The third week of OVC’s Brewery Series brought the club to the First State’s most famous craft brewer -- Dogfish Head in Milton. Around 35 riders were treated to sunny skies and unseasonably mild temps as they pedaled around eastern Sussex County. Big kudos to Jamie and Fran for planning a great route and for marshalling the group all morning. This pair had their noses in the wind all ride and deserve all the credit for the day’s success.
The ride was mostly steady endurance cruising, but featured a few racey bits. For the run into Slaughter Beach, about 6-7 riders jumped the gun a couple miles early and got out of sight quickly, with the long-lost Paul T. and Frankie getting the 1-2. The main field maintained their composure until the designated sprint zone, finishing the 1.2 miles stretch at over 28 mph. After enjoying a quick rest stop on the Delaware Bay, the group battled a headwind back inland before swinging back toward the coast for a 2-mile team interval.
Once again, we had a few eager-beavers who slightly deviated from ride protocol and established a 10 second gap. The group was patient though and thanks to a charge by the M&M tandem, slowly reeled in their prey. Roscoe made a last minute dash across the gap, but Frankie had 1200 spare watts in the tank to secure the Prime Hook victory.
The final high intensity section was a 3 mile, tailwind-aided sector of Reynolds Pond Road. Although the initial number of challengers was high, the 27-30 mph speeds soon began shucking riders one-by-one. Roscoe and Caleb took a few big turns to discourage the survivors, but Russ, Rob, and Frankie held on strong, with Frankie once again having the power for the final surge to the line.
Post-ride, a large contingent of riders and a few random hipsters enjoyed some tasty beer and food on Dogfish’s great outdoor patio. Another great brewery ride in the books! Special thanks also to all the new faces who joined us this week.
Coming up on Saturday Nov 5 -- Tall Tales in Parsonsburg! All are welcome.
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Irr_tOh1xc
Animation recap:
https://www.relive.cc/view/759799064