Spring Has Sprung. Let's Draft!
Spring has sprung and it is time for the Drafter song to be sung. 2022 represents the 10th Anniversary of the Drafters. Our humble beginnings have evolved from 13 to 137 strong. To be clear, we are not necessarily the strongest cycling group with respect to pumping wattage through the quadage, but I challenge any other group to be stronger in spirit. And beer consumption, always drafting responsibly.
The season will kick off, pending cooperative weather, this Monday, March 21st. As the pandemic is quieting down and Drafters are less likely to be working remotely, we will return to a later start time to accommodate those on the clock.
5:30PM will be the official “wheels up” departure time. The B for Badass Team may elect for a 5:15PM departure. As a reminder, the B Team isn’t less fit, but tend to 1) make frequent Pit Stops
2) wrong turns,
3) ignore Strava segments or/and 4) like the male to female ratio.
Regardless of your wave, please be on time (Dan-yelly has special exemption status).
Departures will mainly be from the Z-BrickO bike hub and pub. Several Drafters have offered to host rides this summer, which should be a fun way to explore and get lost on more beautiful country roads. Cannibal is on point for garden drinks. Let’s see if anyone else has the quads to rock an apron.
The blog will provide weekly route information, including a downloadable PDF cue sheet and RidewithGPS link so you can upload the route your GPS device. Bread crumbs will be left by Vintage, who usually starts snacking within the first few miles, for those who are technologically challenged.
There is no guarantee the cue sheets are 100% accurate, although Columbus, our Team Cartographer, double checks BrickO’s shoddy work. When in doubt, climb.
It is highly recommended that you download the Wordpress App. The sighs are audible… yes, you’ll need to create an account. And remember a password. It’s free and painless. Get over it. The route and map are at your fingertips with the app. A blog entry generates an email, if you have it set up that way, so you will know when the route has been posted. Last minute updates will be communicated using GroupMe. This includes road construction, detours, cancellations due to weather, and random important updates Drafters feel compelled to share. Send BrickO your mobile number to be added to the GroupMe Drafter list.
These rides are 100% unsupported. Each Drafter is responsible for knowing the route, bike maintenance and sustenance. Drone Master went half a season before realizing tires required air. Aerospace engineers are some sorta special breed. When in doubt, follow Vintage. The breadcrumbs will keep you from getting lost or going hungry. The group usually doesn’t stay together, but no Drafter is left behind.
There are very few rules, but it is important to follow the few we have: 1) Be nice. Leave the Draft a better group than you found it (which is no small feat). 2) Follow the rules of the road, wear a helmet and have a light. We are a visible (high vis green, to be exact) group in the community and want to make a good name for cyclists everywhere. 3) Don’t draft alone. Get it? The name implies as much. 4) Have fun. Grow your cycling passion. The last is a suggestion more than a rule: 5) In the spirit of the Draft, wear green. Not your color? Think Yoda, Hulk, Kermit, Green Lantern, Shrek, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Grinch. Don’t let your Drafter heart be two sizes too small.
10-year anniversary kits will be available through Hincapie Sportswear. The online store will be opening later this week and a link will be provided. Order at will! If you are uncertain about sizing, be sure to try on a kit before ordering as there are no returns, only intradrafter trading. The Velocity series is race cut (tight fitting) while the Axis is club cut (loose fitting, and a bit longer in the torso, which Drafters over 6 feet tall sometimes appreciate). Bibs and shorts come in two different lengths, so be sure to order carefully. Packages are delivered FedEx to your home, so there is no middle-drafter. They MUST be signed for, so give some thought to that, or sign electronically with your FedEx account (another password to remember, sorry).
The post-draft draft is an important part of the perpetual dehydration plan, approved by medical professionals nowhere, and deeply entrenched in Drafter culture. Nothing is provided except a patch of lawn and fire pit, which has been known to expand onto said patch of lawn. Feel free to bring a beverage, food and lawn chair. Some Drafters order pizza, others pack a delicious dinner, most salivate longingly and then head home to feast. You do you.
The season will start in the 20-mile route range, grow with daylight to 40ish mile routes in July, and then taper back down until dusk closes out the season in October. There will be many opportunities to ride events as a team. In fact, registration for the Lake Ripley Ride just opened up and is discounted through the end of March. Hope to see you out there on July 30 (be sure to register with BrickO’s Drafters).
For those Drafters who like to get dirty, our MTB contingent is growing. Wednesday evenings are the unofficial Dirty Draft, rotating between various trails like Blackhawk, Pleasant View, Quarry Ridge and CamRock. Unsure about getting dirty? No problem. All levels welcome. More details to follow once the trails dry out.
There is a Drafter crew already signed up for the Chequamegon MTB festival Sept 17.
Our first Drafting adventure will be a short draft to Riley Tavern.
Let the season begin!
Draft responsibly,
BrickO
The Last Dance
Oh, my, my, oh, hell yes
Honey, put on that drafter dress.
Mother Nature smiled upon the Drafters for the last dance on Saturday. The sun rose up to burn off the heavy fog, laying like a thick blanket over Dane County. The wind stayed quiet except for the air moving between the 21 Drafters as they enjoyed one last A-Mazo 50 mile (51.75, it was pointed out) journey together.
Speedy started the Draft off by laying down the hammer... Cashmere Hammer.
It must have really been a "special occasion" as GrannyZilla busted out her new Hincapie Drafter kit!
The ground rules were set. The only hammer being laid down was Cashmere. Cannibal put the bit in his mouth and Skipper and Vilks held the reigns. First red light on the road to Mazomanie and the Draft was still moving as one. Vilks, having aged up to the half century mark the day before, was barely moving.
A few highlights on these final A-Mazo drafters: Pit Stop willed herself back in the saddle after an unfortunate cycling incident (naughty driver never caught). Octane no longer has a pain in his butt after a successful spinal surgery and is back to full gas. Footer kept many Drafters on track by mobilizing their livers. This is not a small task with this group. Speedy had one sip of "sassy ass" sazerac and needed her liver mobilized STAT. GrannyZilla learns to shift gears and a week later, shifts to the front of the Draft. Queenie drafts on Monday but is super on Tuesday. Cannibal reconsiders a career as a cocktail waitress. Han no longer solo, with Princess Leah and their puppy, Watson. Duracell decides to play dirty and buys a MTB! Skipper buys a ski boat, possibly to escape the IMBA paparazzi. Vilks rode nearly 20x times his age, to claim a podium at Race Across the West with Skipper, BrickO and Slim. Vintage rode the A-Mazo 50 on a gravel bike in preparation for his 144 mile gravel grinder next weekend. Didn't seem to slow him down. Drafter officials are checking for a motor. And the laundry for his eternally absent Drafter gear. Z Wrecks recruited several more UW faculty in order to have a quorum for Monday night faculty meetings. Thing 1 started medical school and could act as a proxy if there isn't a quorum. Gopher hit the 3k mile mark, up from 2k miles last year. Rimshot was honored as the Son of Shawano after winning Bike the Barns. Belle has taken the world by storm- or maybe by gravel, conquering SBT GVL and Barry Roubaix. Cookie Monster is gaining on her PhD, and on raising one of the most expressive, joyful, raspberry eating kiddos on the planet! Billy Boy rode early and late in the season, and found golf and yoga in between. He often can be heard yelling, FORE, NAMASTE. Pipes has been orchestrating a special yoga session for Billy Boy and Loose Screw, who must wear a helmet during yoga sessions. Pipes holds court every Tuesday AM for Drafters who need help finding their toes and their inner warrior.
Back to the A-Mazo Draft. There was a break away just beyond the Mazomanie town line, with Vintage and Cannibal putting a minute on the peloton. Turns out it wasn't enough to cover their pit stop.
Mother Nature gave us other calls to stop. A blue heron and bald eagle were spotted. Such a gift to witness their raw beauty. Try as we might to draft in the vortex of our own echelon, we don't come close to their flight formation. But, these 3 smiles come pretty darn close to capturing raw beauty.
The Drafter code was upheld. Nobody put the hammer down, and Cannibal even put the safety of others before his Strava segment pursuits.
The post-draft festivities were kicked off by Sandlot, our resident poet.
The awards ceremony commenced. Here is a break down of the 2021 winners.
Flat Tire Club: this year's inductees received a spare inner tube keychain for those unexpected flat tires. Vintage really excelled at this award, flatting 3 times in a single ride.
The Drafters enlisted 13 new members this year, bringing the roster to 137. To recognize their commitment to the draft, bottle openers were awarded. May you draft responsibly: Squeak, Walton, Super Q, Badger, GrannyZilla, Squirrel, Chippendale and T-bone.
Our family is strengthened by new Drafters, and those who draft consistently. Bronze was earned with 10 rides, Silver 15, and Gold for over 20. Earning bronze and a stylish green headband from SweatVac were 13 Drafters: Pit Stop, Duracell, Vintage, Thing 1, Squeak, Granny, Squirrel, Pipes, Busch Latte, Tick Tock, Blurple, Coach Arms and Columbus.
4 Drafters earned a headband and silver Drafter magnet opener, so that beer never leaves the fridge in search of an opener. Congrats to Gopher, Queenie, Footer and LuLu.
Winning gold (headband and two openers, one magnetic for the fridge and the other for traveling to the backyard draft on Monday nights) were 7 Drafters: Speedy, Rimshot, Cannibal, Skipper, Booker J, Z Wrecks and BrickO. The King of the Podium with 22 Drafts was Cannibal, showing that tough guys can wear aprons. And nothing else.
Once you open a beer, you are under oath to draft responsibly. Hence, a personalized coaster. With yet another opening opportunity. Thanks to our friends at ReGEARED for making it happen... albeit cutting it a tad close (UPS arrived during the A-Mazo draft). A special thanks to Columbus for accepting a position in our cartography department. The former map maker was fired after Drafters took a left on Johnson in the woods of Wisconsin and were never heard from again. Cookie Monster remains our head baker, and we are grateful to Gopher for accepting an apprenticeship here at the UW in the Nuclear Baking Department, adding variety to our delicious baked good. Pit Stop receives the inspiration award- reminding us of what life gives us, not focusing on what it takes away. And Octane inspires us to rehab responsibly. Finally, we celebrated 50 years of Vilks hunting carrots in the Serengeti.
The REAL awards are up to speed on the year being 2021. These were just mock ups. Since the actual awards arrived while on the Draft, there was not time for documentation.
Skipper walked away with a..... PAIR OF NEW SOCKS to match the awesome Drafter jerseys he (once again) designed this year, along with weekly photos and the video below. A shout out to Hincapie Sportswear for their Drafter support, keeping us looking sharp and very visible on the road.
Last but not least, we celebrate Pipes, for an uneventful year. She showed up with BOTH wheels and shoes for each event, never hit a deer or fell and broke her wrist. She did show up every Tuesday AM for Drafter Yoga, working hard to open up our hips and minds.
Along with awards was a wide variety of sugar. Billy Boy made gluten free cherry crisp to complement the main course, Birthday Cake!
We were joined by those who couldn't ride: Pres (kudos for keeping the Drafter spirit post bike trauma), Sandlot, Duchess, Squirrel (on call, saving lives or at least fingers), Badger (bringing babies into the world) and Pipes (who needs to expand her babysitter directory).
In the spirit of Ted Lasso, the Drafters are a family who just happen to ride bikes. We rode from March 9- October 9. On average, 17.5 Drafters (the half was Dan-yelly before the baby was born) drafted 32.7 miles. Our largest turn out was 27 Drafters in May when we were Stuck in Lodi Again. Over 26 rides, we covered 853 miles.
We Drafted together. For funerals, births, promotions, demotions, engagements, weddings, divorces, new puppies and new houses. We Drafted Responsibly.
I'm humbled to be a part of this family, which has no leader, only a core, and thankful for each and every Drafter.
BrickO