Oh, my, my, oh, hell yes
Mother Nature put on her party dress

Name tags may be required for our next Draft. Between the holiday and rain cancellations, we may not recognize one another. We will have to rely on quad recognition software. Several Drafters will have to rescan their quads due to massive hypertrophy over the weekend.

Congrats to our UNBOUND FINISHERS, Keez, BrickO and Slim! Each chose their own adventure: 50, 100 and …… 350 miles.

Closer to home, Cookie Monster and Minnow Monster conquer their own version of Unbound. It is never to early to get dirty.

Nor is it too late. Keeping it in the family, Momma and Papa Monster draft responsibly in Glacier National Park.

Sad to have missed beer floats? We will return to Crossroads Coffeehouse on July 1. Let’s recycle our Good Fellow route for Monday, June 10. This is a 31 mile route (no short pour). Departure times from Middleton Hills at 4:45 and 5PM.

Ridewith GPS Drafters| Good Fellows link

Trail conditions pending, the Dirty Draft will kick off Wednesday June 12 at 5PM from the CXC trail head. Dirty drafters will head to Blackhawk (trail pass required- they are not expensive) and then finish with beers at the Pleasant View golf course clubhouse.

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

Apologies to Prince….

I never meant to cause you any sorrow
I never meant to cause you any pain
I only wanted to one time to see you drafting
I only wanted to see you
Drafting in the Monday rain

Monday rain, Monday rain
Monday rain, Monday rain
Monday rain, Monday rain
I only wanted to see you
Drafting in the Monday rain

Mother Nature has made it difficult to trust the radar. Two weeks ago, the decision was made to cancel the draft, only to have the sun come out at the strike of 5 o’clock. Pit Stop was all dressed up with not place to go.

Fool me once. We didn’t cancel last Monday, but only a few good fellas had faith that the rain would hold off. And it did.

We will recycle the Good Fellows route for all to enjoy, but next week, we are back at CROSSROADS COFFEEHOUSE in Cross Plains. Departure times at 4:45 and 5PM. The short pour is ~24 miles, while the full strength tap is a bit longer (36 miles, with a few more climbs). NOTE: both are slightly different from our first round at Crossroads. Be sure to load V2.0 into your Garmin/Wahoo. Feel free to hang out on the patio afterwards. Beer floats are top notch.

RidewithGPS Crossroads Coffeehouse Short Pour

RidewithGPS Crossroads Coffeehouse V2.0

Upcoming events:

Saturday June 1: Looking for something to complement your cycling? Join Pipes at Functional Integrated Training (FIT) on 6/2 for a two hour workout. And no hills! See link for details.

Saturday June 8: It’s back (we think)!!! Alpe Bl’Huez Time Trial

Saturday June 8: Trek 100

Saturday June 15: Horribly Hilly Hundreds

DIRTY DRAFT UPDATE: let’s see if we can get dirty on Wednesday evenings, starting JUNE 5 at 5PM at the Middleton Bike Park/CXC Trailhead located at 4355 Schwartz Rd, Middleton. Look for updates on GroupMe (Dirty Draft GroupMe separate from Drafters). The clubhouse has cold beer. There is a motion to desegregate the golfing and MTB communities by sharing some suds. Anyone game?

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

19 + 2 + 3 = 24 Drafters drafted on what could only be described as an epic evening. The weather and scenery were second to none.

The B Team raised a toast to Puma, who celebrated her 31st birthday on Monday night. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PUMA! Fun facts about pumas: they are very good climbers, with short powerful legs, and can purr but not roar. Our Puma is in possession of all three.

Twinkle Toes remembered his shoes, but forgot the starting location. Somehow he still made it on time, with all the essential gear and a great attitude. The A Team enlisted a new Drafter. Welcome Venqoux (like Mont Vetoux but with a Q). You have to be there to really appreciate how Drafter handles are derived. And even then….

A middle school band concert and a late running clinic kept a few of the Drafters from joining up at the Crossroads, but didn’t keep them from Drafting Responsibly.

Granny, Squirrel and Cannibal may have been tardy to the Draft, but they weren’t late celebrating Granny’s BD. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GRANNY!

With so many candles, and Pit Stop and Nemo sporting their new Hincapie kits, the fire department was on speed dial.

Slim, Cujo and Octane were also heating up as they drafted close to the sun. Team Icarus!

The Drafters have hired a hydration specialist for just these types of burning issues.

Thanks to our gracious hosts, Katy and Abbey and the awesome guys behind the counter taking our pizza and beer float orders at Crossroads Coffeehouse. Such a wonderful atmosphere to regale in stories of our ride across the gently rolling (cough, cough) hills with a tail wind in all directions. What’s not to love about climbing 2500 feet over 33.8 miles? Like the jersey says, “When in doubt, climb.” And like Belle says….

Speaking of jerseys… a few more Drafters have inquired about the new kit. We have added a light weight vest and offering for the first time ever, arm warmers. The store is open NOW through Monday May 20th at noon.

SPOTLIGHT: a special shout out to Keez for her FIRST gravel race, FIRST race since her accident/surgery and FIRST on the podium at The Bear.

She had one bike crash, but this time, it didn’t require surgery. Only a drool cup.

The route for next Monday is on the shorter side, so there is no separate short pour. I’m sure Martin Scorsese would condone these Goodfellas as ambassadors. Departure times from our usual location at 4:45 and 5PM. Please check GroupMe on Mondays for route changes, cancellations, or other pressing alerts like Hincapie kit orders. Feel free to mute it all the other days of the week.

RidewithGPS link: Drafters | Good Fellows

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

The Scorpions provided the theme song for Monday night: Winds of Change. Beaten but not broken, 26 Drafters battled their way through the winds of change. As in, the wind changed at every turn such that it was always a headwind or crosswind, never a tail wind.

Lyrics by the Scorpions, modified to suit the Draft

I follow the Drafters
Down to Viaduct
Listening to the wind of change
An April summer night
Drafters passing by
Listening to the wind of change

The world is closing in
And did you ever think?
That we could be so close?
Like brothers
The future’s in the air
I can feel it everywhere
Blowing with the wind of change

Take me to the magic of the moment
On a glory night
Where the Drafters of tomorrow dream away (dream away)
In the wind of change
(Mmmmmmm)

The B Team showed up prepared, with more than McGritty having loaded the course. Grit admitted that it took 2 hours of negotiating before her phone and Garmin communicated, but she persevered. The Scorpions might have played the theme song, but Presley inspired Midas and Grit to dance in their blue suede shoes (look closely the the footwear of the first 3 Drafters). Coach Arms was feeling spry for her first adventure off the ice and on two-wheels. Ironically, the Canadian found herself a little underprepared for the cold wind. Guess those hockey rinks don’t have much in the way of wind chill.

It was a rough night for Team Canada temperature regulation. Coach Arms was cold and Speedy came in hot, using up all her maple syrup to catch the B Team.

The A Team was flexing their muscle, showing off the new Hincapie Drafter Team kits. ON THAT NOTE: more Drafters have taken an interest in purchasing the new kits and inquires have been made about adding a vest and arm warmers to the list of items. Stay tuned.

The A Team once again took up the entire runway. Slim flew to the front and cleared the air for all to follow. He made it home, picked up a burrito at Lupes and drank a gallon of chocolate milk before the rest of the A team hit Viaduct.

All teams enjoyed a historic moment under the 1881 Viaduct (video capture credit to Midas).

MVP (most valuable power) award goes to Vilks, with a 4-way tie between JRad, Yabba Dabba, Bomber and Rimshot. BrickO, Keez and DJ Jazzy were the beneficiaries of this power house. The cross wind made it tricky to draft responsibly, but with a little encouragement from DJ Jazzy, the team did make headway for awhile in perfect echelon format.

All Drafters made it back to base camp and opted to warm up indoors, despite a roaring fire (thanks, Z Wrecks) on the porch. Brrr. Thing 1.7 made brownies (taste not commensurate with their appearance- a reminder not to cut and drive) and Midas brought scotcheroos. Nobody left burning more calories than they consumed, despite battling the wind.

While nobody left hungry, several Drafters arrived in caloric deficit. Congrats to those who got dirty Saturday at the Dairy Roubaix (Vilks, Holstein and Cujo) and the Driftless 100 (Bomber, Belle, JRad, Captain Joe, Z Wrecks, BrickO, Twinkle Toes and many representatives from the Stonefield Wheelmen).

Moving our theme song from the Scorpions to Clapton, welcome to the Crossroads! The first Monday of every month we will change up our starting point to Crossroads Coffeehouse, located at 2020 Main St, Cross Plains. Feel free to order pizza or a beer float (for real) afterwards, or BYO dinner and order a beverage. There is ample outdoor seating. A huge thanks to Katy and her staff for inviting us to their establishment!!!

There will be two routes on tap; full strength 34 and short pour 24 miles. This is a VERY hilly route, so plan departure time (4:45 or 5PM) and distance accordingly. Please park in the lot to the east (? to the left of the building) of Crossroads Coffeehouse. There is also parking along Bourbon St. if the lot is full (see green line on map below). Follow the red arrows to exit the parking lot along Mill Creek Pkwy onto the Ice Age National Scenic Trail and finally, Bourbon St.

Full strength: RidewithGPS link Drafters | Crossroads Coffeehouse

Short pour: RidewithGPS link Drafters | Crossroads Coffeehouse Short Pour

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

A tour through the Historic Viaduct under the Wisconsin and Southern Railroads seems a fitting route for next week as 21st century technological challenges plagued the Drafters on Monday. Let’s revisit the historical events leading up to the posting of GPX files and uploading, downloading or otherwise off loading them to Garmin.

Back in the days of the original draft, a cartographer was employed to create routes. She set out with a paper map, the kind one used to carry in their horse drawn buggy and ultimately in the glove box of their gas powered vehicle. With pencil in hand, routes were carefully crafted by trial and error. Route lines were traced along roads in red Sharpie on a clean map. Fresh typewriter ribbon at the ready, a list of turns and road names were typed out and placed with double-sided tap along side the map. A Xerox copy was made and then shrunk, and shrunk, and shrunk again until 4 maps could be placed in the Xerox machine and printed on one sheet of paper, then cut down to pocket size maps for each Drafter. It was discovered that maps printed on regular paper did not withstand the salt concentration of human sweat (for sure not Octane’s fuel), and so lamenation became necessary.

During that time in history, few Drafters survived over the age of 40, and so presbyopia was not a concern. As the lifespan of those enlisted exceeded the ability of their eyes to focus on nearby objects, maps became unreadable, and hence the impetus for data files to be born our of necessity. And so the Drafters moved into the new technological era, trading square wheels for tubeless tires, Xerox for GPX, and laminated cards for Garmin computers. As history teaches us, change is the only constant, and change requires adaptation. And so here we are on a Monday night…. with a new set of technological challenges.

It all started with a failed reconnaissance mission. These typically takes place over the weekend to ensure safe passage for the Drafters on Monday. However, the recon mission for Bridge to Nowhere failed as the crew was called away to do reconnaissance for the upcoming Horribly Hilly Hundreds in Blue Mounds. Shout out to Bomber, Octane, Z Wrecks and Shaq for their efforts.

Fortunately, we have a man on the inside (merci, Bomber) who got wind of road construction starting on Hwy 19, interfering with our scheduled route to The Bridge to Nowhere. A press release with a new route, Backdoor Riley, was sent out using cutting edge technology via the GroupMe app. But GroupMe has its limitations, as it requires attentiveness to incoming messages, and to be fair, many of the messages are non-essential. The Drafters are looking into chip implants with route change updates that cannot be missed.

Captain Joe is no stranger to technology when it comes to flying with a Garmin. But this was his first Draft using Garmin technology on a bike. There were no issues downloading the Bridge to Nowhere route onto his Garmin…. but like his teammate, Duracell, the GroupMe message broadcasting change of venue did not reach its target.

Vintage, an iconic name for this blog, trusted his memory rather than technology for time of departure. Which was not at 5:30PM. He drafted responsibly, alone, but joined the group post-draft with champagne.

Our last technological blunder came from Gopher, who got the memo on route change from Bridge to Nowhere to Riley, but missed the Backdoor cue. Staying true to the Drafter code, Captain Joe, Z Wrecks and Tinker followed Gopher through the front door to Riley Tavern.

Luckily, when it came to the first Draft for Gopher’s daughter, he made no mistakes and drafted responsibly.

Despite the technological set backs, 22 Drafters started at various times and made it safely back to base camp.

The B-Team welcomed back Presley and her blue suede shoes and newbie Grit. She came with her handle, a rare occasion when one isn’t assigned at boot camp. Fitting that she joined McGritty on her first expedition. This group had to rely on McGritty for coordinates. Presley did download the route, but got a Garmin error message, “course corrupt”. Shaq, too, loaded the course but her Garmin did a wild Ivan and directed her in contradictions. Grit couldn’t get her Garmin and phone to connect, and so the course couldn’t not be transmitted other than in morse code.

The A Team had to be photographed in two parts, since the photographers ability to work the panorama feature on the iphone was limited. DJ Jazzy joined the fleet on route so is not pictured. NOTE: right and left wing does not have a political connotation.

With the long light at Parmenter and Donna, it was tempting to refuel at Culvers. The 4 Gravel Grinders set a blistering pace, and a chocolate malt would have done wonders for those of us trying to keep up with Slim, Keez, Granny and Squirrel.

Fueled by bourbon aged porter the day before, Vilks had a strong showing. It was Vilks and Keez in a break away for the gold, until they hit red.

All is well that ends well.

It is sooooo good to have Keez back behind bars. There was a great post by Wisconsin Bike Fed recently that I’d encourage you to check out. She is one dot amongst too many. Thank you for Drafting Responsibly. It is an honor to be part of such a group of cycling enthusiasts and advocates.

Next week we will offer a short pour for those who prefer not to ride double fisted. The route starts and finishes the same, with a few less miles (just under 30). Both routes include passing through the Historic Viaduct under the Wisconsin and Southern Railroads.

Departure times are 4:45 and 5PM, regardless of route. Or, you can choose your own time and adventure like Vintage and Duracell.

RidewithGPS | Viaduct Short Pour

The full strength ride offers 34 miles of smiles.

RidewithGPS Drafters | Viaduct to 100 Mile Grove

For those who ordered new Drafter gear from the Hincapie Team Store, be sure to check your email for shipping updates from FedEx. As these kits are made in and sent from Columbia, they require a signature (perhaps an international rule?) BUT you can click “manage” and provide an indirect signature if you won’t be home.

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

The staging corral for the Drafters looked like a pumpkin patch. The historically green Drafters were joined by several members of the Stonefield Wheelmen donned in bright orange. It was a glorious union of the two cycling groups. DJ Jazzy was never this snazzy during our indoor season, but turned it up a notch for his first outdoor Draft.

25 Drafters showed up to brave the 1700 feet of climbing over 28 miles, including 5 newbies. WELCOME! The B (B for breaking away early) Team included 2 of the new recruits, one of who set a record for the longest enlisted Drafter to not see action. Biding her time for years, Puma finally decided to show herself. Possibly, her run in with Keez in the men’s bathroom at the Orpheum while attending Dancing with The Stars may have spawned her curiosity. Puma is a sign for strength, wisdom and intelligence. Can’t speak to the latter two qualities yet, but by the looks of her calves, she’s got strength pegged.

Our other newbie, McGritty, was recruited by Pit Stop. The motivation for this invite has been called into question, as Pit Stop may have an an ulterior motive. The most senior femme of the Drafters, it is not often we doubt her commitment to the Draft. However, it was discovered that the reason for her absence last Monday was that she opted to ride with another team! Gasp. It it believed that McGritty was part of that other team, and was brought as an offering of penance for her sins. Regardless of how the Irishman came to become part of the Drafters, we are thrilled to have him.

It was good to have Nemo and Shaq back in the lineup. Their absence last week was questioned after the Pit Stop incident. Shaq was totally eclipsed by the sun. Hmmm. Convenient. Nemo claims to have had an orchestra concert. The Overture Center pit records have been subpoenaed. Speedy is willing to accept performing as a valid excuse, so long as Nemo plays an instrument other than the flute. “It just gets too competitive”.

The A (A for almost on time) Team almost ran out of runway before take off.

There was a flight delay due to a mechanical failure by one of the newbies. As in, failure to bring cycling shoes. Luckily for Twinkle Toes, Z Wrecks had an extra pair of shoes, roughly the same size, and fit with the correct SpeedPlay cleat. Didn’t seem to slow him down any. “Who is that guy in the Castelli jersey? Must be a crit racer. Takes the inside corner with no fear and comes out ON TOP”, admired Vilks.

He will be required to perform a check list before each Draft with an elected team member. Keez was the obvious choice, as made apparent by her ability to lay out matching socks with Slim. Clearly, feet matter.

Twinkle Toes wasn’t the only one with a mechanical failure. The climb up Enchanted Valley was anything but for Yabba Dabba. He may have been more successful running up Fred Flintstone style as his transmission failed, followed by his chain. One of our newbies clearly read the Drafter Handbook on etiquette before take off, as he stopped midway up Enchanted Valley (uff da) to tinker with the mechanical failures of his fellow Drafter. Welcome to the Draft, Tinker!

Slim in his Bad Kitty socks was a Bad Ass, pulling the group on his gravel bike as though he was a motor-paced cycle. Following the Drafter Code of Conduct, Slim and the other bad asses (Bomber and Vilker) kindly waited at every hill top where there was a John Deere combine convention happening. Go green or go home, I guess.

Back at home base, the group relaxed with a cold draft. We agreed this was a casual Zone 2 ride (despite Vilks hitting his all time high 5′ power).

Given the number of newbies, and a few forgetful oldies, the Hincapie Store will reopen until Tuesday April 23 at midnight. If you would like to try on a kit before purchasing, show up to Draft on Monday night. NOTE: there are two styles. Axis is looser fitting, club cut. Velocity is a higher grade material, more form fitting, race cut. The “true” race cut is their Signature collection, which we are not offering. Also note there are two inseam lengths when choosing shorts or bibs. You do you.

Hincapie Store Link

Plan for next Monday, April 22: depart at 4:45 or 5PM. This worked really well, as did communication whether or not to regroup. Well done, team! Our route is a short 28 miles, a Bridge to Nowhere. There is one technical descent on Whippoorwill Rd. Please use extreme caution. You MUST stop at the bottom at the intersection with Highway 19.

RidewithGPS link Drafters | Bridge to Nowhere

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

The Drafters were in the path of totality. The combined sum of 3 consecutive Monday drafts totaled up to zero miles, thanks to rain, sleet and snow. Fortunately, the solar eclipse brought some sunshine and a dozen Drafters were able to check off the ever elusive Easy Street from their ride calendar.

The theme song 4 of the Drafters was adapted from Bonnie Tyler’s Total Eclipse of the Heart. While the artist was likely referring to the heart as an organ of love, cyclists may have a more pragmatic approach, appreciating it as an organ that pumps oxygen rich blood to working muscles.

(Turn around, Bright-eyes)
Every now and then I fall way back
(Turn around, Bright-eyes)
Every now and then I fall way back

And I need you now tonight
And I need you more than ever
And if you only pull me tight
We’ll be holding on forever
And we’ll only be riding it right ’cause we’ll never be wrong
Together we can take it to the end of the line
Your draft is like a shadow on me all of the time
(All of the time)
I don’t know what to do and I’m always in the back
We’re riding in a powder keg and giving off sparks
I really need you tonight, forever’s gonna start tonight
(Forever’s gonna start tonight)

Once upon a time I was pulling in front
But now I’m only falling apart
There’s nothing I can do
A total eclipse of the heart

Once upon a time there were watts in my legs
But now there’s little left in the tank
Nothing I can say
A total eclipse of the heart

Not everyone had an empty tank. Slim cracked a Red Bull at the start to top off his tank, which had been been fueling the 110 miles prior to his pursuit of Easy Street. Pepe, despite being the caboose for most of the ride, found enough fuel in his tank to sprint ahead and have the fire pit crackling 20 minutes before the rest of the train arrived. Just the though of his new Cervelo, arriving in June (thank you Cronometro), makes him faster.

Drafter’s greatest talent, however, came from Rimshot as he led songs around the campfire. There is more depth to Rimshot than meets the eye. Name that tune:

You’re motoring
What’s your price for flight?
In finding Mister Right
You’ll be alright tonight

Drafters from around the globe could hear Night Ranger.

IMPORTANT NOTE FOR NEXT DRAFT, MONDAY APRIL 15: we will move the start time to 5PM for all Drafters. Until the routes become longer, it would be nice to start at the same time. The Executive Board would like to propose the following group ride dynamic and etiquette such that all Drafters are in compliance with the mission statement: 1) stay safe, 2) have fun, 3) get better or get what you need to grow your passion for cycling.

In the past, there have been several groups, A Team to FO Team. The board would like to limit this to two teams: 1) Go Team and 2) ReGroup Team. Regardless of your fitness and aptitude, you are welcome to join either group, so long as you abide by the rules.

GO TEAM: go get what you need from the ride. Do not feel pressure to wait for anyone. Do Draft Responsibly. Everybody’s circumstances are different. Perhaps a PR is on your mind for a segment, Monday is your dedicated hard day, or your goal is to keep up with a stronger rider. Or maybe what you need on Monday is to enjoy a chill ride at your own pace and prefer not to have Drafters waiting for you. Hard or easy- these are all valid reasons to go with the Go Team.

REGROUP TEAM: go get what you need from the ride, with the commitment to stop occasionally to regroup. You night find safety in numbers. You may enjoy the conversation at check points where you pull over. Can you still pound the ride? YES. So long as you agree to stop and regroup. Regroup is your group if one of your goals is to cross the finish line as a cohesive group.

****This group is not intended as a training camp for riders with little experience or fitness. REGROUP is not that same as a NO DROP ride. See note below.

DRAFTER RULE: whichever group you choose, please do not draft alone (sort of implied). If you are with the REGROUP team and feeling apprehensive about holding everybody up, remember that is what they signed up for. However, you can and should release yourself from the contract if you can’t keep them in sight. In this case, please be sure to have a Drafter who agrees to stay with you. New or slower riders: be sure to identify a Drafter to draft with before departing.

The route for April 15 will be the 27.5 mile Pine Loop. Wheels up at 5PM for both the Go and ReGroup Teams.

RidewithGPS link Drafters | Pine Loop

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

The inaugural draft. In March. With bare legs and arms. 16.6 Drafters, including 2.6 newbies. And if you count drafting from Switzerland, 18.6 were in attendance. Oh my. What a start to the 2024 season!

Technically, the inaugural draft occurred on March 4 when 3 of the indoor Drafter cohort braved the elements to test their strength. There were no bare arms or legs on that blustery day.

7 days and +30 degrees later….

2.6 newbies enlisted for the inaugural Draft. Welcome Rocky, Yabba Dabba and Thing 0.6 (making a full debut in mid-June). Rocky was recruited by Pipes, who recognized her cycling potential during a humble warrior pose during yoga class. Rocky agreed reluctantly to return to the cycling world after a hiatus of undisclosed duration, although a clever Drafter could estimate that time by calculating the half life of a cycling shoe velcro strap. Nothing a little duct tape couldn’t fix. All taped up, she went the full 12 rounds. On the way out of Middleton Hills, Pipes rode along side her friend to show support… in her car, beeping the horn! Footer stepped up and corralled Rocky into the F Team. What is the F Team, exactly? Depends who you ask. F as in behind the A-E teams. F as in Footer’s team. F as in, “If you don’t like the pace I ride, you can F off!”

In an exclusive interview post-ride, Rocky gasped, “Well, I’m still standing. I didn’t die. And I love to get my a** kicked at least once a day. And now I need to go home and stretch.”

Yabba Dubba was recruited by DJ Jazzy, who has yet to make an outdoor Draft appearance, but generously shared his fitness center space with the Indoor Drafters over the winter months.

As such, Yabba Dabba did not get the green memo. Ain’t nothin’ wrong with his visibility orange, mind you. It was the fashionable color of choice for Fred Flintstone.

Looking to go green? The Hincapie Drafter Store is open through Sat March 23rd. There is no obligation to buy a Drafter kit. Huge thanks to the design team: Skipper (In Quads We Trust), Pipes (chain link tree), Speedy (pony tail on the female jerseys), Z Wrecks, Cookie Monster, and Footer who hung in there for 15 versions of this incredible kit. Bibs, shorts (two inseam lengths), club cut AXIS or race cut Velocity jerseys, long sleeve jersey, MTB jersey and polar jackets are available.

The winds from the south were favorable for our route to Riley Tavern. It is well documented in the Farmer’s Almanac that all roads to taverns are favorable. Perhaps that is not the proper citation. BrickO’s Almanac may be the more accurate reference. Despite the promise of a tail wind home, Rimshot decided to leave his 50 pound rucksack behind. It’s a thing. Especially when the rucksack is filled with beer.

The roll out photo above is deceiving. BrickO most certainly did not pull the group in the headwind. Slim, Bomber, Yabba Dabba and Rimshot provided draft protection for the group. In accordance to the Drafter Code of Conduct, Slim pulled the group back to base camp before retreating to Lupe’s for a burrito. He has to keep his caloric balance in check. Oh, to be 25…. Or even 50.

Our medical team is very concerned with the impact of aging on the cyclist. Team Physician (minus the medical degree) Speedy gave a seminar on diagnosis a stroke. While there is no literature to support this sign, Speedy is confident in its validity. PT Footer and NP Ninja were not available for comment.

The stroke sign was tested during the Fat Tire Birkie event last Saturday. Nobody tested positive. Congrats to those Drafters who didn’t let lack of snow get in the way of a fun fat day.

In other chilly events, CONGRATS to Coach Arms, her assistant and the entire women’s Badger Hockey Team on another WCHA victory. Tune in to watch the Badgers this Saturday in the NCAA Regional Tournament, played at home! Tickets sold out in less than 2 minutes. Go Bucky!

In other strong, groundbreaking women news: CONGRATULATIONS to KickA**KK on her recent release, the Willkie Sprint: A Story of Friendship, Love, and Winning the First Women’s Little 500 Race. Pre-order on Amazon or Indiana University Press. We hope to have KickA**KK return to the Draft mid-summer to autograph you copy!

March is an unpredictable month. The route for Monday March 18 is Easy, but the weather may be anything but. Forecast is currently set for 32 degrees. Please check GroupMe for updates. There will be no drafting below 50 degrees. Maybe 40. Departure time for all groups A-F is 4:30PM.

RidewithGPS link: Drafters | Easy Street

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

February 29th isn’t the only oddity in the calendar this year. Fat bike season came and went, with my new 45NRTH Wolfgar boots still in the box. There was a small widow where Lake Mendota (mostly) froze over and the most daring (and light weight) Drafters took to the ice, with water wings and PFDs in their packs.

Ice is still solid at the UW LaBahn Arena. As are Coach Arms and the Badger Women’s Hockey Team! Some Drafters came out to cheer them on against St. Cloud and St. Thomas.

Some Drafters found man made snow to complete the Birkie. But they may have used it all up….

The Fat Tire Birkie, scheduled for next weekend, is entertaining swapping studded tires and snow for knobby tires and gravel.

On a more positive note, with a handful of days in February in the upper 60s, many Drafters were seen riding on the road baring arms.

It appears the season was fruitful one way or another.

NOTE: these two glorious events are not sequential or related. Can you guess who drafted responsibly?

The Garage Band broke up, but a new indoor group rose from the ashes. A huge sweaty thanks to DJ Jazzy for letting us draft responsibly over the winter. If the Monday weather pattern continues, the members of this indoor group will take their show on the road on March 4th to wrap up their season. And with that…

Look for the regular drafter season to start on Monday March 11th at 4:30PM. In the early rides, there will be only one group. As the days grow longer, we will shift the start times to 5 and 5:30PM with A and B teams. Be sure to come well lit (as in blinky lights) and BYO beverages for the post-draft draft. Solo stove and heat lamps provided, but bring your own lawn chair.

As is tradition, the first draft will be a 25 mile southernly route to Riley Tavern.

RidewithGPS Link Drafters | Riley Tavern

Cancellations due to in climate weather and route changes will be announced via Drafter GroupMe. When in doubt, text BrickO. Alternatively, when in doubt, climb. That is the motto for our 2024 Hincapie kit.

Link to the Hincapie Team Store will be posted as soon as the graphics are done for the bibs/shorts. Despite the popular request for white bibs/shorts, they will most likely definitely be black. The ponytail on the rider on the rear pocket will only be available in the female jerseys. Sorry, Vintage.

Please note: if there is something you would like other than a kit (polar jacket, wind jacket, vest), PLEASE EMAIL ME ASAP. Also, if you would like to try on sizes before ordering, PLEASE EMAIL ME ASAP so that a sizing kit can be ordered before the store opens. The sizing is the same as past years. You can choose between Velocity (race cut) or Axis (club cut). We have not offered the highest pro line (Signature Collection) due to cost, but if you are interested, please let me know. Lastly, Hincapie has a new gravel line of clothing that I might make available, if there is interest. Check out the different lines here.

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

Draft Away by Dobie Gray

Beginnin’ to think that it’s pedalin’ time
I don’t understand other things I do
The world outside looks so unkind
Now I’m countin’ on you to carry me through

Oh, give me the quads, boys, and free my soul
I wanna get lost in your watts ‘n’ roll and draft away
Oh, give me the quads, boys, and free my soul
I wanna get lost in your watts ‘n’ roll and draft away

And when my quads are free
You know a melody can move me
And when I’m feelin’ blue
The peloton’s comin’ through to soothe me

Thanks for the joy that you’ve given me
I want you to know I believe in your song
And rhythm and rhyme and harmony
You’ve helped me along, makin’ me strong

Oh, give me the quads, boys, and free my soul
I wanna get lost in your watts ‘n’ roll and draft away
Oh, give me the quads, boys, and free my soul
I wanna get lost in your watts ‘n’ roll and draft away

A rainy week gave way to a glorious day for the final draft. Temperatures were a wee bit nip for the 10AM full pour. Conversations surrounding arm warmers, full fingered gloves and ear wraps were more vivacious than middle school girls deciding on outfits for a dance. LuLu selected a lovely furry ear wrap, Gopher doubled up on gaiters and Cannibal doubled down on green jerseys. Say what??? Yup. Cannibal went green.

Squirrel crossed athletic discipline boundaries, wearing a XC ski wardrobe and Lululemon pants. For real, not the Novara look-alike logo brand that earned LuLu his handle. Innocent mistake, for those non-fashion conscious (aware) cyclists.

At the other end of the thermoregulatory spectrum, Rimshot and Sandals opted to show some leg, hoping to solidify their tan lines before winter sets in.

Mercury didn’t rise much for the 11AM short pour, but they rose to the occasion.

In order to generate a bit more heat, LuLu drafted responsibly with his 650B 2″ tires, reaping, threshing, gathering, and winnowing through the corn fields. The rest of the A Team was plenty warm just trying to keep up to the harvester.

An unanticipated bridge out on County Highway Y gave the A Team a bit of a pause, long enough for BrickO and Z Wrecks to catch up. Fortunately, Racek Rd provided a scenic bypass, with gorgeous views of the Ferry Bluffs.

Skipper’s artistic eye and camera captured the B Team’s adventures beautifully.

Anybody know a good Physical Therapist? Take your pick out of this trio!

Many who couldn’t make the final draft were on deck for the awards ceremony. Slim, Keez, Badger, Sandlot, Speedy, Vilks, Granny, Pipes and Hit-the-Wall filled the stands in anticipation of this year’s recipients.

This season we enjoyed 23 rides covering 741.28 miles (when quads are tired, 0.28 miles are significant). Our cycling family has enlisted 164 Drafters, including 9 newbies this year: Velo, Animal, Griz. Bieber, Shaq, Watson, Presley, Cotton Tail, and Boreo. Several Drafters committed to at least 10 tours: BrickO, PitStop, Speedy, Duracell, Rimshot, Pepe, LuLu, Octane, Knievel, Cannibal, Shaq, Cujo, Queenie, Footer, Squirrel, Granny, Keez and Z Wrecks. Thanks to our friends at SweatVac for providing a sweat barrier.

Historically, the MVP award goes to the Drafter with the highest attendance (Cannibal and Cujo). Breaking tradition, the MVP award this year goes to… (Queenie with the drum roll, which you can listen to on Spotify) Shaq. New to cycling, Shaq conquered the Horribly Hilly Hundreds, RAGBRAI and Garmin technology in the span of a summer. This sense of adventure embodies the Drafter spirit.

The Tour de Dane Femmes took place in July, concurrent with the Tour de France Femmes, in an effort to generate support for women’s cycling. The event spanned 7 days and consisted of 3 challenges/stages: 1) yellow jersey for the most miles ridden, 2) green jersey for the time trial, and 3) polka dot jersey for the hillier than hell series of climbs. Congratulations to all of the participants: Cujo, Keez, Flash, Belle, BrickO, Animal, Granny, Shaq, Sandlot, Coach Arms, Nemo and Thing One. Thanks to Online Cycling Gear for providing the jerseys!

Four members were inducted into the Flat Tire Club: Octane, Footer, T1 and Velo (twice). They now have an option to cap off their stems with a choice of emotion.

Slim, our Drafter mechanic who “tirelessly” assisted with the flat tire changes was gifted his very own bike tire changing station.

There were more parts than tires needing to be fixed. Keez required a new ACL after being hit by a car, and Rimshot lost a pair of Hincapie Drafter shorts and some skin. And all they got was these stinkin’ t-shirts.

There is a saying, “You have to be really good to know you aren’t very good.” Meaning, if you are exceptionally gifted at something, say cycling, for example, you can appreciate the chasm that exists between you and a professional. Or Vintage and LuLu. On one particularly challenging draft, the group politely waited at the top of a climb. While waiting, these two yardbirds decided to throw in an extra off-road climb for funsies. They earned the “stupid climb” award, a clever topo map of the terrain they conquered.

Caution: sentiment ahead. The Drafters are not BrickO’s. They Drafters are a family operation, who support and encourage one another on and off the bike. While I am (BrickO speaking in the first person is rare, as the Drafters are a unit not owned by one person) beyond grateful for the gifts received on Sunday, the true gift is the community we have built together.

That said, these beers, whiskey, pumpkin spice bars and grapefruit pie will be gratefully consumed and the incredible art will hang proudly on my wall (once I reinforce a stud). Thank you. So much.

The Drafting season isn’t over- it has only morphed. The Dirty Draft has commenced. Join the crew on Monday at 4:30 leaving from the CXC parking lot. Once the snow flies, drop your tire pressure and join the Drift Draft! Details will be posted on the DirtyDraft GroupMe app. Let me know if you would like to be added.

We will likely be gathering for special events, like the UW Badger Women’s Hockey game on Sat Feb 3 with Coach Arms and pond hockey with Speedy, so keep your Drafter GroupMe app alive through the winter.

Draft responsibly,
BrickO