May 9: Stuck In Lodi Again
The Drafters gathered last Monday to honor our eldest member in birthday celebration. It could be said that Nurse Sully is the Mother of Drafters (not to be confused with Mother of Dragons, although I wouldn't mess with either), not simply because she is an AARP card holder, but because she is responsible for getting many of us involved in cycling. Prior to meeting Sully, I thought all bikes had motors , competitive sports required a ball (or puck) and victories were determined by number of points. Little did I know that a cycling victory might look like this: "Hey, I finished the 200k Horribly Hilly in 8 hours without bonking or vomiting!" or, "No flat tires or saddle sores this time. Total win." Thanks for bringing the Draft to us, Sully. We honored her with a cake and beer. Actually, we honored Sally. Ride Sally Ride!
Sticking with the late 60s musical theme, Creedence Clearwater Revival wrote about our destination for next week- LODI. Borrowing from CCR's chords, with lyrics from Cycling Clearheaded Revival:Just a few years ago, we set out on the road,Seekin' my friends and a tailwind, lookin' for cold beer at the end.Things got hilly, and things got more hilly, I guess you will know the route.Oh! Boy, drafting to Lodi again.This is a 40mile jaunt with many options for shorter versions. You can skip the right turn onto Riddle Road and the Cherokee Marsh to knock off 5 miles (sadly, the most scenic 5). You can take the 20/25ish mile Hyer Loop by turning at Kopp Rd. Or, you can do an out and back to Dane for similar mileage.Lodi Marsh 40 Garmin
Wheels up at 5:30 sharp.Draft responsibly,BrickO
May 2: Riley Tavern 20mile Route 6PM Start
18 cyclists came out to play,20mph winds couldn’t keep them way.Riders 6 feet and over were on the front line for a reason:Felt good to draft behind Tall IM Tim and his betrothed, Coach Freezin’.Another wave of 6+ footers allegedly rode the Tour de Dane faster.Somebody better check the odometer for the Tobacco City Boys and Feng Shui Master.The Drafter Manual was consulted for rulings on suspected motorized doping and hematocrit >50% immense.Please see Exhibit A, entered into evidence.
Shiny bikes and their riders with new clipless pedals were out in full force,With saddlebags stocked with Band-Aids, bacitracin, and medicinal whiskey to remedy the road rash, of course.A warm welcome to a few newbies who volunteered for the Draft:Speed Skater Susan, MadPower McKaylah, Ryan from Supreme, Laura from the lab and the Road Rash Twins, Quinoa and Ivy League are now official members of the Riff-Raff.
The 20 mile route for next week is much more sane than Dane, with far fewer miles, hills and corresponding opportunities to complain. The Human Metronome will be leading the Draft. Wheels up at 6PM, not a moment aft. I will be goofing off in the Blue Ridge Mountains of South Carolina, a destination almost as cool as our Canadian Drafter's homeland of Regina.
Draft Responsibly,BrickO