Ride recap!
Tuesday the 25th
Everyone is excited to be back together as one big happy family!
With there being no race up in East Hartford, it was back to 2011-like numbers at SGR tonight!
It was great to see a couple of the Essex crew back out again. Guess they weren't completely scared off after last week. Out of the gate,Big Red and Aaron B were ready to go. Once off route 10 the ride was a bit slow to get going though. Soon enough, the pace got going behind Wild Bill, Dillon P, Steve Grey, a rider from Class Cycles, along with others.
Aaron B pushed the pace up the early parts of the Mountain Rd, and no one went with him. He had a bit of a gap when Wild Bill jumped to bridge, and then Hunter P which created a dangerous trio off the front, and the rest of the pack got to chasing hard. The break had 200 meters at one point, but it started to come back as everyone drew close to the light on route 68/70. The light was red, and it was grouppo compacto.
Onto Moss Farms, where the Body Over Bikes guys pushed it thru the corner, along with Hacker, Chris C, The Sernyak, Hunter P, Steve B, and Aaron B. The reaction was quick from the pack, and it came back together soon after. Hacker jumped and attacked once more, taking along Kevin M and Rich N. Traffic at the 4-way intersection brought it all back together. Going up to Marion, Little T jumped along with Dillon P, but that fell apart a little way up the road as Bill Clark, Scala, Aaron B, Costa Rica John, and a couple of others chased hard.
Then Aaron B led off the front with Kevin M and Hutner P. That stretched it out as the ride came up to the light on 322. The light was green but there was a trailer that wasn't turning right away, which caused a problem when everyone shot thru on the far right. The leaders in the pack were in a tough spot. Slamming on the brakes when the whole pack saw green could have caused a pileup. So slipping thru as best as possible was probably the only option.
Four riders got thru first and then kept the hammer down. Steve B, Rich N, Turner French and Steve Grey. That group got to work heading onto Mount Vernon.
Back in the pack, CW and BoB took care of early pace-setting, but it was a bit short of a full-on chase. Wild Bill then hit the front, then Joe K, then Costa Rica John and Aaron B. That got the pace going. More tricky riding around a UPS truck by Mount Southington slowed everyone down, giving the break a few more minutes.
Up front, Steve B was setting a big pace, and as the break hit the false flat section on Mount Vernon, Turner French and Rich N were dropping off the pace. The two up front stayed on it though. Wild Bill put in another dig as the pack rolled thru the false flat section. Xander Beck and Hacker also pushed the pace, which brought the gap back to the two leaders. Before the catch was made, there were some shenanigans from Aaron B, Erin Rand, Hunter P, and Costa Rica John, but the bullets were spent by the time the two leaders came back for good.
As everyone reshuffled, there was a big surge from Class Cycles, Costa Rica John, Wild Bill, and Hunter P. That let Noah Black slip off the front going the corner for Welch, and the pack let him roll. Aaron B tried to encourage a bit of a chase as everyone got close to the uphill corner, but overall it was mellow. Then Little T jumped for at the base of the hill, Steve Grey jumped, Costa Rica John, Aaron B, Kevin M, HUnter P, Hacker, and Steve B all jumped as well. Noah was caught, Kevin M kept chasing, and LIttle T led everyone out into the wind. Aaron B jumped first for the sprint, but Costa Rica John was able to stay with him and then scoot around for the sprint with Hunter P rolling in behind.
The front group of sprinters kept on it and then caught a green light. They got held up at the next light though, which gave the pack a chance to catch back. Chris C gave someone an ear full, but most didnt know what he was talking about, which often would qualify as senility. Then Chris was trash-talking Mike Hons, mistaking him as Hunter P, which is also a sign of you-know-what.
Everyone stayed together heading back into Cheshire. Bill Clark, the Sernyak, and one other tried to sneak off the front but no dice. The pace stayed calm all the way to the base of the greenhouse climb. Costa Rica John was the first to jump on the climb. Then the pace slowed down a bit as no one was eager to test themselves into the wind. Evan B rolled off the front briefly, then Mike Williams and Steve B punched it. That got the pace going up the rest of the climb but the light was red at the top. Costa Rica John, Aaron B, Hons and Hunter P jumped hard on green, then Little T started the sprint from a ways back. Aaron B then jumped with Hunter P behind. Aaron sat up after passing T, giving Hunter P the sprint.
There were the usual attacks on Coleman and Boulder but nothing stuck. Billy Clark, hit the front, then Wild Bill, then Costa Rica John, then Hunter P with Scala on the early uphill of Tuttle. It was all together, though by the downhill on Tuttle. For the finale, Little T took the sprint in front of the usual crew.
Tuesday the 18th
Most of the fast guys were notably absent (the first rentscheler field race was tonight)
It was great to see a bunch of riders from the famous Friday Morning Throwdown in Chester.
The ride? It was more steady than usual, and Little T took all three sprints.
Tuesday the 11th
Chris C is back, let's raise his blood pressure!
The ride was spicy early on thanks to Wild Bill and Hunter P who attacked hard in the first couple miles and kept the gap going until North Brooksville. After they got caught the ride turned on to Mountain Rd and it stayed together all the way to the end. Hunter P and Aaron B tried to sneak off the front, but the two were held up at the red light. Soon after the ride turned down to Moss Farms hacker took off the front along with Steve B and a couple of others. They had a little bit of a gap heading into the chicane, but when Kieran age and Aaron B made a move to jump across up the hill to Marion, the rest of the field followed. Heading up to the light on route 322 Chris B jumped off the front and had a good gap. Everyone was content to let him take a chance at the light, but it was red as well. Onto Mount Vernon, where Rich N, Aaron B, Steve B, Nic V, and one or two others had a small gap early on. It only lasted a short time. The group started to break up and the chase was soon upon them.
To pace stayed high all the way down Mount Vernon and onto Welch Rd. The Body over bike guys, Big Red, and Wild Bill kept the pace high there. Little T jumped off the front early, before the corner, and had a small gap heading through the corner. Steve B, Hunter P, Hacker, Aaron B, and a couple of others were right there chasing. Little T was caught soon after, and then Chris C made his way through the pack and led it out. Aaron B jumped hard and was able to get the sprint uncontested. On the backside it all came together and of course there was a couple of red lights that slowed everybody down. Hunter P jumped hard with Hacker once all the lights were past but there were enough guys to respond, plus a light up the road was red. Onto Atwater street where Scala surged off the front, taking Hunter P with him. Those two created a gap that Thule Tom, Kevin Mullally, and Steve B fought hard to chase back. That group of five held the gap all the way to the light going back over 322, and they came within moments of getting it green. Hunter P and Scala held up at the last moment, with the pack bearing down on them. It was one of the few moments of responsible riding all night long.
Scala was back at it on West Johnson avenue, where he tried to attack before the light on Route 10. He drew out a couple others and those had a slim chance at the light but alas it was red. The ride ripped across East Johnson avenue and then on to Cheshire Street. Gibertoni and Steve B tried to have a go off the front but the pack goes downhill much too fast.
Onto the greenhouse climb where the usual characters jumped off the front early on. Kieran H was the first to go, and he took along Little T, Aaron B, Scala, Steve B, and a couple of others. Behind them, the response came from The Sernyak, the rest of the Body Over Bike guys, Turner French, Alex D, Rosey, and Chris C. Guys played musical chairs between the groups all the way up the hill. Some moved up, some moved back. It came down to Hacker, Aaron B, Keiran H, Little T nursing a short gap that was falling to the chase as they all came up to the light. The light was red is red gets but the group charged through all the same. Behind the chase was led by Turner French, Hunter P, Steve Grey, and a couple of other guys. Everyone went through the light as a pickup truck was heading up through the intersection.
Blatant foul on this one so no one in the front group gets credit or points for the sprint. Be careful everyone! It's one thing to go through a light that just turned red with stopped traffic aside. It's a totally different matter to lead the whole pack through a light that's been red for 5 seconds.
To add insult to injury, the next light up the road at route 68 was red, and Gibertoni and Hunter P rolled that one. In their defense, the driver slowed for the corner and waved them through.
The rest of the ride was quick but there was little activity or attacking off the front. There was a small break on something something street. Steve B, Hunter Thule Tom, and a couple of others pushed off the front but it didn't go very far. Charging down the hill to final km, Aaron B rolled off the front but that also didn't get anywhere. It all came down to the usual 10 guys jostling around for position in the final kilometer and in the end it was Little T sprinting around Aaron B for the final line.
A messy but fun ride. Next week the sleeping giant gets a bit of respite as the CCAPs Tuesday night training series starts up in East Hartford. No doubt many SGR riders will be getting their actual race on up there at Renschler Field.
Tuesday the 4th
What's that quiet sound?
Great ride tonight everyone!
Steve B gets the big balls award. He got the light on 322 and stuck it out off the front for the whole way of Mount Vernon. The pack behind had to wait at the light forever. Steve managed to stay out front long enough to get the sprint point after Welch. A-A-Ron and Hunter got the rest of the point.
Keiran almost nabbbed victory at the second sprint, but A-A-Ron tracked him down.
A-A-Ron managed to get the final sprint as well.
We hope Chris C gets better quickly!
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