13 Draftess Drafters rocked 3000 feet of climb on the Roxbury route and lived to tell the tale. And there are tales to tell:

Pit Stop and Surly are RN heros on the front line and in Drafter line to climb Dunlap Hollow.  Check out the 5″ fatty tires on the Surly.  As if the climb isn’t hard enough…. hero all around.

Skipper was rockin’ Roxbury and then some.  He is a day tripper, yeah, it took him so long to climb out, he climbed out. Here is a math problem worth figuring out: 2636 calories = how many quadruple barrel Big Bad Baptist beers? Motivation comes in many flavors.

Warped sense of fun.

Thing 1 was indoctrinated to the thrill of victory and the agony of Di2.  Always check your electronic shifting charge before heading out to climb 3000 feet.  Vintage has a full charge for Katzenbuechel, opting to ride the course in reverse to play favorties with the wind direction.

Only two Drafters waited to rock Roxbury on the dedicated Monday time slot.  Captain Joe was sighted on the return trip while Z and BrickO were stretching their legs on the Hyer Loop.  Nothing like being caught in a major shortcut! Octane finished in the dark at 8:40.  In an exclusive interview with Drafter Illustrated by candlelight, he gasped, “That which doesn’t kill you makes you cry like a little baby.”

Still happy. Easterly winds and a few wrong  turns later, smiles were traded for tears.

Cycling with one’s spouse in “normal times” can be a wonderful opporutnity to keep the magic brewing.  During times of the pandemic, it means more…. Til Dunlap do us part. Duchess and Sandlot, BrickO and Z rewnew their vows.

Z and BrickO ponder their vows.

The pandemic has also impacted cycling as a retreat for parents from their beloved offspring.  The Drafter of the Week explains in video clip below:

Tobacco City Boy tries to break away but is quickly caught.

Dan-yelly can’t overpower the rubber boot propelled strider bike.

There will be a time and place next week to renew vows as the route will Take Me To Church, Fo Sho.  That’s urban speak for Forshaug, a gnarly little climb after the uphill battle to Vermont Church.  Time to earn that holy water of the Gods.

Holy Water

Cross your fingers that this will be one of our last Draftless rides.

Garmin link: Take Me To Church

PDF map and cue sheet download: Take Me To Church

Wednesday May 5, the draft will get dirty, pending dry trails (it is currently drizzling).  Please click on these links to 1) consult the madcitydirt website for trail conditions, and 2) pay your CORP dues. Mountain bike action starts at Pleasant View trail head at 4:30. We will then ride to Blackhawk east parking lot (ski jump) to round up more Drafters at 5PM. Updates will be posted on GroupMe, NOT the blog.  If you are intereseted in getting dirty and not on GroupMe, let me know.

Skipper, BrickO and Footer get dirty at CamRock.  Well, technically, BrickO is the only one who came in contact with terra firma.  Crash pads have been ordered. 

**NOTE: Hincapie order should ship today. Keep an eye out for an email with FedEx tracking information.

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

Oops.  I really upped my game this week by including a formal cue sheet.  And then forgot to attach it.  Did I mention my secretary is on furlough?  Or maybe I knocked a screw loose riding the new Saris platform?

In any event, Rockin’ Roxbury v2 is fortuitous as Duchess also had a forgetful  Go Fish moment.

PDF map and cue sheet (for real): Rockin’ Roxbury

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

A half-dozen Drafters decided to Go Fish!  Nothing clever in this post.  Just the bare bones.

Bare Bones Post

Drafter of week goes to Skipper, who racked up another 55miles by extending this route.

Intimidator.  Skipper dares you to Go Fish.

Slow Cow meandered through the the countryside, seeking friends of his own kind rather than fish. Thanks for letting us know you are still out there wandering.

The Rockin’ Roxbury route for next week will be challenging.  Dig deep as you face 3000 feet of climb over epic hills including Enchanted Valley, Katzenbuechel Road and Dunlap Hollow Road. Enjoy the rustic towns and their establishments: Marxville Welding, The Roxbury and Dorf Haus Supper Club.  This is a slighly different route than in previous years, and perhaps the most breathtaking (both in beauty and elevation). The photo destination is the corner of Old Settlers and Dunlap Hollow.

GPS Link: Rockin’ Roxbury

PDF cue sheet and map download: Rockin-_Roxbury

A very HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Pipes, making it clear past the half century mark.  What you can do once, you can do again (maybe not  two Olmpic medals, and hopefully not the scaphoid fracture with a bike tip-over part).

Pipes flashes her new birthday suit, price tag and all. 

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

What travels over 40 mph and generates less watts than a light bulb? Bob Dylan knows.

The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind
The answer is blowin’ in the wind

No credit can be taken for choosing a route with a tail wind to deliver us home, but I will claim it anyway.  15 Drafters showed Brains and Brawn on a climb that ruthlessly “levels out” at 14% before nipping at the quads with a 15% bite.

Captain Joe shows his true colors before unleashing his brawn on Braun. A few Drafters have room for improvmenet when it comes to showing their true colors. Where’s the green???

Octane remembered his water bottle but forgot his brain bucket. Foiled to conquer Braun, he headed back home and filled his bucket with a double rainbow.

 

We have submitted a funds request for a babysitter in next year’s Drafter Budget.  Dan-yelly and TCB were spotted Drafting together on Monday near their home in Oregon.  Who is watching their children?  And the beer frigde?  It isn’t Longtable, but it is impressive.

Drafter of the Week winner(s) are rich with something much greater than brains or brawn. These sisters bring us pure joy. And a budget increase for that babysitter.

The ride for Monday April 27 will be Go Fish!  My Dad and I used to play that game for hours, until advancing to Crazy 8s and eventually Buck ‘Em.  I no longer play cards.  One trip home from college, I found myself in a bar in my home town of Edgerton, playing Buck ‘Em with a group of guys.  They were loud and obnoxious, and I thought I had more brains (and brawn for that matter) than all of them put together.  Confidently I antied up, placed my bet, and lost more in one hand than I had brought to the table. I slunk to the bar where my Dad was having a beer and asked him to cover my debt.  On the quiet ride home he said only this, “I hope you learned your lesson.”  That I did.  The late great Kenny Rogers heeded the same warning, “You got to know when to hold em, know when to fold em, know when to walk away, know when to run.”  I tried that and decided biking was a faster escape. Anyway… back to Go Fish.

The road between Fish and Crystal Lake is still closed, and is the photo destination for the Go Fish! ride. The recon route through Dane to Lee is more scenic that the map below.  Since my secretary is on furlough, we are taking the path more trodden (read: less work to post). Ride whichever route makes your heart sing, so long as your picture is taken in front of the Road Closed barricade.

PDF map to download: Crystal 36

Garmin link: Middleton Hills to Crystal GPS

OTHER RIDING NEWS: if the weather cooperates this Friday, April24, there will be a 50 mile ride to the Rock of Gibraltar departing between 10AM-2PM.  The route will be posted.  It might be fun to see fellow Drafters rocking to and from Gibraltar, riding apart together.

DIRTY DRAFT: with Skipper at the helm, we hope to kick off the Dirty Draft on Wednesdays.  Blackhawk, Pleaseant View and CamRock will be our playgrounds.  Announcments will be made through GroupMe.  If you got dirty in 2019, you are inextricably enlisted.  If you want to get dirty, email or text me.  Please consider joining the Capital Off Road Pathfinders (CORP) if you are going to get dirty. Trail building and maitenance is largely done by volunteers who rely on the support of those enjoying the trails.

CORP link to trail conditions and membership

HINCAPIE Drafter Gear: slight delay.  Look for FedEx shipping info on May 5.

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

Hair style has never been my strong suit. Recently, my mom cleaned out her basement and came across my K-12 school photos, leaving no doubt that my “style” is unrelated to the recent closing of salons. Undoubtedly, the chlorinated pool where I spent the better part of my early years did not tip the scales in my favor.  Walking to school in 4th grade, I was attacked by a red-winged black bird who claimed the straw on my head for his nest.  Surviving the BIG HAIR 80s as a teenager was painful.  Perms weren’t really a good option.  Thanks to the chemical combination of chlorine and farm well-water, perms left my hair a very unnatural and unsettling shade of orange (and once purple).  My hopes were raise in college when a teammate promised that product would make it come to life.  Defeated after much product, rollers and a curling iron, she said, “I’m sorry.  There is nothing I can do.” A conversation at age 29 is not one to forget: (Stylist) “Your hair will really thicken up when you start taking pre-natal vitamins.” (BrickO) “I am taking pre-natal vitamins.”  (Stylist) “Oh.  Well, when you get pregnant, your hair will really be full.”  (BrickO) “I am 3 months pregnant”.  (Stylist) “Oh.”   Many have tried and failed.

Over the decades, I have come to terms with my fine, thin, straight, drab dishwater color, lifeless hair.  And by that, I mean I have as many hats as I do bikes.  After all, it’s just hair, right?  I have a strong motor, good treads on the tires, an electrical system that only short circuits occasionally- who needs the fancy finishes?   I would check the box for the upgrade if available, but it’s not.  And, for the first time EVER, I’m actually grateful for what sits on my head.  Since there is no salon that can improve my hair lot in life, there is nothing about closure of the salons during the pandemic that can make it worse.  My hair could be the only thing thriving (relatively speaking).

The inspiration for this soliloquy comes from you, my fellow Drafters.  I feel your pain. Thank you for joining me.

 

Phew.  That’s a half hour of entertainment (for myself). Keep those photos coming.Coach Arms- we need one of your new arrival.  Congrats to Arms and Legs on the birth of their daughter!

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

Monday was certainly judgement day. The majority of us came up short on braving Rock of Ages due to 38mph gusts and the temperature to match . No need to recount the votes for Drafter of the Week.  There was only one Drafter on the ballot.

Another Drafter faired well on judgement day, earning herself a seat on the bench.  As a former mediocre division 3 basketball player, I have spent a fair amount of time on the bench, but not this kind.  Congrats to Jill (I am reluctent to share her Drafter handle now that she’s a big deal) on being elected to the WisconsinSupreme Court.  I’m taking up a collection for a green robe. I have a photo depicting a very green shade of green during an Ironman competition… but I’m saving it for a rainy day. Or snowy day, as it appears out my window.

The ride next week will test our brains and brawn (as in use our brains and find a way to not climb Braun) as we head west to Cross Plaines. The photo opp is at intersection of Union Valley and Braun.  This will give you pause to consider the climb ahead as you flash your pearly whites and Drafter green.

PDF map download: Union Valley Brains and Brawn 30

Garmin link: Brains and Brawn GPS

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

In the words of the late and great Bill Withers, Monday was a Lovely Day to Draft.

When I wake up on a Monday, love
And the sunlight hurts my eyes
And something without warning, love
Bears heavy on my mind

Then I Draft with you
And the world’s alright with me
Just one Draft with you
And I know it’s gonna be
A lovely day
A lovely day

When the road that lies ahead of me
Seems impossible to find
When someone else in front of me
Always seems to know the way

Then I Draft with you
And the world’s alright with me
Just one Draft with you
And I know it’s gonna be
A lovely day
A lovely day

As discovered on my recon mission last week, and revealed via Drafter GroupMe (let me know if you want to be added to that list for  f’d up direction and other construction updates), Pine Rd and Schuman Rd don’t actually intersect.  “When the road that lies ahead of me  seems imposssible to find.” I hear you, Bill. And I also hear Billy Boy… who wins round two of DRAFTLESS DRAFTER OF THE WEEK. 

Billy Boy is all too familiar with my sense of directional impairment.  Drafting on the deserted island of Sanibel, he writes, ” I found Pine, which is quite near Blind Pass, a name I’ve always equated with your direction handouts.  Just ride blindly and figure it out! ” It’s gonna be a lovey day, a lovely day.

Footer, Slinger, Duchess and Sandlot  set out a full 24 hours early, not trusting Mother Nature to deliver a lovely Monday.

A few trusted Mother Nature to deliver and Drafted Monday.

Yah know, we all have our strengths.  And I’d be happy to post mine.  It would be a short list (road bike, dark beer aficionado, MTB bike, dark beer taste tester, gravel bike,  fat tire bike) – and by bike I don’t mean that I am a strong bikER.  I mean that I have a strong showing of bikes in my garage. It’s really my weaknesses that are more plentiful and extraordinary. Here is the short list.  Directional impairment is one most familiar to the Drafters, who have “benefitted” by exploring most of Dane (and unintentially) surrounding counties .  Cooking. Math. Spelling. Wine appreciation. Singing.  I’m just getting warmed up for my marathon of shorcomings. But back to directional impairment.  There is one route that cannot have misdirection, and that is how long to Draft apart together.  A Drafter, friend and Nurse Practitioner  sent me this article, written by a cyclist and PhD in something that studies small things that kill us. It is worth reading. And directs me to continue to Draft apart together.

Bicycle Club of Irvine: Riding in the Time of Covid-19 article

Next week’s route will be Rock of Ages. Hills are good character builders.  All sorts of characters are built in a sequence of 4s and expressed up the climb on Bitney. The selfie challenge continues.  The photo destination is the intersection of Y and Bitney.

PDF map to download: Rock of Ages 35

Garmin link: Rock of Ages GPS

There is still beauty to appreciate in isolation. Enjoy the Full Pink Moon tonight.

Almanac link: What the phlox?

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

The day was absolutely spectacular for Drafting to the Riley Tavern, except for maybe a nippy homeward bound head wind.  Our double entendre Drafter handle has become a bit of a misnomer, since we are neither drafting behind our bigger bodied cyclists (hey, no judgement, delicate flowers appreciate help- thanks for the socks, Sully)…

Nor are we enjoying a post-ride draft at Longtable.   That doesn’t preculde us from enjoying a draft at home, 6 feet from our signficiant other, however.  LuLu has embodied the drafter spirit and found electrolyte balance, as displayed below.

The Drafter photos came fast and furious throughout the day.  Apart, we Drafted strong together.

Seems like we suffered a bout of forgetfulness:

Footer forgot where the Tavern was on the route.

Belle and Bomber forgot to take a photo at Riley.  So cute how they share post-ride snacks and Strava data.

Hit-The-Wall forgot the route entirely.  He has a penchant, it seems, for the bike path.  A+ for family time, B- for Drafter attire (allegedly there is a Drafter shirt under his jacket), and C for route.

Sandlot blended right in on the Woodland Trail at Gov Nelson, hiking in her Drafter green.  She forgot the idea was to bike.

Pipes, notorious for forgetting her front wheel, also forgot her bike and joined Sandlot in exercise on foot. 

 

Caboose found a silver lining to virtual Drafting:  he is no longer relegated to a last place finish. No chance of riding Riley Tavern route from MN, but how can you forget Drafter swag?

Following the rules of engagment and therefore eligible for the GRAND PRIZE are the following:

The clear winner(s) in round 1 are Speedy and Duracell. “Road Trip!  Didn’t burn too many calories but we sang a lot in the van.  Too bad it was closed, kids really wanted to have a beer with us.”

Here’s what is on tap for Round 2 next Monday, April 6: PINE LOOP. Same rules apply: text me a photo at the intersetion of PINE RD and SCHUMAN with DRAFTER SWAG.

Pine Loop PDF map download: Pine Loop

Link: Garmin Link Pine Loop

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

Our Drafter Family has Drafted Responsibly since 2013.  We will continue to do so.

Our good friends at SweatVac have donated shapeshifters to physicians on the front lines, and will offer a dramatic discount to cyclists seeking to Draft Responsibly: Link to SweatVac

In an effort to ensure that we Draft responsibly, I tinkered around with the idea of providing these masks for the Monday Draft to Riley Tavern. This gives a new meaning to “going green”.   I entertained a non-Drafting time trial format,  releasing a rider every 3 minutes to maintain a safe distance (exemption for couples already sharing snot). Even if the risk of contamination was eliminated with these measures, we run the risk of being perceived by the community as drafting irresponsibly.

While stewing and brewing over this conundrum, I was epiphanized (I guess you could say I had an epiphany, but this word is so much cooler, although possibly not real).  The Drafter bond  is less about the miles ridden side by side, and more about the stories of those miles (mostly me poking fun at our ineptitudes).  My epiphany for a solution came from watching mini-Pipes conquer her first hairpin turn on concrete.  I wasn’t on the sidewalk at the time, but know it well.  Pipes shared the story and that gave me a sense of community, even without drafting behind mini-Pipes.

 

With that, here are the rules of engagement for the Riley Tavern Route:  

• We will Draft responsibly, not convening as we normally do at 5:30.
• Ride on your own; it must include a portion of the Riley Tavern route in order to be recorded for all prosperity on the offical spreadsheet , henceforth qualifying for a prize (TBD including but not limited to Photo Competition and MVP).
• You must send a selfie with Drafter swag and evidence of the Riley Tavern, date stamped Monday March 30. You do not have to be in Drafter attire, although strongly encouraged to earn photo competition points.
• In case of rain, you can ride indoors and send a selfie with Drafter swag.  No need to have a smart trainer with copious amounts of power data.  Old school Johnny G Spin Bikes work beautfiully. Please consider joining the Tobacco City Peloton (current Edgertonian members: 2).

Side bar: our Hincapie Drafter gear should be shipped April 21.  Keep an eye on your email for shipping confirmation from FedEx as you will need to sign for your package.

Octane has been practicing selfies with his Drafter water bottle. Water bottles, towels, socks, hats, shapeshifters and certainly Drafter kits qualify as swag.

“See” you Monday at Riley Tavern.

Draft repsonbily,

BrickO

Given the circumstances of social isolation and a gloomy March Monday, we made the best of the situation. One bright spot was the addition of Drafter Newbie,  LuLu.  I was worried about his abilities from the start, as he and Vintage nearly collided making the turn from Elmwood Ave over the curb (because we forgot there was a driveway?) into the parking lot. There are many reasons why this would have been bad: 1) failure to follow the no injury policy, 2) Cronometro’s Italian Job wasn’t present to do curbside bike repairs, 3) skin to skin contact is forbidden under the current viral attack.  Luckily, the boys got their signals straight and reluctantly crouched at the starting line, muscles pumping and thumping in time, they’re going the Distance, they’re going for speed.

The only thing I learned about our Newbie was his occupation, some sort of cyclotron jockey. In my mind, this translated into a tech geek working on peloton development. Cyclotron. Peloton.  You can see the connection? So, when he casually asked about my career, I utilized lots of air to drone on about the myriad of initials that have found their way to the end of my name.  I was feeling pretty darn good about myself and my tuition dollar to initial ratio, unitl I got home and googled him.   Yeah, so I should have used more big words and less air during our conversation.  Turns out this dude is a cyclotron jockey… the medical frickin’ physics kind with “experience in radionuclide production, accelerator targetry and radiochemistry, as an analytical and preparative radiochemist in clinical and pre-clinical positron emission tomography (PET) scanning environments, in the construction of automated radiochemistry modules for routine and novel syntheses, and bringing PET radiotracer production facilities from bare slab to routine production and research activities.”  Uh, yeah, so about my initials.  Nevermind.

Half way through the ride, his Drafter handle was decidedly “Einstein” as he clearly knows enough about physics and gravity not to get dropped. But then I noticed the Lululemon emblem on his cycling pants and his handle changed.  No matter that my half century +1 old eyes mistook Novara for Lulu. I can’t keep ’em separated.  LuLu had taken root.

Our “leave no Drafter behind” motto was mostly adhered to.  Booker J showed up on a single speed.  Although the 107 mile Dairy Roubaix has been cancelled, he is determined to continue his rigorous training regimen. With a perspiration rate like his,  the motto had to be modified:  “Leave no Drafter more than 10miles behind “.

Hit-the-Wall, living up to his name, went out hard and turned around at the bike path.  He sent a curious notification to the blog:

His follow up text, “I just couldn’t keep up, so the bike path looked inviting. No beer at the end really kills the motivation, too.”  Couldn’t agree more, Hit-the-Wall.

In this trying time, I thought a few motivational videos from Drafter off-spring might brighten your spirits. Coach Arms has almost gone the 9mo distance with Baby #2, and almost went the distance with another UW Badger Women’s Hockey title.  With the uninvited time off from the rink, she is focusing her coaching energies on muffin making.

Pipes uses teaching points from her bike-deer collision and subequent bonk tip-over scaphoid fracture to coach her off-spring’s first spring ride.

 

As of now, the forecast for next Monday is sunny and 58.  Lots can change, including  social isolation protocol.  I can’t predict if we will be riding apart together or not at all.  But, here’s to hoping for a Riley Tavern Draft next week.

Garmin link: Riley Tavern 22miles

Draft resonsibly,

BrickO