Tuesday the 16th

 The Raspberry Rush Keeps the Pressure On

The weather was great for the ride tonight, and there was a solid-sized group out tonight.

Early on, there were a few guys that tried to get off the front. Dillon P was pushing off the pace. He was joined by Tom Krol and at another instance, Nate Belke from New Haven Angels.

Then it started getting real, with Brian O attacking a couple of times in the first 20 min of the ride. When he went, the other Magenta guys would stop and admire for a bit, then go about figuring out who was going to go next. CBrits shot off one or twice. Steve B tried. Turner French also,  but each time that set off the front 1/4 of the pack and just served to ramp up the pace.

Onto Moss Farm, where Turner French launched it as soon as he could. Hunter P and Steve B went with it, and once again, the stronger riders in the pack responded quickly. Sean Maher and Hacker foremost and urgently chasing. The attack was caught but Turner kept on it. He rolled through the chicane and up onto Marion with a 50-meter gap. Behind a chase group was forming with Hacker, Hunter P, Steve B and a couple of others. Sean M took to the front and closed the gap down a bunch, and then Brian O jumped but it was all coming back together at the light. Turner was held up as well.

As soon as the ride got going again, Brian O surged off the front along with Ben Bruce, Hacker, and Sean M. That trio had the blessing from the five families to go clear. Steve B jumped across the gap as the ride turned left onto Mount Vernon. He would eventually make the bridge up to the group. The peloton behind waited to see what would happen, and nothing did. The break would ride clear and stay clear, at least from the rest.

Later on, just past the Greenhouse climb, Steve B attacked the group. Hacker responded, taking Brian O with him. Sean M and Ben fell off, and that is the order they all finished on the night. 

Next week, the long loop returns, and with it, more opportunities for everyone else to practice their spectating skills!

Tuesday the 9th

The Ride Gets Going, and So Does the Break

The first big ride of the year, featuring perfect weather and more than 35 riders out. This one was wrapped up early on. Turner French, Hacker and Chris C rolled off the front on Moss Farms and stuck the landing. 

They stayed off the front for the reminder of the ride. TF did the lions share of the work pushing the break and there was no sprinting or attacking within the trio. 

Behind, the pace was decent, but a couple of teams were playing defense for the break.

Tuesday the 2nd

rain rain rain.
today the ride was rained out.

Tuesday the 26th

Steve B takes the sprint solo, and Turner French takes the finale with a group split by late attacks.

Tuesday the 19th

More Team Dynamics = More Successful Breaks

Turner French and Chris C rolled off a gap early on and were allowed to roll clear.

Tuesday the 12th

 SGR is back in action!

There was a decent turnout for SGR#1 (short loop edition), with about 25-30 riders at the start. Naturally, the Central Wheelies (Wheelers, Wheelites?) had the numbers forming about 1/3 of the group at the start and about 1/2 by the end.

The pace at the beginning was pretty reasonable. Everyone seemed in good spirits and the weather was about as perfect as you could hope for, especially for mid-March in New England.

Many of the guys out tonight were getting the outdoor bikes back into shape, and there were many mechanical issues to be had. Right at the start, on the ride up Rt. 10, there was a loud clang in the back and someone commented that (apparently) Soft-spoken Paul's wheel had broken a spoke. Heading up to Mountain Road, Rusty's gear kept slipping and catching and he had to grind up the short little hills for a bit. And on the ride down Cheshire Road, TK broke his saddle and had to ride the rest of the way either standing or gently perched on it - avoiding any potholes, of which there are aplenty. (If you follow him on Strava, you can see his picture.) And there were several of us with very squeaky chains and rubbing gears. Christian D's high-pitched chain was a contender for the most annoying but that's probably because he (and probably everyone else) heard it the whole ride. And no, he won't be pouring vegetable oil on the chain as a CW rider begrudgingly suggested, but he will use some chain lube (for the first time in about 4 months) or maybe it's time to wax that sucker.

As mentioned, in the first half, there were a few attempts at breakaways, but they were either brought back pretty quickly or thwarted by a traffic light. It seemed Central Wheel would have a rider attack while the rest helped block. But Crowell and his CVC cronies along with some of the CCR regulars did the necessary work to bring those back. Some of us just were happy to sit in the pack and watch the fireworks unfold.

We shed a few riders along the way, but it was pretty much gruppo compacto as we turned onto Cheshire Road. Just a bit down Cheshire Road, Turner F. from Central Wheel attacked. Up until then, Steffen H. from CCR had not done any attacks but had been willing to help bring breakaways back only to have someone counter attack once they bridged back up. Having had enough of that, the big German jumped on Turner's wheel and the two of them sped off. The CW squad did their usual tactic of riding in the front at a tempo pace blocking any half-hearted attacks. The CCR boys weren't going to help with the chase, leaving it mostly up to the CVC riders.

Either they didn't have the legs, were recovering after the last chase, or didn't think the two of them would last very long, but they let them go. And we all watched as the two of them rode off into the sunset never to be caught again.

Not for a lack of trying. Once the lead had built up quite a bit, going up to the Greenhouse sprint, there was a small breakaway group that included Little T, Crowell, and some CW riders. Little T won the intermediate sprint for third place. For anyone keeping score for the season, the jury is out on who won first, but since Steffen H. commented that Turner held up on that climb to let him rejoin, the money is on Turner getting first and Steffen second.

The chase continued down the Cheshire/Wallingford border while the grupetto now down to about 10 riders at best gently and without any urgency pursued the leaders.

In the final sprint, Turner got first, Steffen second, and a bit further back, Little T outnumbered by a crew of CW riders again was the best of the rest for third place. And for anyone worried, TK delicately made it with the back of the main field on his broken saddle - the darkness made it that much harder to avoid the potholes.

Enjoy the weather folks! Hopefully, next week is as nice and has an even bigger turnout. The days are getting longer!

Tuesday the 12th

The Days are Numbered
 

September is here to to stay and that means that this week was time foe a shortened loop. NHGP is this Friday which meant it was dress rehearsal for a couple of the SGR riders that are taking to the start line in Downtown New Haven. 

After the ride left route 10, Jason Williams at the front pushing the pace. Turner F and Sean M as well. The ride proceeded on though without much incident and the pace was normal. At one point there both Tom K and Tom C were out in front by few meters. The two Toms were brought back by Turner F, Hunter P and Big Red.  

Halfway down Mountain Rd, Dan Smith attacked and got a gap. Turner went to the front and brought it back over a minute or two. When the catch was made, Hunter P counter-attacked and created a gap going towards the light. 6 or 7 reacted quickly enough that they were close, and closing in, by the intersection. The light was green for the approach, then yellow with 30 meters to go. Hunter P had a (shrinking) gap and went through just after it turned red. Behind Matt Z was a bike length or two off the front of the chase and 4 or 5 bikes behind HunterP. Sensing what was about to happen, he had jumped to get across, or at least jumped to make some room from the Rest. The Rest slammed on the brakes. The remaining 10 or so riders of the peleton were 2 seconds behind and everyone had their foot down in a few moments. 

Matt Z and Hunter P held their gap all the way to the Greenhouse Climb.

Behind the pack had some good efforts, but occasional attacks hurt the rhythm of the chase. Chris C would drop his chain near the industrial park. Sean M stopped with him, and those two would shortcut back on to the ride as it came back south.

As everyone hit the Greenhouse climb, from certain angles the two up front could be seen off in the distance. Little T attacked right from the bottom. Sean C went with him initially. Soon Sean M and Turner F bridged up, making it 4 on the early slopes. The pace was pulling back Matt and Hunter P.

Everyone in the chase traded attacks and the gap steam-rolled shut. Sean C attack. Turner attacked, then Little T jumped the last bit to close it down. Up front. Hunter P was pulling all the way to make sure the two would make it to the sprint line. They did, and Matt Z rolled through the line first, followed by Hunter P and then Little T. It all came back together after that, including the rest of the peleton.

From there on in, it was hard riding all the way in. Little T gave Sean C a lead out for the final sprint. T jumped from the last intersection, up and over the first riser. Sean Cahill was able to jump to take it. Behind, TC 2nd, and Big Red rolled over the line in 3rd.

Great ride everyone!