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!