Welcome to the 2020 Draft.  Amidst the chaos, I find solace in these words adapted from the Beatles. Let it Be.

When I find myself in times of trouble
outdoor cycling comes to me
March wind through my helmet, let it be.

And riding before darkness
There’s a freedom right in front of me
Endless roads of wisdom, let it be.
Let it be, let it be.

Riding roads with Drafters, let it be.

And when the broken hearted people
Living in the world agree,
There will be more cycling, let it be.

For though they may be parted there is
Still a chance that they will see
There will be an answer, let it be
Let it be, let it be. Yeah
There will be an answer, let it be.

And when Monday is cloudy,
I will bring a light that shines for me,
Shine on until tomorrow, let it be.

I wake up to the first blog alert
BrickO’s Drafters come to me
Riding roads of wisdom, let it be.
Let it be, let it be.
There will be an answer, let it be.
Let it be, let it be,
Riding roads of wisdom, let it be.

The forecast for Monday is 46 and cloudy.  I think there may be a better Monday to kick off the Draft. I will use the blog to post routes and updates, along with worthy news items such as the following:

The indoor CXC training season wrapped up last week.  A huge thanks to Yuriy for hosting our group, to Gordy Paulson for keeping everything running smoothly, and to John Okon at SweatVac for gallant attempts to make us look good in green.  Green is spring’s sign of growth, and this group saw lots of it.

We weren’t relegated exclusively to indoor cycling.  I think everyone set a PR at the Birkie and Korte in February.

And let’s not forget our Drafters who migrate south for the winter.

When I find myself in times of trouble, BrickO’s Drafters come to me.  Riding roads of wisdom.  Let it be. Soon.

The first Monday to reach 50 degrees, wind less than 20mph and there’s a light that shines on me, I will post the route. There will be such a Monday.  Let it be.

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

What better time than the start of a new year to reflect on how time flies. Let thou count thy ways:

Footer reaches the half centruy milestone today. And you know what Drafters say on the road…. “what you can do once, you can do again”.

Coach Arms and C-Monster are on the home stretch of pregnancy.  Well, maybe rounding second base for C-Monster, but she’ll get there soon enough. Time flies.

Not turning 50 or pregnant, Skipper takes his own kind of flight.

BrickO see, BrickO do.  Or doesn’t.  Tom Petty seemed to be singing direclty to me as I flew through the air, off my bike, down a 30 foot (I might be exaggerating) bank at Pleasant View.

Interested in learning to fly?  Colin O’Brien (Drafter handle the Italian Job) can help.  Please drop into Cronometro on Wednesday, Jan 29 at 5PM to hear him speak on the topic of aerodynamics as it pertains to the bike.

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

Happy New Year,  Drafters.  Thank you all for a wonderful year of cycling,  flat tire changes, and cold beers together.  I couldn’t ask for a more genuine group of friends to ride and laugh with (and at, on occasion).

Here is a quick review of cycling (and skiing) December drafts.

If fat tire riding in the white stuff is your thing, check these events out:

Nicolet Frosty Bear registration link

Snow Bully Registration link

And if snow isn’t your idea of fun on a bike, registration for these two stellar events opened up TODAY.  Lake Ripley on July 18, 2020 isn’t just a ride… it’s a party at Barefooter’s cabin. Please note, our beloved Dairyland Dare is UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT.  A huge thanks to Race Day Events and Abbey V for resurecting the DLD.  Please join me in daring on Aug 15, 2020.

Lake Ripley Ride Registration link

Dairyland Dare Registration Link

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

I’m dreaming of a white bike ride
Just like a sleigh ride through the snow
Where the berms and turns glisten
And Drafters christen
A set of fat tracks in the snow

I’m dreaming of a white bike ride
With every trainer ride inside
May your days, may your days, may your days
Be merry and bright
And may all your fat tire rides be white

And a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO COOKIE-MONSTER!

Draft responsibly this holiday season,

BrickO

The weather cooperated beautfilly for the Tyranena Oktoberfest ride on Saturday.  Drafters were out in full force.

Despite rain on Sunday and for the forseable future, Mother Nature did us a solid on Monday. We defintely finished the season strong, with a record high 26 Drafters in attendance and over 40 for a cold draft afterwards.   Some things never change- like Slow Cow arriving at 5:29:30 for 5:30 wheels up.  But there were also a few surprises, like a newbie, Lucky Ducharme and the resurfacing of Dr. Wampus. She picked the last ride to start the Drafter season, but don’t be fooled.  Her Peloton training had unsuspecting riders working hard to catch her Draft.  As the company goes public, no doubt Dr. Wampus will be their cover girl. Not just another pretty face- this chick can ride.

The Riley Tavern route is hard to screw up. There is really only one turn onto Maurer Road that you absolutely do not want to miss, as it means roaring down Timber Lane only to have to do an about face and climb back out of the valley.  And that’s exactly what Skipper did.

We had 21 miles to cover in 65 minutes of daylight.  Booker J wasted no time, setting a blistering pace.  He lost all sorts of body fluids- sweat pouring from under his helmet, mixing with snot streaming from his nose and saliva trickling from the corners of his mouth.  He looked like a St. Bernard at the finish. “I can’t tell what’s what in this mix of body fluids.”  Sparky finished with plenty of light to spare, unlike last week when she double flatted.  Unable to contain her surprise, she exclaimed,  “I can’t beleive it!  Nothing went wrong? Other than I had to fix another flat before I came.”  Lucky could have used some of the light Sparky left behind.  She weighed her options on  Midtown: turn around and drink beer at Riley Tavern or phone a friend? What’s one more Uber driver to join the festivites at Longtable?

Cannibal is included in the head count, as he phoned in from Paris during the Drafter party to recieve his award.

The season wrap up went something like this…

Link to Drone Master’s Drafters on Bikes Drinking Beer

Link to Drafter’s Season Highlights

First the stats (good thing MegaWatt wasn’t there to weigh in on p-values):  since conception in 2013, we have had 105 Drafters draft. We claimed 653.26 miles of asphalt this year.  Disclaimer: this does not include short cuts and misdiretions, which were frequent and unmonitored. Our longest and shorest rides were Back Door to Church 43.4 and Riley Tavern 21.96 miles, respectively.  20 Newbies joined the Draft, right up until the last ride (welcome, Lucky).

No doubt cycling is more fun when the machine is working well, the fit is perfect and the watering holes are plentiful.  A hug shout out and thanks to our our excellent support from Cronometro, Free House (huge shout out to Amy) and Longtable.  I strongly encourage you to frequent all locations.  Colin, Scott and Paul at Crono not only know bikes, they know how to ride and travel. Cyclesport Travel has 4 spots left for the Pyraenees Playground trip June 15-25, 2020.  Or the Alps in July, Tuscany in Sept.  Check it out here: Cyclesport Travel

The biggest thanks go to all of you for being part of the Drafter family.  We’ve shared many moments together- births, marriages, retirements, new homes, and the converse- deaths, divorce, and hardships that make life real and cycling a release.  Here are a shout outs that were given Monday night at our soiree.

FLAT TIRE CLUB INDUCTEES: we had 8 join the club, plus Booker J as an honorary member for breaking a cable. Nobody claimed gold( 3 flats or more), luckily.

That’s a wrap!  Stay tuned for info on the Dirty Draft this Wed at Pleasant View, 5PM.  Mother Nature is threatening to rain on that parade. Next year we will likely institute a regular Dirty Draft to compliment our road presence.

Here are a few more fall rides to consider:

Register here

Register here

Wherever you draft, Draft responsibly.  Fly the colors.  Be kind. Make the world a better place, even if only for a short time each day.

BrickO

Earth Wind and Fire supplied lyics for the 23rd Night In September…

Hey hey hey,
ba de ya – say do you remember
ba de ya – drafting in September
ba de ya – never was a cloudy day
Ba duda, ba duda, ba duda, badu
ba duda, badu, ba duda, badu
ba duda, badu, ba duda

17 Drafters convened to do some drafting in September.  C-Monster once again came to the rescue of several Drafters who suffered equpiment failure, as in failure to bring equipement.  Cannibal borrowed her water bottle and Hit-the-Wall borrowed her waterproof phone case (ok, so it was just a ziplock bag, but still).  I guess that makes sense. In giving away her water, the chances of sweating were minimized.  C-Monster is so smart. No wonder she will shortly have earned two doctorates.

5 of the 17 Drafters didn’t convene, exactly,  but did complete the route.  Drone Master was on course sending live footage to Bob Roll.  Belle and Bomber were caught on Wipperfurth- presumably they had a head start or drafting on e-Bikes.  We are awaiting official word from the pit crew technicians, who are inspecting for motors.  Tobacco City Boy arrived a few minutes late so thought to park at Pheasant Branch Conservancy.  The peloton zipped by so quickly that he missed them entirely.  By 6PM, he abandoned the chase and rode the course backwards to increase in chances of a Drafter encounter.  Sparky, too, arrived late and ventured out alone, only to flat twice.  Vintage was kind enough to leave his beer behind and rescue Sparky from the depths of Waunakee.  We are out of room on the Flat Tire Club plaque after this seasons’s voluminous debacles.  Speedy and Duracell completed the route in the early afternoon, on account of coaching their kids’ hockey.  This excellent parental Duracell put him just out of reach of the 10 and Over club, which earns extra Drafter swag. He is appealing the decision to the USDA (United States Drafter Assoc) and providing GPS and photographic evidence that he did ride the course on Drafter Monday. The Velominati rules clearly state BIKE COMES FIRST, but the Drafters may have to ammend that to say BIKE FIRST UNLESS FAMILY NEEDS YOU.

The ride down Easy Street was as promised… easy.  Except for Sparky who double flatted and Vintage who managed to have his saddle fail.  I suggested a new saddle, but he said the more likely long term solution was to lose 20 pounds.  Whatever.  I’d buy a new saddle.  Hell, I’d buy a new bike. Why skimp?

Two of our “regulars” were off frolicking in Yellowstone, unable to Draft, but still sporting green.

Beer at Longtable tasted extra good.  The selection is so wide that it is often hard to pick just one (if you are setting limits).  Tobacco City Boy opted for the Hawaiian Shirt Party.  When asked about his selection, he said his daughter would like the colorful flowery can,while his attention was drawn to the 9% alcohol content.

Next week will be our grand finale and shortest ride of the year to Riley Tavern.

Download PDF map: Riley Tavern 20

Garmin link: GPS Riley Tavern

Following the ride, Longtable will host our END OF THE YEAR DRAFTER PARTY at 7PM. In case of rain (read: in case Hit-the-Wall rides), we will still start the party at 7PM.  There is swag for everyone who has ridden at least once.  Double swag for those achieving the 10 and over club.  And special awards for faux pas throughout the season.

The DIRTY DRAFT season is still in season.  We will meet at 5PM (NOTE: not 5:30 as initially advertised) at Pleasant View on Wed Oct 2.  There is a small possiblity of also meeting this Wed, Sept 25 at 5PM at PV.  I will send a GroupMe message to confirm.  Text me if you are interested.

It was a bummer The RIDE was cancelled, but we still have a few events to entertain:

Tyranena is this Sat, Sept 28.  Link: Tyranena sign up

The Hibernator gravel event is Sat, Oct 5.  Link: Hibernator sign up

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

The inaugural Dirty Draft at CamRock was a huge success.  What constitutes success? 10 riders got dirty, did not require emergency care, ate pizza and drank beer on a school night.  Thanks to Skipper for leading the Draft and Footer for sweeping. There was lots of mess, but everyone went home with all their parts in tact.

A little blood, not enough to require stitches.

A little goose egg, not one on the noggin.

Cannibal connects with Mother Nature, losing a bar end plug and half a pedal.  Who plants those trees so close together, anyway? He blamed his routine tree confrontations on Skipper, who loaned him the MTB. Apparently the brakes weren’t up to Cannibal’s standards.

Slinger lived up to his Drafter handle.  Coming hot into a corner, dirt was a slingin’.  And then Slinger was slung into the powdery earth he just created.

I only wish I had a photo of Tick Tock launching into flight.  I can’t do it justice with words.

But I can perpetuate the fun with round two of the Dirty Draft.  We will meet in the parking lot near the clubhouse at Pleasant View golf course on Wed, Oct 2 at 5:30PM.  Shenanigans to follow at Longtable.

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

It was a record setting night for the Drafters:

• We achieved an all time high attendance record of 24 riders!  This included one Newbie, Outlaw, bro-in-law of Hit-the-Wall.  The probability of a rain out being implicitly linked to Hit-the-Wall has been called into question.

  

  

• Cronometro’s Italian Job made an appearance.  The Black Widowette route had been shorted due to the daunting challenge of averaging  20mph to get in before sunset.  I had intended that to mean that most would ride UNDER 20mph.  The Italian Job had an entirely different interpretation. He and Cannibal  battled to Dane averaging over 25mph (possibly prompted by endless chiding by BrickO who hung on for dear life and the two bowls of cereal unwisely scarfed down late afternoon until she couldn’t- that is, couldn’t keep up.  The cereal stayed down). Tick Tock and Captain Joe took over the pursuit in Dane. Compliments and backhanded slams were exchanged simultaneously.  Tick Tock’s recollection is that the Italian Job complimented him on sustaining a high power output.  Coming from the former U.S. National one hour time trial record holder, Tick Tock figured he’d reached the peak of his career and retired later that evening, after a celebratory beer.  The Italian Job had a slightly different take.  His recollection was that Tick Tock said, “You ride great for an old guy. Especially with an Italian screw in your hip.”  I suspect there is some truth to both interpretations.  Regardless, it spawned a record highest average speed. Why am I not sure of the the exact mph? Well….
• BrickO joined the flat tire club.  She claims to have been “just riding along” (JRA) when a pot hole inexplicably jumped in front of her.   That brings the Flat Tire Club membership to a record high 8, up from 3 inductees last year.  Many Drafters abided by the code and stopped to offer assistance.  Muddled in the incomprehensible thought of her new bike being marred on its first Drafter voyage, BrickO sent them away one by one (in between curses at her own stupidity at hitting the pothole- and this farm girl is not short on curse words). Until… until… she was standing on the shoulder with her precious bike in one hand, unwilling to let the Green Machine lay down, and the rear wheel in the other, tire lever in her mouth, and surrendered.  Vintage and Loose Screw wrangled off the stiff new tire and pumped up the new one.  Z Rex came back with the sag wagon, but BrickO was already on the road, emptied tool bag clenched in her teeth (no time to waste putting it back on the seat post). She suffered TMJ damage, but it was worth saving 30 seconds after a 20min tire change.

• Bomber and Belle were riding along so sweetly, the bees couldn’t resist.  Belle sustained the first bee sting on a Drafter ride.  Luckily, beer is a known anti-histamine. Well, not exactly, but when mixed with Benadryl can intensify the side effects.
• We’ve had plenty of equipment failures (Loose Screw loosing his Garmin on a pot hole, Booker J breaking a cable, 8 Flat Tire Club inductees) and failure to bring equipment, including socks (Cannibal), water bottles and a front tire (Pipes).  But never have we had a cell phone catapult from a jersey pocket and survive being run over by a tractor.  Sparky is now the national spokesperson for otter cases, and promises to back up her data daily.
• The Drafter end of the year party is coming up, and the announcement was made that swag would be given to those riders completing 10 rides.  Drone Master is just shy at 8 and thus decided to ride no less than 3 rides in order to ensure his swag. Drone Master sightings were reported at numerous unchartered roads on the Black Widowette route. He definitely set a record for most Drafter rides in a single night. If you can’t ride 10 times, being seen 3 times more often is a creative way to earn swag .

  

• Duracell and Speedy set a record for earliest departure.  Not only did they start 20min before the Draft, but they shaved off the first 2 miles by riding from home.  They definitely took the 7:05PM sunset warning seriously.  BrickO got several texts from the impatient Speed: “thought the Drafters would have caught us by now”, “what establishment did we choose for imbibing this eve?” Clearly, she’s got her eye on the prize.

  

This is a relatively easy 27 mile ride down Easy Street (might be up, given my predilection for hills). If you want to extend it just a wee bit, skip the Right on North Madison St and take the next one, Schumacher to Easy St.  It is a hill you won’t want to miss, if you like that sort of thing.

Download PDF map: Wauna Ride Down Easy Street?

Garmin link: Easy Street Garmin Link

REMINDERS: Dirty Draft is this Wednesday, 5:30 at CamRock. Bring lights, trail pass, swimsuit and beers for after-ride festivities at Footer’s cottage on Lake Ripley. Drafter party is Sept 30 at Longtable. Please RSVP to Evite.  If I missed you, let me know.

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

A little inspiration from John Denver as the weather is looking favorable for riding the Black Widowette tonight.

Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy
Sunshine in my eyes can make me cry
Sunshine on Monday nights looks so lovely
Sunshine almost always makes me ride

Third time is a charm for this route, and also the third time it has been modified/shortened due to daylight restrictions. The map shows the full Black Widow route in red- we will be taking the short cut in blue.  Sadly, this cuts off two beautiful roads (Fellows and Lee), but safety first.  Sunset is at 7:05PM.  This is roughly a 30mile route, which means you will need to average ~20mph.  I think that’s a tall order for most of us (me, anyway). How about we ride it backwards or counter clockwise?  That way, we can knock off 2 miles and finish one the bike path.  Sound reasonable? This is the third and final rendition before we move on to another route.

PDF map to download: Black Widowette Backwards 30

Note: Garmin link is from Middleton Hills riding clockwise (original direction). Sorry for lack of recon this weekend to update the Garmin in the backwards direction.  I was detained in Ames for College Game Day, which ironically was also met with rain delays: Garmin Link Black Widowette

It is human nature to assign blame.  Who can we blame for the series of rainouts?  Hit-the-Wall volunteered.  He has dutifully loaded his bike in the car on 7 occasions, riding only 4.  The probability of it raining when Hit-the-Wall plans to Draft is really good.  His new handle might be Rainmaker.  Despite the disappointment last week, not all was lost with the rainout.

A few of us frequented the Longtable, including Nurse Sully, Captain and Tineal, BrickO, Z Rex. Duracell and Speedy get credit for spinning before imbibing.  Duracell was overheard confessing that sweating in his Drafter kit amongst the “commoners” made him feel sexy.  Perhaps the most brilliant Drafter at the Longtable was a Newbie– not afraid to show up for her first Draft without a bike and beer in hand.

A few other Drafters broke a sweat this weekend.  Congrats to those who Biked the Barns.

And to those who sought another type of Barnyard activity.

And they weren’t the only Drafters to get dirty.

Better late than never- a shout out to a few more Drafters who finished the Door Country Century last week.  Tobacco City Boy, having peaked his training mileage at 40 this summer, banked on BrickO’s Principal of Physiology: what you can do once, you can do again.  That got him to mile 80. The last 20 were a blur.  Congrats, TCB.  There is nothing like a toddler and an infant to keep your biking miles at a minimum.

Dr. Wampus prepares her daughter for winter and the indoor cycling season. On that note, we are full for Monday night indoor cycling at CXC starting in Nov, but look for a second class to be added in Jan.

One Drafter said “I do”.

That’s a wrap on the happenings that have happened.  Here’s the happenings about to happen:

• Dirty Draft this Wednesday night at CamRock, east end (park right in Cambridge) with Skipper. Proper attire required (please refrain from looking at photo above): LIGHTS on bike and helmet, trail pass, beer to share afterwards at Footer’s cottage.
• Drafter end of the year party Sept 30 at 7PM at Longtable.  Please RSVP so I can give Longtable a headcount.  If you rode at least once, you have earned Drafter swag.  If you have ridden 10 times, you earn an extra swag item.  Flat tire inductees will be recognized, along with the photo competition winners and multiple faux pas will be highlighted.

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

This could be a record with 3 weeks without a Drafter ride.  We can only wag a finger at Mother Nature for 2 of those, with Labor Day making this a long stretch.  Or, we can wag a finger at Sandlot for not doing the right dance on the sun dial.

We will regroup next week for the Black Widowetter Ride, and hopefully 2 rides after that.  County Hwy P is being repaved near Martinsville, so we will have to skip the Cocktail Ride and finish with Easy Street and Riley Tavern.

Put Sept 30 on your calendar for the END OF SEASON party.  Details still in the works, but hopefully this will occur after the last ride at Longtable.

Not everyone was as eager to ride tonight as C-Monster and BrickO, who wanted to show off her new bike from Cronometro.

Sandlot, Duchess, Knievel and Hundo (and maybe others) are happy to rest their legs after the Door County Century.

Several Drafters got down and Dirty.

Remember the Dirty Draft at CamRock next Wed, Sept 18 at 5:30.  Enter CamRock on the east end (from downtown Cambridge).  Bring a bike light and a head lamp for your helmet if you have one.  You will need to buy a trail pass for $5, or annual $16.  A CORP membership is highly encouraged. Beer is also a good idea should you want to hang out afterwards at Footer’s cottage in Cambridge.

If you don’t want to get dirty, get flexible at yoga with Pipes this Wednesday, Sept 11 at Quarry Arts at 2:30.  Cost is $10.  Please RSVP to Pipes.  Following yoga, you can rehydrate at Capital Brewery for CORP movie night.

If it is more road biking you seek, think about The Ride Sept 22 or Tyranena Sept 28.  And if gravel is your thing, the 63 mile Railroad Robioux out of Fond du Lac on Oct 12. Link: Railway Robioux

Draft responsibly,

BrickO