Everyone Knows it’s Windy (Mulligan- route June 2 from Crossroads)

Credit to Thin LIzzy, 1976.

Guess who just got back today
Them wild-eyed boys that had been away
Haven’t changed, had much to say
But man, I still think them cats are crazy

And 26 Drafters were on tap to celebrate. 27 if you count (and we do), Gopher swinging by on his commute home to congratulate Z on reenlisting in the Draft.

To honor the return of Billy Boy, we chose the infamous “left on Johnson” route. When in doubt… climb.

A few little hiccups as the B Team lined up. Coach Arms is very competent on the ice, but a little less comfortable in 80 degree temperatures. “Suns out, guns out” is approved attire (especially with deltoids like hers), but no shoes is a problem. Fortunately, she was able to cram her size 11s into BrickO’s spare pair of shoes and made it 3 miles before her feet went numb. The A Team had their fair share of equipment failures, too, but started off strong.

The idea for departure was a good one, in theory. Avoiding Pheasant Branch by taking the bike path, as bikers might, was an honorable quest. Who would have guessed the bike path posed more of a threat? Perhaps it was the volume of cyclists that overpowered the capacity of the bike path. Regardless, this route out of town will be avoided in the future. Thanks to each and every Drafter for drafting responsibly.

The A Team broke up after some mechanical technicalities. Twinkle Toes broke his chain in Dane. Sounds like the makings of a country western song. Summoning his inner Hulk, Twinkle Toes muscled the chain back together over a 2-link gap. Octane was struggling with shifting, and decided to play bike mechanic. He moved the limit screw on Scarlet Begonia, ultimately limiting his choices of gears to the small ring. Twinkle Toes, a former bike mechanic, did not offer a remedy as he rather enjoyed the company of the “junior gearing” duo.

The big gear abled A Team Drafters said goodbye and powered on to through the historic Viaduct.

All is well that ends well. Octane and Shaq brought snacks to share. Twinkle Toes abstained for obvious reasons.

Flexibility first. Vilks and Spigot know the value of stretching. You never know when that extra hip flexor length will be required to reach the tap.

It is worth mentioning that Dan-yelly was on time AND remembered her shoes. And keys. And all the things. A truly momentous Draft for many reasons.

WEEKEND HIGHLIGHTS:

The Hungry Bear in Cable, WI was well attended by Drafters from both the southern and northern chapters. Maybe not too surprising given the Men-o-Pause conditions, BrickO, Ninja and Grit all met in the porto line. Cujo, what is your secret?? Twice! It was wonderful to see our friends in the North, Momma Monster, Ninja, Belle and Bomber.

Coach Arms was featured in Brava as one of the “Game Changers”. Uh, yeah. She doesn’t just change the game of hockey. She changes the lives of every young woman on the team, for the better.

Tick Tock and Sarge brought their bikes to Iowa, but not to ride. Their trusty steeds were honored guestgs, donned with flowers , as they tied the knot! Congratulations!!

The Junior Drafter team welcomed another member. Congrats to E$ and Cookie Monster on their beautiful baby boy, who arrived already dressed in Drafter gear. Minnow Monster and Mellow Monster already have him doing laps.

Back by popular demand, the Vintage 6-pack abs and Starburst kits are available for ONE MORE WEEK. Here is the link to the Hincapie Team Store. Apologies for the bump in price. It was the only way to negotiate opening the store for Vintage kits.

ROUTES FOR MON MAY 20. There are short pour and full strength routes for Monday. Short pour is the 27 mile Pine Loop and full strength 35 mile Spring Valley. The * indicates a work around for Century Ave, but is otherwise the same as older routes. Departure times 4:45 and 5PM. There will be NO DRAFT the following Monday due to Memorial Day.

RidewithGPS link Drafters | *Pine Loop

RidewithGPS Link Drafters | *Spring Valley

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

And what better way to celebrate Herbie’s birthday with some 2434 feet if climbing and beer floats?

16 Drafters came out to play. The short pour was a popular choice for the Bad *ss Squad. Knievel and Cujo were full strength. Happy to see Drafters pick and choose their own adventures! The promise of beer floats and pizza lured Pit Stop, Presley, Grit and Slinger out for their inaugural ride for 2025.

While Presley, Shaq and Grit were dancing in their blue suede shoes, Cujo needed a little help from Watson putting hers on.

The A Team collectively had some tired legs (see below), but the sounds of any complaining was drown out by the singing of Happy Birthday to Herbie!

Here are a few action shots from our wild, wild west adventure.

Sometimes you gotta get down….

To look up.

A hill by any other name is still a hill. Forshaug. Fo’Sure. Forshit. ForUg.

A huge thanks to Katy and Abby from Crossroads Coffeehouse and Creekside Scoop for opening up the pizza oven, ice cream cooler and kegs just for the Draft! Speedy was in rare form after the ride. The Exhausted Parent (espresso and bourbon) ice cream coupled with a shot of Spotted Cow had our favorite Canasian on fire, energized by the shot of caffeine and uninhibited by the ounce of bourbon. She was eager to return home to spread 8 yards of mulch. But not until she shared a very elaborate and graphic review of the Bob Ross art with cow manure medium she had enjoyed driving to the Draft on Airport Road. The audience was captivated.

Shaq, honoring Speedy’s heritage, made Rice Krispy bars with sesame seeds. Very PC.

Montagas pizzas were devoured by the crew. Spigot made a tremendous, ensuring no pizza slice was left behind. He did, however, leave every A Team drafter behind, sprinting to be first to the Creekside Scoop.

WEEKEND HIGHLIGHTS

Keez brought some tired legs, hardware and cash prize to the Draft. Crowed queen of the La Crosse Omnium, she claimed first place in the Time Trial, first place in the Road Race (also serving as the WISCO State Championship)and third place in the criterium. Congrats, Keez!

Hammer Time did just that at the Bear100 in Laona on Saturday, powering through 115 miles of mud to claim second place overall female.

The Colonel owned up to having a Man Cold (this is a real thing), opting out of the race but opted in for full support of his bride to be.

Congrats to all those who pawed their way through the mud.

Car Wash and his daughter completed a marathon together. Car Wash brought home Father of the Year award for his valor. At mile 6, his daughter begged to slow the pace to avoid vomiting. “Go ahead. You’ll feel better”, Car Wash advised.

Sometimes the greatest rides don’t come with a time chip. Thanks to Slim for building and raking MTB trails for miles of smiles.

On tap for next week… we will stick with 4:45 and 5PM departure times from Middleton Hills, with short pour and full strength options. The * indicates a slight change from leaving and returning to Middleton Hills. Due to pot holes and now the recent activity at the end of Pheasant Branch, leaving mud and muck across the road, we will be using the bike path.

Short pour. A 30 mile route skipping Viaduct.

Link to RidewithGPS Drafters | *Viaductless Short Pour

Full strength. A 39 mile route through the historic Viaduct district.

Link to RidewithGPS Drafters | *Viaduct to 100 Mile Grove

Note on Hincapie Drafter gear: the shipment landed. If you have an item that is too large or small, let BrickO know. It is typically pretty easy to find another Drafter who is looking for gear. The store can be reopened if there is enough interest in placing another order.

Draft responsibly,

BrickO