Mother Nature saved the best for last. A glorious afternoon, with no wind or threat of rain, sunshine and temps in the mid-70s. The only formidable tasks were capturing all 23 Drafters in a panoramic and avoiding the black walnuts on Paulson Road, just past Riley Tavern.
The group would like to recognize two outstanding Drafters. Or maybe two Drafters standing out 💚.
Skipper once again captured a beautiful photolog of the Riley Tavern route.
Turns out dancing around the black walnuts was only part of the challenge. Z had a hand signal for nuts that kept us all from harm. Vilks tried to facilitate the crossing in Greenway Station at the intersection of Deming Way and Greenway Blvd but struggled to press the right button. It’s a common issue. BrickO nearly lost her head waiting in the crosswalk at the intersection of Donna Dr and Century Ave. Note: electric buses make no sound and will hug the curb to pick up a rider at the cost of picking off a cyclist. All is well that ends well. And that end included a surprise attack and sprint of a life time by Booker J to take the yellow jersey for this year’s Drafter tour!
Perhaps the most exciting part of the finale was meeting our newest Junior Drafter!
Her big brother is happy to show her the ropes at Blackhawk.
It’s been an amazing season. I’m grateful for all of you, to all of you, for Drafting responsibly, together. For being kind. For being there for one another. For leaving no Drafter behind.
Here’s a quick recap of the season. The Drafters had an early start on March 9th, enjoying 23 Drafts (so far… maybe there will be a finale on October 17 or 18, pending many things) covering 689. 15 miles. 60 Drafters enlisted, including 9 newbies. Welcome Barkley, Dr. Dewey, Enrob, Clyde, Supe, Sparky, Denver, Gov & Magellan. The largest attendance was on August 3, with 25 Drafters riding out of Cross Plains on the Beer Float route.
18 Drafters earned their gold start ranking in the 10 and over club: Twinkle Toes, BrickO, Speedy, Duracell, Rimshot, Octane, Knievel, Car Wash, Shaq, Spigot, Cujo, Queenie, Skipper, Presley, Hawkeye, Vilks, Keez & Z. The highest ranking goes to Speedy and Rimshot, with 19 drafts!
We lost a honorable member of our cycling community on July 19. We will honor R.A. every ride buy savoring the feeling of wind through our helmets, putting power through the pedals, however great or small, and advocating for maintained roads and cyclist’s right to be on them.
WEEKEND HIGHLIGHTS:
The Super Club Gravel Series hosted the Wild Hare event in Viroqua on Saturday. The Drafters dominated the field for most fun had. And Herbie dominated the field! Congrats to Vilks, Speedy, BrickO, Spigot, Herbie and Tank on their Driftless adventure.
Congrats to Hawkeye and his little bird of prey on their Badger Challenge.
Hawkeye best keep working on his pace, as the junior known as the Drafter Blond Tornado is lighting it up on the XC field. She may not be the fastest runner, but she leaves no runner behind. At the meet last week in Waunakee, the Blond Tornado paused yards before the finish to wait for a teammate, holding her hand in victory as they crossed the finish line, together.
Footer held the field star for most drafts in 2019 and 2020. She only made one appearance this year on the road, but many on the river. Best of luck to Footer in her upcoming Barefoot competition!
Let the DIRTY DRAFT begin! Monday Oct 5 will kick off the first dirty draft of the season at Blackhawk East Chalet. Membership required. Warm up lap up top (Pine, Twist & Shout, Roller Coaster) at 4:45. A final sweep of the parking lot at 5PM to wrangle late comers, and then meander around and about over to Middleton Bike Park (or not- your ride). There is a fire pit, should anyone think to bring a match and kindling along with your cooler of refreshments. Vilks is in charge of nuts. JUNIOR DRAFTERS: you are invited to join! Vintage and Thing 1 have their A team ready to shred (see video above). Rumor has it that Badger and Gopher also have a Junior Drafter who has been rippin’. ALL NOTIFICATIONS WILL BE SHARED THROUGH GROUPME DIRTY DRAFT (separate from Drafters).
Keep an eye on GroupMe for an impromptu Drafter 50 Finale on Oct 17 or 18, pending weather, interest, and a dozen other variables. This concludes the blog until 2027.
Draft responsibly,
BrickO
