Tuesday the 13th

 The grand finale! (or is it???)

 

It all comes down to one more week of SGR. Oh sure, they'll be guys out at 5:30 next week but it will no doubt be a watered down, hold-onto-What-MTV-used-to-be type of ride.

The ride got going slowly as it has over the last couple of weeks. The first decent surge came from the Black brothers early on Mountain Road. They stretched it out a bit and softened up the legs. Dillon P and Joe K kept the pace going after that, but there were no attacks heading up to the light. The Brother Black were back at it on Moss farms with an initial acceleration that popped a couple guys. Then little T took off with an attack and went through the chicane alone. He held on to the gap all the way on to Marion but was collected by the chase shortly after that. Going into the industrial park. Dan Smith surged before the corner for West Johnson which got everybody at attention and going hard. Joe K. Chris C. Little T. Rusty, we're all up there. Hunter P. Attacked hard going up to the light on route 10 but it was red bringing everybody back together.

 

Dan Smith had another surge off the front before the ride got to the greenhouse climb. Behind him it was Joe K and Big Red chasing up the hill. Then Chris C took over but it was a bit too late and Dan was able to hang on to the sprint point. Behind, Little T went unchallenged for a second place and Noah Black came through and rounded out the podium. Dan would pull back and slow it down in the back roads between Cheshire and Hamden leading to a nice and mannerly ride back into Hamden for the finish. 

 

Smitty wasn't done yet and he attacked going into the final couple of kilometers. He held a gap on the downhill of Tuttle and toward the finish line but he was caught by a flying Little T and the Black Bros. Noah rolled in second followed by Aaron. Great ride everyone!

See you all at Cheshire Cross on October 29th!

Tuesday the 6th

 We're Going to have to Paint Lines on the Road!

The rides are dwindling down to the last couple. The group out tonight was about 17 riders strong. Got started slowly but then Noah Black was there to push the pace in the early back roads of Cheshire. The biggest noteworthy event tonight was Dillon and Hunter P escaping off the front by sliding through the light at route 68 and Mountain Road. 45 seconds earlier Dillon P had surged hard off the front with Hunter on his wheel. The pack was content to let them go but then regretted the decision after seeing the traffic light situation. Those two kept going in the break and meanwhile behind the peloton avoided having to wait for a full light cycle before getting going again. 

The chase was on in earnest and by the end of the industrial park, turning onto West Johnson, it was all coming back together. The ride stayed together from there. Going up the greenhouse climb, the pace was slower than normal. it was uneventful with no attacks. Hunter P led the group through the light At the top of the hill and then jumped early for the Sprint. He was able to hold off little T by inches. Going back into Hamden, Dan Smith put down a couple of attacks but going into the finale it was all together. Little T got payback and was able to take the Sprint by a country mile. Hunter P and Noah Black rolled in afterward.

Great ride everyone! See you at the New Haven Grand Prix Friday night! Look for Dan Dudzik in the dark corner at College and High Street, taking blinds on Ben Wolfe in the Pro race between cat calls to the Yale students walking by.

Tuesday the 30th

For BloodyNoraSakes GMSR is this Weekend!

After last week's rain out, there was a huge field out tonight. It was of the bigger groups of the year season. Great to see Marine and Inma crushing it out there for the women. They completed the entire ride with the pack. Impressive stuff.

It was also great to see Central Wheel Dennis back out in the group. It's been too long. Dennis. The pace was quick into the back roads of Cheshire with hacker. Joe K, Noah B, Erin Rand, and Thule Tom pushing it early on.

The pace stayed respectable but there was no attacks or breakaways all the way up to the light at route 68. On Moss Farms, Joe K and hacker each traded attacks off the front but each time Central Wheel or Aaron B pulled it back with the help of others. Little T fired it up going into the chicane and had a bit of a gap there but it all came back together for the run onto Mount Vernon. 

The tailwind helped the pack move along and there were no attacks all the way until the turnaround. Hacker, Steve B, and Joe K snuck away on Welch and those three looked to have a solid gap going into the sprint point. As soon as they turned right onto West Street the headwinds smacked them and brought them to a screeching halt. Behind Dan S Chris C, and Little T were winding it up and fighting their way into the headwind. The leaders would soon be swallowed up leaving Little T to jump for it ahead of Noah B and Steve B.

On the back side it all came back together and a couple of guys, Henk P, Thule Tom and Sean Maher all had chances to get off the front. Once hacker had recovered he was also back up there pushing it. Steve B and the Black Brothers kept it honest heading up to the route 10 crossing then on the other side. 

Steve B then attacked hard going up the hill on East Johnson. He got off the front, was joined briefly by Hunter P and those two stayed out there until the middle of the greenhouse climb. Steve B was eventually caught, setting up Dan S and Little T for the greenhouse sprint. This time Noah B came charging through at the last moment to get the sprint ahead of Little T.

From there the ride was standard and uneventful going back into Hamden. For the finale it was full guns blazing from Little T who Led out the Black brothers and was able to stay in In front of Noah B by a hair's margin. 

Great ride everyone! 

Tuesday the 23rd

 Rained out!

Tuesday the 16th

"I mean, I can't think of one good reason why I should, but... (takes a breath) I'm thirty-xxx years old, I have a wife, a child, and a mortgage, and I'm scared to death I'm turning into my father. 

Chris C: What's your f$(&#n father got to do with this? 

I never forgave him for getting old. By the time he was as old as I am now, he was ancient. He must have had dreams, but he never did anything about them. For all I know, he may have even heard voices, too, but he sure didn't listen to them. The man never did one spontaneous thing in all the years I knew him. Chris, I'm scared that that's what growing up means. I'm afraid of that happening to me. And something tells me this may be my last chance to do something about it."

So thus started night full of drama at the SGR. While a few of the regular strong guys were up at Rentschler Field being productive members of the cycling community, SGR went off in it's usual soap-operatic way. 

After a bunch of cracks off the front and attacks to the pack, the shenanigans started coming up to the light at the crossing of route 322. Brian Oliver and Steve B had only one thing on their minds, getting off the front. They attacked coming up to the light along with Dan S. They had only a small gap, and the light turned yellow well before they hit the intersection. The got thru and it was red as they were going underneath it. The peleton was just 15 meters back, and had to hold up. Dan Smith was on the break but a few bike length back. He was caught in the cross-hairs of the packs wrath and pulled up to stop at the other side. Steve B and Brian O looked back, and continued. 

Talk of disqualification ensued. As was shared shortly after the ride,"25 guys were directly behind them and that's a dangerous intersection. There could've been a car coming from the left or right at full speed through it. Sometimes there's gaps and yellow lights that are borderline to get through. This was a blatant run of the light as it turned red before they were under the light. I understand the allure to keep going but that's a different kind of intersection that needs a little more caution."

 We will leave it at that. 

Thankfully the pace, and the chase, got going and the two leaders were at a coupe of points in sight. off in the distance, but they were not going to be caught. Behind, Ben Bruce and Little T scooped up points at the remaining sprints.

 

Tuesday the 9th

Like Asking Superman to Race on Krypton

This week's ride went back to being a bit more low-key. A few guys were up at the Rent. Many of the guys at SGR were nursing tired legs from the Tour of Litchfield Hills two days prior. At rollout there were about 20. A couple more rolled in along the way on route 10. Alex D'Souza and a couple of the Mogodonon guys were back out. A new rider (Martin Szwarc?) was out there with Dan Smith. Also out and riding hard early on was Sean Maher. 

It was quiet at the front of the ride for the early parts. There were no attacks heading up to the first light. Erin Rand had a big pull on Mountain Rd that nearl split the pack in two. Then, Chris C had a dig off the front on Moss Farms. Ben Bruce was also patrolling the front during this time and there were a couple of minor moves with him and Sean M leading the charge. 

Heading over I84, Hunter P attacked and got a gap going to the light on 322 but it was red and everyone came back together. On the other side, Dan S was looking to roll clear but no one was willing to go with him. The next to have a go was Steve B, who attacked hard a ways away from Welch. Ben Bruce was along for that, and those two built up a decent gap by the hill to West St. Ben Bruce would come off the pace, allowing Steve B to charge on alone to the sprint. Little T jumped going into the corner, taking Hunter P with him. T stayed on the gas enough to go by Ben Bruce and cut into Steve's gap by quite a lot. He jumped for the sprint but Hunter P was able to come around him. Both passed Steve, who sat up early, mistaking the sprint line for too soon. He would have had it, so the commissaries will rule on this one to award the points. 

On the backside, it all came back together, although Chris C and Dan S looked like they wanted to try to escape going thru the lights near I84. From there, the ride settled down. Dan S, Erin Rand, Ben Bruce and Steve B would all try their hand at getting off the front again. There was a big push from CW on West Johnson, which shed a couple of guys, or put em in the box for the run-down East Johnson. 

Ben Bruce, Dan Smith, and Steve B were again lifting the pace on Cheshire St. The pack (now down to just 12 or so guys) split under the pressure. Little T crossed the gap, then Hunter P and that brought everyone back "on terms."

Heading up the Greenhouse climb, Dan S rolled off the front early and was allowed to go clear. The "sprinters" were too busy marking each other. Then Steve B launched it to bridge and he too was allowed to roll clear. Steve would catch Dan S right after the light and he had a little left in the tank to sprint, getting his revenge for the first sprint point. Behind Hunter P jumped first from the chase with Little T on his wheel. Those two came around Dan S. Hunter P stayed out in front to go across the line next. 

The ride back into Hamden started normal enough, but there was some drama to be had. Towards the end of Talmage Rd, Chris C had a bit of a gap. He was caught after the right turn. Going left onto Coleman, Ben Bruce, Dan S, and Erin Rand juiced it going into the hill. Erin Rand used the slingshot and put his head down to send it. Soon after, Estaban S went down as the group was consolidating and coming together. Everyone stopped to make sure he was ok. This allowed Erin to take the crown on the night. 

Great ride everyone! Remember, next week is World War Tuesday© at Rentschler Field. It is the final TNC of the season. There is full scoring and results at this race, and it's junior race night. It's also "Throwback Jersey Night." So everyone that can is encouraged to head up there to show support. All the "points" will be up there in East Hartford. This is the chance for the SGR crew to work together to bring home the trophy. Maybe Chris C will even ride around in the parking lot with us. The going bet is, however, that if he can't yell at anyone during a ride, his super power on the bike is gone like Sampson with his hair getting cut. 

Tuesday the 2nd

The Breakaway Nearly Drowns Out There!

There was a BIG turnout at SGR this week. The race at Rentschler Field took place on Thursday this week so more guys (and gals) were out in Hamden. It was great to see Inma, Grace, and Lisa visiting the ride. Together with Patsy, the women enjoyed a good ride. Until the skies opened up that is! 

It was HOT out, so the pace was not too much at the beginning. Hons was active for the CCR crew, along with Dillon P. Kevin M was in attendance, as well as Aaron B. Those two would animate the front of the ride as well. 

Little T and Hunter jumped the group at the chicane and the uphill to Marion. That put TF and Hons in a good place to counter going by the industrial park. They couldn't get that to stick, which lead to Hunter P attacking over the highway on the way to the light on 322. Kevin M followed that up with a big push off the front. Kevin M and Hunter P got to the light (which was green) with 20 meter gap to Big Red, Aaron B, and the sleeper of the night: Mike Frisk. That second group got under the yellow-changing-red light, and the pack, while it less than 50 meters behind, wisely stopped.

The leaders went to work on the gap, and the chase had to wait a full cycle. Once they got thru and onto Mount Vernon, it was game on. Everyone was chasing hard and working together to keep the pace up. The break was in sight as everyone barreled down Welch for the turnaround. Up front, into the headwind, Big Red put in a huge pull to get everyone over the crest, where they did not contest the sprint. Big Red and Frisk came off the pace. 

Behind, Little T was not going to go quietly. He jumped the front of the group in his usual spot and kept the pressure on long enough to catch the break as it descended towards the I84 interchange. He caught up with barely anyone from the peleton in sight. Impressive! 

From there, the four (Aaron, B, Little T, Hunter P, and Kevin M) worked well up until going over route 10 which is when Aaron B pulled off for good. The leading trio did not go for the rest of the sprints. They, along with everyone else, hit a wall of rain at the top of the Greenhouse climb. 

Back in the pack, riders scattered from there, with some going the full route back, some going to Stop n Shop fully soaked, and others some heading south on route 10. The rain stopped within 30 min and by 8:15 roads were dry again.