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

drafters-crossroads-coffeehouseDownload

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

RidewithGPS link Drafters | Crossroads Coffeehouse Short Pour

drafters-crossroads-coffeehouse-short-pourDownload

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)

bd-_beast_of_barlow_-lulu_and_columbus_ed-Download

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

bd-_beast_of_barlow_short_pourDownload

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

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

The Monday night route, Crystal Clear, was anything but. Crystal Lake is close to dying and the air quality left much to be desired. Clearly, the desire to draft outweighed the risks (we hope).

Queenie and Mario got an early start as Queenie had a hot date in a recording studio. Keep your ears open for his new release.

The DEF was ready to rock at 5PM, determined to ride the full strength route. No short pour for these four. Loose Screw was in fine form after crushing Pedal and Party in Pardeeville on Saturday. Congrats to Loose Screw and his bride, Uber, on partying responsibly.

The B Team departed responsibly at 5:15, picking up Captain Joe on Woodland.

A+ for A team for being ready to rock at 5:30. All agreed to ride at Clinton tempo, to avoid inhaling. Despite the vow, the pace slowly crept up until full inhalation was undeniable. Slim has been spending more time in the saddle, and his legs were not to be denied. Nobody complained as he pulled the crew to Crystal Lake. Especially Keez, whose quad batteries were low after racing the Intelligentsia Cup in Chicago over the weekend (and winning $50 in the prime lap). Cannibal had his fastest split for the route and wondered, “What would happen if we made a pact to red line?” Perhaps a little reverse psychology is in order.

In an effort to bring some brightness to an otherwise hazy day, Keez shared some bling with Vilks. A diamond stud for a stud. Cartilage never forgets those decisions made 3 decades ago.

A diamond stud isn’t the only thing shiny on Vilks. He and his partner, SuperQ, claimed the silver medal at the Funtathalon Version 2.0 on Saturday. Huge thanks to all of the Drafter Volunteers who made the event possible.

The Funtathalon V 2.0 consisted of 8 teams of two. Four cycling events (MTB 7 miles, road 13 miles, gravel 23 miles and road 24 miles) were divided up between the teammates. There were also 5 non-cycling events for points (cornhole, soccer, rubik’s puzzle, shake of the day and whiskey shots). Each point resulted in a 1 minute subtraction for the team’s final time.

She’s not alone.

Everyone did well in the final event: the whiskey shot!

A special shout out to Ma Brick, who has paved the way for woman to seek out fitness and friendship through physical activity, on and off two wheels.

It came down to the wire. Everyone was a winner, but the trophies went to: 1) Where’s the Swim Start?, 2) Tropical Blue Thunder and 3) Krusen.

Thanks to Online Cycling Gear for providing jerseys, to Skipper for the amazing design, and Kate T at Riley Tavern for the 16 pizzas, which were perfectly baked and PERFECTLY topped despite having 16 different combinations.

The route for Monday July 31 will take us on a 38 mile tour of Lodi Canning Co.

RidewithGPS link Drafters | Lodi Canning Co

The short pour is a 27 mile route in the same vicinity.

RidewithGPS short pour BD: Back in Black

Keep that support for the Tour de France Femmes rolling in! You have until Sunday July 30 to complete the 3 stages (Crystal Clear, Mountain and Sprint stages) of the Tour de Dane Femmes. The polka dot and green jerseys will be awarded to the winner of the mountain stage and sprint stage, respectively. The yellow jersey will be awarded to the rider who completes all 3 stages and bikes the greatest amount of miles over the 8 days of the Tour. See email for details. Please submit screenshots of Strava/GPS data with photos at the end of the Tour. Prizes will be awarded at the end-of-the-year Drafter party.

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

Every other day, every other day
Every other day of the week is fine, yeah
But whenever Monday comes, but whenever Monday comes
A-you can find me draftin’ all of the time

The Mamas & The Papas and 22 Drafters were singing up Far View Road. What a view. What a night. What an amazing group of people.

Daisy, Shaq and Loose Screw comprised the mighty DEF team members. Not sure if Shaq is indicating “Two Strong” or “Peace”. Why not both?

The B Team dominated the Draft. Skipper resurfaced after two weeks in Norway and Gopher dug his way out from underneath the exhaustion of moving and recent induction into Fatherhood. Captain Joe found his way back from Montana and Thing 1 found her way out of a grueling Internal Medicine rotation. It was wonderful to see so many faces.

A trio of Femme Drafters made up the A Team.

Until they were joined by Slim, who dutifully pulled the trio a good long stretch.

Slim and Keez wore their matching Bad Kitty socks. Deep conversation and speculation about the significance of the couple’s matching socks scared Slim away. He sped off to find some non-Femme companionship. His motor was purring as he caught Skipper on the home stretch.

CONGRATS to Squeak on her 70.3 finish in Door County. Dan-yelly credited her 6/54 age group finish on her “magic Drafter shorts”. Her splits were so fast, despite her training being limited to chasing around 3 kids, TCB accused her of cheating. Coach Midas continues to have the golden touch. Congrats to Midas and all of the Madison MultiSport athletes on their Door County finish.

Cannibal’s tutu must have been lucky, too, as he smoked the field at the road race in Platteville to claim 3rd place on the podium.

Speaking of races, the maillot jaune is soon to be decided, and upon the completion of this exciting Tour de France, another less publicized Tour commences. In an effort to bolster support for the Tour de France Femmes, and support women’s cycling locally, the Draft will be hosting a cycling challenge. The Tour de Dane Femmes will be commiserate with the official Tour from July 23-30.

The yellow jersey will be awarded to the Femme Drafter who completes the greatest number of miles over those 8 days, AND completes all 3 stages of the tour (Crystal Clear Drafter ride, mountain and sprint stages). Polka dot and green jerseys will be worn by the winners of the mountain and sprint stages, respectively. Please contact BrickO for more details. Prizes (thanks to Nemo and Trek) will be available for all participants.

The 35 mile route for Monday, and the first stage of the Tour de Dane Femmes, is Crystal Clear.

RidewithGPS link BD: Crystal Clear

The short pour is an abbreviated 30 mile route, Latham Loop

RidewithGPS Drafters | Latham Loop

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

One word sums up the Draft Monday night. Hot, hilly, windy are all in the running, but the winner is beautiful.

There are many perks to departing from Crossroads Coffeehouse. For starters, the rollers on Airport Road are avoided and replaced with breathtaking (figuratively and literally) climbs up Moe, Greenwald, Forshaug (aka For-sh*t, F*ck-shaug), Blue Mounds Tr, Fesenfeld and Reeve (ok, maybe that one could be left off the list for quads sake). Finishing up with pizzas and Warp Speed Scotch Ale ice cream floats is worth the climb. It is no wonder that Ninja and GFK made the trip from Green Bay to Draft on this particular night. A huge thanks to Katy and Abbey for taking such good care of the Drafters.

The 5PM group included Drafters from the B, D and E teams. It is starting to sound like a musical scale.

The short pour quartet definitely harmonized in n the key of F. F for Fun. F for F’in hills. F for First to Finish. And best of all, F for beer Floats.

Once Keez and Granny declared they were out, the XY A Team members lost all incentive to push and joined the 5:15 B+ Team.

Well, nearly everyone. Slim bravely drafted solo for 24miles before catching the peloton. And Booker J set out just before dusk, returning to Crossroads as the last drop of Warp Speed Scotch Ale ice cream was consumed.

For those Drafters who have ridden with GFK to the north at Chequamegon and the Fat Tire Birkie, it is no secret he has game. But he got some sideways glances from those Drafters unfamiliar with his aptitude as GFK mounted his gravel bike.

“Here come old fat tire
He come grooving up slowly
He got joo joo eyeball
He one holy roller
He got hair down to his knee (or in a man bun under his helmet)
Got to be a Drafter he just climb what he please”

As the boys pulled over for a nature break, Cannibal muttered, “Who invited this guy?”. In other words, he’s killing us. And he’s riding a frikin’ gravel bike. Cannibal regretted not wearing his tutu so help him dance on the pedals.

“Come together, right now, over me. “

The nature break provided an opportunity for all the long pour Drafters to come together.

In dirty news, the Tuesday night Dirty Draft is small but mighty. Interested in joining? Please do! The more the dirtier.

All ages are welcome.

Our Junior Team is growing!

CONGRATULATIONS to Cannibal and Keez for their efforts at the Fitchburg Festival of Speed last Saturday. Somebody came dangerously close to hitting 1000W…

Looking to ride some events for a good cause? Let’s see if we can have some Drafters represented at these upcoming events. Give a shout out on GroupMe if you are interested in Drafting.

Move ‘and’N’ Groove 4BGC July 15

Lake Ripley Ride July 29

Tour de Dane Femmes July 23-30. Those interested in competing for the General Classification (most miles ridden during the Tour and must include Draft July 24), Polka Dot jersey (fastest Mountain Stage including segments on Barlow and Blue Mounds Park Rd) or Green jersey (sprint stage), contact BrickO. Thanks to our partners at Online Cycling Gear for creating these jerseys!

The 35 mile route for Monday July 17 will take us to a land far, far away. Or at least give us a far Far View. The A, B, D and E teams continue to merge, emerge and diverge such that nobody really knows what time to depart. Moving forward, let’s try to keep to 3 departures: 5, 5:15 and 5:30. Slower rollers wanting to ride the full strength route should leave at 5PM. Drafters planning to ride the short pour, please depart at 5:15 or 5:30. It is hard to say if the A team is getting stronger or the B team is getting older (read: slower but with a cause), but there is a wider gap than in previous years. Please choose wisely.

RidewithGPS link Drafters | Far Far Far View

For those looking to enjoy a short pour, here is a 27 mile option.

RidewithGPS link Drafters | Pine Loop

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

Oi and a few other choice words from Roy Kent’s prolific vocabulary were heard as 19 Drafters battled the wind on their way to Roxbury. Per usual, idle threats were exchanged in the corral about “taking it easy” due to the poor air quality thanks to the overproduction of S’mores in Canada. “Take it Easy” may be one of the greatest Eagle’s songs of all time, but those words have no meaning in the Draft. Alveoli be damned. It’s Drafter time.

Drafter times is more accurate. Working our way through the alphabet, the A, B, and D teams (no C as that is so average) have expanded to include E for Early. Cookie Monster and Footer wanted to get a jump on drafting responsibly.

The D Team welcomed a Newbie! Turns out he really knows Canadian trivia. Speedy (sporting her new OCG jersey) was testing his knowledge about the culture, mostly hockey and maple syrup, but the Newbie surpassed her expectations by coming up with Justin Beiber. Who knew? Beiber.

The B Team was definitely bad a**, riding 3 extra miles which were, according to Z Wrecks, “all uphill, into the wind and snow”.

The A Team has taken drafting to a new level. Granny and Squirrel had fresh legs after a lovely vacation in Greece. If Keez had tired legs after racing ToAD over the weekend, it wasn’t apparent.

From her position as lantern rouge, BrickO enjoyed a serious draft in the wind tunnel.

BrickO may be short on wattage from her quadage, but the wattage from her grey matter was in full force. As the A Team contemplated their options home, the bike path seemed the wisest option. NOT because taking the bike path missed an opportunity to climb Woodland, but because is presented an opportunity to shoot a shot of whiskey at the Missouri Tavern. Since 1940, the Missouri Tavern has been a watering hole for the thirsty traveler. But not on Mondays, apparently. Despite the disappointment, all were pleased with the choice to take the bike path, but only Granny risked ridicule when she confessed, “I love the bike path.”

The hot and thirsty were not no be denied. Just delayed.

There is NO DRAFT on July 3. We will return to Crossroads Coffeehouse/ Creekside Scoops located at 2020 W Main in Cross Plains on Monday July 10. Departure times are 5, 5:15 and 5:30PM. This is a new 36 mile route, with the same short pour 24 mile option as our last Crossroads expedition.

PLACE CROSSROADS PIZZA ORDER HERE by Friday July 7. The choices are cheese, pepperoni, sausage or margherita. The pizzas will be pre-made. When you have completed the draft, head to the counter to pay for your pizza and they will pop it in the oven. A pizza easily feed two Drafters, unless you are Slim, who can easily put one away.

RidewithGPS link Drafters | Crossroads V2.0

RidewithGPS link Drafters | Crossroads Coffeehouse Short Pour

In dirty news, BrickO and Z Wrecks had a 6 hour Romp in the Swamp. Being the ONLY relay team to sign up, they were DFL and swept the podium. The Wisconsin Endurance Mountain Bike Series (WEMS) is definitely something to check out. And if you really want a long Romp, it isn’t too late to sign up for the Wausau 24 on July 29.

A great turn out for the second Dirty Draft in CamRock on Tuesday! Octane and Footer led the way with their well defined calf muscles. Footer earned hers the hard way barefoot skiing, while Octane’s mother forced him to wear high heels during his formative calf years. The true God of Gastroc, Skipper, was honoring the colors from across the pond in Norway. There will be no Dirty Draft on July 4. Details for the following week, July 11, will be posted in GroupMe.

Last chance for Drafter gear in 2023. The Hincapie store closes tonight at midnight. Get your green here. Everyone looks stunning in green.

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

23andMe. A great turn out for the warmest draft of 2023. Our Drafter family tree extended a branch to welcome a newbie flying through by way of Colorado. Last week we learned about “Baltimore Oreos”. Looks like the Drafters just landed one of these rare birds.

Rare birds are not uncommon in the Draft. Cookie Monster honed in her skills riding with the D for Daycare Pickup Team last week before joined the D for Determined Drafter Team… on her way home from her first day at the UW Center for Innovation in Engineering Education. Their mission is to positively impact the world. Pretty sure they picked the right Drafter for the job.

The D Team set off promptly at 5PM. Even the Swiss would have been impressed. From there the timing went downhill while the riding went very much uphill.

Duracell checked his watch to be sure the B Team was on time. What could go wrong with a copper top battery?

The standard 5:15PM B Team departure was subdivided into B+ and B- Team departures. While some B Team members were still rolling in, 5 members rolled out ahead of schedule.

The B+ Team enjoyed baby Drafter smiles as Gopher made his New Daddy Debut. She looks right at home providing Draft protection for LuLu.

The B+ Team in hot (86 degrees) pursuit.

The B+ Team had an official lantern rouge, or perhaps a lantern orange. Our Newbie traveled all the way from Colorado to draft responsibly. At first glance, the Drafters were giddy to welcome Steve Martin. Certainly more fit than the famous comedian, our lantern orange was just as witty. He held his own with Vilker’s backyard banter. Purely academic discussions ensued about the relative size of various monuments, tequila squeezers, holy subsidiaries of the Drafters, the proper spelling of bequeath, cocof’inuts, and an ornithology lesson in Cardinal Red and Baltimore Oreos. The conversation outlasted the case of beer he brought. A testament to his endurance. He is a rare bird, and we are lucky to welcome BoreO to the Draft.

The A Team was small but mighty. Cannibal, Keez and Booker J caught the B+ Team on Spring Valley Rd. BrickO gained some satisfaction in learning that Keez was nauseous, hoping it was the result of her effort to catch the B+ team and not due to the 13 hours of travel she endured the day before. Slim got a late start due to a mechanical. The former semi-professional road racer longed for his pit crew, as he lost time swapping out his road bike for a gravel bike. Without a Domestique, Slim road the route backwards until he came across the A Team and then laid down hammer, furthered their suffering. All in the spirit of the Draft.

While there were multiple multiple start times, all Drafters finished united hot and thirsty and cooled off with a post-draft draft.

Congrats to the finishers of the 20th annual Horribly Hilly Hundreds! Ninja, GFK, Pepe, Shaq, Velo, Z Wrecks and BrickO enjoyed what was likely the finest weather in as many years.

The Summer Solstice this week will provide ample daylight for a longer ride on Monday, June 26. Rockin’ to Roxbury is a 42 mile trek through some of our favorite roads, including Dunlap Hollow.

RidewithGPS link to Drafters | Rockin’ to Roxbury

The short pour 30 mile option heads out of town along the same route, but turns a bit earlier to enjoy Indian Lake. PLEASE ride single file on HWY 19. There isn’t another way to circumnavigate Indian Lake, unfortunately.

RidewithGPS Drafters | Indian Lake Short Pour

THERE WILL BE NO DRAFT ON MONDAY JULY 3. Enjoy the holiday!

There have been a few requests for Drafter kits. There will likely be a new design next season, but the 10th anniversary kits from 2022 are available. Here is the link to the Hincapie Team Store. THE STORE CLOSES ON TUESDAY JUNE 27 AT MIDNIGHT. Place your order directly and the items will be shipped internationally from Columbia via FedEx, requiring a signature (you can sign indirectly in most instances). There are no returns or exchanges, so be sure to order the right item. Jersey styles for road are Velocity “race cut” and Axis “club cut”, along with a MTB/gravel style jersey. Bibs and shorts come in two lengths- most order the long, but you do you. It is recommended that you try on a kit for size from a Drafter with similar morphologic properties.

DIRTY DRAFT: the fun has begun! Tuesdays at 5PM, starting tonight at Blackhawk. Trails may vary each week (or not), so be sure to join the Dirty Draft GroupMe for updates.

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

Apologies to Annie Lenox and the Eurythmics.

here comes the rain again
falling on my helmet on a Mon-day
falling on my head like a new emotion
i want to ride in the open wind
i want to talk like Drafters do
want to dive into your paceline
is it raining with you?

The weather turned just as the clock struck Drafter hour, scaring away all of the D Team and shrinking the A & B teams to 16. The A Team held fast, and rode even faster. While Mother Nature only spit a few drops, her roar created some serious head wind as the Drafters headed north.

The B Team started as 6 before deciding to challenge the notion of strength in numbers. And then there were 3. Spoiler: there IS strength in numbers. Knievel was awarded the Drafter Green Heart, a medal reserved for those who go above and beyond the call of duty, as he accompanied Shaq on the Lodi tour. Shaq had the route locked and loaded, but when the D Team failed to show, she put on her big person pants and set out with the B Team. Z Wrecks doubled back to help patrol the wind, while BrickO, Captain Joe and Squeak battled on.

The B team made their about face turn in Lodi, getting the exact coordinates of the A Team as they rapidly made their way to the front line. Knowing they had the Rock of Ages “Gunter Glieben Glauten Globen” ahead, better known in the cycling world as “Bitney, Buethin, Brererton”, the B team made one last charge up Bitney Rd before being overtaken.

BrickO saw Squeak falling behind. Adhering to the Drafter Code, she went back for her teammate. After pulling her back up to the rest of the B Team, BrickO discovered that she had failed miserably. Mistaking Cujo for Squeak, BrickO had only hastened the advancement of the A Team. Deception was Cujo’s super power, starting early with a text noting that she was going to be late due to heavy traffic in downtown Middleton. That’s what happens when your Google Map is set on bike mode.

The A Team, led by Vintage, rocked on and up Bluethin. Missing from the band was front man, Cannibal. He joined Knievel in earning the Drafter Green Heart, helping Velo keep the beat. Cannibal faced a conundrum when he came upon Squeak, who had played her heart out early in the Draft and was facing the music. The Clash of the Drafter Code: Should I stay or should I go now? If I go, there will be trouble. And if I stay there will be double. Come on and let me know. Should I stay or should I go?

To give the reader some idea of how fast the A Team was traveling with the tail wind, Keez outpaced a “Baltimore Oreo”. You know, “the rare orange bird.” Keez also outpaced her chain, dropping it before the climb on Lodi-Springfield. Seizing the opportunity to make up some time on the 15min gap, BrickO mercilessly (not proudly) left her offspring to tend to the mechanical as she prodded LuLu and Vintage to pull her home. There are strength in numbers, but it is definitely limited.

Both teams were reunited back at base camp, where they enjoyed a roaring fire and frosty beverages. Octane brought a limited supply of his famous brownies, which were evenly distributed once enough Drafters went home. Cannibal and Velo regaled us with stories of the 12 rounds they went in the ring, drafting against the wind.

The Drafters were joined by celebrities Thing 1 and Granny, who earned their place around the back yard fire pit with tremendous cycling feats. Thing 1, unable to participate in the Horribly Hilly Hundreds this coming Saturday, set out to conquer the 200k (plus) earlier in the day, fully unsupported. Granny destroyed the Des Moines 70.3 on Sunday, earning herself a spot at the World Championship in Finland alongside Drafter teammate Squeak. Imagine what she would have done on a TT bike??? Once she figured out how to change out of the granny gear, it was game over for the other competitors. Congrats to Coach Midas on another golden touch.

In other celebrity news, Coach Arms was interviewed on the front lawn. Of the WHITE HOUSE!!! Wisconsin now holds the most national titles (7) in all of NCAA women’s ice hockey. Humbled by the honor, the Canadian gave an exclusive interview to our Drafter Blog reporter. “I’m geeking out and I’m not even American!” Apparently, the Wisconsin State Journal was granted a separate (second) interview.

Nearly as prestigious as being honored on the front lawn of the White House, a handful of Drafters raised money for the MACC Fund by participating in the Trek 100. A fun day was had by all (Nemo, Booker J, Z Wrecks, Vilks, Pit Stop, BrickO, Pepe, Duracell & Speedy Family).

The route for Monday, June 19th will be Spring Valley, as a nice reminder to those who just suffered through the Horribly Hilly Hundreds. There is a short pour option to take the Pine Rd cut off. Choose wisely. Departures will be at 5, 5:15 and 5:30PM from Middleton Hills.

RidewithGPS link Drafters | Spring Valley

SHORT POUR: RidewithGPS link Drafters | Pine Loop

IN DIRTY NEWS: the Dirty Draft will begin Tue, June 20 at 5PM at the East Chalet at Blackhawk. There is a separate GroupMe for dirty announcements. Contact BrickO if you would like to be added.

Draft responsibly,

BrickO