Drafter 2019 Finale
The weather cooperated beautfilly for the Tyranena Oktoberfest ride on Saturday. Drafters were out in full force.
Despite rain on Sunday and for the forseable future, Mother Nature did us a solid on Monday. We defintely finished the season strong, with a record high 26 Drafters in attendance and over 40 for a cold draft afterwards. Some things never change- like Slow Cow arriving at 5:29:30 for 5:30 wheels up. But there were also a few surprises, like a newbie, Lucky Ducharme and the resurfacing of Dr. Wampus. She picked the last ride to start the Drafter season, but don't be fooled. Her Peloton training had unsuspecting riders working hard to catch her Draft. As the company goes public, no doubt Dr. Wampus will be their cover girl. Not just another pretty face- this chick can ride.
The Riley Tavern route is hard to screw up. There is really only one turn onto Maurer Road that you absolutely do not want to miss, as it means roaring down Timber Lane only to have to do an about face and climb back out of the valley. And that's exactly what Skipper did.
We had 21 miles to cover in 65 minutes of daylight. Booker J wasted no time, setting a blistering pace. He lost all sorts of body fluids- sweat pouring from under his helmet, mixing with snot streaming from his nose and saliva trickling from the corners of his mouth. He looked like a St. Bernard at the finish. "I can't tell what's what in this mix of body fluids." Sparky finished with plenty of light to spare, unlike last week when she double flatted. Unable to contain her surprise, she exclaimed, "I can't beleive it! Nothing went wrong? Other than I had to fix another flat before I came." Lucky could have used some of the light Sparky left behind. She weighed her options on Midtown: turn around and drink beer at Riley Tavern or phone a friend? What's one more Uber driver to join the festivites at Longtable?
Cannibal is included in the head count, as he phoned in from Paris during the Drafter party to recieve his award.
The season wrap up went something like this...Link to Drone Master's Drafters on Bikes Drinking BeerLink to Drafter's Season HighlightsFirst the stats (good thing MegaWatt wasn't there to weigh in on p-values): since conception in 2013, we have had 105 Drafters draft. We claimed 653.26 miles of asphalt this year. Disclaimer: this does not include short cuts and misdiretions, which were frequent and unmonitored. Our longest and shorest rides were Back Door to Church 43.4 and Riley Tavern 21.96 miles, respectively. 20 Newbies joined the Draft, right up until the last ride (welcome, Lucky).
No doubt cycling is more fun when the machine is working well, the fit is perfect and the watering holes are plentiful. A hug shout out and thanks to our our excellent support from Cronometro, Free House (huge shout out to Amy) and Longtable. I strongly encourage you to frequent all locations. Colin, Scott and Paul at Crono not only know bikes, they know how to ride and travel. Cyclesport Travel has 4 spots left for the Pyraenees Playground trip June 15-25, 2020. Or the Alps in July, Tuscany in Sept. Check it out here: Cyclesport Travel
Despite rain on Sunday and for the forseable future, Mother Nature did us a solid on Monday. We defintely finished the season strong, with a record high 26 Drafters in attendance and over 40 for a cold draft afterwards. Some things never change- like Slow Cow arriving at 5:29:30 for 5:30 wheels up. But there were also a few surprises, like a newbie, Lucky Ducharme and the resurfacing of Dr. Wampus. She picked the last ride to start the Drafter season, but don't be fooled. Her Peloton training had unsuspecting riders working hard to catch her Draft. As the company goes public, no doubt Dr. Wampus will be their cover girl. Not just another pretty face- this chick can ride.The Riley Tavern route is hard to screw up. There is really only one turn onto Maurer Road that you absolutely do not want to miss, as it means roaring down Timber Lane only to have to do an about face and climb back out of the valley. And that's exactly what Skipper did.We had 21 miles to cover in 65 minutes of daylight. Booker J wasted no time, setting a blistering pace. He lost all sorts of body fluids- sweat pouring from under his helmet, mixing with snot streaming from his nose and saliva trickling from the corners of his mouth. He looked like a St. Bernard at the finish. "I can't tell what's what in this mix of body fluids." Sparky finished with plenty of light to spare, unlike last week when she double flatted. Unable to contain her surprise, she exclaimed, "I can't beleive it! Nothing went wrong? Other than I had to fix another flat before I came." Lucky could have used some of the light Sparky left behind. She weighed her options on Midtown: turn around and drink beer at Riley Tavern or phone a friend? What's one more Uber driver to join the festivites at Longtable?Cannibal is included in the head count, as he phoned in from Paris during the Drafter party to recieve his award.The season wrap up went something like this...Link to Drone Master's Drafters on Bikes Drinking BeerLink to Drafter's Season HighlightsFirst the stats (good thing MegaWatt wasn't there to weigh in on p-values): since conception in 2013, we have had 105 Drafters draft. We claimed 653.26 miles of asphalt this year. Disclaimer: this does not include short cuts and misdiretions, which were frequent and unmonitored. Our longest and shorest rides were Back Door to Church 43.4 and Riley Tavern 21.96 miles, respectively. 20 Newbies joined the Draft, right up until the last ride (welcome, Lucky).No doubt cycling is more fun when the machine is working well, the fit is perfect and the watering holes are plentiful. A hug shout out and thanks to our our excellent support from Cronometro, Free House (huge shout out to Amy) and Longtable. I strongly encourage you to frequent all locations. Colin, Scott and Paul at Crono not only know bikes, they know how to ride and travel. Cyclesport Travel has 4 spots left for the Pyraenees Playground trip June 15-25, 2020. Or the Alps in July, Tuscany in Sept. Check it out here: Cyclesport Travel
The biggest thanks go to all of you for being part of the Drafter family. We've shared many moments together- births, marriages, retirements, new homes, and the converse- deaths, divorce, and hardships that make life real and cycling a release. Here are a shout outs that were given Monday night at our soiree.
FLAT TIRE CLUB INDUCTEES: we had 8 join the club, plus Booker J as an honorary member for breaking a cable. Nobody claimed gold( 3 flats or more), luckily.
That's a wrap! Stay tuned for info on the Dirty Draft this Wed at Pleasant View, 5PM. Mother Nature is threatening to rain on that parade. Next year we will likely institute a regular Dirty Draft to compliment our road presence.Here are a few more fall rides to consider:
Register here
Register hereWherever you draft, Draft responsibly. Fly the colors. Be kind. Make the world a better place, even if only for a short time each day.BrickO
FLAT TIRE CLUB INDUCTEES: we had 8 join the club, plus Booker J as an honorary member for breaking a cable. Nobody claimed gold( 3 flats or more), luckily.That's a wrap! Stay tuned for info on the Dirty Draft this Wed at Pleasant View, 5PM. Mother Nature is threatening to rain on that parade. Next year we will likely institute a regular Dirty Draft to compliment our road presence.Here are a few more fall rides to consider:Register hereRegister hereWherever you draft, Draft responsibly. Fly the colors. Be kind. Make the world a better place, even if only for a short time each day.BrickO