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

Goodbye, Drafter rides
Though I never knew you all
Some had the grace to hold the line
While those behind you crawled

They crawled out on Woodland
And they whimpered in the rain
They set you on the A Team
And they made you change your name

And it seems to me you pulled your life
Like a drafter in the wind
Never knowing who to cling to
When the wind set in

And I would’ve liked to draft you
But I was too far behind
Your candle burned strong long before
Mine was ever lit

17 Drafters braved the brutal north westerly wind for the final Monday night installment of the 2023 season. The line up included a second showing from JRAD, doubling his drafting potential. This exponential increase in attendance is anticipated (expected) to continue in future seasons. Another pleasant surprise was the appearance of Einstein. This time, with a bike! Not sure if his Drafter handle will hold. HIs brilliance in drafting responsibly by only drinking is now in question.

Vintage was a sight, with blonde man-bun peaking out from behind his helmet, and nubbins gripping the pavement on his full suspension steed. He intentionally sought out gravel just to watch his fish tail. Gave Midas quite a shock. There must have been a memo about knobs and nubs, as Speedy, Gopher and LuLu all showed up ready to grind some gravel.

The Gravel Grinders were the epitome of the Drafter Spirit, making sure no Drafter was left behind.

Missed was Cujo, who was home recovering from her Hibernator 100 on Saturday. Congrats on another glorious gravel finish!

Bomber was also missing from flight, likely coming down from his podium finish at the Dam Challenge Triathlon.

Now a word from the Beatles:

You say you want a revolution
Well, you know
We all want to change the world
You tell me that it’s evolution
Well, you know
We all want to change the world

Keez is doing her part to change the world, or at least her knee range of motion, with her first full post-op revolution!

The END OF THE YEAR DRAFTER finale will take place on Sunday, October 15th.

There will be two drafts on tap: 1) 10AM departure, 55 mile route to Mazo, and 2) 11AM departure, 36 mile Spring Valley route. Please adhere to the departure times as they are carefully calculated to ensure all Drafters return at precisely the same time for the post-Draft awards ceremony at 1:30ishPM. Please BYO lawn chairs, food and beverages to enjoy while we toast to a wonderful drafting season.

PLEASE CHECK GROUPME FOR UPDATES ON SUNDAY MORNING AS THE WEATHER MAY BE FORMIDABLE. In case of inclement weather, the rides may be shortened or cancelled. In the event of the latter, the awards ceremony will commence at 4PM.

RidewithGPS Drafters | A-mazo Finale Rox

The short pour will depart at 11:00AM for Spring Valley.

RidewithGPS Drafters | Spring Valley

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

A few days past the Harvest Moon, Neil Young was spot on for our Drafter theme as 19 rolled down Easy Street.

Come a little bit closer
Hear what I have to say
Just like children sleepin’
We could draft this night away

But there’s a full moon risin’
Let’s go draftin’ in the light
We know where the music’s playin’
Let’s go out and feel the night

Because I’m still in love with you
I want to see you draft again
Because I’m still in love with you
On this harvest moon

The plan was to stay together. That lasted for 30 seconds, as Octane dropped Scarlet Begonias chain (doesn’t everyone name their bike?) 100 yards from the start. BrickO and Midas circled back, and thanks to the Midas touch, Octane and Scarlet Begonias were back up and rolling quickly. The chase group had the peloton in sight when Octane dropped his light. Can you say hot mess? All was forgiven as Octane procured a delicious batch of brownies for the Drafters. His priorities are in check.

Things got a bit dicey in Dane as Mario drove his kart off-road, expertly navigating his way through gravel and narrowly escaping a field of freshly spreed manure. Whatever inspires you to be better….

Queenie certainly found inspiration to write, produce and release is new EP, RISING. Listen here on Spotify. You can almost hear him belting out the lyrics in the action photo below.

The Drafters paused briefly before rolling down Easy Street to appreciate the sun hanging low in the western sky and reflect on our time together in 2023. There is only enough daylight for one final Monday night draft.

Back at base camp, laughter flowed freely although many agreed admission could have been charged for MLN (Monday Night Live, a subsidiary of SNL) guest appearance by comedian Tennille.

The greatest pedaling feat of the evening was far from Easy Street. Keez took her first pedal stroke only 5 days after surgery. Not all super power is measured in watts.

On that note, a big shout out to the 500+ riders who showed up at Brittingham Park on Sunday for Ride for Your Life to create a safer future for cyclists.

Quick shout out to Cujo on her recent 2023 World Triathlon Championship Finals finish in Pontevedra, Spain. In an inclusive Drafter interview, Cujo credited her lightening fast bike split to Slim’s Skills Clinic. Draft responsibly.

The final Monday night Draft on Monday Oct 9 at 5PM will be a slightly modified 19 mile Chapel Ride, to include the bike path home through Pheasant Branch Conservancy in order to provide a safe route with the setting sun (Bike Path Bonanza).

RidewithGPS link to Drafters | Bike Path Bonanza

NOTE ABOUT BIKE PATH ENTRY: RidewithGPS directs you to cross Airport Rd in order to gain access to North Fork Trail. If traffic is too heavy to accomplish this safely, please turn RIGHT onto Pleasant View Road, and then left into the Fireman’s Park parking lot, where it is easy to connect to the North Fork Trail (see map below).

Mark your calendars for the END OF THE YEAR DRAFTER 50 on Sunday Oct 15 at 10AM. Following the ride, please bring a lunch and beverage to enjoy at base camp. There will be a brief (toned down significantly from past years) awards ceremony, including a podium presentation for the winners of the Tour de Dane Femmes.

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

The Clash sang it best…

Drafters, you got to let me know
Should I stay, or should I go?

From 11AM until 4:55PM, drafting down Easy Street seemed like an easy answer. And then this showed up on the radar:

When life hands you lemons, Z Wrecks makes Sazeracs! And rainbows.

The forecast for the Badger Challenge had the reverse trend- rain to sunshine. Congrats to all the Drafters who supported the cause.

Please join the Drafters this Sunday at Brittingham Park for a ride to the Wisconsin State Capitol to urge Congress to fund safe biking infrastructure for all. Register here. Anyone interested in riding from Middleton to Brittingham, make yourself known on GroupMe. Keez will be on site as the honorary spokesperson for the Drafters. Wish her well as she undergoes surgery tomorrow!

The Easy Street route will be recycled for Monday October 2, departure at 5PM for all Drafters.

RidewithGPS Drafters | Easy Street

The last Monday night draft will be October 9 at 5PM. The END OF THE YEAR DRAFTER 50 mile ride will take place on Sunday Oct 15th at 10AM.

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

18 wheelers set out for Riley Tavern on what could only be described as the best draft of the year. Certainly, the weather was favorable, with smells of fall in the air, but that was not the defining “best” feature of Monday night’s draft. There was no division between A and B teams (although an allowance was made for a duo F-Team), no separate taps for the long and short pours. The Drafters rode as one. And it was a blast.

Awww. Aren’t these Colnago Twins cute?

Pepe and Velo came in hot, and Nemo joined the Draft further west. Wondering how this group managed to stay together? A myriad of factors, including 1) Granny riding a semi-functional bike the same vintage as her Drafter handle; 2) Pepe turning up the heat, pulling the peloton like he was born to do;

3) a 10 min breather mid-route compliments of Velo renewing his Flat Tire Club membership. Slim handled the mechanical in record time (Machinery Row is lucky to have him) while the entire peloton honored the Drafter code, pulling off the road for a team bonding session; 4) the promise of a fresh batch of scotcheroos baked by Midas. Motivation never tasted so good.

Some highlights to celebrate over the recent weeks:

Ironman WISCO. Congrats to Squeak and Tree of Rown for crushing it, and to Coaches Slim and Midas who put many athletes on the podium.

Z Wrecks and BrickO played dirty in the Dirt Diggler Gravel Grinder in NC.

Duracell and Speedy are drafting responsibly in Italy! Check your mailbox for cases of wine from Tuscany.

The Northern Cohort Dirty Drafters rocked the Chequamegon MTB Festival, which was reportedly a much cleaner race than last year. Momma Monster is still finding traces of mud in various places.

Outside Magazine reported Madison as one of the top 15 happiest places to live in the US. The Drafter’s very own Slim was interviewed! “We keep it weird…”

Z Wrecks braved drafting in NYC and lived to talk about it.

Perhaps the greatest feat was Keez gaining 90 degrees of knee flexion! Thanks to ALL THE DRAFTERS for the overwhelming support following her accident (texts, visits, home made granola, lasagna, pasta, endless treats including Crumble Cookies, fruit, flowers, plants, and concealer for bruises). A special shout out to Drs Wampus and Squeak for their ortho love.

Monday night rides will continue to get shorter and shorter in order to guarantee drafting safely with enough daylight. ALL GROUPS will depart at 5PM for Easy Street.

RidewithGPS link Drafters | Easy Street

RIDES AHEAD:

Dirty Draft with Midas at Quarry Ridge, every Friday at noon.

Bomber and Belle’s Engagement Ride Saturday Sept 23. A 46 mile scavenger hunt starting at 8AM from Grace Coffee in Middleton! Beers to follow in New Glarus around 5PM.

Mark your calendars for the END OF THE YEAR DRAFTER RIDE, Sunday Oct 15th at 10AM.

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

The near super blue moon brought out the magic as 22 Drafters, including 2.5 newbies, made their way through the historic viaduct. The real magic started before the moon rise, with both teams leaving promptly at 5 and 5:15PM without any mechanicals. Granny did flat over the weekend. Waiting impatiently for her tubeless tire to reseal, she finally realized (after two seasons with her new bike) that she actually is running tubes.

A newbie found the Drafters with a little bike shop sleuthing (or stalking?). Following the trail of Drafter breadcrumbs, she put together the clues at Wheel and Sprocket and Trek West, about the secret location of the green team. Elementary, my dear Watson!

The B Team had a magical send off by Gopher, Badger and their beautiful lil’ Drafter who were out for a stroll. Cottontail joined his first outdoor Draft (hence newbie 0.5), but is no stranger to the indoor cycling torture this group succumbs to when the snow flies. There was no missing the other newbie in his high vis fluorescent yellow kit and bike. He definitely embodied the “draft responsibly” mantra from a clothing perspective. The Colorado native was also part of the Dirty Draft Tour of Blue Mound with Skipper and Octane on Saturday.

While BrickO and Z Wrecks clambered over the rocks and roots, the very accomplished (understatement) newbie was very gentle and tolerant. Fully capable of rolling over huge rocks and transcending steep slopes, Griz used his strength and power to make us feel part of his mountain community. Welcome high vis Griz.

Cottontail hippity hoppitied like a jackrabbit, with Squirrel and Granny in hot pursuit. The A Team drafted as best they could behind the energized bunny. Duracell was the only hope, but he had ridden earlier in the day, a final ride on his ol’ Trek. New bike day is coming for Duracell. And when that happens, we will use all his copper top power to take down the energizer bunny.

Drained from Cottontail’s lead out, Team Spoke’N Four (BrickO, Slim, Skipper, Vilks) stopped at the Ranch Saloon in Dane for refreshments. Rimshot became an honorary member of Spoke’N Four when he spoke up and ordered a shot of Jameson.

You could have heard a pin drop when the 5 Drafters walked into the Ranch Saloon. For a hot minute, it felt like a brawl between spandex and Levis could break out. But Vilks broke the tension when he held up his credit card and declared, “A round of beers for the bar, and shots of Jameson for the bikers.” Vilks was quick to spot the one non-beer drinking patron at the bar and amended his offer. “And one fancy drink.”. The not-so-small man drinking the Seven and Seven cocktail misheard Vilks as saying “And one pansy drink.” Again… silence. The misunderstanding was explained, and from then on, team spandex and team Levis were one.

Seven and Seven relaxed a bit and asked where we came from and where we were headed. The answer prompted a karyoke version of Jerry Reed’s theme song for Smokey and the Bandit.

East bound and down, loaded up and draftin’
Oh, we gonna do what they say can’t be done
We’ve got a long way to go and a short time to get there

Back on the road, the Spoke’N 5 took their sweet time riding through Viaduct, twice. It IS a historic landmark, and this draft was history in the making. Two rounds through Viaduct was setting the tone.

Two rounds through Viaduct just begged for two rounds at the Ranch Saloon.

This time, no pin could be heard. Walking into the Ranch Saloon was like walking into Cheers, where everybody knows your name. This time, Vilks didn’t need to pull out his credit card. Delores paid it forward- no longer able to enjoy biking, she bought a round of Hamms and shots of Jamo. There might be an addendum to this blog, written by the Spoke’N Five about their adventures.

All’s well that ends upright.

Safely back at the the other ranch Z Wrecks had a fire blazing and Drafters enjoying non-pansy cocktails.

A few notable Drafters were absent, still on holiday from their amazing athletic feats.

Congrats to Squeak on her 70.3 World Championship finish in Lahti, Finland. And to Footer for her silver medal in barefoot tricks, wakes and all around at US National Barefoot Championships in Helena, MT.

And not too tired to Draft responsibly Monday on the Route of the Hiawatha Trail.

In the spirit of the previous draft, we will be drafting 30 miles to Riley Tavern via the backdoor on Monday, Sept 11. Departure times 5 and 5:15PM. NO RIDE ON LABOR DAY.

RidewithGPS Drafters | Backdoor Riley

For those seeking a short pour at Riley Tavern, here is a 25mile beer run:

RidewithGPS Drafters | Short Pour Backdoor Riley

REMEMBER TO MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR THE END OF THE YEAR DRAFTER RIDE ON SUNDAY OCTOBER 15. Awards for the Tour de Dane Femmes will be given, but little else. The budget was happily depleted on the Funtathalon.

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

Lucky 13. Maybe not so lucky. The Drafters were plagued with a slow start due to nearly a quarter of the crew experiencing mechanical difficulties.

The 5:08 team left unscathed, but a trail of debacles followed in their wake.

The A and B teams combined for a 5:15 departure, delayed a bit by last minute oopsie-mechani-doodles.

Octane called for a retraction on his admission to the Flat Tire Club. Instead, he has proposed a new, more sophisticated club for full blow outs. His request is currently under review by the board. While making his case, Octane experienced pedal failure. He seems determined to be the solo member of multiple clubs.

Skipper’s new stead rode flawlessly through the Ride Across Wisconsin, but came up flat on Monday night. Already a card holding member of the Flat Tire Club, it was a bit anti-climatic.

Lastly, Z Wrecks had a pedal- cleat mismatch, causing a failure to disengage at the first stop sign. Less than a mile from the start, he was able to circle back and make a quick bike shoe exchange. Skipper and BrickO followed the Drafter code, waiting for Z Wrecks and gratefully riding the Short Pour (post RAW legs and jet lag, respectively, made for a slow roll).

Skipper wasn’t the only Drafter to conquer RAW, though the only one crazy enough to draft two days later! Congrats to Knievel, Shaq and Special K on riding across Wisco.

Further west in Colorado, Belle and Cujo rocked 142 miles of gravel at SBT GRVL. True grit and probably a bit of grime embodies these Drafters.

Closer to home, but just as dirty, Momma Monster stepped out of her comfort zone and onto the podium, riding more single track MTB miles in one day than she has in her lifetime in the Seeley Lions PreFat Bike Race.

Sometimes the greatest achievements come from simply carving out time to spend together.

And sometimes happen off the bike (gasp). Congrats to Mario on his first day of Medical School. He’s got Thing 1 up ahead so he can Draft responsibly.

Hard to believe next Monday marks the last Draft of August. 100 mile is deceiving. The full strength route is ~34 miles and the short pour ~30 miles (and skips the big climb up Viaduct). Let’s plan to leave at 5PM and 5:15PM, given the shortening daylight hours. The alternative 5:08PM and 5:18PM options have been eliminated. Again.

RidewithGPS Drafters | Viaduct 100 Mile Grove

RidewithGPS Drafters | 100 Mile to Easy Street

THERE WILL BE NO DRAFT ON LABOR DAY. September typically brings some gorgeous fall rides, and we will wrap up the season with the End of the Year Draft on Sunday, October 15.

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

Time to get back in the saddle! Mother Nature foiled the Draft last week, along with an opportunity to christen Columbus and LuLu’s new deck. A huge thanks to our generous hosts for agreeing to share their space and issue a rain check for next season. And also to Crossroads Coffeehouse for hosting the week before.

Congratulations to Octane on his induction into the Flat Tire Club. Less messy achievements to note: Squeak and her son competed in the Age Group Triathlon Nationals in Milwaukee. He stakes claim to being the 7th fastest 7 year old in Wisco! Squeak isn’t one to brag. The only hint that she had raced was found on her left upper arm!

Bomber got high in the Leadville Trail 100 MTB event, bringing home some serious hardware. He no longer will require bibs to keep his chamois in place now that he has earned a Big Buckle.

A bit premature, perhaps, but there is little doubt Skipper will crush the Ride Across Wisconsin today. Especially since he is riding his new decked out BMC bike.

Let’s take advantage of daylight and squeeze in one last 40 mile Draft before tapering our routes. Too much church? Check out the 33 mile Drafters Confession Short Pour Church Session.

RidewithGPS Drafters | Moe Church

RidewithGPS Drafters | Confession Short Pour Church Session

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

Creedence Clearwater Revival had the Drafter’s number.

I see the full moon a-risin’
I see drafting on the way
I see big quads and lightnin’
I see Lodi Canning today

24 in number, to be exact. A fabulous turnout for an absolutely glorious ride: clear skies, low humidity and wind, comfortable temperatures and silky smooth pavement. And just when the Drafters thought it couldn’t get any better, Kick A** KK dropped in from Italy. No big deal. Just a former professional rider, so humble that you’d think she needed help shifting gears.

Who did need some help was Cookie Monster. With her bike still in the shop, Footer loaned her a spare. While the bike had no mechanicals, the shoes requires some medical attention. Cookie Monster put her recently defended PhD in biomedical engineering to work. There is nothing a little duct tape can’t cure.

The D team was delayed even further when an egregious map error was discovered. The Back in Black short pour GPS indicated 27 miles, while the printed map showed a 34 mile excursion. There will be a formal investigation conducted into the matter. The board anticipates a forthcoming resignation and will post a PVL for a competent administrative assistant.

Octane rolled into the B Team starting line straight from the corn fields of Nebraska. “I pulled over to get some sleep after making a precise calculation as to how many hours I needed to get to the Draft. I drove straight here!” Dedication. Nobody questioned his lack of baked goods.

Vilks and Skipper joined the B Team shortly after the photo shoot. Unlike Vilks to miss a photo opportunity.

Per norm, the A Team convened with a vow to “go easy.” The excuse of the week came from Cannibal, who claimed to be struggling with a recent bout of food poisoning. Apparently, there wasn’t enough food or poison consumed to slow down the A train.

Queenie had been banging on the drums all day. Coming in late to the Draft, he found his rhythm with Duracell. They quickly formed a quartet and rocked to Back in Black.

While Queenie was hoping to catch a glimpse of their Fan Club, Footer thought he said “FLAT TIRE CLUB” and joined up.

Skipper summed up the essence of the Draft beautifully with his photos and words (taken without permission from his social media post):

“I enjoy road riding more than I could ever imagine and why is that the case? When riding solo you push your limits in a measured way. Riding in a group, strategy comes into play. There is a lot of performance data to geek out on. And maybe most important to me, I turn my Trail Brain off and just enjoy the spinning. Tonight was one of those special rides. 7 riders, working together, spinning along picturesque roads on the Driftless fringe, catching up on life, all while pushing our watts.”

Back at base camp, the Drafters enjoyed an array of beers and blueberries, compliments of Cookie Monster.

She couldn’t stay long enough to enjoy them, however, as she needed to pick up a new toilet before Home Depot closed. Can’t put a lid on good fun.

The Tour de France Femmes wrapped up Sunday. Missed it? Catch Out in Front or the Uphill Climb documentary to learn about the first women to compete in the historic Tour de France. Inspired by these women, a dozen Drafters set out to test their strength in the Tour de Dane. Over 8 days, these fearless women made riding a priority, balancing cycling with the demands of work and family and the intense heat and smoke blowing in from Canada. Flash hoped on her trainer between All City swim meet events, Keez squeezed in the sprint stage after a 7 hour car ride to attend a wedding, Cujo jacked her fitness for SBT GRVL, Belle nailed the Tour despite no rest from her Thunderdown 125 mile race, and Animal battled her way through Covid to finish. Shaq creatively staged her own tour while completing RAGBRAI, Sandlot had the best photo finishes, and Coach Arms got up at dawn to complete the Mountain Stage before feeding her kiddos breakfast. Granny, Nemo and T1 completed some stages as well, spreading the green all over Dane County. Congratulations to all the Drafter Femmes who support and encourage women in cycling.

A quick review of the 2022 Tour de Dane winners:

On the podium in 2023….

In the polka dot jersey, turning in the fastest Mountain Stage time… KEEZ!

And wearing the green jersey, demonstrating blazing speed on the Sprint stage…FLASH!

And in yellow, the winner of the maillot jaune, drafting nearly 400 miles… CUJO!

Special recognition goes to Sandlot as I think she may have been the only one to snap a photo with Drafter gear on and treat in hand.

A shout out to Shaq for most miles (515) during RAGBRI. While it wasn’t part of the Tour de Dane, Shaq did more than her fair share of promoting women’s cycling and reaching her own lofty goal.

Thanks to all who rode to support and promote women in cycling.

Awards will be given at the end of the year Drafter ride.

On a different podium… congrats to Footer on her night time lap in the Wausau 24 event on Saturday at 9 Mile County Forest. Footer and BrickO battled it out in the 12 hour 2-person Masters (read: old) division.

Looking for a Gran Fondo? Give this a try. The routes over the next two weeks will prepare you well.

Looking for a wheel set for your gravel sled? BRAND new, never ridden HED Belgium G 700C rims, tubeless set up with DT Swiss 350 Straight Pull hubs (accommodates 11 speed Shimano cassette) . Built by Cronometro, painted by NFY. $1100 new. Asking $600.

There are lots of changes coming your way in the next two weeks, so read responsibly.

The Draft on Monday Aug 7 will depart from Crossroads Coffeehouse/ Creekside Scoop located at 2020 Main St, Cross Plains. There is plenty of parking in the lot adjacent to and behind the building.

If you would like to order pizza from Crossroads to enjoy upon completion of your ride, please fill out this survey NO LATER than noon on AUG 3.

This 34 mile route will definitely work up an appetite for pizza and a beer float.

RidewithGPS link Drafters | Crossroads Coffeehouse

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The 24.5 mile short pour is worthy of their famous beer float, too!

RidewithGPS link Drafters | Crossroads Coffeehouse Short Pour

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The following week, Monday Aug 14, LuLu, Columbus and Wyatt have generously invited (or gently coerced) the Drafters to christen their new back deck. The Draft will start from there new home (please see GroupMe for address) in Middleton. There will be a 38 mile full pour to include Barlow (ouch).

RidewithGPS link BD: Beast of Barlow (Lulu and Columbus Ed)

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There is a 19 mile short pour option paying tribute to the mighty Barlow in name only. This drink isn’t to be taken likely (bring your Brawn).

RidewithGPS link: BD Beast of Barlow Short Pour

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The Draft will be back to its typical hub on Aug 21. Until then…

Draft responsibly,

BrickO