Tuesday the 21st

The ride is back!

Cheshire Cycle hit the gas coming out of the parking lot and got a gap, but it was altogether by the turn-off of route ten. Things stayed pretty social, and even the stop signs were happily obeyed. Don't worry, in a couple of weeks, everyone will have finished growing a pair, and the ride can get back to its normal self.

Mountain Road where things heated up a bit. Dillon P and Steffen H, fresh off a successful off-season Zwift campaign, were up front pushing the pace. The dark pink jerseys from the magenta express were up there as well.

Onto Moss Farms where Little T led it off very quickly. He was immediately attacked by Steve B and a couple of other CW riders. Sean M, fresh off slapping around the newbs at Frozen Four was pushing the pace as well. The chance for a real split in the peleton was there but it all came together at the stop sign by the chicane as cars were passing through.

Little T had a strong dig up heading up Jarvis and he maintained that gap as the pack went into the industrial park. Steve B was next to jump but held up a bit to be sure for the correct corner to take. He was caught right at the right turn up W Johnson. The pace started high there, but then slowed a bit on the other side of route 10. A few guys were attacking here and there but nothing the pack couldn't handle. The most significant move came from Turner French, who struck out on his own. There wasn't much of a reaction from the group as there were lots of hard efforts stinging the legs prior to the dreaded Greenhouse climb. The pack closed in a bit and then Little T jumped from a good ways out for the sign. Steve B jumped with him. T was clipping at Turner's heels, but he held him off by a few feet, with Steve B coming in at third.

Fast forward to the end; the run-in was fast and steady. Dillon P was the first to jump for the final sprint, which dragged Noah B out and Little T right behind him. Little T crested the bump first and held off the rest. Noah B was second. If anyone had eyes on who rolled in at 3rd, leave it in the comments.

Great ride everyone!!!

Tuesday the 27th

 Just when you thought it was done, it Ain't!

The ride moved to 5:30 PM for the night. Unfortunately a couple of guys showed up at 6 PM and were left wondering what could have been. Call or txt Chris C and let him know your feeling on the subject. His phone number is 860- (no just kidding we would never do that)

The short loop is proving to be shorter but not easier. Tons of attacks and chasing guys down tonight. Nobody wants to miss out and everyone is looking to capitalize on the efforts of others in hopes to counter attack while they're gasping for air. Little T attacked on the second half of the Cheshire St hill climb in hopes to surprise the usual suspects. He was quickly joined by Dan S and Steve B. Dan jumped just past the light. Steve B put in a dig to catch, then faked em out with an in-the saddle sprint which prompted Dan S to go again. Little T responded, and jumped on Dan's wheel and was able to hold off Steve B.

 

That was the most exciting part of an exciting night! Heading back into Hamden, there were more small attacks but nothing stuck. Dan S tried to get away to no avail and T took the final sprint as SGR  commingled with the New Haven Bike Club in the run in to the finale making things a little bit interesting. 

Next week?

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.