Sept 10: Cocktail Ride
Earth Wind and Fire. I am starting to wonder why the band didn't include water in their handle?
Seems to be the predominate natural element as of late. No matter, we will not be riding on Labor Day, but hopefully dryly Drafting in September.Hey hey heyBa de ya, say do you rememberBa de ya, drafting in SeptemberMy wheel is with youHolding pace with your bike to see youOnly trash talk and loveRemember how we knew drafting was here to stay
We are losing daylight fast. The AC/DC Back in Black ride last week pushed the limits of visibility for all 17 Drafters, but particularly BrickO, who came in behind Caboose and his newbie friend, S-Cat. You might imagine that S is short for Scaredy since he came late and left early, avoiding detection from anyone other than Caboose. Or maybe S is for Smart as he successfully avoided our slipstream bantering. Hard to say, but I hope he returns to Draft another day. No doubt you are wondering why I was the Lantern Rouge on Monday night? Well, maybe that isn't a mystery that needs solving. But, I will say that my new gravel bike, "Jessie", a wedding gift from Z Rex wan't to blame. (Who wants diamonds when you can have gravel? And with enough compression and shifting of my tectonic plates, it's bound to form a diamond eventually) Jessie took inventory of the other gravel bike, ride by B2 Bomber, and went directly to the back of the line.
Exiting to the back of the paceline may have been a bit premature (which implies it was premeditated and therefore under my control- none of which are true), as Bomber was a bit beat up from his Race the Lake excursion the previous day. The lead peloton took a horrific crash with only a few miles left to go. Bomber left it on the course, literally, and still managed to finish in the top 20%. Praise be to the Integument System. Jessie missed her chance to go gravel to gravel with Bomber, but had a lovely time catching with with Coach Arms, who made her first post-baby Drafter debut. In the words of Captain Joe, "I can't even tell she had a baby." For those of us who were in maternity clothes continually between children, we are insanely jealous, but in the spirit of the Drafters, really excited that you look so damn good a few weeks after labor.Bomber wasn't the only one in need of a bandaid after a long ride. As previously reported, Vilks was in the lead group at the Dairyland Dare 300k before succumbing to what he thought was a monster bonk and intense stomach pain. A rare but not unique incident (see results from Triple Bypass circa 2005ish), Vilks did not cross the finish line. This is a legit "I only rode 240k" cycling saga. Turns out, Vilks had more than a little gas. Nothing like an appendectomy to remind us to listen to our bodies, especially when they make us vomit. His biggest obstacle in recovering is mental, after learning whose company he was keeping in the lead group. Vilks had been riding along side Dave Haase, a Fond du Lac native and 5 time Race Across America finisher. If only his appendix had cooperated, Vilks may have gotten some press instead of an ED admission..... FDL Reporter linkIn other endurance event news, Wandering Slow Cow has taken up cross-training to sharpen his skills for the upcoming Ironman. My dear friend, Safari Kris, who was present at the Triple Bypass to witness Vilker's non-appendicitis DNF, endured the long but worthwhile trip to Africa for a hiking adventure. Arms and Legs still hold the gold medal for capturing a Drafter photo with an elephant, but I would say any Drafter photo from Africa qualifies for competition. I wish I had a photo of MegaWatt at the finish line of his Cascade Crest 100 mile trail run in Washington. I only know he finished because I have to be back at work next week, which means he's alive and still my boss. Congrats to all on your magnificent feats.
Make new friends and keep the old. One is silver and the other gold. There is nothing silver about my new friend and Drafter, Formula One. She's raw energy and can hold her own on any descent, which I witnessed numerous times at the Haute Route in Norway. By way of South Africa to England and now residing in the Big Ass state of Texas, welcome Formula One to the Draft!
Seems to be the predominate natural element as of late. No matter, we will not be riding on Labor Day, but hopefully dryly Drafting in September.Hey hey heyBa de ya, say do you rememberBa de ya, drafting in SeptemberMy wheel is with youHolding pace with your bike to see youOnly trash talk and loveRemember how we knew drafting was here to stayWe are losing daylight fast. The AC/DC Back in Black ride last week pushed the limits of visibility for all 17 Drafters, but particularly BrickO, who came in behind Caboose and his newbie friend, S-Cat. You might imagine that S is short for Scaredy since he came late and left early, avoiding detection from anyone other than Caboose. Or maybe S is for Smart as he successfully avoided our slipstream bantering. Hard to say, but I hope he returns to Draft another day. No doubt you are wondering why I was the Lantern Rouge on Monday night? Well, maybe that isn't a mystery that needs solving. But, I will say that my new gravel bike, "Jessie", a wedding gift from Z Rex wan't to blame. (Who wants diamonds when you can have gravel? And with enough compression and shifting of my tectonic plates, it's bound to form a diamond eventually) Jessie took inventory of the other gravel bike, ride by B2 Bomber, and went directly to the back of the line.Exiting to the back of the paceline may have been a bit premature (which implies it was premeditated and therefore under my control- none of which are true), as Bomber was a bit beat up from his Race the Lake excursion the previous day. The lead peloton took a horrific crash with only a few miles left to go. Bomber left it on the course, literally, and still managed to finish in the top 20%. Praise be to the Integument System. Jessie missed her chance to go gravel to gravel with Bomber, but had a lovely time catching with with Coach Arms, who made her first post-baby Drafter debut. In the words of Captain Joe, "I can't even tell she had a baby." For those of us who were in maternity clothes continually between children, we are insanely jealous, but in the spirit of the Drafters, really excited that you look so damn good a few weeks after labor.Bomber wasn't the only one in need of a bandaid after a long ride. As previously reported, Vilks was in the lead group at the Dairyland Dare 300k before succumbing to what he thought was a monster bonk and intense stomach pain. A rare but not unique incident (see results from Triple Bypass circa 2005ish), Vilks did not cross the finish line. This is a legit "I only rode 240k" cycling saga. Turns out, Vilks had more than a little gas. Nothing like an appendectomy to remind us to listen to our bodies, especially when they make us vomit. His biggest obstacle in recovering is mental, after learning whose company he was keeping in the lead group. Vilks had been riding along side Dave Haase, a Fond du Lac native and 5 time Race Across America finisher. If only his appendix had cooperated, Vilks may have gotten some press instead of an ED admission..... FDL Reporter linkIn other endurance event news, Wandering Slow Cow has taken up cross-training to sharpen his skills for the upcoming Ironman. My dear friend, Safari Kris, who was present at the Triple Bypass to witness Vilker's non-appendicitis DNF, endured the long but worthwhile trip to Africa for a hiking adventure. Arms and Legs still hold the gold medal for capturing a Drafter photo with an elephant, but I would say any Drafter photo from Africa qualifies for competition. I wish I had a photo of MegaWatt at the finish line of his Cascade Crest 100 mile trail run in Washington. I only know he finished because I have to be back at work next week, which means he's alive and still my boss. Congrats to all on your magnificent feats.Make new friends and keep the old. One is silver and the other gold. There is nothing silver about my new friend and Drafter, Formula One. She's raw energy and can hold her own on any descent, which I witnessed numerous times at the Haute Route in Norway. By way of South Africa to England and now residing in the Big Ass state of Texas, welcome Formula One to the Draft!
From here on out, the rides will be substantially shorter until we reach the critical mileage of 20, whereby we will deem the miles to beer ratio too small to justify. Please bring FRONT AND REAR BLINKIE LIGHTS if you have them. If said illumination modules are not part of your Drafter gear, consider investing, borrowing, or riding strategically between Drafters who are in compliance with the laws of the light. This should go without saying, but please be READY TO RIDE at 5:30. We need every minute of daylight. I know there are unforeseen circumstances and unusual predicaments, like Tick Tock finding himself locked in the bathroom (while he is an excellent bike mechanic, I strongly discourage you from calling upon Tick Tock for household remodeling projects), which is why we have set up a hotline. Nurse Sully will be on call for such emergencies. Several weeks into retirement, she has taken a part-time job at Pleasant View golf course. If you call, expect to hear this in a sunshiny voice, "Hello. Thanks for calling Pleasant View where every hole is a birdie. This is Sully. How can I help?"The September 10 route is named after a cocktail which I've never imbibed. Next year I will come up with a Sazerak route, for which I am fluent imbiber. The Tom Collins route is a 30 miler, which can easily be cut to 25 by taking the bike path home. It occurs to me that the Missouri Tavern is a historic landmark along the bike path that should be visited, for educational purposes, of course. I propose we arrange for such an interlude, but only if we have blinkie lights and Nurse Sully on call.
Download map PDF: Tom Collins 30 25Garmin link: Tom Collins Cocktail Ride GPS link Garmin link with bike path home: Tom Collins mini-cocktail Ride GPS linkHINCAPIE JERSEYS ARE EN ROUTE, arriving today through Wednesday. If you will not be home to sign for your gear, sign onto the FedEx website and give permission for delivery sans signature.Draft responsibly,BrickO
Download map PDF: Tom Collins 30 25Garmin link: Tom Collins Cocktail Ride GPS link Garmin link with bike path home: Tom Collins mini-cocktail Ride GPS linkHINCAPIE JERSEYS ARE EN ROUTE, arriving today through Wednesday. If you will not be home to sign for your gear, sign onto the FedEx website and give permission for delivery sans signature.Draft responsibly,BrickO
Rain Out Aug 20
Do you remember how nice and sunny it was for the Draft one week ago?
Well, we aren't so lucky tonight, which is a bummer for a variety of reasons: 1) we can't raise a beer glass to toast Tobacco City Boy's birthday. Actually , we can raise and drink said glass, just not together at the Free House post-ride, 2) Pipes put on an extraordinary Drafter yoga class this AM and my posterior chain is in prime flexible form to tackle Black Hill, 3) all of the rain gear I ordered while in Norway has arrived. I'm wondering why I ordered it at all, given that I am quick to cancel the first opportunity I have to try it out? Oh yeah, rain gear looks good in my closet. Maybe I will put on my neon green VeloToze and walk through some puddles, just to test them out (see matching neon green POC gloves and socks in photo above- also part of the retail therapy post Haute Route).I hope to see you all next Monday for the Back in Black ride. There will be NO RIDE the following Mon, Sept 3 as it is Labor Day WEEKEND.REMINDER: Hincapie orders due Aug 22. Orders placed in July will be sent Mon Aug 27. You must sign for FedEx or go online once you get the notice and give permission for it to be left without a signature.Looking for a bike event? Consider riding Tyranena Oktoberfest on Sept 15. Great music and food, not too many hills. Register here: Oktoberfest
Draft responsibly,BrickO