Sweet 16 showed up for Vintage night but only 3 in the original Voler Drafter jersey. Some have gotten lost, and others lost their luster. BrickO’s jersey drew many comments (not to be confused with compliments) from the Drafters. Cannibal: BrickO, did you used to be much larger? LuLu: BrickO, is that a parachute? Is that your B minus jersey? Points all well taken. I think our Drafter 10-year anniversary jersey might be a Hincapie version of this vintage jersey.

Cookie Monster was going to bail on the ride, as E$ was still at work and she hasn’t trained the canine Millie to watch over their toddler, but remembering it was vintage night, she donned her Voler and made the Draft! Coach Arms & Footer wore the original red and blue Hincapie jersey, vintage in its own right.

GrannyZilla showed up at 4:38PM with a big decision: chase down the 4:30 group or hang with the 5PM crowd? Her trusty Bianchi steed was recently outfitted with new chainrings (who knew those shiny chainrings had a purpose?), giving GrannyZilla to confidence to wait. And wait. And wait. The 5PM crew was held up. Again. Waiting on Cannibal. He paid his dues and made amends by pulling all the way down Airport Rd. The Drafters would have let him pull all the way home had it not been for an inconvenient road closing.

Rain fell steady for most of the day, but the skies cleared just in time for the Draft.

It was a short flight on Airport Road, thanks to road construction. Captain Joe had done recon the day before and gave the Drafters a clear runway. Clearly, his copilot, Tennille, was not on board.

Cannibal’s reign came to an end at the road closure, and the pace settled a bit. Until it didn’t. Skipper, feeling spunky in his vintage 1994 purple jersey, had enough residual Race Across the West fitness to make our quads burn. Granny kept referring to Skipper as Sniper, possibly because once he took aim, we all fell. Or maybe she just pays as much attention to Drafter handles as she does changing gears.

• 

• 

Booker J, too proud to surrender in a pace line, claimed to have a “rock in my shoe”.

There was no way Gopher was pulling up short. After reaching a career high 2k miles in 2020, he has his eye on the 3k prize in 2021. Way to dig deep, Gopher!

We had a Draft by proxy, all the way from Santa Barbara, California! Drone Master was rocking a vintage Drafter headband as he drafted responsibly, yielding at the horse crossing.

The season in turning. Sunlight is fading and temperatures required a fire for the post-draft draft. This year, Z Wrecks upped his fire pit game. No more lawn fires. GrannyZilla thought conditions were too moist to ignite a flame. Little trust she had in the hard wood.

Belle and Bomber came to enjoy the camp fire, and to share with us Belle’s latest adventure: a 166 mile gravel race. From crits to gravel races, this beauty has become a beast!

Tick Tock and company took the vintage theme to Door County for the ride of the century.

In other Drafter sports news, Tree of Rown conquered Ironman WI. Congrats! Check out the support signs… lots of love in the Rowntree family!

We will continue to shorten the drafts, hopeful to ride through September and possibly the first Monday in October. Next week, we will draft Easy Street.

RidewithGPS link

END OF THE YEAR 50 MILE DRAFT will be on Saturday, October 9 at 9AM. Awards to follow. If you have done something really dumb, we’ve noticed. And will celebrate that absurdity in true Drafter fashion.

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

The cumulative fatigue in Drafter legs from the Horribly Hilly Hundreds on Saturday didn’t slow the pace much on the Pine Loop. 18 Drafters drafted, almost 1/3 of them fresh off the 10k climb over 200k event affectionately known as the HHH.

Congratulations to all Drafters who completed what many believe to be the hardest single day event in North America. Thing 1, Ninja, Eden, Octane, Vintage, LuLu, Footer and Booker J went green to represent the Draft. Might as well…. everybody turns green at some point on the HHH.

Our B for Bass Ass team could be supermodels for the Hincapie kits over the past 3 years.

As the Drafters set out for Pine Loop, some of the green race arrows from HHH were still visible on a few choice hills. Counselors were on hand for those still traumatized by the 10k feet of climb. For those who needed comfort food, Gopher stepped up with a dozen home made chocolate chip cookies.

Blurple was on a mission to capture some Strava KOMs, but each acceleration resulted in a cleat-pedal interface failure. “You pulled out too early” seemed to be the theme. Drafting and Planned Parenthood agree there are safety concerns with this method. Tick Tock bided his time while the rest were Strava hunting, and left all in the dust on every climb. The human metronome strikes again.

September 13 the Drafters will show Brains and Braun, headed out west to Cross Plains. If daylight is limited, we will discuss a shorter route.

RidewithGPS link

Look for an email with a Drafter Party survey. Oct 2 and 9 are in the running for a 50 mile ride to Mazo, with awards and beer to follow.

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

A huge thanks to Cannnibal for hosting the Draft and giving Drone Master a wonderful send off.

They crew rolled together, with an eye on the prize (garden drinks).

Queenie captured a classic Wisco “moo”ment just as the sun was setting. Octane, Coach Arms and Speedy celebrated a left turn, avoiding the hill ahead. Quite sure there were others on the route as to conform with the Drafter motto: when in doubt, climb.

• 

• 

• 

Drone Master is one of the original Drafters, so it is only fitting that he reach the pinnacle of his career, joining the flat tire club before moving to sunny California.

• 

• 

Good luck to all the Drafters who are bravely setting out to conquer the Horribly Hilly Hundreds tomorrow. Footer and Ninja are newbies to the HHH, so there should be good war stories to share on Monday!

In other Drafter news, congratulations to Keez for a second place podium finish at Collegiate Conference Championships in MN. A Hawkeye took first, but this Cyclone blew away the Badgers and Gophers.

Not exactly a feat, but BrickO managed not to lose life or limb encountering an Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake, the most venomous snake in North America.

As we reach the last Monday in August, the sun is setting earlier and we will start to shorten our rides. Pine Loop is 27 miles and includes the freshly repaved segment on KP. For anyone looking to go longer, feel free to skip the left on Pine an continue along Spring Valley to Turkey Road.

RidewithGPS link

Stay tuned for details on the end of the year Drafter ride and party, likely Sat Oct 2 or 9th.

Draft resonsibly,

BrickO

As Joe Cocker predicted, the Drafters Came Together

Here come old Cannibal, he come grooving up slowly
He got gin-gin garden drink, he one holy Drafter
He got quads down to his knee
Got to be a Drafter he just aimin’ to please

He wear no green shine, he got purple road ride
He got ruby red bike shoes, he shoot watt-wattola
He say “I know you, you know me”
One thing I can tell you is you got to drink free
Come together right now over me

He bag fresh produce, he got arugula
He got red solocup, he one cocktail master
He got quads down below his knee
Hold you in his slip stream you can feel his back breeze
Come together right now over me

He roller-crusher, he got every Strava
He got muddy water, he one cocktail maker
He say “One and one and one is three”
Got to be good-looking cos he’s so hard to see
Come together right now over me

Oh
Come together
Yeah come together
Yeah come together
Yeah come together
Yeah come together
Yeah come together
Yeah come together
Yeah oh
Come together
Yeah come together

23 Drafters turned out in fairly equal distributions for an Epic Ride. Or maybe it was for the long awaited Garden Party, with Cannibal’s famous arugula and gin drinks? We even had a Newbie all the way from Green Bay show up for the Garden Party. Welcome to our Garden, Eden.

Vintage suffered some flat tire issues over the weekend. His spirit a bit wounded, he rode with a very not-aerodynamic bag on his handlebars, assumed to hold spare tires. When questioned, he admitted it was full of Charmin. Not sure if that’s to wipe tears or other? It would have been more practical to fill it with tubes and a tire, as he double flatted before we were out of town.

The Drafter Code required waiting for Vintage. The code does not specify helping, just waiting. LuLu dutifully took on that role for flat #1. Flat #2 ended any grandiose thoughts of a Garden Drink finish.

The Epic Loop was a bit confusing for some. Granted, we all were a bit uneasy riding by castles, dinosaurs, Hogwarts, and what appeared to be a dining facility in a prehistoric cave. But Eden was sure that it was a trick to keep Newbies circling about, endlessly. No trick. Just a little on going struggle with RidewithGPS, the program that notes “Turn left” and leaves you guessing where. Along with BrickO doing recon and making several wrong turns for our cartographer, Columbus, to reconcile.

Once the Drafters escaped the Epic Loop, the A Team continued to hang together. Busch Latte tensed up when he heard his Strava segment alert. Cannibal’s alarm didn’t sound for some reason, so there was no need to bust a move. Sometimes the win is remaining a cohesive whole.

Cannibal needed to save his energy on the ride in order to make enough drinks for all 23 Drafters. It might be the first time in history that EVERY Drafter stayed for beverages.

Tennille rode over (on flat tires) to share a garden drink with Captain. Dan-yelly rode for the first time this season (and first time post baby #3). Garden drinks bring out the green in all of us.

In Drafter news, we are sad to say goodbye to Drone Master, who will be moving to California over Labor Day weekend. He plans to Draft responsibly in the sunny state, and hopefully one or two more times with us on Monday night.

Happy Birthday to our Tobacco City Boy (Friday Aug 20)! Happy New House to LuLu and Columbus. We expect a lawn warming party this fall.

Congratulations to Belle on her Steamboat Gravel race. She crushed it. As did Bomber, who supported Belle through the race. Sometimes, racing is the easier role.

Drafter Yoga was a huge success. Thanks to Pipes for keeping it real. Look for more of the same in September. Contact BrickO or Pipes for more details if you are someone you love needs to be more flexible.

The Draft next week will depart from Cannibal’s house. See GroupMe for address, or text me.

RidewithGPS link

Looking ahead, we will Draft on Aug 30 but not the following Monday as it is Labor Day. If you are looking for a group ride that weekend, check out the Wright Stuff Century on Sunday Sept 5.

Lastly, there were a few stragglers who missed the Hincapie Store deadline for Drafter gear. It is open until Aug 22. Link to Hincapie Store here.

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

It’s just another magic Monday (Woah, woah)
Glad it’s not Sunday (Woah, woah)
‘Cause Monday’s my fun day (Woah, woah, woah, woah)
My I get to Draft day (Woah, woah)
It’s just another magic Monday

15 Drafters were Crystal Clear on how they wanted to spend their magic Monday. And nearly all got the memo on wearing the Hincapie Beer and Sprocket jersey!

The A team was small but mighty. Tick Tock arrived to find no one home, and not trusting that more members of the A team would show up at 5PM, set out solo. Have faith, my friend.

Crystal Lake wasn’t exactly crystal clear but beautiful nonetheless.

Rimshot pulled KickA**KK, as she begins the long descent into bonk land. She’s advocating for a name change to BonKK. Keez and BrickO made the turn onto Mussen Rd in Lodi, where they begin their feline rescue mission, with a little Uber help from Squirrel. If orthopedic surgery doesn’t work out for Squirrel, the Human Society will definitely scoop him up.

The post-draft Draft was livelier than usual. No attempt will be made to weave a common thread through these various conversation snippets, or even give them context. GrannyZilla forgot lube. Squirrel tamed a puss. Vilks and GrannyZilla compared the effect of nightly sauna use (not together) on heat shock protein synthesis. GrannyZilla and Sully reviewed 18 holes. “When did Drafter conversations include GOLF???”, rebelled Tick Tock.

The Ride Across the West reunion started with frolicking in the yard (Sully, Vilks and Chief) and ended with wine tasting, well past bedtime.

Here is your weekend recap: A few Drafters had tired legs thanks to Race Day Events bringing back the Dairyland Dare. Congrats to RDE for resurrecting a beautiful and challenging 200k!

The Dairyland Dare crew: Vilks, Z Wrecks and BrickO

Skipper did a different kind of Dare, standing in a rain soaked mosh pit at Utica Fest to hear Queenie’s SuperTuesday band, followed by a tractor pull competition. Little unknown fact for most Drafters: Allice -Chalmers and Farmall tractors are in different divisions. Would’t it be great if cyclists could compete in a division with matched power to mass ratios???? Brilliant.

Keez was double fisted this weekend, racing Age Group Nationals in Milwaukee on Saturday (Olympic) and Sunday (sprint). BrickO, Romeo, Pipes and Pipette were there to cheer her on.

Ninja represented the Drafters in Green Bay. They have a different flare when it comes to fueling stations.

Sandlot and LuLu have been Drafter friends on Strava, but finally drafted together during the Sunday roll. Wow. My heart be still.

Vintage and Thing One have been logging some altitude training days in CO before T1 starts medical school later this month. She’ll go to some very high places in her career!

Belle and Bomber are also habitating in Colorado. Sending lots of hemoglobin love to Belle as she prepares for the Steamboat Gravel 150k on Sunday!

Please allow a retraction from the blog last week. 29 Drafters did not draft. 19 did. The secretary appears to need remedial Excel training, as she counted one Drafter 11 times.

Looking ahead to next week, Cannibal PROMISES not to bail on Garden Drinks. We will draft the Epic Loop, which is basically the Riley Tavern route (short pour) with a little extension through Epic.

Ride with GPS Link Short Pour Riley Tavern

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/37118196

Any volunteers to host the Draft on Monday Aug 23? We will be getting dirty in the Blue Ridge Mountains and not able to host the post-draft draft.

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

A RECORD HIGH 29 cyclists found a way to be a Drafter. Paul Simon would be proud. Or mortified…

The problem is all inside your head, BrickO said to me
The answer is easy if you take it logically
I’d like to help you in your struggle to be green
There must be fifty ways to be a Drafter

She said, it’s really not my habit to intrude
Furthermore, I hope my meaning won’t be lost or misconstrued
But I’ll repeat myself at the risk of being crude
There must be fifty ways to be a Drafter

Fifty ways to be a Drafter

You just slip to the back, Yoda
Make a shorter plan, Columbus
You don’t need to be coy, Billy Boy
Just get yourself green

Hop on the bus, Rimshot
You don’t need to discuss much
Just drop off cookies, C Monster
And get yourself green

She said it grieves me so to see you in such pain
I wish there was something I could do to make you Draft again
I said I appreciate that and would you please explain
About the fifty ways

She said, why don’t we both just ride the route tonight?
And I believe in the morning you’ll begin to see the light
And then she pulled me and I realized she probably was right
There must be fifty ways to be a Drafter
Fifty ways to be a Drafter

You just slip to the back, Booker J
Make a shorter plan, Drone Master
You don’t need criterium hell, Belle
Just get yourself green

Hop on the bus, Tick Tock
You don’t need to drink much
Just stop off to pee, Pit Stop
And get yourself free

The 4:30 line up was impressive. Duracell and Speedy were well rested after a MTB trip in Michigan, and Squirrel and GrannyZilla found more fitness than beer at RAGBRAI. Coach Arms showed up to Draft one last time in this age bracket. HAPPY BIRTHDAY (Thursday)! Squeak gave up on her solo 4:45 departure and drafted responsibly with the 4:30 group. Pres made his first public appearance in the Drafter office since the 2021 election, and brought along a guy he met at Walmart. Welcome to our newbie, Walton.

The 5PM Drafting squad felt the force, as Yoda joined the other Jedi’s on their quest to Viaduct. Cannibal looked more reptilian than human with his road rash scales, but he was too strong to be overtaken by the dark side.

There was some disturbance in the force early on in the ride. Cannibal apparently got caught up in a galactic storm, “I saw metal flying”. His lightsaber glowed a little less brightly when he realized only two dedicated Drafter Knights, Rimshot and Booker J, stayed by his side.

They used the force to catch the rest of the Jedi Drafters , gaining speed for the climb up Viaduct.

Not everyone gained a head of steam for the climb. Pres and Walton stopped to appreciate the Viaduct, currently operated by the Wisconsin and Southern Railroad. Built in 1881, the stone arch sees roughly two trains per day, and on this day, 29 Drafters.

Captain Joe Drafted early in the day, hoping to catch one of the trains to Oregon for a visit with Tobacco City Boy, Dan-yelly and their trio.

What goes up, must come down. And down Bonetti Rd we flew. The G forces must have been great enough to spin LuLu’s chain right off the chainring. “There goes my F’in average” cursed Vilks, as he obeyed the Drafter code, stopping to help LuLu.

And back up Meek Rd, not for the meek Drafter.

Back on Glacier Ridge, the Drafter Masters celebrated a successful Viaduct Route with nectar of the Gods. Skipper brought a Rocky Road smoothie-style wheat ale from WeldWerks Brewing Co. Works for me!

There is much to celebrate!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Coach Arms (Aug 4), Billy Boy (Aug 6) and Loose Screw (Aug 9).

Congratulations to K2 for reaching the summit of her PhD defense this morning!

Special K crushed her 100 mile race on Sat in just under 30 hours. And this time, without kidney failure.

Finally, the Lake Ripley Ride for JDRF on Saturday has an extraordinary Drafter turnout. 13 “regular” Drafters plus BrickO’s aunt and cousin. Cookie Monster and Lil’ Monster joined up with the crew afterwards to enjoy Footer’s cottage and hospitality.

The Sunday Roll is gaining traction. A heartfelt thanks to all the Drafters who came out to help build momentum.

Next Monday, we will celebrate with a few of the RAW SpokeN’Four crew who are making a Drafter debut to enjoy Cannibal’s famous garden drinks. Draft responsibly.

The drinks are the same color as Crystal Lake. Drafter green. But the ride is still pretty.

RidewithGPS link

Draft resonsbily,

BrickO

There were a total of seventeen Drafters in 3.5 pours. The 4:30 B group included the usual suspects, plus Kick A** KK, to really make the B team Bad Ass. Always great to have a former professional enlisted in the Draft to keep us humble. Cannibal: Is that a GIRL ahead of us? Queenie: Why is she doing hill repeats while I’m still climbing? KickA**KK: I’m headed back to Italy to lead some tours. I have to be more fit than the clients. Good point. We are happy to provide KK with the hills to kick Cannibal’s a**.

Squeak showed up at 4:45 to an empty bike corral. “Am I really early or really late?” Well, Squeak, you are both. Off she went to enjoy some alone time. The 5PM crew seemed to shrink with the 94-degree temperature and high humidity.

Badger was looking a bit green in the lineup, until her peeps showed up for the “shot” Turkey Trot.

Skipper and BrickO led out the Draft on Schneider Road, reminiscing about their RAW fitness. Oh, how fast it fades. They were done with their magnificent pull well before Schneider Rd came to an end. BrickO: I was waiting for you to slow down. Skipper: Well, I was waiting for you to slow down. Dedicated to the Draft, but perhaps overestimating their abilities, matches were burned 10 miles into the ride.

The climb up County KP was a bugger. With the poor pavement conditions and a tractor behind pushing the pace (notice the yellow sign), it was every Drafter for him/her/their self.

There was a magical moment in the Draft when (nearly) all riders rendezvoused on Otto Kerl Rd. Drone Master may have taken the “shot-cut” home and Squeak was still enjoying her quiet time. Loose Screw was initiated into the Flat Tire Club, but all else was quiet on the Turkey Trot front.

Some absentees were Drafting elsewhere:

If you are looking for some ride opportunities this weekend, please join BrickO’s Drafters in the Lake Ripley Ride on Saturday at 8AM. The largest donation will earn a free entry into the Greenville Hincapie Gran Fondo.

On Sunday, join us for an easy roll at 10AM. Text BrickO for details. The Sunday roll last week included 4 Drafters:

PUT AUGUST 3 ON YOUR CALENDAR…. K2 is delivering her PhD defense!! And the Hincapie Store closes for 2021 Drafter Gear. We will not reopen the store again this year, so don’t delay.

https://order.hincapiecustom.com/BRICKOS2021STORE

Happy Birthday to Coach Arms on Aug 4. Sully gave her the gift of golf. The green represent a circle of cycling.  Sully introduced BrickO to the sport 30 years ago (believe it or not, BrickO was not happy about it) and Coach Arms is responsible for nudging BrickO to host the the first Draft.  8 years later, there are 133 cyclists in our Drafter family.

Next week we will ride the historic Viaduct route.  As of today, Pheasant Branch is still closed.  If that remains the case on Monday, we will cut through Middleton Hills over to High Street, headed north, and then take Balzer back to Pheasant Branch.  Short Pour Option: Stay on Viaduct (do not turn left onto Bonetti) to cut off a few northern  most miles and hills. Shot Option: out and back to Dane. 

RidewithGPS link

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

There was something for everyone on the Old Getting Pleasant route on Monday. 21 Drafters set out to tackle nearly 43 miles and 2500 feet of pavement (and a little chip seal).

The B for Badass Team had a solid line up, with all but one Drafter sporting the official Hincapie kit. Special K is special for a reason. We may not monitor what she wears under her robe in the Supreme Court or in chambers, but we certainly are not going to tolerate blue when the Drafters are a green party. We have confirmation that Special K has complied with the Drafter dress code, as outlined in bylaw 13.13.26b. A Hincapie 2021 green jersey was ordered on 07.20.21 at approximately 3:47PM CST. The prosecution rests.

For anyone else hoping to add to their Drafter wardrobe, the Hincapie store has reopened and you can place your orders for green attire until Aug 2. Also, for those who ordered Dirty Draft shirts for their kiddos, they should be here this week.

Hincapie Drafter Store 2021 Link

Special K called for order as an unruly chihuahua threatened the safety of her fellow Drafters. Among her many talents, the judge speaks fluent chihuahua and has a soft spot for rescue dogs. A strong warning to the dog’s owner was given but no citations were issued. Special K also held a special session to educate the Drafters on the 3 branches of government. Let the record reflect that Special K does not have any power to approve the use of “TCH” in Wisconsin. Ask Speedy about the Canadian translation for TCH.

Belle kindly took it easy on the B team, fresh off the State Criterium podium and headed to Colorado for several weeks of altitude training before her epic Steamboat Springs Gravel Race on Aug 15. Some of the B team may have skipped both Old Indian and Pleasant Valley, the namesakes of the ride, but found solace in their shorter pour efforts.

For the first time (?) in Drafter history, the A team worked together and stayed together.

It appears the ruby red slipper wish may have been better reserved to help out Skipper. The former Flat Tire Club Champion is in contention for another title.

Cannibal, fresh off of his podium dance at the Fitchburg Festival of Speed State Criterium (we will skip the part that notes Category 4-5, Masters), allowed Booker J to serve as his domestique. Throwing bottles whenever and wherever, Booker J worked feverishly to collect and refill them for the champ. Rimshot was also at the service of Cannibal, leading the descent on Moen Valley, right up until the last corner. Holding speed but missing the corner entirely, he gave a woman rocking in chair on the front porch quite a show, as he zipped up her driveway and then proceeded over the grassy knoll and back onto the course. It was reminiscent of a Lance Armstrong move in the Tour de France.

Tick Tock arrived 10 min after departure and ventured out solo, seeing the course with a new set of eyes thanks to a little prescriptive help. Getting old can be pleasant. Drone Master was also solo on the route, looking a bit furrier than usual (full beards must be status quo in Santa Barbara, where he is allegedly moving next month). The two didn’t recognize one another at first, but glasses and a beard can’t disguise a Drafter. Two became one. Nobody drafts alone.

Vanity Fair was on site to report some exciting Drafter events. Gopher and Badger celebrated their one-year wedding anniversary, and Badger doubled down with a birthday to boot. LuLu and Columbus announced their engagement on Strava. “I wanted to tell everyone, but we were out of cell service range deep in Alaska. So I posted it on Strava.” Brilliant. This is exactly the type of survival skills Drafters are equipped with.

Here are some cycling highlights from the week:

I’m pretty passionate about spreading the cycling love to riders who may not be comfortable enlisting in the Draft. The Sunday rides are NO DROP 20ish mile rides with a 30 mile option. Of course, riders can bust a move, but there will be at least one representative riding ~13mph. For more information, check this out:

Perhaps the most impressive adventure on wheels goes to Pit Stop. The Drafters are sending lots of love, and some cookies special delivery by Cookie Monster, and wishes for a quick recovery. Despite drafting responsibly, Pit Stop was cut off by a careless driver eager to reach the stop sign first.

We can all use a little help gaining mobility. Check out Drafter Yoga with Pipes on Tuesday mornings at 7AM at Indoorance.

Surprise, surprise… we will be climbing next week. Far View and Turkey Roads have been repaved and offer some spectacular views (along with some elevation). There is a short pour and shot option for those wanting a little less climbing and miles. Huge thanks to Drafter Cartographer, Columbus, for interrupting her work day (and wedding planning) to draft these 3 Turkey Trot maps.

Turkey Trot GPS link

Turkey Trot Short Pour GPS link

Turkey Trot Shot GPS link

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

We are 0 for 2 on riding Pleasant Getting Old, or at least most of us. There were a few souls in tune with the Bee Gees Monday night: “We should be Draftin’, Yeah!”

We will try again next Monday, with a slight CHANGE IN VENUE. This route is similar with the key differences being: 1) right turn on Old Indian off of Blue Mound Trail, 2) right turn on Blue Mound Trail off of Pleasant Valley. Here’s the scoop on Old Getting Pleasant:

RidewithGPS link

As a warm up for Monday, please join us Sunday at 10AM for a 20 mile Coffee House Cruise, with the option to tack on 10 miles of “no brains all brawn”. We will start on University Ave at Branch Street.

RidewithGPS link

A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO SPEEDY AND SPECIAL K (tomorrow). We started the celebration last weekend and hope to continue it after the rides on Sunday and Monday!

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

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