I got lei'd at F2G2

Having missed last year's Fall Foliage Gravel Grinder due to breaking my ankle I wasn't going to miss this year's event. In fact, as soon as I heard that it was on again I was the first one to sign up! Even the weather wasn't going to be a deterrent, and that wasn't looking so good when I checked the forecast earlier in the week. 

Photo Cred: William Mansfield

Leaving Will's place near Chatham, Saturday morning it was raining. It rained the whole time we drove to Becket and it was raining when we mounted our bikes and started climbing Fred Snow Road.  Will and I left about 45 minutes before the official start and it was raining. We were joined buy a guy from New Haven by the name of Dwight. What I noticed about Dwight's bike was that he was carrying 4 water bottles! Apparently, he was training for the Dirty Kanza and he planned to drink all of those bottles during this ride.

Roubaix to Brew: Norbrook Farm Brewery

Do you what the best part of starting a ride from a brewery is? 

The end of the ride!

I have been waiting all summer for the Norbrook Farm Brewery to open. Last spring, I was updating my Roubaix to Brew map and adding more Connecticut Breweries to it when I saw Norbrook Farms come up in the results. Finally a brewery in the Northwestern part of Connecticut that is just south of some of the best dirt road riding around. Now that the brewery is open, it was time to plan a ride. While it was a little chilly in the morning you could not have asked for a more beautiful day to ride.

Cycling Public Service Announcement: Race Bib Attachment

This is how you are NOT supposed to pin on your buddy's race bib!

Autumn Roubaix Cyclefest: Hard Route

Northwest Connecticut's first official Gravel Grinder, The Autumn Roubaix Cyclefest, was a huge success. After two months of pitching this ride on the interwebs, putting cards on people's windshields, riding the routes and creating cue sheets it was finally happening.

As with any first time event there are always glitches.  Fast Track Timing lost my registration so I had to settle for the first available number when I was the first one to sign up! There were some hiccups with the cue sheets which sent people in the wrong direction and the water/food stop on Barker Road closed up shop early or maybe I was too slow.

2nd Annual Ashford Metric Gravel Grinder

Mike Sage-Robinson joined Will and I for the second running of the Ashford Metric Century Gravel Grinder. We got there late due to overnight construction work going in Hartford that was wrapping up and Route 84 was blocked. Mike had us cut through downtown Hartford and I think we made out a little better.

NERAC Earth Cycling club, based in the Ashford area, organizes this ride.  It was a foggy start at the Ashford Memorial Park but the temperature was perfect. At the pre-ride briefing they mentioned that there would be some big water puddles to go around and a tree blocking one of the roads that you should either go over or under but don't go around.