Epic Riley Route
Mother Nature sure knows how to throw a party. Gale force winds and heavy rains swept through Dane County, forcing the 4:30 B team to succumb. By 5:30, the skies and roads were clear and dry, respectively, although the same could not be said for Skipper's driveway.
Octane provided the inspiration for the Drafters to come out of their storm cellars and ride in solidarity.
Almost. The C team was created for those riders recovering from Covid and not yet on their A game.
Comet and Midas came in hot at 5:30, but were unable to park in the driveway as Booker J took up all 3 stalls, redefining his limits using his VIP Tarmac pass.
Casually exiting his vehicle, jaws dropped as he unloaded his new Specialized Tarmac with added rotational torque. Booker J no longer needs his small chainring, apparently. Or perhaps the electronic shifting manual has yet to be reviewed? Granny is eagerly awaiting the arrival of her Specialized Tarmac, outfitted with lead water bottle cages to keep her from winning all the QOMs.
Everyone opted for the extra mileage on Lodi Springfield Rd, a 3 mile out and back with stunning views of the Lodi Marsh. The marks for creativity were slightly impacted by the required U turn. The Drafter cartographer has been notified. Expect a figure 8 in 2023.
Hit-the- Wall made his debut and a resolution to not hit the wall in 2022. Hanging with the group until Dane, he assessed his metabolic state and made the mature decision to turn back for Octane's brownies.
There were also some signs of not drafting responsibly. A gentle reminder that we need to be respectful of our place on the road. It was wonderful to have a chill ride as a single group, but we need to socialize with no more than two riders abreast at all times and do not cross the center line (exception can be made for snot rockets).
CONGRATULATIONS
We have another Drafter couple soon to be on the alter. Congrats to Bomber and Belle on their engagement. They both are ready to say "I do" to another dirty gravel adventure, the Lutsen 99er.
Congrats to Vintage on his Bronze Age Group finish at WORS!
Congrats to some of the Drafter XXers for completing the weekend challenge: 2 Kokoro yoga sessions, 2 MTB rides, 30 mile road ride, 1 sazerac and 1 maiden voyage Lake Lounger cruise without bodily harm. All activities were fully fueled by cookies from Cookie Monster.
Congrats to Sandlot and Duchess on drafting responsibly to church. It doesn't appear to be Vermont Church, as indicated on the route sheet, but this is a freedom we support.
Congrats to Sully for inspiring another group of women to cycle, including the better halves of Billy Boy, Loose Screw and Queenie. Sharing a post ride draft with these women was a hoot. Billy Boy's wife has a code phrase for "leave me alone", which is "I find myself most fascinating", right up there with Amelia Earhart. While discussing the logistics of changing a flat tire, Loose Screw's wife pointed out that calling an Uber is a viable option. Welcome to the Draft, Earhart and Uber. The Drafter mission is to include women spanning at LEAST 5 decades to draft on Monday nights. We have achieved that for men, but it is time for Title Nine to come to the Draft.
CHAMOIS SHARE: This week's column on chamois shame is one near and dear to my... parts. In the early days of Ironman triathlon, tri suits did not exist (one-piece suits with a minimal chamois that doesn't act like a diaper in the water, provides sufficient protection during the bike, and minimizes saggy baggy during the run). Most female triathletes in the early to mid 90s wore 2-piece Speedo swim suits. The downside: no bike chamois. The upside: easy bladder relief and easy clean up on the bike. In 1997, during the Vineman in Santa Rosa, CA, BrickO was racing with two bottles on the bike: one with water and one with Gatorade. Attention to bladder evacuation protocol was lost and Gatorade was added to the dribble, creating an interesting Wapatui concoction. A critical decision had to be made: dump the remaining bottle of water to ride sticky free, or keep the remaining water for hydration?
THE HINCAPIE STORE IS OPEN THROUGH MIDNIGHT FRIDAY JUNE 17. Orders for the 10th Anniversary kit, MTB jersey and winter jacket is now open through this Hincapie Drafter Store link. If you have an item that doesn't fit to your specifications, there is a good chance another Drafter would take it off your hands (or back). Give a shout out on GroupMe. If you want to try before you buy, shoot me a text.
Considering the Horribly Hilly Hundreds this weekend, the route for Monday June 20 will be a relatively benign 31-mile trek south. Special K is appealing her 2021 Epic Loop case to the higher Drafter court, objecting to the lack of guidance riding around the closed loop containing Epic, the Verona based electronic medical records giant. Seems the Judge can navigate difficult decisions impacting our world, but struggles to ride in a circle. Therefore, the Epic Loop no longer subsides in this epic ride. Case closed. Next.
RidewithGPS Epic Riley Route link
Draft responsibly,
BrickO
Rock of Ages
15 Drafters headed to Church. The B Team was unified in spirit and Hincapie Drafter kits, but shared few watts (20% off any non-custom Hincapie item with code SBRICKSON) With the impending vertical challenge of 2410' feet, 4 B team members departed at 4:30, with Z Wrecks and Speedy trailing behind at 5 and 5:15, respectively. Queenie started on his own and joined up with the B Team somewhere out on the long lonesome highway west of Middleton.
When asked about the early start, the former 2-time Olympian bluntly stated, "I like short rides, short hills and short shorts. This is none of those." Footer backed up her teammate, "I averaged 12mph two weeks ago and haven't biked since. I'd like to be in before dark." Special K brought snacks to last through the evening. And so, they were off.
The A team was small but mighty, thanks to the addition of Madison Multisport coaching and cycling phenoms, Comet and Midas. The blue Trek cyclocross bike with knobby tires looked like a hindrance, but the Comet road that thing like a rocket. Welcome to the Draft! His bride, Midas, does not appear in the official Excel Drafter files dating back to 2018, but there is confirmation from trusted sources that she is a card holding Drafter. Midas has not lost her touch. No longer racing on the triathlon circuit, she touches so many lives through coaching, helping endurance athletes reach their goals. Back in her days as a massage therapist, she literally had the Midas touch.
"Turn the Pedals", lyrics by Bob Seger shamefully modified to meet our Drafter newbies.
On a long and lonesome highway
West of Middleton
You can listen to Comet's engine
Moanin' out his big watt song
You can think about his cross bike
Or the girl you know is coming for you
But your thoughts will soon be wandering
The way they always do
When you're ridin' 38 miles
And there's much climbin’ to do
And you don't feel much like climbin’
You just wish the hill was through
See here I am
On the road again
There I am
Up on Barlow
Here I go
Draftin’' star again
There I go
Turn the cranks
The B Team stopped at Church for reconciliation as Pitstop's Garmin Virtual Partner had already completed the ride. "Are we really only at mile 15? I think I need a new virtual partner".
The A Team was plagued with chain drops. The group climbed the hill to church, looking for guidance. There were whispers of sabotage to keep Cannibal at bay. Octane feigned a pull on KP just to slow down the pace before dropping a chain on Barlow, forcing Cannibal to stop and render assistance, in compliance with the Drafter code.
One thing Fo'Sho, Forshaug Rd was worth the watts. The ski slopes of Tyrol Basin are the Midwest version of a Rocky Mountain high.
Barlow is a beast. Fortunately, we came from the south and mostly enjoyed descending the beast. Skipper hit upwards of 50mph and attempted to keep enough speed to make it up Barlow's little rollers without pedaling. He was 18 strokes short.
The threatening sky was all talk, no action. The action came in the form of Z Wrecks' Sazeracs, which took the chill out of our bones and put a wobble in Cannibal's walk.
There was much to celebrate over a Sazerac. Belle and Cujo rocked the Unbound Gravel 200, a true measure of grit (and grime as it rained heavily most of the day).
Belle wasn't the only one playing in the gravel. Slow Cow completed the Italy Divide, 1250k of gravel, riding ~50 miles per day with 30 pounds of gear. There are no signs of this drafter slowing down. He has his sights set on the Trans Balkan Race in 2023. For every Slow Cow there is a Pigman.
Keez took the podium for 1st Collegiate Woman at the Pigman Triathlon, Olympic distance. No matter how many women signed up. A win is a win, and this one wearing her new colors representing the Wisconsin Triathlon Team.
Not all victories include a podium. Fighting back from a torn ACL takes grit, too, and Sandlot is well on her way to a victory.
The Drafter mission is to encourage cycling at all levels. There are not enough women out there, and it is our goal to help get them started and empower them to keep riding. BrickO, Sully and Sandlot will be leading beginner level rides for Wheel and Sprocket in Middleton every other Wednesday at 5PM. If you or someone you love needs help pedaling, please join us.
Madison Women's Cycling Club is committed to this mission as well, an enthusiastic group of riders who welcome all levels. They meet Tue evenings at 6PM at the Biergarten at Olbrich Park.
Looking to rock out without a bike? Check out Queenie with SuperTuesday this Thursday at Concerts on the Rooftop. Tickets are free. Beer is not.
On that note, the route for Monday June 13 is Rock of Ages (32 miles) with the option to add a few extra miles riding to Lodi (38 miles total). Be sure to download the right tune.
RidewithGPS Rock of Ages Plus Lodi link
We will conclude this post with our weekly CHAMOIS SHARE, or perhaps CHAMOIS SHAME. This one comes from Vintage.
"When I first started riding in Pittsburgh I didn't know anyone else that rode. I went to REI and bought a pair of what I thought were bike shorts. They were actually just liners. I wore them with nothing on top for good for 5 months, to group rides and everything, without anyone telling me that they could see all of my a**crack. Thank goodness this was 12 years ago in a different state or else I may not be able to show my face on two wheels around here."
Draft responsibly,
BrickO