A little inspiration from John Denver as the weather is looking favorable for riding the Black Widowette tonight.

Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy
Sunshine in my eyes can make me cry
Sunshine on Monday nights looks so lovely
Sunshine almost always makes me ride

Third time is a charm for this route, and also the third time it has been modified/shortened due to daylight restrictions. The map shows the full Black Widow route in red- we will be taking the short cut in blue.  Sadly, this cuts off two beautiful roads (Fellows and Lee), but safety first.  Sunset is at 7:05PM.  This is roughly a 30mile route, which means you will need to average ~20mph.  I think that’s a tall order for most of us (me, anyway). How about we ride it backwards or counter clockwise?  That way, we can knock off 2 miles and finish one the bike path.  Sound reasonable? This is the third and final rendition before we move on to another route.

PDF map to download: Black Widowette Backwards 30

Note: Garmin link is from Middleton Hills riding clockwise (original direction). Sorry for lack of recon this weekend to update the Garmin in the backwards direction.  I was detained in Ames for College Game Day, which ironically was also met with rain delays: Garmin Link Black Widowette

It is human nature to assign blame.  Who can we blame for the series of rainouts?  Hit-the-Wall volunteered.  He has dutifully loaded his bike in the car on 7 occasions, riding only 4.  The probability of it raining when Hit-the-Wall plans to Draft is really good.  His new handle might be Rainmaker.  Despite the disappointment last week, not all was lost with the rainout.

A few of us frequented the Longtable, including Nurse Sully, Captain and Tineal, BrickO, Z Rex. Duracell and Speedy get credit for spinning before imbibing.  Duracell was overheard confessing that sweating in his Drafter kit amongst the “commoners” made him feel sexy.  Perhaps the most brilliant Drafter at the Longtable was a Newbie– not afraid to show up for her first Draft without a bike and beer in hand.

A few other Drafters broke a sweat this weekend.  Congrats to those who Biked the Barns.

And to those who sought another type of Barnyard activity.

And they weren’t the only Drafters to get dirty.

Better late than never- a shout out to a few more Drafters who finished the Door Country Century last week.  Tobacco City Boy, having peaked his training mileage at 40 this summer, banked on BrickO’s Principal of Physiology: what you can do once, you can do again.  That got him to mile 80. The last 20 were a blur.  Congrats, TCB.  There is nothing like a toddler and an infant to keep your biking miles at a minimum.

Dr. Wampus prepares her daughter for winter and the indoor cycling season. On that note, we are full for Monday night indoor cycling at CXC starting in Nov, but look for a second class to be added in Jan.

One Drafter said “I do”.

That’s a wrap on the happenings that have happened.  Here’s the happenings about to happen:

• Dirty Draft this Wednesday night at CamRock, east end (park right in Cambridge) with Skipper. Proper attire required (please refrain from looking at photo above): LIGHTS on bike and helmet, trail pass, beer to share afterwards at Footer’s cottage.
• Drafter end of the year party Sept 30 at 7PM at Longtable.  Please RSVP so I can give Longtable a headcount.  If you rode at least once, you have earned Drafter swag.  If you have ridden 10 times, you earn an extra swag item.  Flat tire inductees will be recognized, along with the photo competition winners and multiple faux pas will be highlighted.

Draft responsibly,

BrickO