Welcome to the Sleeping Giant Ride... 2014!
The Winter That Never Dies let down its guard a bit tonight and allowed for a great first ride of the season. The early departure time meant that the number of guys out tonight was on the light side. Maybe 15 rolled out and headed north to see what awaited them.
Right from the get-go, Chris C and Mike McG made it clear that the ride would be crisp. They kept the pace up thru the first few miles off route 10 along with help from Joe K, and Hunter P. The first real dig came after the comer onto North Brooksvlae, where Mike McG and Chris C started getting a gap open. A new guy in a Berlin Bike jersey (Rob) and the Gibertoni sewed it up as the small group headed toward Mountain Rd. There were a couple of early surges on Mountain Rd that ended up splitting a small group off the front. Mike McG, Joe K, Jacinto, Hunter P, Chris C and Rob. They charged on as the rest of the peleton, only about 8 or 9 riders, couldnt find the ponies to bridge the gap. The light on route 68/70 was red or else the lead group would have going going gone.
The back-together-peleton cruised down Moss Farms without much fanfare. Ditto for up the hill onto Marion and into the industrial park. Turning onto West Johnson, Chris C jumped and was allowed to go free. As soon as the climbing ended, Joe K and Mike McG went to closing it down. Chris Sailed thru the four-way intersection while the group had to pause. That allowed the gap to go up a bit but soon after, Joe K was beating down the door to catch the front. He brought the gap to a handful of meters and Mike McG and Jacinto were easily able to take the rest and by the corner for Reinhard, those 2 were going up and past to by themselves. Mike McG let Jacinto roll thru the sprint point first as Chris C and Hunter P slowly were creeping back up to them by the time the corner came up.
The 4 kept the pressure up and the already sizable gap to the rest went even further out. Heading down Peck ln, it was clear that the leaders would stay out and the chase behind was ont going to happen. From there, the group would pick up a couple of short-cutting riders and motor down route 10. For the Stop n Shop sprint, Chris C jumped off the front and was not chased. The group sailed back into Hamden with no further sprinting. The peleton behind also rolled in uneventfully, as it was shrunken quite a bit by riders peeling off in Cheshire (Joe K, Gregg F. etc).
It's good to back out there. Nice ride everyone! Let's hope the weather cooperates next week in the same fashion.
Tuesday the 8th
It’s over!
A decent, though smaller, crowd rolled out for the final official Tuesday SG ride of 2013. If Chris C happens to go out this weekend and bludgeon himself half to death with some off season activity, He will probably be sounding the trumpet a week from now. If that is the case it will be dark.... Even if we left at 5PM.
Everyone got to start this final ride with a session of Pacing du Le Moteur from French Casey. He steam-rolled into the ever changing wind on route 10. Once the ride got onto the back roads, things calmed down a bit with Dillon P, Rory D, Rusty, Tall Dennis, Jordan L and French Casey all chipping in up front. Heading onto Mountain Rd, Hunter P and Young Suto jumped off the front and took a gap up the first risers there. It was soon marked by Jordan L, Chris C and the rest of the Mount Washington Summit Team. Next year, look for Stage One to compete in everything from Tough Mudders to duathlons.
The leaders were soon roped in by a chase group but that larger break had even less chance to get away from the attentive peleton. Joe K would strike out with a counter attack that nearly split a group off the front at the end of the second set of risers. Then French Casey hit the front. Along with Jordan L but it was brought back together by the light.
Onto Moss Farms where it stayed together for the most part. No attacks kept the pace on the slower side. By the end of the risers Casey again become the Parisian Nightmare by rolling off the front. Riders needed to make the quick decision whether or not to go with him or sit back and let it ride. By the Chicane it was all together. By the corner of Marion French Casey was charging again. He took along Jordan L and those 2 were allowed to go up the road. They built up a maximum of 50 meters as the ride rolled toward the industrial park. Shortly after the turn it was all back together as guy like Chris C, Timmy Hip, Rusty, and others kept on the gas.
More indecision as the front of the ride rolled up West Johnson as Jordan L rolled off the front, taking along Swing the Bat Gary and a couple of other guys with him. It would end up being a slower than usual charge up the hills to Reinhard. After the corner, 3 or 4 still were off the front a but with plenty of guys lining up close behind they were going to come back quickly. Young Suto was the first to jump with Jacinto and Hunter P on his wheel. On the other side, Mike McG jumped at about the same time. Soon it was down to 2 as Hunter P accelerated out and around. Jacinto was the only one to respond and despite being behind most of the remaining road, he kept on the gas, forcing Hunter P to stay on it all the way to the end. It was a close one.
On the backside, Joe K moved on off the front but was corralled soon after turning onto Peck Ln. The pace stayed crisp as Ben Bruce, John Morgan, Swing the Bat Gary, Chris C, and others rotated up front. A small lead group led (once again) by French Casey and also The Careening Caridi had a gap getting to the corner, but had to deal with car traffic which slowed the escape.
More gaps were allowed to form on the hill by Cheshire Park but a red light at the top shut down the attack for good. That led to a bunch sprint up to Stop n Shop. Mike McG got the early jump on this one, quickly going by the line of guys who were thinking they could save it to the last moment. Jacinto was again the only one to make it interesting. Again, it was a super close one, going down to the line as Mike McG had to go the whole way to stay out in front. Some vehicular traffic abbreviated the sprint by about 1.5 seconds, but it was Iron Mike in front til that moment.
The last trip into Hamden was uneventful, except for the car turning right into the bank which nearly took out half the Cheshire Team. For the final kilometer, some groups went up, came back, reloaded and jumped again. with 300 meters to go, it was Dillon P punching out at the right moment to get out in front. The only challenger was Ben Bruce who was out his saddle a bit too long for the sprint to be copacetic. It was a moot point though as Dillon was able to stay out in front till the final moment.
Up the hill for the last time in the dusk went the usual guys, except one Chris Butler and a Mountain Man ( hope he is recovering well ). Hunter P got a head start but couldnt hold off a rabid Joe K, who chased the front down and lept up to snag the line.
Well done everyone. It was another good year of Tuesday riding. Thanks to all who reliably showed up each week and thank you especially to those that added a little something extra to the rides whether it was attacks, brazen rudeness, self-destructive pulls, gung-ho sprinting, or just a willingness to ride hard. We don't have to name names. You know who you are.
A decent, though smaller, crowd rolled out for the final official Tuesday SG ride of 2013. If Chris C happens to go out this weekend and bludgeon himself half to death with some off season activity, He will probably be sounding the trumpet a week from now. If that is the case it will be dark.... Even if we left at 5PM.
Everyone got to start this final ride with a session of Pacing du Le Moteur from French Casey. He steam-rolled into the ever changing wind on route 10. Once the ride got onto the back roads, things calmed down a bit with Dillon P, Rory D, Rusty, Tall Dennis, Jordan L and French Casey all chipping in up front. Heading onto Mountain Rd, Hunter P and Young Suto jumped off the front and took a gap up the first risers there. It was soon marked by Jordan L, Chris C and the rest of the Mount Washington Summit Team. Next year, look for Stage One to compete in everything from Tough Mudders to duathlons.
The leaders were soon roped in by a chase group but that larger break had even less chance to get away from the attentive peleton. Joe K would strike out with a counter attack that nearly split a group off the front at the end of the second set of risers. Then French Casey hit the front. Along with Jordan L but it was brought back together by the light.
Onto Moss Farms where it stayed together for the most part. No attacks kept the pace on the slower side. By the end of the risers Casey again become the Parisian Nightmare by rolling off the front. Riders needed to make the quick decision whether or not to go with him or sit back and let it ride. By the Chicane it was all together. By the corner of Marion French Casey was charging again. He took along Jordan L and those 2 were allowed to go up the road. They built up a maximum of 50 meters as the ride rolled toward the industrial park. Shortly after the turn it was all back together as guy like Chris C, Timmy Hip, Rusty, and others kept on the gas.
More indecision as the front of the ride rolled up West Johnson as Jordan L rolled off the front, taking along Swing the Bat Gary and a couple of other guys with him. It would end up being a slower than usual charge up the hills to Reinhard. After the corner, 3 or 4 still were off the front a but with plenty of guys lining up close behind they were going to come back quickly. Young Suto was the first to jump with Jacinto and Hunter P on his wheel. On the other side, Mike McG jumped at about the same time. Soon it was down to 2 as Hunter P accelerated out and around. Jacinto was the only one to respond and despite being behind most of the remaining road, he kept on the gas, forcing Hunter P to stay on it all the way to the end. It was a close one.
On the backside, Joe K moved on off the front but was corralled soon after turning onto Peck Ln. The pace stayed crisp as Ben Bruce, John Morgan, Swing the Bat Gary, Chris C, and others rotated up front. A small lead group led (once again) by French Casey and also The Careening Caridi had a gap getting to the corner, but had to deal with car traffic which slowed the escape.
More gaps were allowed to form on the hill by Cheshire Park but a red light at the top shut down the attack for good. That led to a bunch sprint up to Stop n Shop. Mike McG got the early jump on this one, quickly going by the line of guys who were thinking they could save it to the last moment. Jacinto was again the only one to make it interesting. Again, it was a super close one, going down to the line as Mike McG had to go the whole way to stay out in front. Some vehicular traffic abbreviated the sprint by about 1.5 seconds, but it was Iron Mike in front til that moment.
The last trip into Hamden was uneventful, except for the car turning right into the bank which nearly took out half the Cheshire Team. For the final kilometer, some groups went up, came back, reloaded and jumped again. with 300 meters to go, it was Dillon P punching out at the right moment to get out in front. The only challenger was Ben Bruce who was out his saddle a bit too long for the sprint to be copacetic. It was a moot point though as Dillon was able to stay out in front till the final moment.
Up the hill for the last time in the dusk went the usual guys, except one Chris Butler and a Mountain Man ( hope he is recovering well ). Hunter P got a head start but couldnt hold off a rabid Joe K, who chased the front down and lept up to snag the line.
Well done everyone. It was another good year of Tuesday riding. Thanks to all who reliably showed up each week and thank you especially to those that added a little something extra to the rides whether it was attacks, brazen rudeness, self-destructive pulls, gung-ho sprinting, or just a willingness to ride hard. We don't have to name names. You know who you are.
Final ride of the year.... :(
Oh it seems like just a couple of weeks ago we were breaking in the long loop and suffering in the humidity.
Every season comes to a close and we are about there for this year.
We can't guarantee a SG Ride for next week, the 15th.
So.....
Tuesday the 8th, will be viewed as the last of the year.
The ride will take off at 5:30 like last week.
Everyone is welcome to hang out at Cheshire Cycle after the ride.
We will have pizza there and beer there.
Feel free to get a head-start on the bribery for next year's write-ups by bringing something to drink.
More importantly, let's end the season with a great ride!
Every season comes to a close and we are about there for this year.
We can't guarantee a SG Ride for next week, the 15th.
So.....
Tuesday the 8th, will be viewed as the last of the year.
The ride will take off at 5:30 like last week.
Everyone is welcome to hang out at Cheshire Cycle after the ride.
We will have pizza there and beer there.
Feel free to get a head-start on the bribery for next year's write-ups by bringing something to drink.
More importantly, let's end the season with a great ride!
Tuesday the 1st
5:30!
Good to see plenty of guys out on the ride tonight despite the earlier take-off time. Still, the group was down one German luxury sedan and A-book-author-too-busy-laughing-at-the-CSPAN-static-shots-of-the-House-of-Representatives-Chamber-to-Ride
The pace was once again crisp heading out of the parking lot and it continued off route 10 as well. Dillon P rolled off the front and with no one else joining him, he go'd it alone. He stayed off the front for a few streets as Kyle Foley rolled up to join him. By then the pack was coming around and it was all together. After that it was Mountain Man Junior, Jordan Lynn taking off and holding a short gap. He was followed up by The Gibertoni taking a short flyer. Dillon P also had a second crack at the front but there was no real push to get a well timed attack so it stayed together onto Mountain Rd. On the risers there, Hunter P and Tall John hit the front running, which started to splinter things up. Young Suto then went on the offensive, and that led to a Trio of Hunter P, Young Suto and Nuemotion off the front for a short bit. Chris C, Little T, Silent Pete, Mike McG and a couple of others were all attentive and didn’t let it get very far.
The light going over route 68/70 was red for a while, giving everyone a chance to reset. On Moss Farms Rusty got things going along with Ben Bruce(?) and a another not-so-new-guy (tall, both kind of squirrely on the bike). JLynn ramped it up on the risers there and that started to spread things out. Hunter P rolled off the front again, breaking off a gap with only Swing the bat Gary along for the ride. Those 2 got to work and quickly worked up a gap into the Chicane. JLynn moved to get across the gap but got stuck in no man's land. The 2 leaders kept the gap up onto Marion and halfway to the industrial park corner.
From there it stayed quick in thru the industrial park as there were plenty of guys to keep the pace high.
After the corner of West Johnson, guys like Mike McG, JLynn, Pescatore, and a couple of others kept the throttle pegged but no one was willing to roll the dice. Towards the corner for Reinhard, Jlynn was leading a couple of guys off the front but the gap was a small one. The lead group started to break up as Little T jumped from the chase, taking along Mike McG. It was a long sprint but Little T was able to stay out in front and get to the corner first.
Things stayed together on the back side and the group rolled toward route 10. Heading up to the corner, JLynn peeled off to head home and as everyone paused to say adios, Swing the Bat Gary was back at it up front. He jetted thru the corner and took Hunter P along. One other rider, (one of the mystery men) jumped the gap and made it 3 up the road bolting up the hill ( site of Cheshire CX 2013! ). The chase started slow but it got going soon enough. The 3 up front were working well together and holding their gap. Everyone, front and back, made it thru the lights and the gap was coming down by the base of the hill. Hunter P jumped out from the group and got the sprint as only a couple guys from the peleton tried to sprint jump the gap.
From there the ride had to deal with more traffic due to the earlier hour. The ride back into hamden was standard stuff. After massive final pulls from Chris B, proving it's better late than never, along with Mike McG and Dillon P there was a group of 3 duking it out. The Giberoni, Nuemotion, and the Full Nalini. Full Nalini squeaks it out just at the line.
Swing the Bat gets his prize up the Shepard Ave hill as he stayed out in front of Hunter P to the top.
Everyone is invited the end of the SG season get-together at Cheshire Cycle, directly following the final week. Which looks like it may be next week. Last year the final ride was the 9th. Next week is the 8th. Any opinions? There will probably be guys that want to ride on the 15th but we are inclined to make it official so that we have time to stock up on the methamphetamines.
Good to see plenty of guys out on the ride tonight despite the earlier take-off time. Still, the group was down one German luxury sedan and A-book-author-too-busy-laughing-at-the-CSPAN-static-shots-of-the-House-of-Representatives-Chamber-to-Ride
The pace was once again crisp heading out of the parking lot and it continued off route 10 as well. Dillon P rolled off the front and with no one else joining him, he go'd it alone. He stayed off the front for a few streets as Kyle Foley rolled up to join him. By then the pack was coming around and it was all together. After that it was Mountain Man Junior, Jordan Lynn taking off and holding a short gap. He was followed up by The Gibertoni taking a short flyer. Dillon P also had a second crack at the front but there was no real push to get a well timed attack so it stayed together onto Mountain Rd. On the risers there, Hunter P and Tall John hit the front running, which started to splinter things up. Young Suto then went on the offensive, and that led to a Trio of Hunter P, Young Suto and Nuemotion off the front for a short bit. Chris C, Little T, Silent Pete, Mike McG and a couple of others were all attentive and didn’t let it get very far.
The light going over route 68/70 was red for a while, giving everyone a chance to reset. On Moss Farms Rusty got things going along with Ben Bruce(?) and a another not-so-new-guy (tall, both kind of squirrely on the bike). JLynn ramped it up on the risers there and that started to spread things out. Hunter P rolled off the front again, breaking off a gap with only Swing the bat Gary along for the ride. Those 2 got to work and quickly worked up a gap into the Chicane. JLynn moved to get across the gap but got stuck in no man's land. The 2 leaders kept the gap up onto Marion and halfway to the industrial park corner.
From there it stayed quick in thru the industrial park as there were plenty of guys to keep the pace high.
After the corner of West Johnson, guys like Mike McG, JLynn, Pescatore, and a couple of others kept the throttle pegged but no one was willing to roll the dice. Towards the corner for Reinhard, Jlynn was leading a couple of guys off the front but the gap was a small one. The lead group started to break up as Little T jumped from the chase, taking along Mike McG. It was a long sprint but Little T was able to stay out in front and get to the corner first.
Things stayed together on the back side and the group rolled toward route 10. Heading up to the corner, JLynn peeled off to head home and as everyone paused to say adios, Swing the Bat Gary was back at it up front. He jetted thru the corner and took Hunter P along. One other rider, (one of the mystery men) jumped the gap and made it 3 up the road bolting up the hill ( site of Cheshire CX 2013! ). The chase started slow but it got going soon enough. The 3 up front were working well together and holding their gap. Everyone, front and back, made it thru the lights and the gap was coming down by the base of the hill. Hunter P jumped out from the group and got the sprint as only a couple guys from the peleton tried to sprint jump the gap.
From there the ride had to deal with more traffic due to the earlier hour. The ride back into hamden was standard stuff. After massive final pulls from Chris B, proving it's better late than never, along with Mike McG and Dillon P there was a group of 3 duking it out. The Giberoni, Nuemotion, and the Full Nalini. Full Nalini squeaks it out just at the line.
Swing the Bat gets his prize up the Shepard Ave hill as he stayed out in front of Hunter P to the top.
Everyone is invited the end of the SG season get-together at Cheshire Cycle, directly following the final week. Which looks like it may be next week. Last year the final ride was the 9th. Next week is the 8th. Any opinions? There will probably be guys that want to ride on the 15th but we are inclined to make it official so that we have time to stock up on the methamphetamines.
Tuesday the 24th
So what's more important? The new New Girl or the SG ride recap???
Racing the dark makes for another fast short loop ride. The crowds are dwindling with every week it seems as soon it will be just the hardcores out for the weekly throwdown. 25 or so out for he ride tonight and it started rather briskly out of the parking lot. One guy who was caught with his pants down was Gregg F, who was easing nature when the pack rolled out. He chased and on any other given day, would have caught on but today everyone was out like a cannon. As soon the ride turned off route 10, Rory D and Dillon P jumped up and away. Soon after, Guido, Jordan L, Chris C and one other joined them, making for a pretty strong group up the road. Behind, Cheshire riders in the front weren't too quick to chase initially and the Gibertoni was allowed to ride clear to try to get across the gap. He ended up stuck in no-man's land though. After the crap road section, Hacker jumped up get across the gap, taking along Hunter P and that was enough to signal to the rest of the ride it was time to ride. From there to the light on route 68 it was a mix of guys up front. Jordan L, Hacker, Chris C, Tall John, Joe K, etc.
The light there was green which allowed for Chris B to lead the pack thru quickly. He stayed on the gas with Timmy Hip right behind. Soon after it was all together as guys were looking round at each other to see who would be the first to flinch. Hacker kept the pressure on going into the Chicane and Little T jumped hard to get a gap going up to Marion. Chris C and Hunter P were close behind but the speed wasnt enough to make a real gap. It was all together heading into the industrial park.
Chris B drove the pace on Knotter drive and everyone else was content to follow. There was a brief gap that opened up due to the quick pace but as the corner for West Johnson came up, everyone was at attention. Hacker jumped right after the corner, taking along Jordan L, Young Suto and Hunter P. That group had a brief gap but the chase was on in earnest. Chris B and Chris C leading the way back up to the leaders. Hacker kept on the pressure naturally after it was gruppo compacto and his dance card changed a few times before the corner for Reinhard as guys were halfway in between pace setting and hanging on. It would eventually end up being Jacinto latching on to the Professor for the final ramp on Reinhard. The 2 drove into the sprint with some solid speed as Chris B and Special Ed came out of the chase group to try to bridge the gap last minute. They came up short as well as Little T, who jumped hard but stopped the pursuit when it was apparatnt that it was 2 horse race. Jacinto used the extra time in the draft to his advantage and was able to jump around Hacker before the corner. On the backside, it was all back together again.
Chris B continued to set a solid pace on Peck ln. Joe K was also up front, trying to get away from the field a couple of times before route 10. Once onto Route 10, the speed went back up again, thanks to Tall John ripping a solid pull up the hill there by Cheshire Park (site of "Cheshire ....... Oh nevermind)
A light on Route 10 stopped the ride in it tracks. The pace was coming down at that point anyway. After the reset, Dillon P took to the front along with Guido and Hacker. There was a small group with a slight gap but Little T had no problem covering as he jumped from his usual spot and took the sprint. The ride was all together going thru Cheshire and mostly green lights meant very little slow down in pace.
For the finale, there was a couple of slowdowns, a couple of surges, and a small group off the front with less than a kilometer to go with little chance of making it. Dillon P, John Morgan from Keltic, Rusty, Central Wheel Casey, Guido and one or 2 others came up a bit short as Little T came by with the tall newer rider on the Specialized(?) Little T stuck it out to the end.
Up the hill went a larger than usual crowd. Dillon P, Chris B, Swing-the-bat Casey, The Gibertoni, Hunter P, C-Dale Rick and a couple of others. Swing the Bat Casey took the front and led it out briskly. Hunter P jumped the rest with a held on till the top.
Great ride everyone! More Strava KOM's on the night! Cha-ching! Next week the ride needs to move to 5:30. Only a couple more chances to grab some Tuesday night glory! We still do not have a ride-long breakaway for 2013... If it holds up, that has got to be a Summertime first.
Racing the dark makes for another fast short loop ride. The crowds are dwindling with every week it seems as soon it will be just the hardcores out for the weekly throwdown. 25 or so out for he ride tonight and it started rather briskly out of the parking lot. One guy who was caught with his pants down was Gregg F, who was easing nature when the pack rolled out. He chased and on any other given day, would have caught on but today everyone was out like a cannon. As soon the ride turned off route 10, Rory D and Dillon P jumped up and away. Soon after, Guido, Jordan L, Chris C and one other joined them, making for a pretty strong group up the road. Behind, Cheshire riders in the front weren't too quick to chase initially and the Gibertoni was allowed to ride clear to try to get across the gap. He ended up stuck in no-man's land though. After the crap road section, Hacker jumped up get across the gap, taking along Hunter P and that was enough to signal to the rest of the ride it was time to ride. From there to the light on route 68 it was a mix of guys up front. Jordan L, Hacker, Chris C, Tall John, Joe K, etc.
The light there was green which allowed for Chris B to lead the pack thru quickly. He stayed on the gas with Timmy Hip right behind. Soon after it was all together as guys were looking round at each other to see who would be the first to flinch. Hacker kept the pressure on going into the Chicane and Little T jumped hard to get a gap going up to Marion. Chris C and Hunter P were close behind but the speed wasnt enough to make a real gap. It was all together heading into the industrial park.
Chris B drove the pace on Knotter drive and everyone else was content to follow. There was a brief gap that opened up due to the quick pace but as the corner for West Johnson came up, everyone was at attention. Hacker jumped right after the corner, taking along Jordan L, Young Suto and Hunter P. That group had a brief gap but the chase was on in earnest. Chris B and Chris C leading the way back up to the leaders. Hacker kept on the pressure naturally after it was gruppo compacto and his dance card changed a few times before the corner for Reinhard as guys were halfway in between pace setting and hanging on. It would eventually end up being Jacinto latching on to the Professor for the final ramp on Reinhard. The 2 drove into the sprint with some solid speed as Chris B and Special Ed came out of the chase group to try to bridge the gap last minute. They came up short as well as Little T, who jumped hard but stopped the pursuit when it was apparatnt that it was 2 horse race. Jacinto used the extra time in the draft to his advantage and was able to jump around Hacker before the corner. On the backside, it was all back together again.
Chris B continued to set a solid pace on Peck ln. Joe K was also up front, trying to get away from the field a couple of times before route 10. Once onto Route 10, the speed went back up again, thanks to Tall John ripping a solid pull up the hill there by Cheshire Park (site of "Cheshire ....... Oh nevermind)
A light on Route 10 stopped the ride in it tracks. The pace was coming down at that point anyway. After the reset, Dillon P took to the front along with Guido and Hacker. There was a small group with a slight gap but Little T had no problem covering as he jumped from his usual spot and took the sprint. The ride was all together going thru Cheshire and mostly green lights meant very little slow down in pace.
For the finale, there was a couple of slowdowns, a couple of surges, and a small group off the front with less than a kilometer to go with little chance of making it. Dillon P, John Morgan from Keltic, Rusty, Central Wheel Casey, Guido and one or 2 others came up a bit short as Little T came by with the tall newer rider on the Specialized(?) Little T stuck it out to the end.
Up the hill went a larger than usual crowd. Dillon P, Chris B, Swing-the-bat Casey, The Gibertoni, Hunter P, C-Dale Rick and a couple of others. Swing the Bat Casey took the front and led it out briskly. Hunter P jumped the rest with a held on till the top.
Great ride everyone! More Strava KOM's on the night! Cha-ching! Next week the ride needs to move to 5:30. Only a couple more chances to grab some Tuesday night glory! We still do not have a ride-long breakaway for 2013... If it holds up, that has got to be a Summertime first.
Tuesday the 17th
The return of the short loop, aka leg openers for Sunday's
Downtown Hartford CT Cycling Festival.
The ride rolled out and everyone seemed ok with the long sleeves, knee warmers, etc. The pace was pretty quick even heading down route 10 ( into a headwind)... People musta been concerned with the time. The ride got going with surges from Jordan L, Riff Raff Ralph and Hunter P. A couple times Hunter rolled off the front and the pack just pushed go a little harder and always rounded. Heading to Mountain Rd, Riff Raff Ralph was next to jump off the front and he held onto a gap up the risers, but the beast would open up wide and swallow up another. There was another small group off the front toward the middle section of Mountain Rd. But it even with Hacker, Chris C, Jordan L, a new guy in a GQ Brooklyn Kit, and a couple of others, it wasn't enough to reach escape velocity.
The truce on Moss Farms lasted for about 4 feet as GQ, Jordan L, Rory D and Riff Raff drilled the front. Hacker was up there to looking for a chance to bolt. Despite a big push from him, Hunter P and and the Brooklyn rider, it was all together. One rider using the bodies in front of him well was The Gibertoni, who rocketed off the front well before the corner to the Chicane and made the most of it by staying out there alone for a while. Next up to the plate was Chirs C and Guido, who charged off the front up the hill to Marion. The response to their push was a bit subdued, but the speed picked up and by the corner to the industrial park it was all together again.
From there, it seemed that everyone's attention went to the turnaround and the fast climbing section that would follow. Sure enough, with Jordan L and a couple of others already going decently quick, Hacker charged up the first riser, taking Hunter P along. Other in the pack behind were having none of that and it was covered quickly. The speed was still pretty crisp 200 meters later but a police cruiser camped out encouraged everyone to be extra nice at the 4-way intersection, allowing all the cars to get thru. It let a bunch of riders get back into it and reset the pace for the final push up to Reinhart. The first to jump after getting thru the intersection was Little T, who was stuck with a broken shirt cable on the ride down. Making due with his 53x11 or a 39x11 he jumped off the front on the flat road to get a head start on the climbing. Chris B took it upon himself to bring the wounded bike back. He ramped up the speed on the remaining 300 meters of West Johnson, getting past Little T pretty quickly. He kept the hammer down and behind, Aidan C, every pageant queen's heartthrob, was queuing up to keep the pace high. Thanks to those 2 leg blasting pulls, the only guys in a position to sprint up the hill were Hacker, Hunter P and Young Suto. Aidan C pulled off right at the bottom of the hill and Young Suto was the first to jump. Hunter P got onto his wheel and had little problem jumping away with plenty of road left to the corner. Behind other fast guys like Mike McG, Special Ed and Jacinto had too much ground to make up and were out of it from the start. Jacinto, however, gave it a go and was closing in by the corner.
On the backside, Special Ed would charge off the front but as is nearly alawys the case with the descent, everyone was able to get back on and it was all together heading onto Peck. Mike McG, Brooklyn GQ and Chris C were among those pushing the pace up the false flat but nothing was getting off the front.
More of the same heading onto Route 10 and by Cheshire Park (site of Cheshire Cross o-13!). Several guys chipped in to keep the speed high. Hacker and Guido moved into position before one of the last lights and hit the as once through. Guido ended up riding away himself and once he saw the gap, he was all in for the sprint. Behind, everyone was finding a good spot as Hunter P took the role of leadout, pegging it for the final couple of meters. Little T was able to ramp up some speed and get a good jump in his 11. No one seemed that surprised. Behind, he had a whole slew of riders trying to get stay on his wheel. Mike Mcg was there and in contention as they both slid by Guido, but Little T gets this one. Next week, he rides a single speed.
The ride back was usual fare. GQ Crooklyn rider, and then The Full Castelli, tried to ride off the front after all the lights in the center of town. That didnt last long. It ended up all together for the run into Hamden. After the usual hard pulls from Mike McG, Chris C, Tall Dennis, Dillon P and a couple of others, it was Hacker duking it out with Chris B. Chris Stays on the gas a little longer and gets it by a bike.
Good ride everyone. Short but sweet (26 mph average!). Everyone is in great shape to have a good race on Sunday in Hartford!
The ride rolled out and everyone seemed ok with the long sleeves, knee warmers, etc. The pace was pretty quick even heading down route 10 ( into a headwind)... People musta been concerned with the time. The ride got going with surges from Jordan L, Riff Raff Ralph and Hunter P. A couple times Hunter rolled off the front and the pack just pushed go a little harder and always rounded. Heading to Mountain Rd, Riff Raff Ralph was next to jump off the front and he held onto a gap up the risers, but the beast would open up wide and swallow up another. There was another small group off the front toward the middle section of Mountain Rd. But it even with Hacker, Chris C, Jordan L, a new guy in a GQ Brooklyn Kit, and a couple of others, it wasn't enough to reach escape velocity.
The truce on Moss Farms lasted for about 4 feet as GQ, Jordan L, Rory D and Riff Raff drilled the front. Hacker was up there to looking for a chance to bolt. Despite a big push from him, Hunter P and and the Brooklyn rider, it was all together. One rider using the bodies in front of him well was The Gibertoni, who rocketed off the front well before the corner to the Chicane and made the most of it by staying out there alone for a while. Next up to the plate was Chirs C and Guido, who charged off the front up the hill to Marion. The response to their push was a bit subdued, but the speed picked up and by the corner to the industrial park it was all together again.
From there, it seemed that everyone's attention went to the turnaround and the fast climbing section that would follow. Sure enough, with Jordan L and a couple of others already going decently quick, Hacker charged up the first riser, taking Hunter P along. Other in the pack behind were having none of that and it was covered quickly. The speed was still pretty crisp 200 meters later but a police cruiser camped out encouraged everyone to be extra nice at the 4-way intersection, allowing all the cars to get thru. It let a bunch of riders get back into it and reset the pace for the final push up to Reinhart. The first to jump after getting thru the intersection was Little T, who was stuck with a broken shirt cable on the ride down. Making due with his 53x11 or a 39x11 he jumped off the front on the flat road to get a head start on the climbing. Chris B took it upon himself to bring the wounded bike back. He ramped up the speed on the remaining 300 meters of West Johnson, getting past Little T pretty quickly. He kept the hammer down and behind, Aidan C, every pageant queen's heartthrob, was queuing up to keep the pace high. Thanks to those 2 leg blasting pulls, the only guys in a position to sprint up the hill were Hacker, Hunter P and Young Suto. Aidan C pulled off right at the bottom of the hill and Young Suto was the first to jump. Hunter P got onto his wheel and had little problem jumping away with plenty of road left to the corner. Behind other fast guys like Mike McG, Special Ed and Jacinto had too much ground to make up and were out of it from the start. Jacinto, however, gave it a go and was closing in by the corner.
On the backside, Special Ed would charge off the front but as is nearly alawys the case with the descent, everyone was able to get back on and it was all together heading onto Peck. Mike McG, Brooklyn GQ and Chris C were among those pushing the pace up the false flat but nothing was getting off the front.
More of the same heading onto Route 10 and by Cheshire Park (site of Cheshire Cross o-13!). Several guys chipped in to keep the speed high. Hacker and Guido moved into position before one of the last lights and hit the as once through. Guido ended up riding away himself and once he saw the gap, he was all in for the sprint. Behind, everyone was finding a good spot as Hunter P took the role of leadout, pegging it for the final couple of meters. Little T was able to ramp up some speed and get a good jump in his 11. No one seemed that surprised. Behind, he had a whole slew of riders trying to get stay on his wheel. Mike Mcg was there and in contention as they both slid by Guido, but Little T gets this one. Next week, he rides a single speed.
The ride back was usual fare. GQ Crooklyn rider, and then The Full Castelli, tried to ride off the front after all the lights in the center of town. That didnt last long. It ended up all together for the run into Hamden. After the usual hard pulls from Mike McG, Chris C, Tall Dennis, Dillon P and a couple of others, it was Hacker duking it out with Chris B. Chris Stays on the gas a little longer and gets it by a bike.
Good ride everyone. Short but sweet (26 mph average!). Everyone is in great shape to have a good race on Sunday in Hartford!
Tuesday the 10th
Summer isn’t going down without a fight!
The usual guys were at the ride tonight. Since the short
loop has a bad rap for some reason, the idea was floated to turn soon on Mount
Vernon and create a middle loop. Response was mixed for this idea but with Chris
and Mike McG leading the call, it was agreed upon.
The tail wind helped get the ride going and once again it
was Jordan Lynn taking the reigns along with Guido and other Central Wheel
riders. The ride moved thru to the crap road section with Joe K up front
keeping the pace high. Moving onto North Brooksvale, a small group of riders
went immediately clear and started on a gap. Jordan L, Todd H, Joe K and Rusty
held on to a gap of about 60-75 meters as the ride came up to Mountain Rd. With
some traffic in the intersection, the front riders were slowed and it came back
together soon after with Mike McG
and Chris C leading the charge. The rest of the ride down Mountain was decent
and without incident. More than the usual amount of riders were getting involved
and chipping in.
The ride moved onto Moss Farms and the speed stayed high
thanks to Little T and others. Toward the end of the Moss Farms, Hunter P
rolled off the front and took a small group of guys attentive at the front.
Hacker, Chris C, Jordan L, Hunter P and Nuemotion, who joined up a few moments
after. That group hustled thru the chicane and toward Marion with the rest of
the pack wisely chasing hard. Despite going full gas for a few hundred meters,
the pack would bring them back and Guido used the catch and added some great
timing to be the next to shoot off the front. There were enough riders in
between to make up the gaps and it was all together heading to 322.
Moving past the light and toward Mount Vernon, Rory D,
Jordan L, Hacker, Todd H, Tall John Young Suto and a couple of others all had a
hand in trying to get off the front but everyone seemed to be ready to charge
down the shortened stretch of Mount Vernon. The race for the front continued to
the corner as everyone wanted to prove their sense of geography and be the
first one to the new street. Once there, guys like Gregg F, Joe K, Jordan L,
Chris C, Tall Dennis and Little T were up front and paying attention in case
someone was thinking up mischief. The road offered little by way of challenging
terrain so it stayed together for the brief trip to toward West St and the hard
right to get back on to the regular route. From there the next one to stab at
the major organs of the front of the ride was Guido, who got things going on
Atwater. The Headwind was strong and it served to tamp down most efforts to get
of the front.
Jordan L, Hacker, and Young Suto jumped the front of the
ride coming off the 322 intersection and they went clear right away. Going thru
the 4-way intersection, the main field has a serious case of “ummmm should we
go, should we stop, nah let’s just slow dow really hard, really fast”. That let
the trio work the gap up a little more. Once everyone in the peleton got going
on Peck, Hunter P jumped up to bridge and so did French Casey. Those 2 would by
joined mid-chase by Aidan C, who was riding from the South. The trio held onto
the lead, into the headwind up to the top of the false flat on Peck. The tough
pace was starting to break up the group with Hacker being the one that was
turning the screw mostly. The chase joined up and sped thru with Young Suto
getting stuck in no-man’s land. The renewed break of French Casey, Hutner P,
Hacker, Jordan L, and Aidan C kept the pressure on. Behind in the pack, It was
all-hands on deck for the chase. Sensing the possibility of a strong break
running away with it in the tough headwind, it took some strong riding to keep
the gap manageable. Chris C, Todd H, Guido, Mike McG, Nuemotion, Timmy Hip,
Gatorade rider on a Calfee and others worked the front. The higher speed would
end up shedding a few guys as small gaps quickly become chasms in the headwind.
Up front, the gap continued to go up but Hacker was the proverbial horse
chopping at the bit. The pace was a little hot for some and as a red light or 2
came up the pace-line suffered and that gave the peleton a chance to bring it
back in time for the sprint. Hacker would stay on the gas, riding up the road a
little ways. As guys tried to get into good position in among the break riders,
it gave a good line of wheels for Little T to use to ramp up the speed for the
sprint. He took it ahead of Hacker and way ahead of others. The Full Nalini,
Jacinto, Young Suto, Rusty etc. Red lights in the center of Cheshire rolled
everyone back together for the ride back to Hamden.
Nothing too interesting to report for the ride back. It
played out as usual with a solid 12-15 rider paceline keeping the speed high
all the way back. There were a bunch of guys in a position to get to the last
light first. Surprisingly Little T wasn’t among them. Someone will have to fill
in the blanks as to who got it. Up the hill Chris B rolled away with it early
on over Hunter P.
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