Rockin' To Roxbury
Editor's note: there was a grave reporting error in last week's Drafter statistics. Columbus and Daisy rode the short pour, and were inadvertently missed during the head count. The tally has been corrected to reflect a RECORD HIGH 31 DRAFTERS!
The Garden Party attendance bloomed at 28. A good day to climb, and climb we did. 2000ish feet over 29 miles, including the Beast of Barlow. Slow Cow drafted alone in the late afternoon, sending periodic updates from the course, which also served as proof of existence!
Fresh from their wedding reception, LuLu and Columbus along with bridal party members Gopher and Daisy vowed to draft responsibly.
The B for Bad A** group was mighty. Apparently, garden drinks are an inspiration. Helios made his first drafting appearance since enlisting in 2020. Knievel, recovered from his last stunt, also reenlisted.
Coach Arms even took a break from the rink to cool off with a garden drink. Nitro, who had not yet met the hockey phenom was gassed, "Wow, I figured you must be Coach Arms. I would love to put a 14 gauge IV into those veins." The things anesthesiologists get excited about.....
The A Team was also in full force. BrickO and Z Wrecks feigned Garmin route upload failure, part of their ploy to keep the group together, knowing the brutal climbs would keep em' separated.
Par for the Drafter course, Booker J came in hot to the start.
The Hincapie jersey of choice was clearly beer and sprocket. It was awesome to see the train of green leave the station in single file, drafting responsibly. Well done, Drafters.
The drafting stopped and survival mode started at the bottom of Barlow. She's a beast.
But Barlow was no match for Granny and Cujo, who hammered to the top, while Z Wrecks claimed the KOM for descending with the most G (or Z) forces.
No good deed goes unrewarded. After drafting responsibly, the Drafters were treated to Garden Drinks, mostly arugula with a little bit of gin. The recovery drink of champions. Gatorade , HEED, LMT and Skratch are all scrambling to uncover the formula.
Without Strava segments to distract the Drafters, they focused their efforts on consuming the Garden Drinks in record time. Cannibal had to make a second batch to keep the Drafters recovering responsibly.
Age Group notifications: Happy Birthday to Flash and LuLu. May the force be with you and your VO2max. The Birthday Fairies are considering some special gifts. For LuLu, a new "more senior" Drafter handle, Kid Tron. Flash has been noting some equipment failure during high speed chases, and a new battery pack for her superhero outfit has been ordered from Amazon. It is on backorder.
Octane baked a batch of brownies, which were accented nicely with chocolate chip cookies and oatmeal bars made by the hosts (thank you, Cannibal and Jen). BrickO brought candles for his next birthday (bad math, good intention).
It was a weekend filled with Drafter cycling extravaganzas. Congratulations to Vintage on his performance at the WORS Red Barn Classic. Turns out Vintage can bring home the bacon and fry it up in a pan.
The Fitchburg Festival of Speed with never ever ever let Cannibal forget he's the man.
In triathlon news, Flash made a splash in Benton Harbor at the Steelhead 70.3. Keez found her way to the podium at the Ames Triathlon. Well done!
Not quite race pace, these Drafters worked to bring a Sunday Funday community ride to Middleton. Check out Wheel and Sprocket no drop rides on Sunday at 9AM.
A round of applause for our Drafter of the Month, SANDLOT. Recovering from a ski accident has kept her from pushing hard on the bike. But she brings her experience and enthusiasm every Wednesday to help guide the W&S Women on Wheels rides. And that is after a long day of delivering compassionate and competent patient care. Sandlot is the recipient of the 2022 Nurse Excellence Award. You're killing me, Smalls.
Since we have a week off for the July 4th holiday, legs should be well rested and ready to rock to Roxbury. This is an ambitious 42 mile excursion with some extraordinary roads and climbs, including Dunlap Hollow. The shorter pour option is to skip the turn onto Katzenbuechel Rd (mile 15) and stay on KP all the way to County Road V, turning right. This will remove ~5 miles and lots of elevation.
The Archies song "Sugar Sugar" may be playing in your head as you climb, with some modified lyrics.
Dunalp
Oh, hollow, hollow
You are my climbin’ hill
And you got me wanting you
And you got me f- wanting you
When I climbed you, hill
I knew how sweet a watt could be
RidewithGPS link to Roxbury (Dunlap Hollow)
Draft responsibly,
BrickO
Cannibal's Garden Party
Near record high June temperatures brought about a near record number of 29 Drafters, including 3 newbies. There were some tired legs post- Horribly Hilly Hundreds, accompanied by big smiles. One big smile made the cover photo of the HHH. Welcome to the Draft, GQ.
Our other two newbies are well trained to take care of all your pain needs. Recruited by Pit Stop and Duchess, we now have two anesthesiologists who will monitor your vitals during the Draft and recommend the perfect post-ride cocktail to minimize your pain. Sadly, one of them will be drafting soon from NC. Welcome Charlotte and Nitro. More gas, please.
The B for Bad A** team had an excellent showing. 16 Drafters blasted into the furnace. Speedy came in hot, forgetting her helmet but remembering her cooler with post-draft beverages. Loose Screw jumped a flight from Montana, stopped home for a change into Drafter gear and pulled up on the tarmac ready to ride, with fly fishing lure still in hand. Gopher was running a bit lean after the HHH, hoping not to run out of fuel completely. He had his foot on the pedal, eager to arrive home before Badger to celebrate their wedding anniversary. Late to that party would be a big hole to dig, Gopher. Swimming in the humidity, the B Team found Nemo and also discovered Busch Latte at Riley Tavern, drafting responsibly.
The A team had a respectable showing of 13. The ground rules for proper drafting etiquette were reviewed (see incriminating evidence from previous draft). The team improved, but still has a ways to go to meet Drafter Code. Squirrel took to heart the warning not to cross the center line. Riding so far to the right, Squirrel ended up on the gravel shoulder. Just once. No fur went missing. Our group is well received in the community (at least, I hope so). Riding more than 2 abreast on country roads and single file when cars are present is non-negotiable and the price of admission. Draft responsibly.
Vilks was pretty in pink. So pretty, the Drafters were checking his 23andMe to see how much Greek blood flowed through his veins. To the surprise of all, Vilks is 98% Pomeranian.
When the Strava hunters got ahead of the Draft, Vilks weaved back and forth in a failed track stand attempt, successfully leaving no Drafter behind as they waited for the light to turn green. Karma is real. A few miles later, Vilks dropped a chain and Midas didn't lose her touch, calling for backup. Vintage circled back to pick up the Pomeranian in Pink.
Han Solo was the only solo fired up this week. There was no need to stoke the solo stove in 96 degree weather. There was, however, a call for some serious rehydration.
WEEKEND REVIEW: Congrats to LuLu, Skipper, Gopher, Z Wrecks and Booker J who participated in the Horribly Hilly Hundreds on Saturday. The HHH is usually a Sufferfest, but thanks to Mother Nature allowing for a 75 degree day with negligible humidity and wind and superb support by Race Day Events, those 10,000 feet of climb over 127 miles didn't require anesthetization. A shout out to Zach at Blue Mounds Bicycle Works for opening his shop at 6:30AM and supplying Gopher with a SRAM battery, which he forgot at home on his countertop. To his credit, it was fully charged.
As with all endurance events, smiles and ATPs are plentiful in the beginning.
And then, as Skipper's socks and Gopher's hand gesture indicate, things go south.
But all is well that ends well.
Looks like the Drafters have GQ on the front cover and LuLu on the Strava podium. Or, he would have been on the podium had he not waited for his teammates at the the rest stops. Humble warrior that he is, LuLu said, "Ha! That number wouldn't motivate me. I am stoked about the ride we had-- wouldn't change a single moment." And THAT what we love about the Drafter Family. Strava certainly has a place in cycling, as does Drafting together. Keep it real.
Not all Drafters were on two wheels. Footer took the crown at her first Barefoot Competition since 1999. Baby got back.
Not all wins are athletic. Congrats to the Dark Knight on leading the UW Dept of Orthopedics Research Draft.
CHAMOIS SHARE: Booker J overheard some female Drafters talking about discomfort of their lady parts while riding. "I KNEW it! I KNEW it! Girls talk about their parts, too." Oh, Booker J. So much to learn. This revelation prompted him to share a chamois story. "When I first started cycling, nobody told me not to wear underwear under by cycling shorts. I kept waiting to hear other guys complaining about their guy parts, cuz mine were all chaffed and irritated. Finally, somebody told me to lose the underwear." So much to learn.
The ride on June 27 will be hosted by Cannibal and will start from Woodhill Circle in Verona. Check GroupMe for an address. We will celebrate Cannibal's BIRTHDAY with Garden Drinks afterwards. Aprons are optional.
RidewithGPS link to Cannibal's Garden Party
There will be no Draft on Monday July 4.
Draft responsibly,
BrickO