Monthly Archives: April 2021

Beast of Barlow May 3

A season high 20 Drafters, including a Newbie (Drafter handle being pondered) set out with variable winds at 12-18 knots. It was as if the world spun off axis, tossing the pink moon and the wind into an unusual pattern. The B Team (who petitioned for a name change, approved by the Executive Committee, from this blog forward known as the FIRST TEAM) had a straight tail wind on the way to Crystal Lake, with occasional help on the return leg. The A Team was the unfortunate recipient of this variability, claiming to have battled head winds both to and from Crystal Lake.

FIRST TEAM: Pipes, LuLu, Queenie, Speedy, Footer and Newbie
Vilks, Surly, Z Wrecks, Gopher and PitStop
The Spoke’N Two wait for Skipper before setting sail on Crystal Lake.
FIRST TEAM to Crystal Lake: Thing 1, LuLu, Gopher, Pit Stop, Surly and Z Wrecks.
Spoke’N Two Vilks and BrickO reach Crystal Lake in record time but still haven’t caught the First Team (photo by Skipper).
While members of the A Team: Blurple, Rimshot and Booker J are’t treated fairly by Mother Nature (sacrificially off the pace line photo by Cannibal).

Spoke’N Four had fuel to burn as they searched the horizon for blinking red lights, the equivalent of an artificial lure in Greyhound racing. Vintage, Gopher and Pit Stop hopped on the trolly as the Peloton stretched to reach Thing 1, LuLu and Z Wrecks. Vilks yelled out to Thing 1, who was leading the pack, “Jump on that juicy ham”, referring to the well developed gluteus maximus of Vintage. The wind was playing tricks, compounded by the fact that Thing 1 had paid Urgent Care a visit earlier for brief loss of consciousness, which caused her to interpret the conversation as, “Jump on that juicy hamster.” There was no mistaking what we all heard in response, “I did that last night.” And there it is. Draft responsibly.

Gopher and Vintage get after it.

Together but not for long. At the intersection of Lodi Springfield and Highway 19, Villks called, “CLEAR!” And it was, for half the Peloton. The Drafter subscription to the Vilker channel has been cancelled. May the treasurer’s report show a credit of $8.95/mo. BrickO, LuLu, Vintage, and Thing 1 pedaled on to finally catch Surly on the Woodland climb while the other Drafters paused for station identification.

Feeling a bit sassy, BrickO nudged her way up on the inside of the paceline. LuLu glanced her way, but clearly not at her, as he unleashed the snot from deep within. Mouth closed and sunglasses on, she escaped total contamination. PPE are now part of the Drafter uniform when riding with LuLu.

Post Draft Draft: Footer, Skipper, Z Wrecks, Surly, Pit Stop, Vintage, LuLu, Columbus, Thing 1, Queenie, Speedy, Moneypenny, Booker J, Rimshot, Blurple, Pipes, Cannibal and Vilks.

A lively discussion ensued during the post-draft draft about quads. Specifically, Queenie was curious about the Newbie and how she came to have the female version of Cannibal’s legs. Wondering if his inquiry was inappropriate, we put it up for discussion. It was unanimously decided that quads, male or female, are to be appreciated in a cyclists and viewed as part of the necessary machinery. Glutes were deemed a grey area not be discussed, along with body parts north of the equator, as they don’t contribute to wattage. While on the topic of Cannibal’s quads, we recollected on his other fine attributes, such as concocting and serving garden drinks. Although he has not officially made this a fee for service business, he generously offered to host a Garden Party on May 17 or 24. Stay tuned for a flowery invitation.

Pit Stop did a victory lap with the checkered flag to celebrate a 40k PR before collapsing into her lawn chair double fisted.

Pit Stop celebrates a 40k PR!

This young Drafter is still mastering the single fisted technique.

Come on, Mom, I can handle it.

Next week will mark a switch to a 5PM departure for all. Thanks to Columbus and LuLu, the Drafters now have an official cartography department. No more cue sheets with left turns on Johnson or U-turns at the top of climbs. This is the REAL DEAL.

BEAST OF BARLOW will be on tap.

Ride with GPS link: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/35821926

Map and cue sheet:

For those wanting a bit more beauty and a little less Beast, stay on Garfoot (skip turn onto Barlow) and rejoin the route by taking a right on Braun. Don’t worry- that’s another Beast.

Red is the full route. For the short pour, skip the turn onto Barlow and stay on Garfoot. Turn right on Braun to rejoin the route.

Rain is in the forecast for this evening, so check GroupMe for updates on Dirty Draft tomorrow. Duracell is ready to rock. Blackhawk 5-7PM is the plan. We can change it up once we get an established following.

Duracell and Offspring get dirty at Blackhawk.

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

Crystal Clear Take II

Our last Monday draft in April will take us to Crystal Lake. See blog post from last week (best if you download the WordPress app rather than fish through your emails) for GPS, map and cue sheet. This will be our last split departure: B team 4:30 and A Team 5:00PM. Moving into May with longer daylight and a promise from the A team to play nice, we will depart as a cohesive unit at 5PM. Beverages to follow. It doesn’t appear Drafters are interested in pizza. We can revisit ordering pizza again later in the season should post-ride hunger cravings increase. BYO lawn chairs (a Coleman black and blue was left behind).

PDQ has generously and obliviously done recon (read: failed to check GroupMe for cancellation notice) and reports favorable road conditions. IF YOU ARE NOT RECEIVING GROUPME NOTIFICATIONS AND WOULD LIKE TO, PLEASE TEXT ME.

PDQ (pretty damn quick). Not so much when it comes to checking cancellations. But we appreciate his dedication to the Draft.

WELCOME TO OUR NEWEST DRAFTER! Congratulations to Tobacco City Boy and Dan-yelly. We can’t wait to meet her.

She was born ready to Draft.

And congratulations to Cookie Monster on being the cover girl for the Birkie Tour. With a million dollar smile and personality, and a billion dollar brain covered by a Drafter hat, not a bad choice.

Skipper also got some press. Check out the Bike Fed Guide for the MadBAT scoop from our very out IMBA Trail Solutions Drafter.

Lastly, Hincapie 2021 orders should be sent May 12, and older kit orders June 9th. Thanks for supporting the Draft. Enjoy 20% off on non-Drafter items at Hincapie Sportswear all year with code SBRICKSON.

Th order for SweatVac drafter DriFit shirts is being placed next week (no interest in headbands). The Drafter Youth will be represented by a root beer float mug rather than a frosty beer mug. If you missed the memo and would like to order a shirt for you or your offspring, please let me know ASAP.

Draft Responsibly

It is really exciting to promote cycling in our youngins. The Dirty Draft on Wed from 5-7PM at Blackhawk is a great opportunity to share the cycling love with our kids. Memberships at Blackhawk are extremely inexpensive, but required to ride.

Speedy and kiddos (not pictured), Air Bourne, Footer and BrickO get dirty at BH.
LuLu on 2 wheels while Columbus and Canine take to the trails by foot (and paw).

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

Crystal Clear April 19

Gusty winds did not deter 15 Drafters from enjoying the historic viaduct route Monday night. 

BrickO, Footer, Speedy, Surly, Z Wrecks, PIt Stop and Squeak

The B Team set out with Skipper at the helm. 10 watts stronger each week and 10 pounds lighter thanks to RAW training, BrickO and Z Wrecks were the grateful recipients of his draft protection.  And not only from the wind.  Two separate oncoming honey wagons with their poop shoots extended horizontally, perfectly aligned with the wind direction and the Drafters in the cross hairs called for heroic measures.  Thanks, Skipper

Skipper at the helm providing draft protection for Z Wrecks.

Pit Stop and Squeak were chaperoned by Surly. Impervious to the added weight and rolling resistance of his fat bike, the only notably oversized components are Surly’s mitochondria. Pit Stop lived up to her name, while Squeak downplayed her handle.  Her beautiful yellow SEVEN was finely tuned and quiet.  A squeak by any other name is still a squeak. 

Speedy and Footer were the B team caboose, but not the only train on the track.  Passing through Dane, they had to outrun the train twice, once on Military Road and then again turning (left) on Johnson.  Their sprints were rewarded as they were privy to watching the train pass over them on Viaduct. 

Dark Knight and Flash caught a romantic moment under the historic viaduct (read: Flash paused to let Dark Knight catch his breath) earlier in the day.

Flash and Dark Knight under the historic viaduct

The A team was in full force, with Cannibal providing the steam for the 5:00 PM train. Blurple, Booker J, Busch Latte and Rimshot were on a mission to catch the B team caboose.  Adding an extra hill to the route, because “when in doubt, climb” is the Drafter way, they still managed to catch Footer and Speedy on Hyslop.

Bush Latte heard the train take off on Hyslop and revved up his engine.  “Is this a Strava segment?” he called out to Cannibal.  “No, we are chasing wabbits!”. 

Cannibal Fudd hunts down Speedy and Footer

“Is that a sick cow?”, wondered Footer out loud.  Nope, only the sound of Cannibal’s diesel engine closing the gap.  For the second week in a row, Cannibal embodied the Drafter spirit, pausing for nearly 30 seconds to converse with Footer and Speedy.  His behavior modification training has clearly made a dramatic impact, as he sacrificed the opportunity to challenge Romeo, our Cat 1 Drafter, last week to shelter a fellow Drafter.  And this week, a polite exchange with Footer.  What’s next?  Perhaps serving garden drinks in his apron?

Another Drafter train left the station with precious cargo in their caboose.

E$ and Cookie Monster with their precious caboose.

That’s full circle for our Drafter family, from our youngest Drafter to our oldest Drafter.  Sully, the matriarch of the Drafters, returned from sunny AZ to share a post-draft draft.  Welcome home, Sully

Nurse Sully reconnects with the Drafters.

We will soon welcome another new Drafter.  Two weeks to go, Dan-yelly!  It is the homestretch.  What you can do once (or twice, in your case) you can do again!  Captain Joe was curiously absent from the Draft, , helping Dan-yelly and Tobacco City Boy assemble a bike for their eldest Drafter.

Captain Joe misses the Draft but not a ride.

Vintage drafted on the couch after his 146-mile gravel adventure on Sunday.  Wuss.  There are some great gravel adventures coming up:

The Bear May 8 with 107, 73 and 31 mile options:

The Bear Gravel Event Link

Wheel and Sprocket May 15 Wiowash Trail Oshkosh with 60 and 44 mile routes

Grass Routes Gravel Link

HISTORIC DRAFTER KITS are now available through the Hincapie Store.  Order deadline Sunday April 18.

The Drafter Spectrum! All designs except the 2019-20 Sprocket Design are available for a short time only.

2015 Retro Blue and Red Link

2017 Green Beer Skyline Link

2018 6 Pack Link

The route for April 19 will take us to Crystal Lake.  Sadly, the route will sadly not include Fish Lake due to flooding and road closure. 

RidewithGPS: RidewithGPS link Crystal Clear

Throughout April, we will maintain the A and B team starts.  Come May and more daylight, we will bring both teams together for a unified 5PM departure.  Hopefully, this will allow some of our hard-working Drafters (Sandlot, Duchess, Hit-the-Wall and Wampus) a bit more time to get to the starting line.  I would also suggest talking to your boss about work-bike balance…

DIRTY DRAFT UPDATE: the board has agreed upon Wednesday evenings from 5-7PM. Blackhawk, Quarry Ridge, CamRock and other Capital Off Road Pathfinder (CORP) trails are fair game. Think about joining CORP to help support the trials. I’m looking for someone to lead this week, as we are getting dirty at DuPont. Use GroupMe to arrange the ride!

Draft responsibly,
BrickO

Historic Viaduct Tour April 12

Your Song 1970 | The Pop History Dig

It’s a little bit funny
This sunshine outside
I’m not one of those who can easily ride
I don’t have much storage, but boy if I did
I’d buy some more bikes where they all could live

If I was a wrencher, ha
But then again, no
Or a Drafter who makes pacelines in the sleet and the snow
I know it’s not much, but it’s the best I can do
My gift is the Draft, and this one’s for you

And you can tell everybody
This ride was long
It may be quite simple, but now that it’s done
I hope you don’t mind
I hope you don’t mind
That I put down in the blog
How wonderful life is riding in the world

I sat on the porch and kicked off my shoes
Well a few of the climbs, well they’ve got me quite lost
But the sun’s been quite kind
While I rode so long
It’s for people like you that keep it turned on

So excuse me forgetting
But these roads I do
You see I’ve forgotten, if they’re Garfoot or Barlow
Anyway the thing is, what I really mean
Yours are the sweetest rides I’ve ever seen

And you can tell everybody
This ride was long
It may be quite simple, but now that it’s done
I hope you don’t mind
I hope you don’t mind
That I put down in the blog
How wonderful life is riding in the world

I hope you don’t mind
I hope you don’t mind
That I put down in the blog
How wonderful life is while riding in the world

And that wraps up the sentiment of the Monday night Draft to Church.

Take me Church… up a 17% grade.

The team secretary goofed up the coordinates, taking some Drafters down Barlow while others down Garfoot, and then directed some home via Airport and others on Enchanted Valley. As Blurple said, “we all just ride in a circle anyway.” Yup, and Romeo pretty much ran circles around every single one of us.

B Team: Z Wrecks, Keez, Pit Stop, Skipper, Gopher, PDQ, and Squeak.
Strong Start: BrickO, Keez, PDQ, Pit Stop and Squeak.
Thanks to our front line team of healthcare workers. PT, MD, RN and RD in training.
Skipper leads the charge.
Booker J barreling down Barlow.

Vintage named the ride on Strava, “We’re gonna put the memory of this ride in the brain-hole category of weight loss motivation”, Keez was more concise with “ouch” and Vilks surrendered, “beat the old man up night”. Z Wrecks pointed to the favorite climb of the night, “Forsh**g”, seconded by Skipper’s title “F’n Forshaug Draft”. Boys, boys. It wasn’t that bad. Even our newbie, Squeak, didn’t complain as loudly. Although her beautiful new yellow SEVEN did (hence the name). Booker J had a rough night, drafting Cannibal all the way to the backyard, and further requested a Draft escort to his car.

Want to feel slow? Ride with a Cat 1. I heard him MEOW as he sped past.
Booker J Drafts behind Cannibal, during the ride and even in the backyard.
Romeo, Pit Stop, Squeak, Vintage, LuLu, Columbus, Cannibal, Booker J, Blurple, PRQ enjoy a draft.
Pit Stop mentors our Newbie, Squeak on the finer points of Drafting.
Pipes is one of a few on the injured reserve…. but not too injured for the post-draft Draft.

HINCAPIE DRAFTER GEAR UPDATE: the 2021 store has closed. Thanks for supporting the Draft. Another store will open in the next week with older kits. Stay tuned!

DIRTY DRAFT: Check GroupMe for updates. Air Bourne sent out an inquiry for this Wednesday. We will try to get a more formal organized time and location in the upcoming weeks.

Next week, we will take a historic Viaduct tour.

Download map and GPS:

Garmin link: Viaduct GPS

RidewithGPS link : RidewithGPS

Draft responsibly,

BrickO