22 Drafters rode the 42 mile route including “hillacious” climbs up Katzenbuechel Road and Dunlap Hollow through Roxbury, where we resisted the temptation to rehydrate at the Roxbury Tavern.

The usual suspects departed at 4:30, with Pit Stop arriving early to exercise her namesake. Speedy was absent from the Draft as she was late leaving the pool with her kidlets. An intervention ensued, and her priorities reviewed. The pool is open all day every day…. but the Draft is limited to Monday nights. We are here for you, Speedy, in case of a relapse. Pipes showed up in another mix and match Drafter kit Garanimals ensemble, but at least this week her helmet was properly secured over her melon. Rowers. Sheesh.

There was a bit of confusion early in the route, as the Drafter Cartographer, Columbus, had missed Indian Trail on the cue sheet. Vacationing in Alaska with LuLu, she was unavailable for comment, and will be dealt with according to the bylaws upon return.

Flash, the birthday girl, made her 2021 debut in the 4:45 group. This superhero’s wish was to ride a century on her special day. The Dark Knight and BrickO were happy to oblige, getting a head start on the Draft early in the day, with 50 miles to Mazomanie and treats at Crossroads Coffeehouse in Cross Plaines.

The remainder of the Drafters lined up for duty at 5PM…. and then waited for the Newbie to roll in at 5:01. As he pulled his bike from the back of the vehicle, and detached the saddle bags, he apologized, “Sorry I’m late. I don’t need water. I’m a camel.” And so be it. Welcome, Camel.

Some Drafters (me) were hoping to join Flash, Dark Knight and Z Wrecks in order to avoid the 5PM freight train, but Cannibal texted with this plea:

And so imagine our surprise when Skipper, fresh off of his Race Across the West 930 mile adventure in 126 degree temperatures, put on an incredible display of feisty fitness. The A Team was up for the challenge.

Tick Tock, having more wisdom than ATPs, let the boys have their fun on the flats, and then pulled away with seemingly (and irritatingly) little effort on the climbs. He is the human metronome. And no, he isn’t just eye candy.

At the top of this gorgeous climb, the Drafters came across Billy Boy, Pipes and Footer. “Need help?”, they offered. “Nope. Just looking for a short cut home”, responded Pipes. Little use in pointing out the fact that Dunlap Hollow is the furthest point on the route, with only a few cut offs to shave a handful of miles. Hitch hiking on Highway 12 would be the only true short cut. The two settled on an “architectural tour” of Indian Lake, enjoying the quaint stone houses along Highway 19. They shaved off 0.7 miles to officially qualify as the longest short cut in Drafter history.

Late in the Draft, there was a break away group. Skipper, BrickO and Tick Tock were not in it.

It should be duly noted that Cannibal and company did fly by Queenie, and then remembering the Drafter Code, circled back to pull him on Kingsley Road. “This is hard work and I’m not doing any work,” Queenie confessed “It’s like they are just taunting me.”

As the sun peaked through the clouds, a fresh new light shone upon them. THING 1! Out of work too late to be wheels up at 5PM, she rode the route in reverse, providing fresh legs and a strong pull on Brererton Road.

Back at Drafter HQ, beers were flowing.

Skipper apologized to Z Wrecks as he supplied BrickO with a 10% ABV beer from Cerebral Brewing in CO called Work from Anywhere. As a scientist, I was moved by their approach and feel a duty to order more online.

There were two guest appearances by Drafters who couldn’t draft. Captain Joe was on the route, but by plane instead of bike. “I couldn’t really see who was in the lead. You all looked so small.”

Granny claims to be a dermatologist on call, and therefore unable to ride beyond a 10 mile radius, but after noting which app she was uploading to get Drafter messages, there is suspicion as to exactly what kind of call she is taking….

There was a very lively discussion about a possible ride over the holiday weekend. The official Drafter policy states that holiday weekends should be reserved for non-Drafter related family. As July 4th falls on a Sunday, Monday falls into the legal holiday category. Out of right field (see pano above), Queenie shouts, “SuperTuesday is playing on Sunday in DeForest!” As if the Drafter ride is contingent on a four piece original alt-rock band? Innocently, Booker J asks, “What’s SuperTuesday?” With the telling answer of silence, Booker J defended himself, “I’ve said a lot of stupid things. Why call me out on this one?”

It didn’t end there. Truly interested in SuperTuesday’s musical repertoire, Booker J raised his hand to ask some more questions. “Do you play Culture Club? Do you play Barry Manilow, you know, one of the Bee Gees?” While Queenie patiently explained that Barry Gibb and Barry Manilow aren’t the same singer/song writer, the hurt was visibly building in Booker J’s face. “I can’t believe I was screwed out of $40 for a Barry Manilow and the Bee Gees 8-track tape.”

Rimshot was already feeling the SuperTuesday vibe when he asked, “Can I follow you on Strava?”

For those Drafters who do want to follow SuperTuesday, here is the link to upcoming shows ( Barry Manilow with or without the Bee Gees is not on the playlist):

SuperTuesday

Have a safe and wonderful July 4th holiday. No ride July 5th. We will hope that the gravel on the Pleasant Getting Old route has settled before we reconvene on July 12. And let’s hope our cartographer proofs the cue sheet 🙂

GPS link

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

Due to copious amounts of loose gravel on many of the roads on the Pleasantly Getting Old route scheduled for Monday, we will reroute to Dunlap Hollow. Due to drizzle, I have not done recon so let me know if you have intel about impassable roads on this route. Weather for Monday looks questionable. Cancellations will be announced on GroupMe.

NO RIDE JULY 5. Enjoy your independence.

RidewithGPS link

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

Sweet 16. That was the number of Drafters who attacked Spring Valley.

Surly bolted to the front on Schneider Road, holding a blistering pace to see if BrickO’s slow legs could be mirrored by her tongue. No such luck. With temperatures below 70 degrees, the only hot air was that coming out of her mouth, regaling in stories of the Race Across the West.

Footer looked lightening fast on her new Cervelo. Looks can be deceiving. “I’m still last. But my friends waited for me.” Tis’ the Drafter code.

There was a Drone Master sighting! A flash of green with a full beard climbed in the other lane as the Drafters sped down Enchanted Valley on the return route. BrickO: You look good in that new kit. Drone Master: Yeah, I do. He’s a humble one.

Granny, new to the Draft last week and fairly new to cycling, was issued a Drafter handle based on her tendency to stay in the small chainring. Pretty sure that with a little coaching and a bike less than 40 pounds, her Drafter handle will soon morph into Grannyzilla.

Granny isn’t the only one in Beast mode. Belle has been taking charge on the criterium front. Check her out this Wed, Sat and Sunday at Tour of America’s Dairyland (ToAD)!

And check out the sweet cake she brought for the Sweet 16 to enjoy, paying special attention to the green filling and sprinkles. Rounding out our diet with a fresh batch of cookies from Cookie Monster, the Drafters were not in caloric deficit by night’s end.

The other 3 members of Spoke’N Four were Drafting elsewhere, Romeo and Skipper in Colorado. I’m sure BrickO will save her teammates a slice of cake….

In celebration of Cannibal’s BD tomorrow and Flash’s on Monday, we will ride Pleasant Getting Old. This is a longish ride including scenic Pleasant Valley and Old Indian. The short pour option cuts off the western most lollipop. If possible, let’s bring the two groups a little closer together and start at 4:45 and 5PM.

RidewithGPS link

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

19 Drafters set out to conquer Back in Black. Squirrel was back for round two, and brought his wife, Granny. She isn’t old, but refuses to shift into the big chain ring. Welcome!

Octane had a full tank of gas, fully recovered from his surgery and able to lift heavy trees with both hands. We are happy to have him back in the saddle.

Our Drafter family is really growing. Check out these two in the Diapers and Pull Ups Drafter team (green helmets required). And a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO SMILEY RILEY, who moved up to the 3 year old age group this week.

A few years beyond 3…. HAPPY BIRTHDAY this week to Cannibal (Wednesday) and Flash (next Monday).

Looking for a challenge this week? Sign up to do the Virtual Ride for Mental Health, which includes a Hincapie jersey. If there is interest, we can organize a group ride Thur June 24.

Keep an eye out for your HINCAPIE ORDERS, which are scheduled to be sent FedEx on June 27. If you won’t be home to sign for the package, please be sure to modify your delivery.

A huge thanks to all of the Drafters for the support extended during our Race Across the West. The Spoke’N Four (down to 3 for a spell) needed every good vibe sent during our 930 mile adventure from Oceanside to Durango. The highs reached 125, with lows never below 90. It was brutal, and by far the most exhilarating adventure to date. Our team included 4 racers and 6 crew. The finish would not have been possible with any other combination of people. It was magical. Many of you have generously offered to host a celebration, which is appreciated and will happen. There is rumor of cake this week. We will have another celebration when the Spoke’N Four are in full FOURCE. Skipper and Romeo are still in CO vacationing. Here are a few photos to share, but they don’t do it justice.

Start in Oceanside, Tue June 15 at 12:18PM. Finish in Durango, 11:09PM. Skipper, Vilks, BrickO and Romeo. Crew: Joey, Sully, Keez, Chief, Kipp and JackO. Joey is a recent (as of Friday just before he flew to CA) ISU graduate in Dietetics, starting graduate school in Sports Nutrition. He kept us well fueled, and also served as bike mechanic and photographer (credited with most of the photos below). He had Skipper’s nutrition dialed in with an unorthodox cocktail of beef jerky & peanut butter M&Ms. Vilks developed a crush on Joey early in the race and we had to keep them separated. Sully provided excellent medical care, navigation and kept every one awake at night. She was also quite proficient at assembling the pop up tent for emergency bathroom needs. My favorite quote from Sully, “Fanny pack on. Shit just got real.” Keez was my rock. Finishing the race was spectacular, but pails in comparison to sharing the experience with her, and watching her take command of food prep (before and during the race), navigation and communicating with “Van 2” during bike swaps. Chief gets more credit than I can give on a blog. The estimate for her hours of prep would be conservative at 500. She slept less than anyone over 60 hours. We calculated maybe 60 min, total. When I had a mechanical and emotional break down a day before the race, Chief asked what image I used to calm my mind. I told her that I recall the memories of my Grandma Jean bringing me raspberries from the garden. Later that day, I had a pail of raspberries waiting for me. Vilk’s cousin, Kipp, was a late addition. Admitting to not reading a single page of the 300 plus page manual, he stepped up and crushed it. The only thing we lost along the route was one of Kipp’s shoes. RIP. JackO was our California connection. A former professional bike racer, he served as mechanic, driver and unflappable force… and also drove one of the vans back to CA from CO solo. What started as 20min transitions times for bike swaps ended with 2min Formula 1 pit stops. What a team.

A huge shout out to many others who supported us along the way: Trek, Hincapie Sportswear, SweatVac, Rocky’s Custom Bikes and Colin at Cronometro who took my frantic call about my brakes not working.

Speaking of Formula 1 racing…. this former F1 engineer and Drafter from afar finished her first Ironman and Ride Across the Rockies, also in soaring temperatures. Congrats Formula 1! She will be at the Hincapie Gran Fondo in Greenville in October. There is a FREE ENTRY to the Drafter who donates the greatest $ to JRDF at the Lake Ripley Ride July 31 or raises the most money for Boys and Girls Club Ride July 17. Be sure to sign up on BrickO’s Drafters team to qualify.

It looks like spring is back with temperatures below 90. Seems like a good time to ride “Spring Valley”.

RidewithGPS link

Short pour option: turn left on Pine from Spring Valley, left on KP and proceed along full strength route.

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

Full Circle. That was the theme at the Monday night Draft, which enlisted 2 Newbies, Squirrel and Thor, for a respectable line up of 22 Drafters.

Drafter beginnings weren’t intentional. In fact, it is fair to say that BrickO had the brakes on when it came to biking. Every Saturday during their weekly racquetball duel, Sully kept planting, cultivating and watering the seed. When she switched from water to beer, the seed grew and BrickO decided to give biking a roll. Complaints were loud and plentiful on their first road trip, but Sully was not deterred or discouraged in her recruitment efforts. Epic success. Quickly indoctrinated into the college of n+1, BrickO’s college commuter bike gained a sibling. A motorcycle was sold in order to buy a gently used Kestrel from Herkert (Drafter handle Thor), a fellow racquetball player and bike racer (amongst other athletic successes). The circle was complete on Monday night when both Thor enlisted in the Draft and Sully watered the seeds.

The B for Badass Team was in full strength… after a short recess to allow time for Special K to arrive. Don’t judge. The Garanimals trend set by Pipes last week seems to have taken hold. Mix and match your Drafter kits responsibly.

Cookie Monster was off to a slow start, which she attributed to 2 months of battling a bug and chasing after a very spirited and recently mobile daughter. Waiting until the busiest road to pull over and head back, she realized her rear brake had been on (with her second doctorate near complete, you’d think….). Squeak continued to experience brake issues (hence her Drafter handle), which served her better than Cookie Monster. A deer crossing the road had ample warning when Squeak hit the brakes. She is currently seeking a patent for her deer horn device.

Our two Newbies demonstrated slightly different riding styles. Why did the Squirrel cross the road? No idea. But this Squirrel is no ordinary rodent. He and Z Wrecks diverted from the main course to climb Cleveland Rd, and with a powerful combination of rodent and dinosaur teamwork, caught back up to the the rest of the Badasses.

Why did Thor put the hammer down? To bring the thunder. Holy crap. Cleveland Road tested mortal strength, but clearly Norse Gods are immune. The lead group could hear the thunder as Thor dropped the hammer and sped away, leaving us to ponder our mortal dust. Gopher and LuLu somehow managed to avoid Cleveland Hill until now, as noted in the Strava title “What??? A New Hill??!!”

Turns out that hammers and gavels were issued along with diplomas in the 80s at Middleton High School.

Thor may have dropped the hammer on Cleveland Road, but Badger with her short legs designed for digging and fearless attitude charged the hill. But first… she circled the ground contemplating the challenge. Badgers are known for attacking competitors with far greater size and strength, and so she went for it (attacking the hill from a dead stand still), taking Columbus and Daisy with her!

Two Drafters weren’t in the starting line up, but get credit for riding the course. Tick Tock noted for the record that he opted out of climbing Cleveland Rd & Deer Run Rd not because he doesn’t like a challenge, but because it is a dead end. If not diplomatic, forever pragmatic, “I’m not climbing a f’in hill to nowhere.”

Skipper road the route backwards due to a late start (guess the Drafters only wait for Special K), but came through with a spectacular Wisco photo.

Backyard drafting was at its finest, featuring drinking beer grasped between two toes. Dr. Wampus wasn’t there to assess the foot and ankle mechanics required for such a feat, but we hope she makes a debut soon.

Ninja couldn’t join the Draft, but sent dirty bike porn from an undisclosed location.

The route for Monday, June 14 will include the infamous Black Hill, hence the route name Back In Black. But you should Draft in green. Last call for Hincapie Drafter gear, including “guns” jerseys. Store closes June 12. Smoke em’ if ya got em’. https://order.hincapiecustom.com/BRICKOS2021

RidewithGPS link Back in Black

Reminder: Drafter Yoga with Pipes begins Tuesday, June 29, 7AM at Indoorance. Garanimals encouraged but not required. Let the record reflect that some participants may barter with Pipes, Special K is paying the full $100 for 12 sessions.

Draft responsibly,
BrickO

A quick note on the route for Monday, Formidable Festge. There is an optional “thumb” (#9 in the photo below) in the route, a right turn off Timber lane onto Cleveland Road and up Deer Run Road, and then a U-turn back to the beginning (Timber becomes Old Sauk Pass). This little thumb will add 2 considerable climbs.

CAUTION: As of yesterday, the stretch of KP headed east along the new Scenic Valley development had been repaved. The stretch heading west (our direction) was down to one lane, with enough room for a car or a bike but not both. If anyone happens to ride along KP this weekend and finds it unfit for Drafting, please give a shout out in GroupMe and I will post a new route.

Baby, it’s hot. Hincapie will be adding sleeveless Drafter jerseys to the store, hopefully Monday. The store is already open for reorders until June 13, so feel free to order a “cool” jersey.

 

Hincapie Link to 2021 Cool Jersey

The Dirty Draft had the Usual Suspects. BrickO, Columbus, Footer, Stout, LuLu, and the Squeaky 5 had some fun at Blackhawk, and acted as first responders to a crash. Draft responsibly. Speedy and her spirited kiddos were there shredding, and Speedy even got Coach Arms off the ice and onto the dirt!

This photo of the original Draft in 2013 resurfaced. A humble beginning and a solid foundation from which to build a family of 129 Drafters.

The strength of a multi-generation Drafter family is summed up in these photos, celebrating Footer’s new kitchen (a 6 month endeavor) and Baby Monster’s first Draft.

Tobacco City Boy, one of our founding fathers in the picture above, has 3 kiddos under 5, which prevents him from Drafting on Monday nights. But he still proudly wears the ORIGINAL Drafter jersey and rides roads near and dear to my heart.

It looks like the Drafters are going to be well represented at the Hincapie Gran Fondo in Greenville on Oct 23. Register with code SBRICKSON for 20% off and get this cool jersey:

Gran Fondo Link

Lot’s of road rides on the calendar- but has anybody heard of the Tour de Chequamegon?

Check it out: http://www.ridefyxation.com/the-ride

Draft responsibly,

BrickO