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

… It’s just another Drafter Monday (Woah, woah)
I’m glad it’s not Sunday (Woah, woah)
‘Cause this is my fun day (Woah, woah, woah, woah)
My I don’t have to run day (Woah, woah)
It’s just another Drafter Monday

29 Drafters were present for the inaugural Crossroads Coffeehouse ride. Shout out to Katy and her fabulous staff for hosting the Draft. Pizza, beer and ice cream- the perfect post-draft trifecta for recovery.

There was a fairly even distribution of Drafters amongst the A, B for Bad Ass and D for Determined divisions. The D team had a dirty dozen until Duracell was drafted by the B team. It was great to see Cookie Monster back on the bike after completing her PhD marathon. Wampus quietly made her 2023 Drafter debut. She may have lost her voice, but her quads were not to be silenced. The Drafters welcomed a Newbie, Presley. Check out those blue suede shoes! It was only after the ceremonial Drafter handle dedication that Presley revealed her birth name, Lisa Marie. True dat’.

Inspired by seeing Elvis back in the building, Duracell danced his way into the B group to strike a pose. Good to have Captain Joe back from his 3 week junket in Alaska. Another 2023 Drafter debut was made by Mario. Congrats to Mario on admission to medical school at UW!

Octane and Queenie celebrated NEW BIKE DAY! Word on the B Street is that “YEE HAWs” reverberated off the climbs as Octane and Queenie left a trial of dust up each climb, taking command of their shiny new steeds. These bikes belonged to a good friend and wonderful man who left the planet too early. We will draft responsibly in his honor, savoring each pedal stroke. A new Cervelo for Queenie meant a new Trek for his son, Mario. Bikes are the gift that keeps giving.

11 members of the A Team gathered to discuss pre-draft strategy. Granny offered a preemptive mea culpa for not taking a turn at the front on the line. Coach Midas gave her sound advice to draft responsibly as she tapers for her upcoming 70.3. Keez extends a comforting hug as she calculates how many uncontested QOMs await.

The night and the route couldn’t have been more gorgeous. D4 was a good move for Footer, Pipes, Cookie Monster and Daisy as they advanced across the board.

Strava doesn’t tell the whole story, but it tells A story. This story is one filled with Drafter (and Momma) pride. 5 of the 7 women on the leaderboard are Drafters (Karen P and Brenna G are welcome to enlist). Draft responsibly. Kudos to Coach Midas for having Granny share top billing on her taper….. Nothing like a little competitive spirit to forget what the teacher said. BrickO’s response to being bumped, “I just want you to know that even though you tried to terminate me, revenge is not an idea we promote on my planet.”

The A team huddled around Squirrel as he suffered an identity crisis as he disobeyed the sign. Never leaving his wing man or crossing the center line, Squirrel empathized with the agile tree-dwelling bushy tail rodents but held fast to drafting responsibly.

LuLu and Vintage went nuts over Squirrel’s evolution. After climbing the freshly pea-graveled Moyer Rd, they decided to see what they had under the hood. Buzz Lightyear was on sight. Nothing like adding a short 25%ish grade challenge to the existing 2293 feet of climb.

In a hypoxic state, LuLu asked “WTF were we thinking? It was fun though.” The medical physicist deferred to his colleague, Vintage, to explain the theory.

Granny may need some tutoring from the Drafter scientific cohort. It appears her snot rocket velocity calculation is a bit off. Medical school as it applies to this crucial equation: “Years of Academy training wasted.”

Climbing to infinity and beyond works up an appetite. Crossroads Coffeehouse didn’t disappoint with pizza, beer and ice cream (not always in that order).

RACE REVIEW: Vintage competed in the WORS Battle of Camrock, placing top 10 (5th to be specific). In a post-race interview conducted by Skipper, Vintage gasped, “My eyeballs could have been sucked from their sockets!” But they weren’t.

To those souls who endured the mud bath affectionally knows as Unbound, may the force be with you. “My bike has crash landed here by mistake.”

The buzz for next week is this: back to Middleton Hills for 5, 5:15 and 5:30PM departures times, to infinity and Lodi.

RidewithGPS link Drafters | Rock of Ages Plus Lodi

There is a short pour option of 31 miles, riding just shy of Lodi and avoiding the hilly rock of ages section.

RidewithGPS link Drafters | Shy of Lodi Short Pour

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

The weather could not have been more favorable over the Memorial Day weekend for pedaling. Wonderful to see so many miles covered on road, gravel and dirt. 11 Drafters convened Monday for an A-Mazo ride.

Sarge led the charge. Apparently, kale and deadlifts are the key to successful climbing. Tick Tock was the only Drafter not to eat her dust as she powered up Enchanted Valley. At the short pour turn off off on Spring Valley and F, the couple announced their change in route in lieu of a last minute family cookout. BrickO, Z Wrecks and Knievel breathed a sigh of relieve (or maybe it was just a continuation of gasping for air). Squeak decided the 55 mile route would be easier than riding the short pour with Sarge in charge. Speedy and Duracell fell into line and were home before their babysitter knew they were gone.

Hit-the-Wall, a true rule follower, followed the rules of the road.

While Hit-the-Wall was dutifully minding the speed limit, Keez was breaking it in the Quad Cities. After a mere 3 criterium races, she advanced to Cat 3 status. Meow.

The Drafters are moving base camp next Monday, June 5 to the Crossroads Coffeehouse on 2020 Main St, Cross Plains. Start times are 5:00, 5:15 and 5:30PM. The full strength draft will consist of a 34 mile route, with a short pour option of 24 miles. Please park at The Creekside Scoop (same address- but different parking lot) or on Bourbon St. Following the draft, pizzas, beer and ice cream can be enjoyed. PLEASE TEXT ME IF YOU PLAN TO ORDER PIZZA so that the owners can be prepared.

RidewithGPS link Drafters: Crossroads Coffeehouse

Looking for a shorter pour? Try this 24 mile frothy mug.

RidewithGPS link Drafters | Crossroads Coffeehouse Short Pour

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

Formidable Festge met it’s match with 20 Drafters who staked their claim at the summit. The D Team (D for Determined, skipping C as it’s so average) was born out of necessity (advancing age, young kids, lack of training- need D’ list to continue?) and established a start time of 5PM. Feel free to join if you are in D’ same boat.

The D Team started out as a pentagon but grew to a heptagon when they picked up Nemo and Thing 1 along the route.

D for determined, but apparently also stands for Dropped. Dan-yelly dropped a light at the beginning of the Draft, and dropped her ear buds at the post-Draft festivities. She keeps track of 3 kids and 2 dogs. Everything else is subject to being dropped. The D Team ended up hexed (6 pack) when Nemo was vexed with a cramp and dropped out. Coach Arms offered up Nuun, but no amount of electrolytes could keep Nemo spinning.

The Drafters enlisted another Newbie! Admittedly new to cycling, her greatest challenge proved to be the technological challenges of downloading a GPS file. “I knew I had to be a big person and figure out how to get the route on my phone.” Welcome to the Draft, Shaq.

The B Team hit the road at 5:15. Cujo was rejected from the D Team, despite feigned fatigue from the Heywood gravel race, and a legit knee effusion. It was the right call. Cujo broke away to catch the D Team on the final stretch down Schneider Rd.

The A Team wasn’t captured on camera, but reports have it that Blurple, Booker J, Busch Latte and Granny led the charge. Apparently the shutter speed wasn’t adequate for their lightening speed. Granny beamed herself into the backyard seconds after the D Team arrived.

Billy Boy also beamed himself up from Sanibel to escape the madness of battling with insurance companies in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian. Too bad he doesn’t know any good attorneys… Good to have you home, Billy Boy.

Drafter of the Week (yes, this is a thing) goes to Queenie. Recognizing a Newbie in the ranks, Queenie dutifully followed the Drafter Code of Conduct and assigned himself as Shaq’s wingman. While is is being honored for his actions on Monday, it would be remiss not to mention SuperTuesday. You can pay homage and catch his beat this Sunday at Brat Fest (showtime 11:50AM) and Friday night, June 2 at Capital Brewery.

An honorable mention goes out to Pepe. Not only did he sacrifice fortune and fame by selflessly volunteering to take the photo of the illustrious B Team, but he returned the gift of beer 4 fold to BrickO. Not a bad investment.

This week’s spotlight shines brightly on several Drafters (technically it shines brightly on all Drafters, but there is a word limit to the blog). CONGRATULATIONS to Dr. Cookie Monster, PhD, who defended her dissertation last Thursday, giving a shout out to her Drafter family.

She is making up for lost time on the bike with E$, Minnow Monster and Mellow Monster.

CONGRATULATIONS to Squeak who crushed the Chatty 70.3!

In dirtier news, CONGRATULATIONS to Vintage at WORS Englewood Open, shredding his time from last year. And for giving Thing 1 no reason to practice her new surgical skills.

BIG shout out to the 10 Drafters (Cannibal, Gopher, LuLu, Thing 1, Z Wrecks, Daisy, Columbus, Speedy, Sandlot & BricKO) who donated a chunk of their time and quads on Saturday to help out with Horribly Hilly Hundreds pre-ride clinic. Supported by Wheel & Sprocket and the Friends of Blue Mound State Park, the Drafters wrangled nearly 40 HHH riders through some of the more horrible hills in Iowa County.

The highlight of the HHH clinic was the transformation of Gopher. No longer seeking to burrow, Gopher seeks the higher road.

If Saturday wasn’t enough, the Draft was tapped again on Sunday. Thanks to Slim of Ascend Performance for all his hard work to teach us how to Draft responsibly.

Cue in Billy Preston’s “Will It Go Round in Circles”. Keez, Z Wrecks, Granny, Squirrel, Knievel, Velo, Octane, Duracell and 2 Newbies (Drafter handles TBD) did just that for 30 miles. Velo literally burned the rubber off of his rear tire. Welcome to the Flat Tire Club.

Crossroads Coffehouse provided a fabulous lunch for the ravenous Drafters before they headed back out for a 30 mile ride to cement their skills. Octane added his high fuel brownies for a super charge.

The participants eyes were not bigger than their stomachs. Their legs, however, didn’t have a big appetite for hills. The route was adjusted from 50 miles to 40. To 30. Draft responsibly.

Since Monday is Memorial Day, normal programing will be ignored. The Draft will be moved to 10AM to allow for a slightly longer (55 mile) adventure to Mazomanie. For those who rode the final draft last October, the route will look familiar (hence the name A-Mazo Finale Rocks).

RidewithGPS link to Drafters: A-Mazo Finale Rocks

Looking for a short pour for Memorial Day? Consider the Spring Valley route, which will take Drafters out the same roads for the first 18 miles.

RidewithGPS link short pour Drafters | Spring Valley

A reminder that the Draft on Monday June 5 will commence at 5, 5:15 and 5:30PM from Crossroads Coffeehouse located at 2020 Main St. in Cross Plains. Details to follow.

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

23 Drafters celebrated a gorgeous evening to cruise through the historic Viaduct. With two consecutive rainouts, the Drafters appeared to have fresh legs. More than fresh, a few Drafters were suspected of having plugged their quads into a 220 outlet, as they were pumping wattage out of their quadage at alarming rates. LuLu, Granny, Keez and Slim must submit to electrical testing next week to verify quadriceps battery implants. It’s a thing.

LuLu took a preliminary Viaduct lap with Gopher as a litmus test for his quadage wattage. All lights were green in their retro red and blue Drafter kits. The boys rolled back in just in time to greet our first Newbie of 2023, Velo. First impressions can say a lot. They can also be misleading. But I think Velo’s character was transparent when he asked, “How does this work? I brought a bike.” That’s all you need, Velo! Draft responsibly.

Both teams picked up strays along the way. The B team started with 7, quickly joined by Duracell who opted out of the group start. “I’m just not photogenic”. There are photos to suggest otherwise. Coach Arms, in her first Drafter appearance since helping her Badger Women’s Hockey team claim their 7th National NCAA title when they upset the Ohio State Buckeyes to win the NCAA National Championship, was a bit late to this game. Once out of the penalty box, she pedaled furiously on her Short Pour route to join her teammates. Missing the cut off, Coach Arms ultimately went the full distance. It’s a great day for Drafting.

The A Team also started with a smaller nucleus of 9 and grew to 13. Cannibal sprung a leak on his commute from the one and only Waunakee, requiring a bike swap. The team car was nowhere to be found on Monday, so Cannibal had to bike back to Waunakee to fetch his N+1, and caught up with the Draft as they headed out Pheasant Branch. It is unclear if this qualifies him for the Flat Tire Club, since technically the flat occurred before the Draft.

Vintage did a rather lengthy “warm up” before joining the Draft. Powering by us the opposite direction, a shout rang out, “HAS ANYONE SEEN MY WIFE?”. An odd inquiry for a Draft.

Slim and Keez were held up with construction on University Ave, coming in hot a few minutes after wheels up. The rabbits saw carrots ahead.

There was a short delay in the A Team departure as the official rule book of cycling etiquette was consulted. Zephyr arrived with legs unshaved AND his front tire tread facing the wrong direction. The right to bear hairy legs was unanimously voted as a Drafter constitutional freedom. However, rubbers on backwards earned a red flag.

Viaduct wasn’t the only thing historic about this Draft. While chasing carrots, Keez and Slim narrowly escaped the wrath of an ankle biter on Viaduct. Only one brand new CamelBak water bottle was lost in the battle. Catching the core of the A Team shortly after Viaduct, Keez was inspired to learn Granny and LuLu were in a breakaway. Wattage pounded from her quadage as she closed the gap.

Another gap was created when Rimshot tangled with some gravel, this one in the right rear compartment of his Drafter kit. If you don’t like the green shorts, just say so! No need shredding a perfectly good kit. As if things couldn’t get worse for Rimshot, Granny, the Drafter Dermatologist on retainer wasn’t sagging back to do wound debridement. Fortunately (?), Z Wrecks stepped up to take down the rubble left “behind”.

The most historic moments of the evening came when the A and B Teams merged. There is no greater feeling than having a unified front.

Viaduct proved to be a historic opening night for bugs. The Drafters got a mouthful of No-see-ums coming home on Pheasant Branch. Um…we see you. And taste you. Despite the additional protein and consumption of carrots, Slim and Keez drafted directly to Lupes, where burritos are king. Consuming burritos amidst hungry Drafters is a powerful marketing strategy. Granny bolted for Lupes 10 minutes before they closed. Several others are scheming to make Lupes a Monday night staple.

Vintage was reunited with Thing 1, and bequeathed her warmth of the Solo Stove. Much discussion was generated on the topic on bequeathing.

A far less academic discussion between medical physicist and engineer took place at a nearby location.

A shout out to many Drafters who competed last weekend in various events. Columbus finished at 50k at the oldest trail race in the world, or at least in North America, Ice Age Trail 50.

To the north, several Drafters narrowly escaped the Hungry Bear in a gravel adventure. Congrats to GFK, Ninja, Belle and Bomber.

Formidable Festge awaits us on Monday May 22. Departures from Middleton Hills will be at 5:15PM and 5:30PM.

RidewithGPS link Drafters | Formidable Festge

LOOKING AHEAD: There will be NO DRAFT on Memorial Day. Take advantage of the day off to go long. The Drafters will change it up a bit when we reunite on Monday June 5, starting and finishing at Crossroads Coffeehouse at 2020 Main St, Cross Plains. A shout out to Speedy’s friend, Kate, who is excited to host us at her recently remodeled establishment, which includes pizza ovens, outdoor seating around fire pits and ICE CREAM at Creekside Scoop. Please don’t BYO but please do bring an appetite and thirst!

Draft responsibly,

BrickO