These last two weeks have left the cycling community grieving. The loss of a veteran fellow cyclist on the poorly maintained Pheasant Branch Road is tragic. Personally, revisiting the carnage on PBR from March of 2026 whereby Z, Hawkeye and Twinkle Toes were injured has left me angry and, admittedly, not at my best.

The purpose of this blog is to convey, to the best of my knowledge, a summary of what I know now, and what I didn’t know then. It is my way of righting any wrong information that was unintentionally conveyed in the previous blog.

Pheasant Branch Road north of Whittlesey Road is maintained by the Town of Springfield. The land north of there, including Redtail Ridge subdivision, has been annexed by the City of Middleton. This makes things complicated, as we have a road leading to part of the city not maintained by the city, as I understand it.

Since the accident on July 19, 2026, the City of Middleton has fixed the pothole. This is a direct quote from Council Member Mark Opitz, Alder for District 6:
 
“Given the circumstances and the concerns raised, City staff have been in contact with the Town of Springfield. As a neighboring community, we have offered to assist the Town this week with making a repair at the location in question. This is a specific, cooperative effort in response to the immediate situation and should not be interpreted as the City assuming responsibility for the maintenance or evaluation of roadways outside our jurisdiction.”

Council member Opitz contacted me by phone to say that he is in favor of improving Pheasant Branch Road. Read more here. Pedestrian, Bike, Transit Committee VP Kierstin Kloeckner also contacted me by phone. She indicated that in order for PBR to be improved, it needs to be put on the 5 year plan. She encouraged me, and those who are in favor of PBR improvement, to share our opinion with Hans Hilbert, President of the Friends of Pheasant Branch. It was her understanding that Mr. Hilbert and the Board were not in favor of improving PBR.

I have communicated with Hans via two emails. Hans and the Board are in favor of NOT paving the Pheasant Branch Conservancy, north of Century Ave. They are NOT opposed to improvements on PBR. Here is a direct quote from my email with Hans, “The Friends of Pheasant Branch Conservancy do not have a formal position on favoring High Road over Pheasant Branch Road, only that we do not support paving in the Conservancy north of Century Ave.We are not opposed to the widening or reconfiguration, but would certainly need to review and understand what that means in terms of Conservancy impacts and how they could be mitigated. We want these decisions to be driven by data and for the ecological impact to be part of the discussion from the beginning.”

I felt obligated to set that record straight in the blog.

I am stepping away from posting more PBR related information on the blog. I’m not an attorney, civil engineer, or part of the City Council. I feel a civic duty to keep the drafters and the cycling community at large as safe as possible, and therefore have posted all that I know know, and thought that I knew then. There is too much information for me understand, assimilate and convey accurately, effectively, and without emotion, due to what we have lost as a cycling community.

So, I’m getting back to riding bikes, sometimes stopping at Missouri Tavern for a PBR, and always drafting responsibly. I hope to see you all Monday in Cross Plains at Crossroads. And good luck to all riding the Dairyland Dare tomorrow!

Draft responsibly,

BricKO

It was by far the hottest Draft in history (unverified, but agreed upon by the sweet and sweaty 16 Drafters present). If Garmin is accurate, the peak temperature hit 101. If the CORE body temperature sensor is accurate, here’s what was cooking in one Drafter’s oven:

Belle and Bomber thought it was a bit cool up north, so traveled south to enjoy the heat.

The short pour was concerned Pit Stop had gotten lost. 5PM rolled around and she wasn’t on the tarmac or in the bathroom. She was seeking refuge in her car with the AC on, not wanting to spend one extra minute in the sweltering temps.

Grandma Pit Stop wanted to look her Sunday best as her favorite Junior Drafter was cheering her on. Another Junior Drafter in the making.

The heat really got to Shaq. Looking at BrickO’s socks, clearly meant to match the beer theme of her jersey, Shaq remarked, “I love those! Are they artichokes”? Hops and artichokes are easily confused, especially when the temperature inside your helmet is boiling.

The heat blew in a newbie, and it was decided that Mercury Rising would be an appropriate handle given the record setting temps. Proving to have brains and brawn, the newbie turned off the Latham Loop, avoiding several hundred feet of climbing. Mercury Turning? Perhaps Sparky if 5 syllables doesn’t roll easily off the tongue.

Representatives from all 3 groups stopped at Missouri Tavern for refreshments.

A wave of panic spread over the Drafters when local patron Carl took Vilks under is massive arm and yelled a few decibels above normal volume, “Do you know what I think of you cyclists? I think you’re F’in awesome. No way would I be out there in this heat. Especially dressed like this (pointing to Vilks’ Vilas Zoo guns jersey)!”

To the surprise of no one, Vilks bough a round of shots for his new friends Carl, Matt and Vinny. No brown for Vinny, the bar tender warned as she poured him a tequila, “He will eat you.” Understood.

Not a fan of shots or a cold draft? How about something on the rocks? 100 pounds of ice (possible exaggeration, but at least 50) brought in by Speedy filled two kiddie pools.

Bomber chose a more direct approach. This drink went straight to his head.

Belle gasped, “My butt was literally on fire”. Melons are nearly as good as a fire extinguisher, when applied appropriately.

Octane made a prototype for future hot rides to ensure the comfort and safety of others. Or riding behind him in any condition.

WEEKEND HIGHLIGHTS:

Congrats to Skipper and Octane on their 12h relay at Wausau24, and to BrickO on her first place finish in the old but nice division on the 6h solo.

Skipper pulled up on his MTB, beer in hand, blood pouring from his shin. The medic declared stitches were required. BrickO went to fetch the car. Just past the portos, waiting in the line for the shower, were the BABES (Bad Ass Bitches Exploring Shit), a group of amazing women BrickO met at Wausau24 two years earlier. BABE 1: “Whatcha doing?” BRICKO: “Ah, ya know, headed to the ER.” BABE 2: “I’m a surgeon. I’ve got all we need to do that here.” SKIPPER: “I’m gonna grab a shower and a beer, then I’m all yours.” Huge shout out to the BABES.

BrickO left a little something on the course, too. Not flesh, but metal. Check your equipment. Yes, Mom.

Congrats to KickA**KK on her book reading and signing at Cap Brew last Thur. Huge thanks to Spigot and non-Drafter Jen for organizing the venue and helping spread the word to LBS, and to Keez, Z, Presley, Queenie, Herbie and Tank (and anyone I missed) for showing up to help sales. KK told a tale (true) of the women riding tricycles in the Little 500 for decades, as they were not yet allowed to compete in the main bicycle race. Women finally got their own official collegiate bicycle race in 1988, and KK was on the team that won!

PHEASANT BRANCH ROAD UPDATE: thanks to everyone who submitted letters to Alderman Mark Opitz district6@cityofmiddleton.us and Public Works Director Benjamin John bjohn@cityofmiddleton.us. Mark attempted to create one email to reach all of the council members, but that hasn’t happened. Here is a link to a list of all, including the mayor, if you would be willing to extend your efforts.

The pothole that claimed Randy’s life has been repaired by the City. The Town of Springfield and the City of Middleton are working on resolution for the remaining treacherous potholes that remain a continued threat.

There is discussion that the Friends Board is encouraging members to oppose the improvement of PBR, instead promoting passage along the High Road corridor. If this is indeed true, I encourage you to voice your opinion. I would ask that you please send an email to Friends of Pheasant Branch President, Hans Hilbert president@pheasantbranch.org and request that your concerns be shared with all of the Board.

The City is hosting two upcoming open houses to share details on the Active Transportation Plan and collect public feedback. These events will be held at:

Northside Elementary School, Wednesday Aug 5th from 6-7PM

Parisi Park, Monday August 10 from 6-7PM

More information, including the draft plan can be viewed on the City Website.

BACK TO DRAFTING:

As we roll into August, we roll back to Crossroads for the third and last ride this summer out of Cross Plains. The bridge on KP is open (or close enough). Short pour is 23 miles at 5PM. Full strength 26.5 miles, departing at 4:45 and 5PM.

RidewithGPS link: Drafters | Beer Float Short Pour

RidewithGPS link : Drafters | Beer Float

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

This is the second difficult blog I’ve posted in our 14 years of Drafting, the first being last March when the pot holes on Pheasant Branch Road caused a crash that injured 3 of our own. The sound of silence rung out Sat as the news of a bright light in the Stonefield Wheelmen’s tribe went out after hitting a poorly maintained stretch (which includes nearly every stretch) of Pheasant Branch Road. On behalf of our Drafter tribe, our hearts go out to the family and our cycling community.

We cannot reverse the fatality. We can be active in promoting change to prevent further loss.

There is a City Council meeting tonight, Tue July 21 at 7PM at City Hall (or via Zoom). There will be an opportunity at the beginning of the meeting for citizens to voice their concerns. Mark Opitz, representing District 6, is in full support of elevating Pheasant Branch Road (PBR) and has been championing this effort since his election in April. Please see his webpage for updates: Mark Opitz Pheasant Branch Road Safety.

Mark has shared some insights into the complicated nature of Pheasant Branch Road. Beyond the intersection at Whittlesey Road, continuing north past K, PBR is not maintained by the City of Middleton but by the Town of Springfield. The tricky part is that the land north of the city limits along PBR, including the Redtail subdivision, has been annexed by the City of Middleton. So, it appears we have a road servicing Middleton residents that is not serviced by Middleton. The Town of Springfield has been made aware, again, of the conditions causing the crash (I called them last year after Z’s accident as well). The City of Middleton, as a good-neighbor response, offered to assist the town in repairing the stretch of road where the accident took place.

Apparently, a similar conundrum occurred to the west when Pheasant Crossing subdivision was erected off of High Road (runs parallel to PBR). The current Mayor, Lisa Janairo, was at that time the District 6 representative (position now held by Mark Opitz) and pushed the City very hard to repair High Road, citing that it posed dangers to the residents occupying land annexed by the City.

I am sharing these facts as I understand them following a conversation with Mark Opitz last evening, after the Draft. Mark is encouraging our cycling community to voice our concerns. He wants to be sure they are being heard by the people who can make change. The IT department is currently constructing a single email address that will include all city council members and they mayor. I will share that as soon as I have it.

The rest of the blog seems insignificant, and almost unholy to share the joys of riding in the face of this tragedy. And yet, the greatest tribute we can pay to those we’ve lost is to live fully. So here we go….

17 Drafters checked the AQI and radar and gave two thumbs up to drafting responsibly. The forecast promised the rain would stay west, a small cell dissipating rapidly towards us with nothing more sinister than a few drops. Octane was excited by the rain, as he wouldn’t be relegated to the end of the paceline. Twinkle Toes did the rain dance (fully outfitted in cycling shoes and helmet, a big step from his wardrobe last week) by leaving the roof for his Bronco at home. Vilks tapped into his inner-MacGyver and jury-rigged a cover using a tarp and two bungee cords. The rain abided.

Coach Arms looks suspiciously tan for being a hockey coach. Apparently, the wildfires are driving young hockey stars from Canada to beaches in the south?

Octane’s excitement over the rain drops quickly evaporated as his derailleur malfunctioned. Frustrated but not deterred, Octane turned on the gas and rode a modified (less hilly) route. His motivation to draft may have been fueled by the pan of brownies he baked earlier in the day. Calories count for more when shared.

Coach Digz made a guest appearance, leaving his bike behind but being on time for brownies. A reminder that he is offering a free virtual clinic on Tuesday July 28 at noon. Email him for details at corey@digmanfitness.com

Goose has been ducking the Draft. Hawkeye might know where he has been hiding…. CONGRATS to Goose and Mavrick on their recent addition!

WEEKEND HIGHLIGHTS:

Congrats to Grit on conquering the 5-day Oregon Gravel Grinder! A woman of few words, this is what she had to say, “MF of an event. Never again.” We look forward to seeing so many more never again events from Grit!

Cookie Monster has been running a very successful Junior Drafter camp in the north.

COMING SOON

Did you miss the Horribly Hilly Hundreds? Not to worry. The Dairyland Dare is nearly has horrible/fun. There is still time to sign up for the Aug 1 event. Cujo is the poster child!

DON’T MISS:

KickA**KK at Cap Brew this Thur, July 23 at 7PM. She will be riding to the event with a group from Machinery Row. All are welcome to join.

ON TAP FOR NEXT WEEK:

Full strength 31 miles Latham Loop. B team departure 4:45, A team 5PM.

Short pour 19miles, Hyer Loop 5PM.

RidewithGPS: Drafters | Latham Loop

RidewithGPS: Drafters | Hyer Loop

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

The Drafters turned 120 this week! That is to say, two Drafters celebrated birthdays and no expense was spared to bring the party to the backyard. Two kiddie pools were secured by Speedy, chocolate cake compliments of Spigot, and a wide variety of salty snacks were enjoyed by 23 Drafters.

The B Team started with 5, including the long awaited return of Mario. Medical school let him out for one day of fun, and we are grateful he chose to Draft. Speedy was ready to rock and roll the full strength route (see Rolling Stone pose), until she wasn’t.

Her tune quickly changed as she realized her pedals and cleats were not going to make music. Box, box!

Luckily, BrickO’s bike barn is fully stocked and she executed a F1 style pit stop change out of pedals in seconds flat. Despite the rapid box, Speedy opted for pole position with the short pour. Some people will go to great lengths to be in two starting photos.

The bike barn also provides complimentary chain lube to those running a little dry. Coach Arms’ chain looked as it had been cleaned by a Zamboni, not a speck of lube left. Absolutely no jokes were made about lube and menopause, as BrickO’s daughter, Keez, was in the pit box crew.

The Short Pour 6 pack was at the starting line, ready for the green light. Coach Arms brought the gun show. BrickO will no longer be wearing her sleeveless jersey on the nights Coach Arms shows up. It is like bringing a knife to a gun fight. Coach Arms looks tough, but confessed, “I nearly melted.” Not much heat acclimation on the ice rink in LaBahn. Go Badgers.

The Bike Barn couldn’t help poor Twinkle Toes, who not only forgot his namesake (shoes) but also his helmet. Fortunately, TT and Marco drafted responsibly a few minutes behind the A Team. Strava confirmed their finish.

Spigot rolled in to the Draft carrying a full cooler on his back. Catering services are available for his baked goods Monday nights 5PM and during strength training Tue and Thur at 6AM (see flyer below). Please leave a favorable review on YELP.

The Short Pour wasn’t messing around. They threw down the power in order to be first feet in the kiddie pool.

Octane and Car Wash were doing their best to keep everyone cool on the route. Hincapie Sportswear is consulting with PPE and Hazmat suits to see if they can be customized in Drafter green. Octane threatened to file a DEI compliant after it was tastefully suggested that he draft responsibly, behind everyone else. But after reflecting in the kiddie pool, withdrew his complaint.

The A Team heard the kiddie pools didn’t have chlorine and increased their rate of speed to catch the B Team, hoping to be feet first.

Knievel and Duracell kneeled before heat gods, sweaty but not broken.

Vilks takes a knee but doesn’t dare take his banana into the pool with KickA**KK.

Spigot and Shaq share a moment in the reflection pools.

The pools grow more green as Tank, Spigot, Herbie and BrickO share a toast separately in “his and her” pools.

Did anyone notice how dapper Tank looked in his new kit? Herbie had her first sip of beer since taking 6th at SBT GVT, a whimsical look worth capturing. And Spigot has a profile picture ready in case he finds himself in line up other than a Drafter paceline.

Spigot can bake, wield a knife, and pull the A team for a good chunk of the route. A man with many, many talents. A James Bond of cycling.

HINCAPIE KITS: another order has been placed! You will be contacted directly with FedEx details. AVAILABLE AT A DISCOUNTED PRICE: New, never worn Women’s Axis large jersey, Men’s Axis medium jersey, and last years kit Women’s bibs medium. Contact BrickO for details.

WEEKEND HIGHLIGHTS:

Momma Monster makes Lifetime Event’s Chequamegon 40 front page at HQ!

Congrats to Squeak on her 3rd place finish at the Door County Triathlon!

WEEKS AHEAD:

Please join the Draft in supporting KickA**KK in her book signing at Cap Brew this Thursday July 23 at 7PM. Food, and of course beer, will be available for purchase. If Drafters are interested in riding to the event, that can be arranged. Otherwise, gather together at Cap Brew at 6:45PM.

JULY 28th at High Noon. Want in on a little secret to success? Keez (pro) , Herbie (6th overall SBT GVL), Grit ( post-SBT GVL fastest tube ride down the Yampa), Knievel (top 10 Belgian Waffle Ride), Spigot (baking takes incredible strength), Footer (champion barefooter), BrickO (current record holder at Digman Fitness for grip strength, excellent functional skill for holding a beer), Sweeps (Unbound finisher in the muddiest year ever) and Speedy (highest W/kg of all Drafters) all trust Digman Fitness for their strength gains.

From Coach Digman: The miles you put in on the bike build incredible endurance—but they don’t build everything you need to stay healthy, powerful, and riding at your best.

Whether you’re in the middle of race season or the off-season, a well-designed strength program can make a huge difference .

Our cycling strength program is built specifically for endurance athletes—not bodybuilders. Every exercise has a purpose and is designed to help you ride longer, ride stronger, and stay healthier throughout the season.

If you’d like to learn more or schedule an assessment to see how the program can help your riding, simply reply to this email. We’d love to help you reach your cycling goals.

Route for Monday July 20: Backdoor Riley, short pour 26 miles and full strength 30. Departures: B Team 4:45PM, Short Pour and A Team 5PM.

RidewithGPS Link: Drafters | Backdoor Riley Tavern Short Pour

Ridewith GPS Link: Drafters | Backdoor Riley

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

Lucky 13 for the Drafters, not so lucky for Team USA in the World Cup. Grateful for everyone who came out to welcome KickA**KK back to the Draft. Pro move. The groups were small but mighty as they conquered epic climbs including Braun, Vermont Church, Moe, Greenwald, Forshaug, Blue Mounds Trail, Sutcliffe, Old Indian, Moen Valley and Braun, again.

Only two Drafters completed this stage. Chuck Berry wrote a song about them.

Deep down in Wi-scoooon-sin close to Cro- ooss Plains,
Way back up in the woods among the evergreens
There stood a coffee shop made of earth and wood
Where met two drafter boys named Johnny ride good
Who never ever learned to read or write so well
But they could ride a bike just like a-ringin’ a bell

Go, go
Go Johnny, go, go
Go Johnny, go, go
Go Johnny, go, go
Go Johnny, go, go
Johnny ride good.

Presley likely did not draft alone when she abandoned the last climb on Braun. The bridge out on KP seemed more dangerous than riding Hwy 14 back to safety and ice cream. So that’s what she did.

The real pros were in the B Team. Queenie and Car Wash, known to their families as “Johnny”, rode the route as scripted. Queenie’s wife pinged his phone repeatedly after tracking her husband showed no movement on Sutcliffe. Car Wash recalls his mother apologizing for his lack of brain power. No brains, all brawn, as he suffered up the last climb on Braun. Johnny ride good.

Pro riders KK and Keez plan their strategy to bypass Braun, proving it takes brains to win a stage.

Spigot took one for the team, riding ahead to scout out the bridge on KP, or lack thereof., allowing the A team to finish ahead of the peloton. Chivalry isn’t dead.

Shout out to Natalie at Creekside Scoop for meeting our daily diary requirements. Cujo brought apple compote to add another food group. It went especially well with Exhausted Parent ice cream. The Chocolate Shoppe is entertaining changing the name to Exhausted Drafter.

Slim, Keez, KK and BrickO added some veggies to their pizza at Remington’s to round out their post-draft nutrition while they watched Team USA get smoked by Belgium.

The draft next week will return to Middleton Hills. Brewin’ on Breunig lives up to its name by taking the bike path home, stopping at Missouri Tavern for a frosty beverage. Full strength 34.8 miles, short pour 23 miles.

B Team departure 4:45. A Team and Short Pour 5PM.

RidewithGPS Link: Brewin’ not on Breunig Short Pour

RidewithGPS Link: Brewin’ on Breunig

We are so grateful to have KickA**KK drafting all of July. If you haven’t checked out her recent book, now is the time. KK has agreed to share her story with us at Crossroads/Creekside after the Draft on August 3. Order yours today (also on Amazon) to you can get a signed copy! We are hoping to organize a formal event with Bombay, Femme40 or Trek to give KK a bigger audience to share her experience. She is truly an ambassador of the sport, and a pioneer in women’s professional cycling.

Draft responsibly,

BrickO