Down in the Holler July 13
It was hotter than hell riding to Church on Monday. 16 sweet and sweaty drafters, including 3 newbie members of the flock, found redemption. The newbies picked the hottest and longest ride on record for 2020 to join the Draft. Welcome Ninja, Rimshot and Blurple.
Not all Drafters rode under the hotter than hell sun. The Dark Knight interrupted his torpor state to ride early in the day, sending a bat signal alerting us to danger on the Blue Mound Trail descent. BrickO, having departed with the B team 30 min before the official start, was at the top of Blue Mound Trail, fielding a phone call (from her son who was being confronted by the local sheriff after having set off the cabin security system- so happy to be his "one" phone call), when she saw a flash of purple light. It was Cannibal escorting two newbies, Rimshot and Blurple, down Blue Mound Trail. Undeterred by Dark Knight's cautionary tale, the trio raced at the speed of (purple) light down the aforementioned 3 gravel stretches. Ending the call, BrickO carefully descended in their afterglow, per the Dark Knight's warning.When what to my wondering eyes did appear,but a gaggle of cyclists with flat tires, front & rear,With Cannibal and newbies deflated so quick,I knew in a moment they had been ficke'd (urban dictionary: to learn the hard way)Rimshot tied the long-standing record, held by Z Wrecks, for 2 flat tires in a single ride. He double flatted shooting down those gravel stretches on Blue Mound Trail. Cannibal and Blurple stopped to render assistance, which left Bomber free to break away and catch his breath. And for me to catch him. Bomber: "I told myself to go easy in this heat." BrickO: "Did you really think that you would?" Bomber: "Yeah, but then those new guys showed up with Cannibal and hammered down Airport Rd." BrickO: "And you had to go with them?" It was a rhetorical question.After fixing 2 flats, the trio was back in action and howling over 30mph down KP in Cross Plains. They came upon the B team, who had stopped for a mechanical. Oblivious to the Drafter code of ethics, which is a one-time allowance, Cannibal hollered out as they flew by, "Couldn't stand the pressure?" What he should have said was, "Can we stop to offer roadside assistance?" Ficke #2: what comes around goes around. Shortly after KP, rolling on enough CO2 to reach 40psi, Rimshot flatted a third time on the Bourbon St train tracks, ruining his rim. Bourbon isn't for everyone. Looks like the pressure, or lack thereof, got to Rimshot. Flat tire #3 is an uncontested new record and puts him in first place for the 2020 Flat Tire Club Award.LuLu and Kermit didn't stop for Bourbon, but rode through Culver's drive thru for a peach melba waffle cone. For anyone else looking to offset the caloric debt, Belle brought oatmeal apricot almond cookies, which she baked in lieu of completing her indoor air conditioned Zwift ride, in lieu of drafting in hell's kitchen. Her failure to ride benefited all of us.Home from church, recovery pizza, beer and cookies runneth over. The newbies were carefully interviewed. Ninja isn't really a newbie. She's been coerced by BrickO on numerous occasions to suffer through various endurance cycling events. This was her first Monday night appearance, traveling from Green Bay and back to enjoy the heat and company. Her insanity is undisputed. Membership granted. Blurple and Rimshot's riding capabilities gave us pause. Did we really want to induct members who make Bomber sweat? And to do so on a purple bike wearing a jelly bean jersey? The decision to induct (indict?) to the Draft was unanimous, despite their excessive fitness. Rimshot showed strength of character not fussing over his costly ride. And Blurple's compelling charm was revealed when he rebutted a nick name predicated on something superficial like his bike and jelly bean color (Grape Ape v.1). But, a little research into jelly bean anatomy revealed that there is much more beneath the surface and we agreed that a Drafter handle should about be something more than color. It should be about family.[gallery columns="2" size="large" ids="6524,6523"]
Happy Birthday this week to Speedy, Special K and Caboose. Speedy isn't about to wind down anytime soon. Neither is her smile.
Special K is celebrating her again event by gearing up for a 100 mile run on Aug 1. Drafters are being summoned to lend support. There is one very Special rest stop, whereby Special K will be sworn in, giving Wisconsin the highest percentage of women on the state's highest court.Caboose has left the station, headed to MN. He may not draft with us on Monday nights, but always in spirit.Bike Fed Polish Moon Ride: we will soon be receiving beer, coffee and t-shirts (check your email from Jake at Bike Fed to give your size) for our two first place finishes for largest team and most miles. Congrats! Thanks for supporting the BikeFed and the Draft. Kermit clearly did not comply with mileage submission instructions. 25.6 miles? You rode more than that on a single Draft!
HINCAPIE DRAFTER GEAR UPDATE: Several drafters have inquired about placing another order for jerseys, kits, etc. The store is open through July 19. This will be the FINAL order of the season. For those still waiting on the previous order, I will keep you updated. Typically, in non-pandemic times, the turnaround is ~2 months. Apparently, this order is closer to one month?Bricko's Drafters Individual Rider Store:
- This link is to share with team members so they can place their own orders which will ship directly to each individual.
- Link: https://order.hincapiecustom.com/BRICKOS2020
- Dates: Now – midnight of Sunday, July 19th
- Orders ship (4) weeks after the close date of the store and deliver within 2-4 business days
This coming Monday, July 13, we will ride 42 miles down (and up) in the holler. Our plan is to do recon this afternoon. Stay tuned for changes and updates. 5PM departure. Pizza provided. Beer and lawn chairs are your responsibility. On that note: please turn on your GroupMe app for Drafter and Dirty Drafter updates (separate groups). If you are NOT on the list and want to receive updates on things like road conditions, weather updates, etc., text me and I will add you.DISCLAIMER: The Drafter administration is partial to Garmin, but can't figure out how to make cue sheets using that platform. RidewithGPS (for a fee, covered by your dues) creates cue sheets, but in my limited experience, can have non-operator dependent errors (plus operator errors). In short, I am not impressed. Like anyone gives a rip. Please carry a map, load coordinates into your Garmin if possible, do not ride alone, carry food and water to last through the night, and send a bat signal for help.
RidewithGPS link: Dunlap HollowDownload map and cue sheet: Dunlap HollowFor those wanting a shorter version, may I suggest you try the Tom Collins (30mile). The only reservation for this route is the stretch on Hwy 19. No love on that section of road. This route provides excellent viewing of the Bridge to Nowhere over Hwy 12, connecting nothing to nothing.RidewithGPS link: Tom Collins Download map and cue sheet: Tom Collins
Draft responsibly,BrickO