Computrainer Racing During Lunch

Yesterday, the Connecticut Cycling Advancement Program visited LHS. They brought their computrainers and students participated in virtual racing during our lunch waves. This is the second time they have come and it's been so popular! More students than ever are interested and participating in cycling at LHS. This spring will shape up to be another great season with many returning and new faces. We have programs for all abilities, so see Mr. Jannke in room 211 or email him at kjannke@ledyard.net if you are interested in joining, just for fun or competition. A big thank you to Xavier Edwards for the photos below.

Computrainer Bike Race in Cafeteria

Come join us for a computrainer bike race in the cafeteria during lunch on Thursday, December 4. Partner up with a friend and race on a state of the art computer simulation system. Click on the image below for more info.

Donut Derby

Xavier represented Ledyard Cycling Club at this year's Donut Derby. Way to tackle that hill X!

First Hundred Miler!

Xavier, Alex and coach Natalie finished their first one hundred mile ride at the Seacoast Century last weekend; riding through Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine. Amazing! It started off cold and finished up windy, but they rode ridiculously strong to finish out an incredible feat! Congratulations. What could be next?

Warmup Ride for Century to Beautiful Groton Long Point

We enjoyed a great ride to GLP today. So nice to finally have the humidity break! It actually felt like September in New England.

Welcome Back Update

Hey folks! Almost all of our riders are running for our cross-country or soccer teams. We do have our race team (minus Steven) headed off to the Seacoast Century for 100 mile ride in a few weeks. We will also start local skills training soon for our developing riders. Mrs. Froh and Mr. Jannke are attending a coaches' training session next week put on by CCAP. Stay tuned....

Quick Productive Morning

Our morning today was quite productive. With Xavier doing a triathlon tonight, we sent Gianni and X off for a quick 15 mile loop through Ledyard's finest. Mrs. Froh and Mr. Jannke worked on Megan's bike (thank you CCAP) to set her up with clipless pedals (thank you Brumble Bikes) and shoes. Megan worked hard on the trainer and in the parking lot for an hour and a half perfecting her technique. Time to get her back out on the road with the newfound power of proper shoes/pedals. Watch out!

Summer Group Ride

We enjoyed a long morning on the bikes with 5 of our 7 student riders. We did a fun group ride through Stonington and Mystic before finishing out the 29 miles with our obligatory climb back to the high school. We stopped in Mystic for ice cream. What a spectacular morning in southeastern CT! We ride again Thursday morning at 8 am from LHS.

Great Day for a Ride

We set out to ride a 42 mile loop with the Pequots. It was a fabulous day on the road. The weather was just perfect! Alex hit a pothole and his back tire went pretty far askew. We loosened his breaks and had to head home from Rhode Island. Since we were cutting things short we road really hard the last 10 miles, including the final hills. In the end it was a nice 30 mile jaunt.

Second Place at States

Turns out the LHS Cycling Team finished in second place at the CT State Team Time Trial Championships! They one an $80 tune at Niantic Bay Cycling. Congratulations!

First Summer Ride

With our TTT training done for the spring, we shifted to summer mode. We enjoyed a leisurely 23 mile ride this morning and were joined by Mrs. Bohn on her hybrid. Nice job keeping up! Hope this cool dry weather sticks around. It doesn't get much better than this in the summer! We are putting together a summer program so stay tuned...

Solo Hill Training

Xavier took it on himself to do a little solo hill training yesterday. He rode Spicer, Rose and Avery Hills. Well done X!

Our First Team Time Trial

Congrats to Alex, Steven, Xavier and Gianni! They rode a fantastic TTT at the state championships last Sunday. They averaged 23+ mph on the 7.5 mile lead-up to the big hills (a record performance for them). The hills and finish turned into a battle with CCAP's junior development team. At the line they finished on the podium in 3rd just behind the CCAP junior development squad. The team that won was CCAP's junior, travel race team which has years of experience racing. They actually did so well that they beat all the pro men's teams, as well. We are super proud of the boys for almost hanging with these two all-state teams! Of the 18 high school cycling clubs in CT, we were the only school to field a team of 4 strong riders for the TTT. Not bad for their second year together. The best part of the experience was seeing the hours and hours of team training pay off. While they only had to finish with 3 riders at the line, all four boys finished together; a true sign of teamwork and professionalism!

June 11 Ride

We had a nice group today of 8. Our 4 TTT racers trained hard pacing at 21+ mph and the rest of us followed, practicing organized pace lining. We are ready for Sunday!

Mid-June Update

Well things are shaping up really well for June!! We have 3 beginner riders working regularly on skills development and fundamentals. Their progression is so good that they are able to contribute to pace lines with our 4 experienced racers; we can all ride together and have a blast! The 4 experienced riders have been training hard for the CT Team Time Trial Championships this Sunday. They are looking really good!

After this Sunday, we’ll move from our basic skills and TTT focus to doing plenty of fun group rides for the rest of the month.

Exciting news….Mystic Cycle Centre donated a dozen blue water bottles. I’ll bring a full cooler of cold water bottles to all of our rides from now on, so there is no need to send a bottle with your child. If you are a Facebook or Twitter user, kindly take the time to like/follow MCC as a show of support for their generosity.

This week we will only be riding together on Wednesday. I’ll go over the TTT plan with the racers on Wednesday and we’ll all get together next week for more group rides. Non-racers feel free to get out on those bikes over the weekend to keep developing your form.

If a parent has access to BJs or whatever and would be willing to donate to the riders, I am looking for a big tub or 2 of powdered Gatorade to use in the bottles. Things will be heating up.

TTT Training in Durham, CT

We loaded up three of the four TTT racers and Megan in the van and headed to Durham, CT today. Megan and Mr. Jannke rode a picturesque 15 mile loop with some nice hills. The 3 racers did a little warmup and then rode the TTT course hard (same one that they will race next Sunday). They averaged 21+ mph for the first 7.6 miles and then hit the hills. Their final average dropped just below 19 mph, but their VAM (measure of vertical performance) was the highest ever. We need to get Steven back out there to see how they perform as a team before the LHS Cycling Club's first ever TTT. Exciting! All 5 of us did a nice pace line home, with Megan enjoying her pull at the front and the overall team pace and spirit high.

General route....


Xavier taking a break as they successfully climbed the big hills and stayed intact as a group. This led to a fast downhill and strong group uphill finish. Not bad for the first time.

GPS from the training ride...

Three Man Team Time Trial Training

Missing X yesterday, the 3 other boys set out for a shorter faster TTT training session average 21.7 MPH over the 7+ miles and finishing on a hill. Mr. Jannke rode with the new riders. We ended with a fun loop through Ledyard Center. Below is just the TTT leg of their ride.
 

Two Training Rides Wednesday

Yesterday was Mrs. Froh's birthday! We broke into two groups. Megan and Mrs. Froh did the hilly Ledyard loop below, while the 4 experienced boys trained for the upcoming team time trial at the CT Time Trial Championships. Their average speed was nearly 20 mph. Not bad!

Big Ride Today - No Pun Intended

Today was a huge day for LHS Cycling as we welcomed our second new rider in three days, 6' 4" Simon! Trent, Simon and Mr. Jannke rode a quick route to Al Harvey Rd, while Alex and Gianni rode a team time trial training route. After we timed their splits and finish we intended to head home, but the call was for ice cream, so we rode into Mystic to enjoy Drawbridge Ice Cream! Overall, they rode 30 miles and finished it off with a training session on grass to help Simon with team riding fundamentals.

Training Friday May 30

Today we were excited to welcome Megan to our group ride. She had trained with Mrs. Froh earlier in the spring around her tennis schedule, but this was her first long ride with the group. We rode to Mystic. It was a beautiful day. Megan powered up the final hills as if she had done it before!

June 15 Team Time Trial Route

This is the 10 mile route for the team time trial we are doing on June 15 in Durham, CT.

Local Skills Training

Mrs. Froh and Trent did some local skills training today and finished it off with a little climb up Gallup Hill.

Memorial Day Ride

We did a quick easy 14 mile loop today and then joined the Ledyard Memorial Day parade with the LHS marching band. Nice day out there!

Mrs. Froh Wins 2 Golds at CT Masters Games

On May 18, club adviser Mrs. Froh placed 1st in both the women's masters 20k and 40k criteriums in New Britain, CT.  Congratulations!!

Training - Friday - May 23

We did a quick ride after school. We rode a pretty good overall average pace of 17.7 mph.

Steven's First Ride

Track season has ended and Steven has rejoined the peloton! Megan will be joining us on Friday :) Good times! We have 3 more riders planning to join us in June. Keeping it rolling!

Today's ride was one focused on pace lines, but in a larger group. We were a much larger team today and that changed the dynamics for the better, but certainly required adjustments for each rider to accommodate the tight team pace and goals.

We stopped at Mystic Cycle Centre for a couple of quick tunes. Thank you MCC! Alex found a pair of shorts and X has his Christmas present picked out, a sick snow-mountain bike with massive tires.

We paced it hard on a loop through Mystic and Stonington, and then ended the ride with a little competition. As we turned onto Gallup Hill Rd, the call was for anyone to attack. X attacked immediately up the first of many hills. He rode off the front over the first too big ones and never looked back. Mr. Jannke chased him to no avail. Then Steven and Gianni attacked Mr. Jannke and left him hobbling home. X powered on and could not be caught: a brilliant solo effort. Gianni and Steven's collaboration ended on the final climb, when Steven jammed a gear. Gianni caught X for a final sprint finish between the two.

Ride with the Charles W. Morgan

LHS cycling rode down to Mystic to watch the launch of the 38th voyage of the Charles W. Morgan, its first in 73 years. We followed it all the way to Groton Long Point. It was a once in a lifetime experience and the weather was magical.

Ride - Wednesday - May 15

Rode down to Mystic today. Saw the C. W. Morgan floating off the lift dock. Nice to see her back in the water!

Bike Show/Swap Meet June 7

We plan to make a trip to Wetherfield on June 7 for this bike show/swap. We will learn about bike maintenance, changing flats, etc. We'll see if there is equipment riders can purchase and we'll take a ride in a different part of CT. Mark your calendars.

Fabulous Day of Training at Ninigret Park in Rhode Island

We headed to Rhode Island today to train on the criterium track at Ninigret Park. Thanks to Mrs. Froh's experience at the park and with racing in general she was able to teach the boys so many new skills. They practiced cornering, pace lines, sprints, breaks, cornering in the drops, and of course working as a team. This closed circuit environment proved to be a perfect training ground, which we will utilize more often. Again, a big shout out to Mrs. Froh for treating us to an amazing experience. Check out the photos below (click on an image for a larger view).

Folks on Spokes Loop in Milford, CT

Mr. Jannke did a solo ride today in Milford, CT. It was a long 44 miles riding solo in the wind. He's trying to get in shape to keep up with the kids!

Ride - Wednesday - May 7

Fun ride yesterday. We rode a very fast, flat pace line for much of the first half (18+ mph) and then charged hard up the Pequot Trail and Gallup Hill (1.2k vertical). We worked very well as a team on the flats and everyone tackled the big hills at the end at their own max pace. This was a fabulous ride as you could really see the form coming together!

Ride - Monday - May 5

Ride - Sunday - May 4

Ride - Friday - May 2

We visited Noank and the Mystic Cycle Centre. Gallup Hill was a long fun way to finish up!

Friday's Ride

We are riding to Mystic tomorrow.....60 degree temps and no rain!!! See you all at the tennis courts, ready to roll at 2:30.

Ride - Sunday - April 27

We rode with the Pequot Cyclists today. It was a really fun ride around Ledyard, no rain, a bit cool, but the hills really warmed us up! We tackled 4 big hills and many smaller ones. Two of the hills we climbed are 2 of the top 3 in Ledyard (we climbed Avery and Rose Hill, Baldwin is the other big one). The team road really well together. You can really see the growth in just one year! It's going to be a fun season!

Ride - Friday - April 25

We did a nice 20 mile ride down to Mystic today riding the flats. We worked on pace lines. Had a break to fix Xavier's flat. They are getting stronger!

New Team Jerseys Arrived

Check out our new kit! We won them from CCAP at last year's CT Cycling Festival.

Ride - Wednesday - April 23

We are on Twitter

Follow our new Twitter account for last minute updates and recent ride photos.
https://twitter.com/LedyardCycling

Updates for Tomorrows Ride

John Harris will be meeting us by the tennis courts tomorrow to give us our new jerseys. Please don't forget to bring a water bottle! Also, follow us on Twitter to keep informed! https://twitter.com/LedyardCycling

Weather for Wednesday

Weather is looking good for Wednesday. Temps close to 60. Shorts should be ok, but maybe bring warmer top.

Upcoming Rides, Jerseys, Etc.

Hope everyone is enjoying break! Great news, our new team jerseys are in and we'll pass them out on Wednesday. In an effort to create a team uniform, please wear black shorts if at all possible. More good news is that new members Megan and Trent have been successfully outfitted with bikes. Our regular rides will be starting up this week. As a minimum, we'll ride Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. So, our next meeting is Wednesday, April 23. We'll meet at 2:30 by the tennis courts. We'll plan to ride for just an hour or so. Parents should be at LHS for pickup by 3:45 at the latest. We'll do either a 10 or 13 mile warmup loop (see our Rides page for route details). One final note... I would like everyone to lock their bikes on the bike rack, when possible (i.e. not raining). With our increase in numbers there is less space in my room. Also, it is great publicity to have the bikes out there for others to question. Of course if you forget a lock or it is raining, just bring the bikes up to my room and we'll work it out. See you Wednesday!

Successful Fundraiser!

Thank you to everyone who donated to our Breakaway Benefit fundraiser! We raised almost $600 as a team. Well done!

Here We Go!

It looks like we have 2 events planned before break....

The first will be this Friday, April 4. We will meet by the tennis courts to go over gear. Please bring everything you have. We will adjust bikes and take some test laps around the parking lot. We'll go for a small rid and then wrap up early.

Our first big ride will be next Wednesday, April 9. John Harris will be doing a fundraiser ride that day, taking laps around Ledyard. We'll join him for a lap or two to help with publicity.

Breakaway Benefit Ride and Fundraiser

Once again CCAP is supporting Ledyard Cycling. We now have a team fundraising page for the upcoming Breakaway Benefit. A portion of all donations made on behalf of our team will go directly to our fledgling club budget. Learn more, spread the word, donate and get your family and friends to donate. To support us visit http://bit.ly/1beowWZ.

Computrainer Bike Race in Cafeteria

Come join us for a computrainer bike race in the cafeteria during lunch on Thursday. Partner up with someone and race, or race a pro from the Aetna Cycling Team. Come learn about how cycling can change your life. Click on the flyer below for more...