Oi and a few other choice words from Roy Kent’s prolific vocabulary were heard as 19 Drafters battled the wind on their way to Roxbury. Per usual, idle threats were exchanged in the corral about “taking it easy” due to the poor air quality thanks to the overproduction of S’mores in Canada. “Take it Easy” may be one of the greatest Eagle’s songs of all time, but those words have no meaning in the Draft. Alveoli be damned. It’s Drafter time.

Drafter times is more accurate. Working our way through the alphabet, the A, B, and D teams (no C as that is so average) have expanded to include E for Early. Cookie Monster and Footer wanted to get a jump on drafting responsibly.

The D Team welcomed a Newbie! Turns out he really knows Canadian trivia. Speedy (sporting her new OCG jersey) was testing his knowledge about the culture, mostly hockey and maple syrup, but the Newbie surpassed her expectations by coming up with Justin Beiber. Who knew? Beiber.

The B Team was definitely bad a**, riding 3 extra miles which were, according to Z Wrecks, “all uphill, into the wind and snow”.

The A Team has taken drafting to a new level. Granny and Squirrel had fresh legs after a lovely vacation in Greece. If Keez had tired legs after racing ToAD over the weekend, it wasn’t apparent.

From her position as lantern rouge, BrickO enjoyed a serious draft in the wind tunnel.

BrickO may be short on wattage from her quadage, but the wattage from her grey matter was in full force. As the A Team contemplated their options home, the bike path seemed the wisest option. NOT because taking the bike path missed an opportunity to climb Woodland, but because is presented an opportunity to shoot a shot of whiskey at the Missouri Tavern. Since 1940, the Missouri Tavern has been a watering hole for the thirsty traveler. But not on Mondays, apparently. Despite the disappointment, all were pleased with the choice to take the bike path, but only Granny risked ridicule when she confessed, “I love the bike path.”

The hot and thirsty were not no be denied. Just delayed.

There is NO DRAFT on July 3. We will return to Crossroads Coffeehouse/ Creekside Scoops located at 2020 W Main in Cross Plains on Monday July 10. Departure times are 5, 5:15 and 5:30PM. This is a new 36 mile route, with the same short pour 24 mile option as our last Crossroads expedition.

PLACE CROSSROADS PIZZA ORDER HERE by Friday July 7. The choices are cheese, pepperoni, sausage or margherita. The pizzas will be pre-made. When you have completed the draft, head to the counter to pay for your pizza and they will pop it in the oven. A pizza easily feed two Drafters, unless you are Slim, who can easily put one away.

RidewithGPS link Drafters | Crossroads V2.0

RidewithGPS link Drafters | Crossroads Coffeehouse Short Pour

In dirty news, BrickO and Z Wrecks had a 6 hour Romp in the Swamp. Being the ONLY relay team to sign up, they were DFL and swept the podium. The Wisconsin Endurance Mountain Bike Series (WEMS) is definitely something to check out. And if you really want a long Romp, it isn’t too late to sign up for the Wausau 24 on July 29.

A great turn out for the second Dirty Draft in CamRock on Tuesday! Octane and Footer led the way with their well defined calf muscles. Footer earned hers the hard way barefoot skiing, while Octane’s mother forced him to wear high heels during his formative calf years. The true God of Gastroc, Skipper, was honoring the colors from across the pond in Norway. There will be no Dirty Draft on July 4. Details for the following week, July 11, will be posted in GroupMe.

Last chance for Drafter gear in 2023. The Hincapie store closes tonight at midnight. Get your green here. Everyone looks stunning in green.

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

23andMe. A great turn out for the warmest draft of 2023. Our Drafter family tree extended a branch to welcome a newbie flying through by way of Colorado. Last week we learned about “Baltimore Oreos”. Looks like the Drafters just landed one of these rare birds.

Rare birds are not uncommon in the Draft. Cookie Monster honed in her skills riding with the D for Daycare Pickup Team last week before joined the D for Determined Drafter Team… on her way home from her first day at the UW Center for Innovation in Engineering Education. Their mission is to positively impact the world. Pretty sure they picked the right Drafter for the job.

The D Team set off promptly at 5PM. Even the Swiss would have been impressed. From there the timing went downhill while the riding went very much uphill.

Duracell checked his watch to be sure the B Team was on time. What could go wrong with a copper top battery?

The standard 5:15PM B Team departure was subdivided into B+ and B- Team departures. While some B Team members were still rolling in, 5 members rolled out ahead of schedule.

The B+ Team enjoyed baby Drafter smiles as Gopher made his New Daddy Debut. She looks right at home providing Draft protection for LuLu.

The B+ Team in hot (86 degrees) pursuit.

The B+ Team had an official lantern rouge, or perhaps a lantern orange. Our Newbie traveled all the way from Colorado to draft responsibly. At first glance, the Drafters were giddy to welcome Steve Martin. Certainly more fit than the famous comedian, our lantern orange was just as witty. He held his own with Vilker’s backyard banter. Purely academic discussions ensued about the relative size of various monuments, tequila squeezers, holy subsidiaries of the Drafters, the proper spelling of bequeath, cocof’inuts, and an ornithology lesson in Cardinal Red and Baltimore Oreos. The conversation outlasted the case of beer he brought. A testament to his endurance. He is a rare bird, and we are lucky to welcome BoreO to the Draft.

The A Team was small but mighty. Cannibal, Keez and Booker J caught the B+ Team on Spring Valley Rd. BrickO gained some satisfaction in learning that Keez was nauseous, hoping it was the result of her effort to catch the B+ team and not due to the 13 hours of travel she endured the day before. Slim got a late start due to a mechanical. The former semi-professional road racer longed for his pit crew, as he lost time swapping out his road bike for a gravel bike. Without a Domestique, Slim road the route backwards until he came across the A Team and then laid down hammer, furthered their suffering. All in the spirit of the Draft.

While there were multiple multiple start times, all Drafters finished united hot and thirsty and cooled off with a post-draft draft.

Congrats to the finishers of the 20th annual Horribly Hilly Hundreds! Ninja, GFK, Pepe, Shaq, Velo, Z Wrecks and BrickO enjoyed what was likely the finest weather in as many years.

The Summer Solstice this week will provide ample daylight for a longer ride on Monday, June 26. Rockin’ to Roxbury is a 42 mile trek through some of our favorite roads, including Dunlap Hollow.

RidewithGPS link to Drafters | Rockin’ to Roxbury

The short pour 30 mile option heads out of town along the same route, but turns a bit earlier to enjoy Indian Lake. PLEASE ride single file on HWY 19. There isn’t another way to circumnavigate Indian Lake, unfortunately.

RidewithGPS Drafters | Indian Lake Short Pour

THERE WILL BE NO DRAFT ON MONDAY JULY 3. Enjoy the holiday!

There have been a few requests for Drafter kits. There will likely be a new design next season, but the 10th anniversary kits from 2022 are available. Here is the link to the Hincapie Team Store. THE STORE CLOSES ON TUESDAY JUNE 27 AT MIDNIGHT. Place your order directly and the items will be shipped internationally from Columbia via FedEx, requiring a signature (you can sign indirectly in most instances). There are no returns or exchanges, so be sure to order the right item. Jersey styles for road are Velocity “race cut” and Axis “club cut”, along with a MTB/gravel style jersey. Bibs and shorts come in two lengths- most order the long, but you do you. It is recommended that you try on a kit for size from a Drafter with similar morphologic properties.

DIRTY DRAFT: the fun has begun! Tuesdays at 5PM, starting tonight at Blackhawk. Trails may vary each week (or not), so be sure to join the Dirty Draft GroupMe for updates.

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

Apologies to Annie Lenox and the Eurythmics.

here comes the rain again
falling on my helmet on a Mon-day
falling on my head like a new emotion
i want to ride in the open wind
i want to talk like Drafters do
want to dive into your paceline
is it raining with you?

The weather turned just as the clock struck Drafter hour, scaring away all of the D Team and shrinking the A & B teams to 16. The A Team held fast, and rode even faster. While Mother Nature only spit a few drops, her roar created some serious head wind as the Drafters headed north.

The B Team started as 6 before deciding to challenge the notion of strength in numbers. And then there were 3. Spoiler: there IS strength in numbers. Knievel was awarded the Drafter Green Heart, a medal reserved for those who go above and beyond the call of duty, as he accompanied Shaq on the Lodi tour. Shaq had the route locked and loaded, but when the D Team failed to show, she put on her big person pants and set out with the B Team. Z Wrecks doubled back to help patrol the wind, while BrickO, Captain Joe and Squeak battled on.

The B team made their about face turn in Lodi, getting the exact coordinates of the A Team as they rapidly made their way to the front line. Knowing they had the Rock of Ages “Gunter Glieben Glauten Globen” ahead, better known in the cycling world as “Bitney, Buethin, Brererton”, the B team made one last charge up Bitney Rd before being overtaken.

BrickO saw Squeak falling behind. Adhering to the Drafter Code, she went back for her teammate. After pulling her back up to the rest of the B Team, BrickO discovered that she had failed miserably. Mistaking Cujo for Squeak, BrickO had only hastened the advancement of the A Team. Deception was Cujo’s super power, starting early with a text noting that she was going to be late due to heavy traffic in downtown Middleton. That’s what happens when your Google Map is set on bike mode.

The A Team, led by Vintage, rocked on and up Bluethin. Missing from the band was front man, Cannibal. He joined Knievel in earning the Drafter Green Heart, helping Velo keep the beat. Cannibal faced a conundrum when he came upon Squeak, who had played her heart out early in the Draft and was facing the music. The Clash of the Drafter Code: Should I stay or should I go now? If I go, there will be trouble. And if I stay there will be double. Come on and let me know. Should I stay or should I go?

To give the reader some idea of how fast the A Team was traveling with the tail wind, Keez outpaced a “Baltimore Oreo”. You know, “the rare orange bird.” Keez also outpaced her chain, dropping it before the climb on Lodi-Springfield. Seizing the opportunity to make up some time on the 15min gap, BrickO mercilessly (not proudly) left her offspring to tend to the mechanical as she prodded LuLu and Vintage to pull her home. There are strength in numbers, but it is definitely limited.

Both teams were reunited back at base camp, where they enjoyed a roaring fire and frosty beverages. Octane brought a limited supply of his famous brownies, which were evenly distributed once enough Drafters went home. Cannibal and Velo regaled us with stories of the 12 rounds they went in the ring, drafting against the wind.

The Drafters were joined by celebrities Thing 1 and Granny, who earned their place around the back yard fire pit with tremendous cycling feats. Thing 1, unable to participate in the Horribly Hilly Hundreds this coming Saturday, set out to conquer the 200k (plus) earlier in the day, fully unsupported. Granny destroyed the Des Moines 70.3 on Sunday, earning herself a spot at the World Championship in Finland alongside Drafter teammate Squeak. Imagine what she would have done on a TT bike??? Once she figured out how to change out of the granny gear, it was game over for the other competitors. Congrats to Coach Midas on another golden touch.

In other celebrity news, Coach Arms was interviewed on the front lawn. Of the WHITE HOUSE!!! Wisconsin now holds the most national titles (7) in all of NCAA women’s ice hockey. Humbled by the honor, the Canadian gave an exclusive interview to our Drafter Blog reporter. “I’m geeking out and I’m not even American!” Apparently, the Wisconsin State Journal was granted a separate (second) interview.

Nearly as prestigious as being honored on the front lawn of the White House, a handful of Drafters raised money for the MACC Fund by participating in the Trek 100. A fun day was had by all (Nemo, Booker J, Z Wrecks, Vilks, Pit Stop, BrickO, Pepe, Duracell & Speedy Family).

The route for Monday, June 19th will be Spring Valley, as a nice reminder to those who just suffered through the Horribly Hilly Hundreds. There is a short pour option to take the Pine Rd cut off. Choose wisely. Departures will be at 5, 5:15 and 5:30PM from Middleton Hills.

RidewithGPS link Drafters | Spring Valley

SHORT POUR: RidewithGPS link Drafters | Pine Loop

IN DIRTY NEWS: the Dirty Draft will begin Tue, June 20 at 5PM at the East Chalet at Blackhawk. There is a separate GroupMe for dirty announcements. Contact BrickO if you would like to be added.

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

… It’s just another Drafter Monday (Woah, woah)
I’m glad it’s not Sunday (Woah, woah)
‘Cause this is my fun day (Woah, woah, woah, woah)
My I don’t have to run day (Woah, woah)
It’s just another Drafter Monday

29 Drafters were present for the inaugural Crossroads Coffeehouse ride. Shout out to Katy and her fabulous staff for hosting the Draft. Pizza, beer and ice cream- the perfect post-draft trifecta for recovery.

There was a fairly even distribution of Drafters amongst the A, B for Bad Ass and D for Determined divisions. The D team had a dirty dozen until Duracell was drafted by the B team. It was great to see Cookie Monster back on the bike after completing her PhD marathon. Wampus quietly made her 2023 Drafter debut. She may have lost her voice, but her quads were not to be silenced. The Drafters welcomed a Newbie, Presley. Check out those blue suede shoes! It was only after the ceremonial Drafter handle dedication that Presley revealed her birth name, Lisa Marie. True dat’.

Inspired by seeing Elvis back in the building, Duracell danced his way into the B group to strike a pose. Good to have Captain Joe back from his 3 week junket in Alaska. Another 2023 Drafter debut was made by Mario. Congrats to Mario on admission to medical school at UW!

Octane and Queenie celebrated NEW BIKE DAY! Word on the B Street is that “YEE HAWs” reverberated off the climbs as Octane and Queenie left a trial of dust up each climb, taking command of their shiny new steeds. These bikes belonged to a good friend and wonderful man who left the planet too early. We will draft responsibly in his honor, savoring each pedal stroke. A new Cervelo for Queenie meant a new Trek for his son, Mario. Bikes are the gift that keeps giving.

11 members of the A Team gathered to discuss pre-draft strategy. Granny offered a preemptive mea culpa for not taking a turn at the front on the line. Coach Midas gave her sound advice to draft responsibly as she tapers for her upcoming 70.3. Keez extends a comforting hug as she calculates how many uncontested QOMs await.

The night and the route couldn’t have been more gorgeous. D4 was a good move for Footer, Pipes, Cookie Monster and Daisy as they advanced across the board.

Strava doesn’t tell the whole story, but it tells A story. This story is one filled with Drafter (and Momma) pride. 5 of the 7 women on the leaderboard are Drafters (Karen P and Brenna G are welcome to enlist). Draft responsibly. Kudos to Coach Midas for having Granny share top billing on her taper….. Nothing like a little competitive spirit to forget what the teacher said. BrickO’s response to being bumped, “I just want you to know that even though you tried to terminate me, revenge is not an idea we promote on my planet.”

The A team huddled around Squirrel as he suffered an identity crisis as he disobeyed the sign. Never leaving his wing man or crossing the center line, Squirrel empathized with the agile tree-dwelling bushy tail rodents but held fast to drafting responsibly.

LuLu and Vintage went nuts over Squirrel’s evolution. After climbing the freshly pea-graveled Moyer Rd, they decided to see what they had under the hood. Buzz Lightyear was on sight. Nothing like adding a short 25%ish grade challenge to the existing 2293 feet of climb.

In a hypoxic state, LuLu asked “WTF were we thinking? It was fun though.” The medical physicist deferred to his colleague, Vintage, to explain the theory.

Granny may need some tutoring from the Drafter scientific cohort. It appears her snot rocket velocity calculation is a bit off. Medical school as it applies to this crucial equation: “Years of Academy training wasted.”

Climbing to infinity and beyond works up an appetite. Crossroads Coffeehouse didn’t disappoint with pizza, beer and ice cream (not always in that order).

RACE REVIEW: Vintage competed in the WORS Battle of Camrock, placing top 10 (5th to be specific). In a post-race interview conducted by Skipper, Vintage gasped, “My eyeballs could have been sucked from their sockets!” But they weren’t.

To those souls who endured the mud bath affectionally knows as Unbound, may the force be with you. “My bike has crash landed here by mistake.”

The buzz for next week is this: back to Middleton Hills for 5, 5:15 and 5:30PM departures times, to infinity and Lodi.

RidewithGPS link Drafters | Rock of Ages Plus Lodi

There is a short pour option of 31 miles, riding just shy of Lodi and avoiding the hilly rock of ages section.

RidewithGPS link Drafters | Shy of Lodi Short Pour

Draft responsibly,

BrickO