird ride.

    Don't put the fleece away just yet kids. Winter makes a comeback for the SG ride tonight. The crowd was a little on the light side due to the weather but once the ride got going everyone seemed to forget about it. Once the roads opened up on the way north, the winds kicked in and slowed the ride down quick smart. Chris C was one of the first to attack for the night along with Guido and Hunter P, but the Yalies tracked that down faster than a Chinese Zombie. From there the Yalies, Hacker, Chris C, the usuals. all tried their hand at lifting the pace and getting a gap but the rest of the ride wouldn't have it.

     Moving onto Mtn rd, Little T jumped up and away and a PCCW went with him ( Paul Casey ) Chris C and Tall John also made their way up there but again, the gap was closed before long. Moss Farms was again Hacker's launch pad, this time he was joined by a couple of riders before Yalie Matt and Nicky G started the chase/bridge. That brought the ride back to gruppo compacto but it still managed to be strung out going in the Chicane. Coming out of the chicane, some drifting bikes, surging riders, and overlapped wheels made Guido pull out the cyclocross moves as he went grass-ward to avoid going down in the high speed corner. He had to wait for the pack to pass before getting back on the road and was dropped in a blink of an eye. But no one got hurt....

     The ride was sedate for a while after that. Lot's of guys punching into the wind but it was like riding thru a quicksand wall. There was no beating it. Little T tried again on the start of Mount Vernon. Chris C was up there too. Thomaas B could be seen along with Todd H up front. As the false flat on Mount Vernon came up, the Bandana Bandit from Central wheel took off, but was swallowed up after burning matches out in the wind. There was times when the ride was getting downright slow. The gutter-to-gutter wind dodging made for some tense moments but everyone stayed upright.

     Heading to the turn-around, Hacker lifted the pace with a few hundred meters before the corner, but was promptly joined by everyone and their mother. He kept on it after making the turn onto Welch and this time took a gap and went ot work on it. Behind, the Yalies played musical chairs with the front of the chase, trying to decide if they would chase, bridge, counter, or a mystery fourth option. The pace stayed high, stringing the field out as the next corner came up, yet Hacker held a 50 meter gap as the hill kicked in. Greg Ciocci ( good to see him back on the ride, despite the weird view he gave everyone on his wheel ) was the first to jump off the front in earnest. Chris C was next along with Hunter P. Ciocci was burnt up a little ways after the corner onto West St, leaving Chris C to take over the chase. Hacker kept his gap up front. Despite a monster pull from Chris C, giving Yalie Spence and Hunter P a great leadout, Hacker made it to the mailbox first by a few feet, proving a near do-as-he-pleases strength.

     On the backside, the Yalies smelled a chance, were pretty much all accounted for, and had Hacker to help, so that made a group of about 5 racing to get the jump on the rest of the ride. Red lights going over 84 stopped that from being the case though.

     Once past the double corner and light, it was Tall John, Hacker, a couple of Yalies, A couple of Central Wheels, and maybe one other that jumped with the help of the now vigorous tailwind. Their efforts split the field for a bit with Chris C, Todd H, Thomaas B and Joe K making the jump up on the hill going underneath the highway. The subsequent speed was high. The front group was going balls out for the the light, which turned green at the last moment. There was a car waiting to go there at the intersection, forcing the group to squeeze right. There was some gravel in the road and when Hacker hit the brakes hard, he went over the bars. Everyone stopped to make sure he was ok. No real damage it seemed. The Scott Foil ( available at Cheshire Cycle ) was also no worse for wear, despite being flipped on itself.

     The ride slowly got going after that. It wasnt until well onto Peck Ln that the pace went up again. Chris C and Hunter P took off with a gap that they held to the top of the hill on Route 10 by Cheshire Park. They got caught up by a red light, giving the field a chance to erase any difference. From there it was just fast riding up front. Hacker, apparently not phased by his incident, tore off the front along with some Yalies ( Spence, Nick G... The 2 most dangerous ivy leaguers? ). This time, Elm City showed solidarity, working togother to stay off the hard charging field. Hacker was given a great leadout and easily rung up #2 on the night.

    Behind, there were a couple of guys who tried to close the gap but it was too little too late. Little T found himself up front enough to join the leaders and when the peleton slowed a bit for red light in the center of Cheshire, it was game on for the front group. They would be gifted another red light to the peleton by the high school and it was pretty much game over by then. 2 Yalies, the Bandana Bandit, Little T and Hacker up front with a tail wind is pretty tough to top.

      The field would try. Guido drove hard once past into Hamden, Chris C, Chris B and a couple others as well. But it was all in vain as up front the pace was high enough to dispatch the Central Wheel rider en route to the final kilo, where Little T went over the top of Hacker, keeping him from the Hat trick. A couple of guys went up the hill for the tough finish. Blah blah blah.

    Good ride everyone. Let's use a little more care next week eh? We are all of course just riding for fun right?....  right?...................

Tuesday the 16th

    The rain clouds parted in time for the ride tonight. Attendance was light but a tailwind got everyone going up route 10 and into Cheshire nice and quick. Amoung the early instigators were Tall John, Guido ( good to see him back in action ), and Yalie Nicky G. Crowle and Hacker would also get involed ealry on. Yalie Spence would also chip in. The Yalies in general continued to leave their stamp on the ride. Getting in as much rivot-turning before the graduate and move to some loserville that doesn't have a ride like the SG.
    Even when one of the Yalies got a flat on Mount Sanford ( name?) the others just kept motoring along. The hard early pace let Hacker, Larry M, Special Ed, Mike Mc G, and Chris C ride off the front on the run into Mountain rd. It took a little while but the field would eventually get their act together and start to close the gap halfway down Mountain Rd. The speed up front, plus the chase behind led to a small spit in the peleton as the light came up. The light went green in time and Hacker blitzed the front but there was enough of a slow down to let everything come back together completely. Hacker however would take a small gap onto Moss Farms. Larry M got hit with a flat and had to drop out as the field was chasing Hacker. The Professor was out for blood tonight. Frustrated with missing the podium at Battenkill, he was taking it out on the SG field. He held a gap down Moss Farms as one of the Yalies and Chris C would bridge up and join him. Behind the strong men were up front keeping tempo. Hacker and the 2 guys with him would hit the chicane and riser toward Marion with 50 meters on the rest. Yalie Spence and Hunter P jumped hard across the gap taking along Mike McG, the Full Nalini and a couple of others. Hacker wouldn't let up so that led to a trio ( Hacker, Chris C, Special Ed ) off the front and charging hard all the way to the industrial park. Mike McG and Hunter P would close the gap, but not until 700 meters into the industrial park. Behind them the field was scrambling and keeping the gap tight. It was all back together by the corner for West Johnson. But there was a window for Little T to jump. He did, taking a small gap up the risers on West Johnson.
      Little T would keep on the thottle. It took a few seconds for the response to come, but soon Yalies, Mike McG, Chris C, Weaver, Guido and others were sprinting up the hills in order to close the gap. Little T would hit the corner for Reinhart with about 10 seconds. Chris B had separated himself from the front of the field, this time with Hacker right on his six. Behind those 3 riders, it was single file as guys were starting to go backwards with the hill and the headwind starting to bite. Little T sprinted, but it wasnt a full-speed sprint given the near kilo off-the-front time he just put in. Meanwhile, Hacker had been sitting on and came off Chris B's wheel with plenty of time to roll past T and hit the corner first. Well behind, Jacinto jumped off the front quickly and was able to roll round everyone else to get to the corner second.
      On the backside Weaver would try to continue the assault along with Jacinto and Hacker but by the middle of Peck ln it was all together. From that point to the run-in to Stop n Shop, there was plenty of guys up front. Lot's of new strong legs in the field this year... Too many to try to ID. Given the right chance, there are a bunch of guys would could make each and every ride interesting with some well timed, go-for-broke style attacks. They no doubt will come as the spring goes on and ball-hair has a chance to grow in a bit.
     Anyway,  Hacker and Weaver had still managed to keep the gap going toward the run-in to the Stop n Shop Sprint. They scooted thru a green light that went red for the field and it was pretty much signed and sealed at that point. Still, within the field, no one was surprised when the 2 yalies lit it up right after the light. Mike McG also chipped in but up the road, Hacker was able to get the prize and go an impressive 2 for 2 on the night.
     The regular faces were up front for the ride back into Hamden. For the final Kilo, after some shuffling, reshuffling and some more shuffling, Jacinto tore thru the final 3 guys no problem to get to the end first. Up the hill MoMoney caught Weaver with Hunter P and Chris B in tow. Chris B stomped his way past all others toward the end of the climb and takes the final consolation prize.

Tuesday the 9th

Glorious day....Glorious day.....

    Full field out for the ride tonight. Plenty of girls ( though we still are missing Robyn ), lot's of youngsters, gents, students and punks ( though we are still missing Rondo ). The ride started off pretty tranquil and it was good to see American Casey out directing traffic once again. No one was in much of a rush. Everyone was probably too busy lathering up each others cooters with the special Battenkill Brand® Can't–Go–Too-Hard vag cream. The squirrel, the Full Nalini and Jacinto got things going with a timed attack heading into the crap raod section. Joe K, Mike McG and Dillon P were there to keep tempo and round it all back up. From there the pace was brisk up to Mountain Rd. Mike McG took a power washer to the privates on the initial hill up Mountain Rd. MoMoney and Hunter P latched on and it was a sexy 3-some up the road banging hard and going away. Neon-Boots-Yalie bridged up, making it even more dangerous. That got things going in the field and Chris C finally got to work along with Hacker., Little T and a couple of others. It was all together coming into the red light on Route 68\70
    Once onto Moss Farms, Half of the CCB Toss-up took to the front along with Todd H and a couple of others. They never got very far though and it was once again The Gibertoni sewing things back up heading into the Chicane. CCB, MoMoney, Hunter P, Mike McG, Danbury Audi and a couple of others kept the pace high going into the Industrial park. Once everyone rounded the corner onto West Johson, it was CCB, Chris C, Nuemotion and a few more punching it. That turned into Mike McG and CCB off the front and charging up to Reinhard with the peleton close behind but holding the leash. Traffic at the 4 way intersection slowed the escapees and the peleton so it was offsetting fouls. Once it was all together CCB missed the turn onto Reinhard ( doh ) but everyone was right there. Hacker jumped on the very first incline on Reinhard and was allowed to go. Chris the-Badger Butler punched it was soon up to the Hacker's wheel. Hacker led it out and Chris B was able to soundly come up and over to get the sprint as Little T and maybe 1 other tried to cover the gap but were waaaaaaay behind.
    Chris B kept up the pace of course on the backside, holding a gap till the top of Peck Lane when Hunter P jumped up to bridge. Tall John responded to that, sewing up everyone. From there it was as expected heading back onto Route 10 and up the hill.
    The group got green lights heading into the sprint. That didnt stop Mike McG from trying early on to get a gap but it didn’t happen. As the speed was slowly ramping up, but still 500+ meters from the sprint, Chris B jumped off the front. He went all-in with the small gap and hit the base of the hill with a solid gap as Jacinto jumped from the field with Little T,  Hacker and Hunter P on his wheel. Chris B clung to dear life the whole way up as Little T slowly came round. It was too close to call with Butler getting the Big-balls-brownie-points. If the line is the cross street it was Chris'. If it is the light it was T's. Good job to all as a speed record was set for the section according to Strava.
    From there the ride was normal. Heading into the finale it first looked like it was all Nalini and Professor. But Nalini faded and Mike McG hung tough, tractor-beaming Little T up to pouncing distance. Hacker gets DQ'd by a jury of his peers due to standing up aplenty in that kilo which means the sit-n-sprint goes to Little T. Up the hill went Mountain Man, Hunter P, MoMoney, Monty B, the Gibertoni, Rory D, even Little T paperboy-ed his way up after taking the second-to-the-last prize. Hunter P got to the top first and this recap has broken records for the most-dashes-ever.
Great ride everyone! Best wishes to all the Battenkillers. Don't go too hard and be too tired for next Tuesday.

Tuesday the 2nd

Who's schooling who?

The Sleeping Giant Ride rolled into its 2nd proper week with a vengeance. The winds were pouring in from every ol direction which made for some interesting opening miles. As soon as the ride turned off route Chris C was the first to jump, taking along Hunter P, Mike McG and a couple of others. The Yalies were out again, 3 or 4 of them depending on who you ask and if riding a CX bike matters to you. Early gaps started to form when the Yalies ( White Cervelo? White\blk Specialized? Names? ) would punch it after chasing down repeated pedal molesting attempts from Chris C. Def a few guys getting spit out on the run into Mountain Rd….. And it wasn’t even getting started yet.
    Once onto Mountain Rd, Chris C hit it hard again, taking with him Hunter P, the Full Nalini and the Yalies on the White Cervelo. That 4 got a gap that stuck for a little while and looked like it could take more but lack of team work let the peleton catch back with enough time to reshuffle the deck before the light.
    After the light, onto Moss Farms, Chris C hit it again, this time with Thomaas B and 2 Yalies. That group would also get a bit of a gap before being joined by The Gilbertoni, making it 5 heading into the Chicane. It would all come back together on the rise toward Marion as the other Chris ( Butler ), Mike McG and Hunter P sewed things back up. Chris B and Hunter P would try to tear off a new gap but no one was having it and it was all together heading into the industrial park. The New Haveners were still at it, trying to ride away ( sometimes down the wrong road ) and in the process, keeping the pace high as everyone was doing battle with the wind.
    Once onto West Johnson. Chris C would try again to get things going but it stayed together all the way up to Reinhard. White\blk Specialized was one of the first ones to get the sprint going along with Steve Grey ( Gray…. Whichever ). It was all soon an after thought though as Little T and Hunter P were winding it up and lighting it up. T started it with Hunter P right there and in position to come around with room to spare. On the backside, Chris B tried to sneak away on the lead-in to Peck lane, but there was plenty of bodies to pick up the slack. Up the way on Peck, a small group mashed its way of fthe front ( Yalies, Steve G, Mike McG, Todd H, Chris C, etc ) but Silent Steve, Hunter P, the Full Nalini were there to wrap it all back up by the turn onto Route 10. Chris C, Todd H, and a couple others kept it going on route 10 and there were some more small gaps that opened and needed covering. A red light before the run-in to the sprint stopped all. Well actually, 2 guys ( who usually don’t need headstarts to get gaps ) jumped the red light and got the old “Disqualified” cause of it. When the light went green, Thomaas B, Jacinto, a dude on a CX bike with tires that embarrassed the rest of us, and a Yalies or 2 jumped right on it. Even thought the peleton was pretty quick to get moving again, the group was quicker, and getting farther up the road. Jacinto jumped from his spot as the others were getting redlined and took the Stop n Shop sprint uncontested.
    From there, back into Hamden, the group had to stop at nearly every light, which made for an uneventful end. The last kilo was all Nalini and White Cervelo, as the 2 duked it out with the Full Nalini getting the last laugh. No one of note when up the hill for the real man’s finish.

Great ride everyone! Let’s be even sneakier and faster next week!

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