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

This time of year, the numbers fall off as quickly as the leaves, a sign that the Draft is nearing the season’s end. Unlike the leaves, the Drafters stay green. The team looked PRO with 5 in new kits and 4 in Quads We Trust kits. The risk of rain was small and didn’t dampen the enthusiasm to visit the Bridge to Nowhere . Hawkeye was a bit reluctant to get his new Cervelo Aspero 5 (code name Twilight) dirty, but the gravel steed was made for these conditions.

Skipper captured the essence of the Draft beautifully.

The sky started to spit at a key point in the route, where a decision had to be made to beeline home on the bike path, or stay the course. It is unclear if the decision to stay the course was unanimous, or simply made by the lead rider. Either way, Rauls Road ahead was the right call.

Things got a little dark on the homestretch, but the Drafters were able to finish the ride mostly dry.

Cold beer, salty nuts and laughs were shared around the kitchen table. A good sign of a successful draft.

WEEKEND HIGHLIGHTS:

The Chequamegon MTB Festival was a little wet and a lotta’ fun. The Drafters likely accounted for the the majority of female competitors. With less than 100 women in the Cheq40 field, the Drafters represented >5% of competitors! Congrats to Belle, Bomber, Footer, Spigot, Midas, Squeak and BrickO on committing to the mud fest. Bomber set a PR, Spigot shed 30′ off his fat bike time from last year, and Squeak was 2nd on the podium in her first MTB race! Footer accomplished a base, peak, taper and competitive ride all in 40 miles. Well done, Drafters!

Congrats to Cookie Monster, E$, Momma Monster, Sweeps and the BABES , our MN cohort, for crushing the Short and Smart.

Speedy was on the podium, although not until after the awards ceremony when it was ruled that third place Eric was in the wrong division. The Canadian not be denied her Maple Leaf.

Momma Monster had her own sort of podium. Kudos to Belle for creating and arranging with Lifetime to have this 70th birthday banner on display for all to appreciate.

And most impressive, congrats to the Lil’ Monsters of the Junior Draft Team on their Little Loggers race. Both girls raced with serious grit and big smiles.

A little less further north, congrats to McGritty and Barkly on representing the Draft at the Peninsula Century. And a belated congrats to Barkly on her 70.3 WISCO the week prior!

UPCOMING GRAVEL EVENTS: there is plenty of Drafter fun to be had in the weeks to come!

Wild Hare Gravel Sept 26

Hibernator Gravel Oct 3

ONE MORE FOR THE ROAD: Sept 28 will likely be the last dance for the Drafter road season. Wheels up 4:45 to Riley Tavern, 25 mile route.

RidewithGPS Link Drafters | Riley Tavern

With permission from the weather gods, the Dirty Draft will commence the following Monday, Oct 5th and continue through to the Draft Draft season. Meet at BLACKHAWK East Chalet (membership required) at 4:45PM to warm up on the upper loop (Pine, Twist&Shout, Roller Coaster). There will be a final sweep of the parking lot at 5PM and then we will be off! Plan to ride the upper loop (again) and then head down Howling Wolff, over to MBP, and back to BH. Bring beers to enjoy in the chalet or fire pit afterwards. All information will be communicated through the Dirty Draft GroupMe app, no blog posts due to limited staffing.

Draft responsibly,
BrickO

The threat of rain kept the Drafters from facing the Beast of Barlow. Except for Spigot, who bravely challenged the beast on his own. Coach Arms glanced at the Beast, but then took an alternative route. The threat of rain was not going to rob her of an opportunity to enjoy another ride on her loaner bike.

The Beast will have to wait for next year. The Drafters will face Black Widow on Monday, September 21. All wheels up at 4:45 from Middleton Hills for this 27.5 mile adventure.

RidewithGPS link: Drafters | Black Widow

2 WEEKEND HIGHLIGHTS

Welcome to the newest member of the Junior Draft A-Team! Congrats to Vintage and Thing 1, who now holds the QOM at St. Mary’s for the contractions to finish line segment.

In a different kind of Labor Day weekend, the Wright Stuff Century had lots of the right stuff in spring green. Congrats to Tank (freakishly tall in the photo), Herbie, Cujo, Shaq and Barkley on their labors.

Spigot conquered 111 gravel miles in the Gray Duck Grit in MN, giving the event a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating. More appropriately, Spigot was representing the Green Duck Grit.

Labor Day Weekend gave way to Ironman weekend. Congrats to Squeak on her 70.3 National Championship in Nice, France and Gopher on his 70.3 right here in WISCO!.

Congrats to Herbie on P2 position playing in the dirt at the Silver Creek CX race.

The Drafter season will likely conclude at the end of September, giving way to the DIRTY DRAFT!!!! There is a separate GroupMe for those wanting to play dirty. All you need to do is ask, and you shall be added to the list.

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

18 Drafters all in a row. Point them to Missouri Tavern, and away they all go. Welcome back Griz and Maverick! Since her debut appearance back in June of 2025, Maverick has been MIA. Maybe not missing, but definitely in action.

Missing from the line up is Coach Arms, who was eager to Draft with her new demo bike. Coach Arms was shocked to learn bikes can roll down hill without pedal assist. Alas, she was T-boned en route. No bodies or bikes were damaged, but her car required towing. Since hockey season is underway, this might be the closest thing to an action shot off the ice.

Duracell and Speedy missed the photo, but didn’t miss the roll out. The machine of green rode in tight formation north towards Dane. Rimshot tossed out the idea of stopping at The Ranch Saloon, but with Vilks missing from the line up (excused absence, celebrating 30 years with Chief), there was nobody to reinforce bad choices. The group forged ahead to Missouri Tavern.

One small rest stop before Missouri Tavern came at the intersection of 113. A hay truck had a line of cars backed up for a country mile. For once, cars weren’t angry at us. How nice.

At last, Missouri Tavern. Trouble ahead, trouble behind. And you know that notion just crossed my mind 

This is the notion that just crossed our minds.

Forget the stork. Goose made a special delivery. Welcome to our newest Junior Drafter! Congrats Goose and Maverick.

Keez and Twinkle Toes battled it out for the neighborhood KOK/QOM. Twinkle Toes earned bragging rights this week, but did confess that he sand bagged the entire ride in order to win the title.

Every one is a winner when Spigot spends time baking. Snickerdoodle cookies for all. And for our GF Drafters, Spigot went the extra mile and brought treats from Bloom. What a sweet guy.

NO RIDE NEXT MONDAY (LABOR DAY).

On special request from Spigot, the Draft on Monday Sept 14th will include Barlow. Still think he’s sweet? Departure will be from the foot bridge onto Bourbon Street (the one we crossed leaving Crossroads) at 4:45. Recommend parking near Remington’s Tavern at 1821 Main St Cross Plains. Stay after for pizza and beer! This will be a hilly ride so buckle up- full strength 25.8 miles, short pour 21 miles.

RidewithGPS link: Drafters | CP2 Beast of Barlow

RidewithGPS link : Drafters | CP Beast of Barlow Short Pour

Draft resonsibly,

BrickO

The Mamas & Papas had nothing to worry about. Monday evenin’ came and 18 drafters were here with me.

Monday, Monday
So good to me
Monday mornin’
It was all I hoped it would be
But Monday mornin’
Monday mornin’ couldn’t guarantee
That Monday evenin’ you would still be draftin’ with me

The group respectfully held up for Skipper who arrived only 1 minute late despite beltline crashes, smashes and other driving balderdashes. His new Audie passed the test, coming in hot, stopping on a dime, executing a tight 3-point turn on 2 wheels before coming to rest along side the curb.

Spigot with his new prescription orange accented ROKA sunglasses blazed the trail. It is amazing how much faster and straighter his flight plan now that he has 20/20. Duracell was waiting to catch the train on Schneider. The group stayed together until DisEnchanted Valley, where every Drafter must dance to their own drummer. Or drum to their own rhythm. Or dance like nobody’s watching, although everybody is on Strava.

This ride was sponsored by Zyrtec. The Drafters had a hay wagon escort all the way down Schuman Road. Better that than a honey wagon. There isn’t a prescription for that.

There is no photographic evidence of the Short Pour, but Shaq was heard boasting that she waited on every climb for Cujo. Shaq also mentioned that Cujo did a 100 mile gravel ride on Saturday, after sleeping in her car. She followed this up with another 100 mile gravel ride on Sunday. Shaq is hoping this behavior continues and encourages all Drafters to partake in 200 miles rides before Drafting responsibly on Monday night.

Sadly, there is photographic evidence of a misaligned banana. In addition to Zyrtec, Vilks is sponsored by PBR, nuts and bananas.

WEEKEND HIGHLIGHTS: Congrats to Belle, Bomber, Spigot, Sweeps and OVERALL WOMEN’S CHAMPION Dr. Dewey on the largest ever CoonFork40 gravel race on Saturday.

FOMO? Here’s one not to miss. Join a bunch O’ Drafters at the Wild Hare on Sept 26 in Viroqua. Thanks to Speedy for a 26% discount with code TREKMADISON26.

HINCAPIE GEAR UPDATE: apologies for all those patiently waiting for their Drafter kits. The delay is due to an earthquake in Columbia, where the manufacturing plant is located. Our hearts go out to those 111 people who lost their lives and their families.

MONDAY AUGUST 31: the social aspect of leaving together at 4:45 has been a bonus, and stopping for a beverage at Missouri Tavern seems popular, so that’s the plan. Back by request are the PDF files. Never a bad idea to take a screenshot, just in case you find yourself wandering without a clue. Full strength is 31 miles, short pour 29 miles (not much more can be trimmed without putting drafters on busy roads).

RidewithGPS Link: Drafters | Rock of Ages MT Short Pour

RidewithGPS Link: Drafters | Rock of Ages MT

NO DRAFT MONDAY SEPTEMBER 7, LABOR DAY

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Breakdown was the theme song for the Formidable Festge route. 21% had mechanical issues. Luckily, 28% were engineers so there was a 100% return rate.

It’s alright if you draft me
It’s alright if you don’t
I’m not afraid of you bikin’ away honey
I get the feeling you won’t
Say there ain’t no sense in pretending
Your quads give you away
Something inside you is feeling like I do
We said all there is to say

Baby
Breakdown, go ahead and give it to me
Breakdown, honey, take me through the night
(Take me, baby, breakdown, ooh)
Breakdown, now I’m standin’ here, can’t you see?
Breakdown, it’s alright
It’s alright, it’s alright

14 Drafters combined to stand as one team. For the remainder of the season, that’s the way this will roll. No A Team. No B Team. Just one Team. It is a good thing the Team held up for Dan-yelly, who came in hot, wearing her helmet while driving to minimize the transition time from car to bike. We needed every engineer for this ride!

It was a slow start to the Draft. Keez was tracking the team, as she was waiting to jump on in Cross Plains, and wondered about the long stop in Greenway Station. Missing the light on Deming Way and 14, the group was further held up as an ambulance required them to sit through a green light. Two red lights later, the team powered across the intersection, only for Dan-yelly to drop her chain. As she frantically dog paddled her way across the busy intersection, the group waited for what was to be the first of three mechanicals.

Not sure if inability to use an iPhone camera properly qualifies as a mechanical or just technological incompetence? Either way, Keez rescued BrickO by taking a Team photo at Festge.

The group had some relief climbing Table Bluff as Hawkeye flatted for the second week in a row. Nobody complained as a breather was enjoyed at the very top. Spigot, one of the team’s 4 present engineers, came to the rescue.

It took two engineers to problem solve Z’s mechanical. Both Z and Dan-yelly are biomedical engineers. Rear derailleurs were not part of their curriculum.

Twinkle Toes felt badly being the only engineer not to contribute to the mechanical issues. As an act of penance, he offered his cabin up north to any and all Drafters. Key code and address to follow.

WEEKEND HIGHLIGHTS:

Congrats to Hawkeye on his effort at Race the Lake. Despite another flat, he flew.

Congrats to Keez on a very hard day at CORE4. Sometimes the hardest part of racing isn’t turning the pedals, it is deciding when not to turn the pedals. She came away with some bruises, but also some clarity. Congrats!

NEW PLAN FOR NEXT WEEK. EVERYBODY will depart at 4:45 TOGETHER. A, B, Short Pour will ride at 4:45. The group will naturally split up, but we will start the ride together.

The route is Far Far Farview, a 34 mile hilly endeavor with a 28.7 mile short pour option

RidewithGPS link : Drafters | Little Less Far View Short Pour

RidewithGPS link: Drafters | Far Far Far View

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

19 Drafters went in search of a watering hole. None were interested in a short pour, full strength only. Missouri Tavern delivered.

Big B Team turn out. Welcome back, Hit-the-Wall!

Hawkeye’s rear tire was suspect at the start. Vilks’ jeffrey-rigged a solution using electrical tape. It held for 9.45 miles, which was 9.45 longer than anticipated. Welcome to the flat tire club, Hawkeye! The tire blew on the outskirts of Martinsville, which was fortuitous as the Indian Trail descent headed out of Martinsville would have certainly led to disaster.

Coach Arms’ ancient Trek, thought to have been ridden in the War of 1812 by Canadian militias, nearly came apart at the lugs. Several Drafters nearly lost fillings, but held onto them as the Drafter Dentist on call was tending to his flat tire.

Everyone arrived safely at the watering hole. The boys from the bar recognized us instantly, but no shots were fired, brown or other. Keez and Coach Arms were engrossed in the Little League game. Now that the Tour de France Femmes is over, they are on to the next Fantasy League.

Watson and Shaq decided to drink from a different tap.

There was an unusual division of sexes headed back to base along the bike path, with the boys taking a strong lead. As the Draft rolled into the neighborhood, Presley’s eyes lit up, “Let’s attack”. And she did. Ain’t nothing but a Hound Dog, that one. Keez grabbed her wheel as they flew by the boys of summer. Twinkle Toes took exception to the sneak attach and countered, but Keez was too far gone.

Cujo made sure no one left in caloric deficit with an amazing GF vegan chocolate cake. Happy Birthmonth, Cujo!

Weekend Highlights: A few Drafters dressed up to play bikes on Saturday. Momma Monster, Cookie Monster and E$ were unanimously voted best team theme. Congrats Bone Appetite!

Vilks and Keez were a distant second place, but sure did Tri-Hard.

HINCAPIE DRAFTER KIT UPDATE: Keep your eyes open for FedEx information later this week. Signature required, so plan to be home or provide indirect signature. There is still a men’s medium Axis jersey available at a discounted price (brand new).

Next week on tap: Formidable Festge. Full strength 30.6 miles, short pour 22 miles. Wheels up at 4:45PM and 5PM full strength, 5PM short pour.

RidewithGPS link : Drafters | Formidable Festge Short Pour

RidewithGPS link: Drafters | Formidable Festge

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

25 Drafters heeded the call for Beer Floats. Twas’ a wonderful thing to have so many on tap to ride the Driftless.

The B Team held nearly 50% of the roster. Go big or go home. They went big. Queenie reminded everyone (without boasting) that he and Car Wash were the only two Drafters to complete the route as scripted from Cross Plains last month when the bridge on KP was out. The dudes abided. Everyone else took a short cut.

There were rumblings of another detour as the bridge on JJ had been closed the day before. Plans for a work around were hatched in the corral before the horses were let to run wild, which included 3 extra miles of backtracking. Knievel was put in charge of keeping the B Team steeds on course.

Short in numbers, but not poor, these three set out to avoid the potential detour on the JJ bridge.

The A Team heard Queenie’s call for righteousness, but without an assigned leader, the renegades biked wild (read: took a short cut).

Tank and Herbie rolled out, and then rolled up to the Driftless Downs to shred.

The A team picked up Enrob and Dr. Dewey’s on KP. Their cups runneth over, with 10 extra miles to and from Cross Plains. Enron clarified…. 10.9 miles. Ahh, it is good to be young and energetic.

The big orange detour signs were hard to ignore. Seeing the backhoe in full swing at the bridge, the B Team dared not ask permission to cross, and backtracked 3 miles and one extra climb up Vermont Church to get back on course. Lost Boy didn’t make it to the holy water. His rear tire and tube were mangled, locking up his rear wheel, leaving a smoke signal for the A Team to find. He made the call of shame to his son to be rescued, and in the spirit of the draft, drove back to Creekside for the next best thing, a beer float.

The A team reached the bridge and delegated Spigot to negotiate. Fearless crosser of the KP bridge while under construction weeks earlier, he approached the man in the big back hoe to ask the question. The scene was reminiscent of this one by P.D. Eastman. Same answer… NO.

Dr. Dewey and Enrob decided to follow in the dedicated pedal strokes of the B Team, adding on 3 miles and the Vermont Church climb. The rest of the A Team followed Keez further along 78 into Black Earth, where they connected with the route. No extra miles or climbs. No question the better play if the game was to reach the beer float first.

The B Team definitely enjoyed a few more miles and climbs. What goes up, must come down. Photo credit to Skipper.

A gorgeous night to ride extra miles, or cut them short with more time to drink beer floats and eat birthday pie. There was no wrong choice. Except to sit down on a wasp. Not the birthday buzz Coach Arms was hoping for.

WEEKEND HIGHLIGHTS: Congrats to Sweeps and Knievel on completing the Dairyland Dare!

Next week the draft will head north to Indian Lake and home through Missouri. Missouri Tavern, that is. All are encouraged to enjoy the 28 mile route. For those not wanted to travel north, the short pour Bike Path Bonanza is 19 miles and visits the Missouri Tavern.

RidewithGPS link: Drafters | Indian Lake Missouri Tavern

RidewithGPS link: Drafters | Bike Path Bonanza

Draft Responsibly,

BrickO

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