For those interested in ordering Drafter jerseys and/or bibs and shorts, please read on.

Men: you can choose between Axis (club cut) and Velocity (race cut) jerseys.  Velocity Pro is not an option.

Women: you can choose between Axis (club cut) and Velocity Pro (race cut) jerseys.  Velocity isn’t available.  Velocity Pro has an additional water proof pocket.  The other difference over Velocity is a narrow elastic arm band.  If you want to spend less money but still have the race cut, go with the men’s Velocity.

The store also includes regular Hincapie items without the Drafter logo for a reduced Team price. If  you want additional items with the Drafter logo, like a jacket, please contact Meredith.

Ordering will close on March 29^th at 11:59PM CST.

The team store is open and ready for ordering! Please follow the instructions below to place your order.

1. Follow the link provided here: https://order.hincapiecustom.com/Brickos
2. Click the “Log On” icon at the top right corner of your screen. Pleasenote this is a brand new ordering site, so you will have to “Create a New Account.”
3. Enter the access code provided here: drafts
4. Shop and add any items to your cart that you would like to order.

If you need to get back to your order a second time to make any changes to your order or add/remove items from your order, please follow the steps below.

1. Follow the link provided here: https://order.hincapiecustom.com/Brickos
2. DO NOT enter the access code, but please log in using the “Log On” icon at the top right corner of your screen.
3. Next, enterthe access code provided here: drafts
4. If you need to add items to your cart, please click on the item you would like to order from the main screen.
5. If you need to edit or remove items from your cart, please click on the cart icon in the top right corner of the screen. Here you will be able to make any necessary changes to your cart.

Once you are done adding/making changes to your order, please log out. The order will save until your team’s payment is open.

Please contact Meredith Newman with questions:

Direct: 864-400-3061 | Main: 864-400-3040

mnewman@hincapiesports.com | http://hincapiecustom.com

Sir Draft-a-Lot

Oh, my, gosh BrickO, look at his shoes.

They are so shiny.

He looks like one of those cycling guys.

But, you know, who understands those cycling guys, anyway?

They only ride with him, because, he looks like a total Drafter.

I mean, his shoes, they are so shiny.

And so went the inaugural ride discussion surrounding the patent leather cycling shoes worn by the Tobacco City Cousin. Banter about Seth Boyden’s  line of cycling shoes gave way to a new tune at an unplanned pit stop on Pheasant Branch Road.  With impressive lightening speed, Z and TCC changed the rear flat and are now being recruited by NASCAR to man their pit stops:

I hate flat tires and I cannot lie

You other Drafters can’t deny

That when a cyclist rides by with a itty bitty bag

With a round tube and tire iron

You get  smug, wanna pull out your pump

‘Cause you notice that tire was flat

And I ain’t down with that

Tobacco City Cousin swept the Inaugural Ride ceremony as he claimed both the First Flat Tire and Foot Fashion awards. A legendary fashion critic was on location at Free House to present the awards, after having been in Norway to capture the finish line fashion photos of the Lillenhammer ski race. (Side note: an emergency meeting had been called to recalculate the 100 beer cargo requirement. I was off by a decimal place. 10 hardly seems worth the hassle.)

Engineer checks the math

Fashion Critic

Choked up with emotion, TCC dedicated the awards to his first cousin once removed, Adley Grace, who joined the Draft (and the world) on March 16. Moved by this gesture, several Drafters ordered the Milk Mustachio Stout to honor Adley, who was at home with Dan-yelly and Tobacco City Daddy getting her milk mustache on.

It was an exiting start to the season, which included 1 newbie and 9 returning Drafters. Billy Boy McC missed the ride but showed up on time to drink beer. Nobody had the heart to tell the Irishman that St. Paddy’s day is over.

Due to a crappy forecast for next week and a high rate of absenteeism over Spring Break, we will not ride  on Monday March 27 and will reconvene on April 3.

Jersey samples are being sent back on Friday, so please contact me if you want to try one on.  Ordering information will be posted soon.

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

Unpredictable. That sums up the commencement of our cycling season. In my near half century occupying this planet (some would argue I’m often occupying another), never have I accumulated over 100 cycling miles in February in the southern reaches of Wisconsin, in shorts. The tell tale signs were starting to appear, as I peeled back my cycling shorts to reveal a glorious tan line. Or maybe it was just a curious aggregate of age spots. Hard to say. And then March rolled in, and my fat tire bike rolled back out to play in the snow. I cannot say with any certainty what March 20^th has in store for the Drafters with respect to riding conditions, but I can say that we will be convening at 5:30 snow or shine.

If the weather cooperates, we will head north out Pheasant Branch to Lodi Springfield Rd, and loop back on Hyer Road. This is a nice 20mile icebreaker, and for those who want a slower start to the season, the bike path along Hwy 12 is a nice alternative. After the ride, or in lieu of the ride should Mother Nature be in a foul mood, we will gather at the Free House for some libations and trying on of the 2017 jerseys.

GPS Hyer Loop

A few gentle reminders about the Drafter Code of Conduct:

• Ride at your own risk. There is no fee to ride and as my Grandma used to say, and probably yours, too, “You get what you pay for”.  There’s no roadside assistance, sag support, controlled intersections, or guarantee for your safety. In short, I am not liable (see Drafter counselors for details- take your pick from the large variety of attorneys at our disposal.  I can vouch for Counselor Queen Bee. I have seen her in action in the courtroom- she throws the book. Unfortunately, she was representing the opposing team).
• Technically, this is not an organized ride. I ride predictably on Mondays; wheels up at 5:30 from the BMO Harris Bank Parking lot, and am happy for company.
• Aptitude requirement: You don’t have to be a stud rider (I most certainly am not) to Draft, although you can be (B2 Bomber and Turbo JT will take first, middle and last pulls), but you can’t be a jerk.   Play nice with others, respect traffic and please come with your tires inflated (note to our Drone Master).
• Bring a spare tire, CO2 or pump. Ideally, you can change a flat. If not, bring a cell phone and be prepared to phone a friend. Or, bring extra beer money. Bribes are strongly encouraged.
• Nobody should ride alone. While I claim no legal responsibility, I do feel morally obligated to make sure everyone has a riding companion. Please be sure to plan accordingly.
• Know your route or bring bread crumbs.  It is your responsibility to find your way back.  GPS and old school maps of my intended route will be posted on the blog.
• This blog will serve as a means by which to post routes and poke fun of one another in a loving and supportive fashion on a weekly basis. It is also the way in which I communicate my thoughts on last minute weather conditions, thanks to Captains Wild Joe and Z , and their high tech aviation technology.  Again, you can choose to ride or not ride, safety first.  You can unsubscribe from the blog at anytime without fear of hurting my feelings.
• Free House generously offers us their outdoor side patio for food and beverages post-ride.  They appreciate a head count in advance for food purposes, as it is easy to overwhelm the kitchen, so you may see me counting heads in the parking lot before we ride out.  Last year, they designated a server on Monday nights just to deal with the Drafters. Tips are strongly encouraged.  Historically, they have taken very good care of us.

In Drafter News:

National News: While many Drafters suffered the American Birkebeiner cancellation blues, all is on schedule for the 54k ski race in Lillehammer. Best wishes to Cookie Monster Wille on her Birkebeinerrennet Ski Race this weekend. While the Irish, including our very own Sully and Billy Boy McC, will be frolicking in the 4 leaf clover patch and drinking green beer, Christa will be skiing along side 30,000 of her closest Norwegian mates. This race originated in 1932 and requires that all skiers carry a backpack weighing 3.5kg throughout the race to symbolize the original Biekebeinere that saved the infant Norwegian king from the rivaling faction. In Drafter conversion, 1oz beer= 0.0253kg, such that nearly 123 oz, or 10 beers would be the required load. I propose a similar feat on our first ride to honor Cookie Monster Wille.

March Madness: Best wishes to Coach Arms and her UW Women’s Hockey Team in their Frozen Four appearance this weekend in St. Louis. Go Badgers!!

Here’s who is covering the game on TV: Link to hockey coverage

Switching from hockey to endurance events, Dan-yelly and Tobacco City Boy have nearly completed their 9month training event. Fortuitously, Baby T is due on the same day as the Birkebeinerrennet Ski Race, which requires a baby be carried during the ceremonial trek across the mountains (see previous Drafter news segment). Baby T is well trained for the event after enduring 16 weeks of Spin, which concluded the end of Feb, just in time to taper for the Norwegian Birke. Drafter Engineers were called upon to manufacture a bumper so that Baby T wouldn’t bump his/her crown on the spin bike handlebars. Patent pending. Baby T will soon be the youngest Drafter, ousting Molly Wampus from her two-year reign.

Breaking Bad: the Netflix sensation took on a Drafter flavor when Sully and cronies rented a Mercedes RV and toured Arizona.  We wished her a safe voyage and were happy upon her recent return.  Happy Retirement, Sully.

Breaking Sully

Retire Responsibly

Bike Fed: your guide to ride can be found here: Bike Fed Ride Guide

Jerseys: Hincapie Sportswear has our 2017 jerseys ready to roll. All that’s required is your credit card. There’s no middleman.  And no financial gain for me personally, and no pressure to buy.  If you are interested and not already on my list, shoot me an email and I will send you the team link to Hincapie Sportswear (available later this week). A quick word: Velocity is a race cut and top-notch material. Velocity Plus includes a waterproof zippered pocket. Lady Drafters: please note the Velocity only has two pockets, while Velocity Plus has 3, in addition to the zippered pocket. Personally, I prefer 3 pockets so have ordered men’s Velocity in the past. Axis is a club cut, a little more generous and less streamline in fit and a slight downgrade in fabric. Shorts and bibs are also available. If you order jackets, vests, etc, the team discount may not apply, as the volume will be low. I will have Velocity samples for sizing available at Free House on March 20^th.

Draft Responsibly,

BrickO

Last call:  rain and hail interfered with our previous Monday night ride plans.  Tonight looks perfect for sneaking in one last (perhaps not?) very short ride to celebrate a wonderful Drafter season.  The Hyer Loop is 20 miles, with a bike path option off of Lodi Springfield Rd for those desiring a quicker path to beer.  If 20 miles isn’t enough of a challenge, you are welcome to continue north towards Lodi and cut over on Kurt Rd, with an unpleasant but not too dangerous stretch on P (left) before turning right onto Stevenson, and ultimately connecting  back to Hyslop.  It’s just shy of 30 miles so you’d have to hustle to get in before dark.  PLEASE bring blinky lights.  The Free House will seat us indoors tonight, so no need to bring your parka and headlamps for dinner.

The best part about Mother Nature’s rain storm last week is that it precipitated one more reason to celebrate.  KiloWatt crushed her first triathlon in Lake Geneva on Saturday.  In an exclusive Drafter interview, KiloWatt confessed that the swim proved the most challenging of the three events, specifically,  apparel orientation.  Wetsuits aren’t clearly marked front and back.  Seems like a design flaw to me (she might have received some poor instruction by a certain somebody…).

Earned it.

Newbies unite.

PDF download hyer-loop-20

Garmin link to Hyper Loop

Spin Update: spin has officially sold out for the fall session, which is a first and I’m stoked to crank the tunes and the pedals with you. First class is Oct 10.   If you have not paid, please do so by this Friday. There may be a few spots opening up for the 90min winter session starting in Jan.  Email me if you are interested.

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

Mother Nature has intervened.  When it rains, it hails.  She has been kind all Drafter season.  We had one cancellation in March, due to 40 degree temperatures and 40 knot winds.  I’d say she was overdue for some inclement weather on a Monday night.  She kindly provided sunshine for two outdoor weddings (Congratulations to Coaches Cindi and Steve who were married last Saturday).
We will try again next Monday, Sept 26 to wrap up the outdoor season. Spin starts Monday Oct 10th.  Please email me if you are interested and haven’t signed up.

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

Lyrics to “Celebration” by Kool and the Gang, cannibalized by BrickO for the Drafters

Celebrate good times, ride on!
(Let’s celebrate)
Celebrate good times, ride on!
(Let’s celebrate)
There’s a triathlon goin’ on right here
An Ironman in Madison every year
So bring your wetsuit and your goggles too
We gonna celebrate, swim, bike and run with you
Come on now, celebration
Let’s all eat GU and have a good time
Celebration
We gonna hydrate and have a good time

Not pictured: Bare Ace in his umptienth IM

It’s time to ride together
It’s up to you, is a century or LoToJa your pleasure?
Everyone around Door County, Utah and Wyoming ride on!
Yahoo!
It’s a celebration
Yahoo!

There’s a Drafter party goin’ on right here,
One last ride before we Spin throughout the year

I know there are still events on the calendar.  Good luck to Speed Skater Susan and Chalex on The Ride Sept 18.  Link to register for The Ride Dr. Dreamy has an IM in St.Louis and KiloWatt will kill her first triathlon in Lake Geneva on Sept 24.

Last call: the weather continues to cooperate but day light is fading fast.  the weather continues to cooperate but day light is fading fast.  I would like to sneak in one last very short ride to celebrate a wonderful Drafter season.  The Hyer Loop is 20miles, with a bike path option for an even shorter journey home.

PDF download hyer-loop-20

Garmin link to Hyper Loop

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

Who do you think of when you hear the names Sean Connery, Pierce Brosnan, Roger Moore and Daniel Craig?  The name is Legs.  Long Legs.

007 was the riding style for the Draft on Monday night.  B2 Bomber and Billy Boy McC were warmed up from their damp 175 mile Ride Across Wisconsin and ready to rumble.  Blue Hare Lucio put down the hammer (she would like it noted for the Drafter record that the max speed achieved this season was 46mph), sharing pace line pulls with the Bomber, while the remaining dozen agents tucked in for a long summer’s draft. Billy Boy was looking for more adventure than what the 27mile Easy Street route had to offer.  He was sighted riding on 113, en route to  I90-94, dodging in and out of traffic with help from his aero bar end mirrors, compliments of Q.  When asked why he didn’t have a helmet mirror as part of his navigation system, the 6’5″ Irishman said that he couldn’t afford the extra drag. He’s a special kind of agent.  NBA recruit Cliff could have used help from a secret service agent after locking his keys in his car, along with his bike.  Doc T-Wall rode in silence to honor his bikeless friend and promised to write him a long overdue prescription for a statin. The battle against cholesterol can be won with exercise (and a whiskey chaser), which is why Slow Cow might also need a Rx for a statin.  Once again he shorted the ride, making his debut just south of Dane.  Slow Cow is one of the organizers for The Ride on Sept 18.  Be prepared for well marked short cuts, complete with fueling stations. Entry fee includes a bumper sticker “Almost 100 miles”.

Sign up for The Ride

There will be NO RIDE on Labor Day, Sept 5 or the following Monday, Sept 12.  Enjoy your family and friends, and take a break from the saddle.  Quads can feel crappy on rides at this point in the season.  It happened to me (a first). Don’t let it happen to you.  Let the taper for Ironman begin.  It is the best part of training!  Good luck to the IM-WI Drafters: Arms, MadPower McKaylah, Scrubs’ beau (you really need your own nickname- I will work on that), Bare Ace, GoGo Groshek, Dr. M-Dott.  There isn’t much fitness that can be gained between now and race day, so trust in your physical preparations and get geared up mentally.

Lastly, on Sept 5, I would like to honor our friend and fellow Drafter, Anne Flaten.  Two years ago on this day, we said goodbye. Embrace each day,  it is a gift, even the crappy ones.  Live to the fullest extent possible.  Treat others kindly.  Call your Mom.  Hug your kids.  Pet the cat. Watch the sun set and the moon rise- these are jewels worth treasuring. Feel the wind blow, listen to the birds, walk barefoot in the grass, ride your bike.  These are the magical moments in life.  I’m thankful for all of you, and proud to Draft along side you.

Fire House 50 with best friend Pam

Living fully 1 week Post-Dx

Anne and Pam make friends at a bike stop in Amsterdam

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

There is nothing easy about the weekend ahead for the Drafters signed up to Ride Across Wisconsin.  B2 Bomber and Billy Boy McC will be pedaling  175 miles from Dubuque to Kenosha with Jens Voigt and 1200 other cycling enthusiasts.  Check list: chamois cream, sunscreen, chamois cream, beer tickets.  

And there was nothing easy about last weekend’s Wisconsin Criterium Championship in downtown Middleton. Blue Hare Lucio claimed fourth in the women’s open.  In an exclusive interview, Blue Hare shared her strategy of pulling ahead in the technical “down” town portion of the race- it was the “up” town segment, particularly Parmenter, that kept her from gold.  Welcome to the hills of Wisconsin, my Floridian friend- although you did take up residency in CO prior to WI- did you only practice biking down the mountain or is it something in the water here?

The Drafters Dance Team made a debut on the Edgewood Terrace Sunday evening.  There was talk of a dance off with the 2005 Badger Women’s Hockey team, but the largely Canadian contingent seemed off balance without ice under their  feet.

With all of that excitement combined with the post-dog days of summer rapid loss of daylight, we will be doing a short and sweet ride down easy street in Waunakee.  CAUTION: there is a short stretch on 113 that is nasty, and can be avoided by crossing the highway and getting onto the bike path.  Please consider this option, which requires 10 yards of riding across grass.  It’s worth the cross country adventure to get off of 113.

Garmin Link to Easy Street

PDF download for Short and Sweet Easy St 25

Draft Responsibly,

BrickO

What a week to celebrate.  In cycling news, B2 Bomber averaged 26.0 mph for the 90mile race around Lake Winnebago on Sunday.  There was no evidence of fatigue during the Monday night Draft, however, causing some to speculate that he is part alien.  Despite a wet start, several Drafters braved the Dairyland Dare on Saturday.  Congrats to Dan-yelly, Tobacco City Boy, Z and the Human Metronome on a spectacular finish.  And ON WISCONSIN in Rio, as Gwen Jorgensen took gold in the Olympic triathlon.  A shout out to Cindi Bannink, a world champion, drop-in Drafter and coach for the gold medalist in her formative years.

Shifting focus to the social scene, Arms and Legs are tying the knot on Sunday.  We are anticipating a jump in the national height average for the next generation.  Another Drafter aging event to celebrate: Happy 30+ to Tobacco City Boy (TCB). Cycling is an forgiving sport with respect to age, as we saw in the Olympics with Kristin Armstrong taking gold a day before her 43rd birthday.  Billy Boy just celebrated his 60th, and despite being 2x the age of TCB, motored up Matz as if age didn’t matter, and notably faster than last year. The term “Golden Years” is taking on a new meaning.

This week we will head west to tackle Union Valley.  Please put on your head phones and “Let it Be”

When I find myself on Union Valley
Jackie and Tim won’t be there with me
Speaking vows of wedding, let them be.
And in my hour of climbing
B2 Bomber is miles in front of me
Speaking words of cycling wisdom, let him be.

And when the rain soaked cyclists
Riding the Dairyland Dare agree,
There will be sunshine eventually, let it be.
And though we may be aging there is
Still a chance that we will see
There will be a finish line, let it be
Let it be, let it be.

PDF  Union Valley 30

Garmin link to Union Valley 30

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

Kristin Armstrong’s 3rd consecutive gold medal in the Olympic Time Trial at age 42 and 364 days old is inspiring, and a reminder that our body only adapts when we make demands on it do do so.  Hurting and being hurt aren’t synonymous.  If you want to be better, it’s gonna hurt.  Coach Jim Bruskewitz, who provided workouts for the Olympian, offers this insight, “The body, with mental assistance, will launch itself well beyond what it has come accustomed to.”  No matter what level you hope to achieve, shoot high.  You won’t know your full potential until you fall short.

With that, good luck to our competitors this weekend at the Dairyland Dare and Race the Lake events.

The route for Monday is one of the more tame rides, both in terms of distance (30 and 25mile options) and terrain.  The last time I posted this route, I may have inadvertently directed riders the wrong way on Lodi Springfield, creating a third longer option.  Right on. The routes will get shorter commensurate with the length of the days. Hopefully, we will lose a bit of heat along with the daylight.  If you are feeling a bit of hyperthermia, I suggest you strategically position yourself close to Loose Screw, who  is two for two on spilling a pitcher of water on Drafters sitting in his vicinity at Free House. Must be a function of becoming a sexagenarian.  Happy 60th Birthday to Loose Screw and Billy Boy McC.

PDF Tom Collins 30 25 mile options

Garmin link to 25mile route

Download this PDF for info on Coach Jim Bruskewitz  EP Coaching  He’s not just a coach for elite athletes.  He’s effective for all level of cyclists and triathletes. I can vouch for that.

Draft responsibly,

BrickO