Last week was a brutal ride- over 2000 feet of climb mostly occurring during 10 of the 40 miles.  Sharing is the cornerstone of our Drafter community, and I wanted to share Moen Valley and Blue Mounds Trail, two lovely hills on the Horribly Hilly Hundreds route with our newbies, Josh and Peter.  Somebody did their homework- Josh showed up for the “Book Club Ride” with his satchel!  He actually read the blog in advance (“novel” concept- please notice the pun, cause I’m rarely clever and need you to notice the rare times when I am.  It’s a self esteem thing.  Please notice.  Thanks for your time), and came prepared with books to exchange in the community library box on Blue Mounds Trail.  When I asked Booker J how he heard about the Drafters, he quietly admitted to knowing B2 Bomber.  With that, he was instantly promoted to the front of the line to share pulling detail alongside Tick Tock. I did store his satchel in my jeep, but next week, I am going to insist that he ride with his books to slow him down a bit.  Don’t ride and read.

Peter was apparently interested in catching up on reading, since he chased Booker J up Blue Mounds Trail to the book depository.  He’s credited with testing every rumble strip on Hwy 78.  It’s good to shake things up a bit.  Welcome to the Draft, Rumble Strip.

Whamo and Sandlot thought they could avoid the hills by riding the route in reverse.  What goes up must come down, of course, so I wasn’t sure of their strategy until we saw them come down Blue Mounds Trail as we were climbing.  They got to the book depository first!  Poor Booker J didn’t missed out on this week’s top seller.

Team DeKeyser made their inaugural appearance for the Book Club. D2 Duracell decided this doozy made for an excellent first ride of the season.  He should be recovered sometime in August.  His bride, Ice Queen, had got her bike out two days before during Girls Weekend up north, and was clearly in peak condition for the Book Club.  Ya’ gotta love athletes who just do it.

The kits arrived and looked pretty sharp.  With that, a few folks have inquired about placing another order.  No problem.  As soon as I have at least 5 people interested (I have 3 so far), I will open up the Hincapie store.  Let me know if you want in. This year we have golf shirts, just for Sully, since she is spending half of her retired life swinging at those white eggs in Arizona. I do have a guns (sleeveless) women’s large jersey that I am willing to sell at a discount if anyone is interested.  I guess I overestimated my bust a bit.

Ice Queen and D2 Duracell shared a 10% stout over dinner.  After a few sips, the dynamic duo came up with some creative math to justify their beer selection. “So, if we split this beer, it’s just 5% alcohol, right?”  That calculation is exactly right, according to BrickO math rules, which is why you can have two!

Since all 18 Drafters lived to complain about the hillacious ride, we will serve up more of the same medicine next week as we venture out to the Spring Valley Loop with a Northern Twist. The Short Pour (which unfortunately hasn’t really been tapped this summer) can hang a left on Pine.

Garmin Link to Spring Valley with a Twist

PDF of map to download: Spring Valley with Northern Twist Cue Sheet

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

My sister is a professor at UIC where she teaches negotiations.  It made for an ugly childhood, as she gained practice winning every negotiation (read: argument) with me.  On the upside, I gained some skills which apparently paid off when negotiating with Mother Nature on Monday.  How did we not get wet amidst this colorful cluster??

We had seen the Doobie Brothers and Steely Dan perform at Breese Stevens Field on Saturday night (highly recommend the venue, but standing on astroturf after the HHH was a bugger) and saw promotions for the upcoming REO Speedwagon concert.  That planted the seed for this song to play in my head Monday night as we were Riding The Storm Out

Ridin’ the storm out, waitin’ for the fall out
On a low vis night on the Lodi Canning bike route
My Heed bottle’s low, watching for the pot hole
Thinkin’ about what I’ve been missin’ off the paceline
And I’m not missin’ a thing
Watchin’ the Drafters crossing the range

Ridin’ the storm out
Ridin’ the storm out
My Drafters beside me, they’re there to guide me
Stout says he’s not sure we’ll finally reach home

Newbie Stout rode the storm out.  His last name is Porter, which could be the best Drafter name EVER.  But, nobody gets to use their real name.  Welcome to the Draft, Stout.  He’s a smart guy, choosing his debut the Monday after the HHH.  Since the majority of the riders Mon night were riding rough, there was discussion of taking a short cut.  Cooler (dumber) heads prevailed like the wind and we dutifully rode to the Lodi Canning Company.  Billy Boy McC took a vigorous turn at the front.  It was a Cadillac of a ride for the rest of us until his legs gave out.  Tick Tock was a no show, so we opted to take the bike path home, as nobody wanted him to feel like he missed out on his favorite climb up Woodland.  That’s just the kind of teammates we are.  And, we were running late for happy hour.  Nurse Sully had held the table so long that other Free House patrons were offering to keep her company.  By 8PM she figured we had not only rode the storm out, but rode directly home.  Fortunately, we intersected in the parking lot and she came back to the Free House for round two.

I’ve never seen anyone double over at dinner with a calf cramp.  Billy Boy blamed it on the deviled eggs the Drone Master ordered, but the rest of the sorry HHH crew knew better.  Loose Screw, B2 Bomber and Z attributed the cramping to punishment for not wearing his Drafter jersey on Saturday.  As part of his penance, Billy Boy was asked to give a demonstration of his Drafter loyalty.  Rising to the occasion, (not literally, as he was still cramping, but acoustically) he sang this little ditty for Coach Arms, who was in labor at the time.

Drone Master wins the award for highest intellect (yes, this is the same guy who didn’t realize tire pressure isn’t a constant and requires air input from time to time).  Like the drone he flies, this guy magically shows up in Dane, and then bows out before having to climb Viaduct.  His malt to mile ratio is the highest of all the Drafters.  Brilliant.

We wish Billy Boy and Loose Screw safe travels and excellent riding in France next week with Cyclesport Travel on their Pyrenees Playground trip with the Italian Job.

Speaking of travel, the honeymooners are back from their fishing trip to O’Canada.  E$ hit the jackpot and caught a Monster.

Caught a Monster!

E$ hits the jackpot

E$ hits the jackpot

Caught a Monster!

Check you front porch- there were some special deliveries this week.  Billy Boy is trying to make amends for his attire at the HHH by being the first to wear his new Drafter jersey. I hope he’s off to another ride and not to court.  He has his game face on, for sure. “Guilty, your honor.”

Jerseys weren’t the special delivery.  That honor is reserved for Riley Grace.  Congrats to Poppa Legs and Momma Arms.  Welcome to the Draft.

I guess this would be a good time to discuss the route for Monday.  We are going to head out west and hit a few of the HHH roads, a new route for the Drafters.  I’m calling it the “Book Fair 40” as you will see a book box on Blue Mounds Trail.  I fully support all attempts at increasing literacy, although I have no idea who would think to stop and exchange a book here?  It is nice they leave a spare wheel, just in case.

I don’t have a map prepared, but I do have the Garmin link.  Fear not- it is not 50 miles as downloaded, as I did a loop twice.  It’s only 40.

Garmin link: Book Fair 40 Garmin Link

Cue sheet to download: Book Fair 40

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

Mother Nature and I have been negotiating for most of the day.  My understanding of our agreement is that we can ride safely,  most likely experience one brief and hopefully non-torrential rain, and then dry off in the sunshine.   With that, the ride is ON.

There are many Drafters with tired legs from the HHHH (Hot and Horribly Hilly Hundreds).  I  will be the first to suggest a short cut, regardless of the forecast.  Congrats to Billy Boy, Loose Screw, Slow Cow, Rainbow Maker, Too Hip, Bomber and Z on conquering many vertical feet.

The barometric pressure has been dancing around all day.  Nurse Sully told us this AM at Drafter Yoga what happens when the barometric pressure changes…. let’s see if Coach Arms drops the puck.

See ya at 5:30.

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

I thought I was clear on the Take Me To Church directive, but Dan-yelly apparently mistook the route for Take Me To Work.  She was not alone.  Two Fist followed her innocently, not having been clued into Dan-yelly’s directional impairment.  These two yardbirds decided the route would be more fun as a cyclocross course!  With bikes hefted over their shoulders, they traversed the construction in Cross Plains like champs.

Those two and a few other wayward Drafters went off road.  Literally.  Billy Boy, Whamo and Sandlot compared stories of crashing backyard BBQs as they meandered through the lawns of unsuspecting Cross Plaines residents.  This “inadvertent” re-routing through construction is all part of my master plan to purchase a gravel bike without guilt- think of the functionality, the necessity even?  Loose Screw showed up to ride looking like he had been rolling in the gravel- forearm bandaged and hand swollen. Clearly, his most recent bike meets immovable object collision is yet another sign that our Drafter team needs gravel bikes.  Tick Tock wasted no time making a purchase after watching Bomber lead the Draft on his gravel bike.  Welcome his new baby (photo on left below).  Speaking of baby, there was an ommission in last week’s blog. I mentioned that the Italian Job came to check on his babies, Cervelo, Colnago and Scott but I left out Parlee.  Billy Boy’s Parlee, Stallion (yes, all bikes must be named), nearly reared up and bucked me for my insensitivity. I’m including a baby photo as a way to make amends (photo on right below).

Tick Tock’s new gravel bike

The Stallion

While some of us are going gravel, others are going aero.  Congrats to Tree of Rown, an honorary Drafter, on conquering things that I’m bound by HIPAA not to share in order to finish the Wisconsin Half Ironman on Sunday.  Let’s just say the normal P-QRS-T EKG was more like a tidal wave. There is a Drafter water bottle in her cycling jersey pocket, so technically this photo counts in the competition.

The photo competition is heating up.  This one has some sizzle and bling.

The other thing heating up is the temperature for the Horribly Hilly this Saturday.  Good luck to all the participants!

JERSEY UPDATE: the Hincapie order will be mailed on June 18, and expected arrival is June 20.  Remember that you have to sign for your package.  If you have a nice FedEx guy, you could try leaving a note (and cookies- or beer, if that’s legal or I don’t find it first) on the front porch if you won’t be home.

This week will will find some flats roads (relatively) to let our HHH legs recover.  As such, we will happily be stuck in Lodi again.  The full route is 40miles, with a 30 and 20 option.  I have it on authority that Team Power Watt may be leading the Short Pour.

Garmin Link: Lodi Canning Company GPS Link

Download PDF map: Lodi Canning 40 30 20

Draft responsibly

BrickO

A recap of our Churches, Tavern and Baseball Diamonds ride is best sung to the Creedence Clearwater Revival melody, “PROUD DRAFTER”.

Left the Free House at 5:30,
Riding with The Drafters every Monday night,
And I never lost one minute of drinking,
Worrying ‘bout the way I could have ridden.

Big wheel keep on turning,
B2 Bomber keep on burning,
Rolling, rolling, rolling on his gravel bike.

Dropped a lot of guys on Matz Rd,
Pumped a lot of pain down Whippoorwill,
But I never saw the good side of the Drafters
Until I hitched a ride with Tick Tock and Too Hip

Rolling, rolling, rolling on with the Drafters,
If you come down the hill on Woodland,
Bet you gonna find some drone overhead.
You don’t have to worry ‘cause you have no legs left,
Drafters on the ride are happy to give.

Rolling, rolling, rolling with the Drafters.
Rolling, rolling, rolling with the Drafters.
Rolling, rolling, rolling with the Drafters.

Yeah, so Bomber shows up on his gravel bike, since it was still on the car rack from his 100mile gravel race in Kansas the DAY BEFORE.  Too Hip, The Italian Job and Captain Joe were silly enough to think he would show signs of fatigue and challenged his lead right out of the Free House gate.  My own silly inclination left me before reaching Martinsville, about the same time the pack left me. But, I realized that it isn’t a lack of fitness that left me in the dust. It’s the lack of a gravel bike!  I’m sure the wider tires and lower pressure = faster BrickO, right?  This new gravel bike is really a necessity, or at least a scientific experiment, and not a hedonistic pursuit. And so my birthday list grows.

We had a crew of 18 Drafters, including Newbie Kim “Sandlot“. Remember the movie scene when Ham is having a verbal sparring match with the captain of the rival baseball team?  His crushing blow is, “You throw like a GIRL!”.  Sandlot was overhead sparring with her mate, Whamo, and may have uttered a similar verbal assault. To be honest, she uttered a totally different Sandlot quote, something like, “you’re killing me Smalls”, but that didn’t have the same bite for the blog as, “you bike like a girl”, so I took artistic liberties.  But what if my artistic rendition of a silly Sandlot quote led to marital strife? So, I must acknowledge my exaggeration and elaboration and now I’ve droned on way too long.

The Italian Job made an appearance.  Like a proud papa, checking in on his babies (Colnago, Cervelo and Scott) making sure they are being well-loved and cared for by their adoptive Drafters.  Not that anyone (Drone Master) has been accused of neglect, like failure to check air pressure before a ride…  A huge thanks to Colin (Italian Job), Scott, Paul and Josh at Cronometro for keeping us rolling.  With those kudos, I have to give a little dig, too (cause that’s how I roll).  As previously mentioned, I was dropped somewhere near Martinsville, and excited to see the lead peloton waiting for me at the top of Matz Rd.  Or not.  Turns out the pause was for a mechanical: Too Hip needed his seat adjusted.  Seems like he always needs something- at least this time is wasn’t something absorbent.  Anyway, the Italian Job was quick to render mechanical support, given that he lives and breathes bike design, maintenance and fitting.  I was bursting with anticipation as he reached into his tool bag, expecting a gold plated Park Tool.  Looks like somebody forgot to check their bag twice…. empty.  He will be on the Horribly Hilly course this Saturday offering mechanical support and I’m sure the gold plated Park Tool will be at the ready.

Drone Master skillfully maneuvered through the course, staying ahead of the peloton to capture the action.  Imagine his surprise when Tobacco City Boy and Dan-yelly appeared ahead of B2 Bomber.  They apparently opted to ride the course backwards.  That’s one way to take the lead! Here is the link to the Drone video:

Drone Master’s Drafter video link

Tired and hungry from our ride, the crew was happy to reach the beer and beverage refueling station.  Nurse Sully and Party Planner (P2) Ann had secured the Free House patio. We celebrated E$ and Cookie Monster’s last singles ride before heading off to get married this weekend.  May the force be with you.  And, we celebrated Coach Arms’ home stretch before she “drops the puck”.  Due date June 20.  May the force get baby out quickly and safely.  A couple of my friends, Eric and Kristine, biked to the Free House- on their Harley.  When Coach Arms walked in, I heard Eric exclaim to his girlfriend, “Did you see that woman?”  To which Kristine clarified, “The pregnant one?”.  Eric confessed, “The athletic one.  Is she pregnant?”  Ahh, to be 9 months pregnant and still be chiseled from stone.  Barefooter and I agreed that nobody ever commented on our athletic stature at 9 months pregnant.  Perhaps they were inspired to contribute to the Save the Whales campaign.  I hope so, as it would mean I contributed something other than surliness to the world.  That’s a really long time to go without a beer.

This coming Monday, June 11, we will prepare for the Horribly Hilly Hundreds with a taxing ride called Take Me To Church.  You will have plenty of time to repent your sins on the way to church as it is a LONG 17% climb.  E Money and CM Wille have inspired this ride up Vermont Church.

Please say, “I do” and join the Draft.  The Short Pour option is the Brains and Braun ride we did earlier in the season, cutting off of Union Valley on Braun and looping back to KP. I do believe team Power Watt will be leading up the Short Pour but please communicate via GroupMe app to verify if you plan to attend. REMEMBER THERE IS CONSTRUCTION HEADING INTO CROSS PLAINS, so we will have to follow the detour to get across Hwy 14. I did recon on Friday, and even in the rain, the two stretches of packed dirt by St Francis Xavier were easily ridable.  THERE IS GRAVEL TURNING LEFT ONTO BARLOW FROM MINERAL POINT. 

Garmin link: login to Garmin Connect and then open this link.  Save it as a course.  Then plug in your Garmin and share it. Garmin link Vermont Church

Download and print PDF map: Vermont Church

SHORT POUR: See cut off on Take Me To Church map or follow this one, which has even a shorter short cut:

Download and print PDF map: Vermont Church

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

A moment.  Life is a continuous sequence of moments. Every life’s sequence is unique, but the ubiquitous and undeniable thread is a starting and an ending moment whereby breath is and then is not.  We do not get to decide how many breaths or moments we have, but we do get to decide how to live each one.

I would like to take a moment to honor Annie  Rubens, sister-in-law of our Drafter, Backyard Teri, whose last moment was spent riding her bicycle.  I did not have the pleasure of knowing Annie, but I would like ask the Drafters to honor a fellow cyclist with a moment of silence on our Monday night ride.