Aug 20: Back in Black
I love people with passion. Janis Joplin had passion. Eddy Merckx has passion. The Drafters have passion. And if Janis Jopin had written a song about the Drafters instead of Bobby McGee, it might have gone something like this (inspired by the ever growing Flat Tire club and our newest Drafter, the Cannibal, who was unknowingly yet appropriately granted the same nick name as Eddy Merckx).Busted a flat on Schneider Road, waitin' for the rainAnd I's feelin' near as faded as a SouseTick Tock thumbed the Cannibal down, just before he gainedHe rode us all the way to The Free HouseI pulled my CO2 out of my dirty jersey pocketI was pantin' soft while Tick Tock sang the blues, yeahTube and tire slappin' time, I was holdin' Tick Tock's CO2 in mineWe swore every word that biker knewDraftin’ is just another word for nothin' left to loseDraftin’', don't mean nothin' dude' if it ain't free, no noAnd, feelin' good was easy, oh oh, when Cannibal led the wayYou know, feelin' good was good enough for meGood enough for the Drafters, BrickO and Z.From the Wisconsin farm line to the Katzenbuechel sunThe Drafters shared the secrets of their soulThrough all kinds of weather, through everything we doneYeah, Drafters baby kept me on the roadLa da da da da da daLa da da da da da daLa da da da da da daOur most recent additions to the Draft have upped the game a bit. I think KickAssK may have stirred the testosterone pot a bit, being the only XX to challenge Tick Tock, Skeeter Bait and Bomber. But her departure back to the Dolomites has left the boys hungry, and our newest newbie, The Cannibal is eager to serve them up. In true Drafter spirit, Monday nights is about laying down the hammer until it isn't. I'm continually awestruck by the camaraderie and conviviality of this group. Flat tires are a group effort (and if the pit crew consists of 5 orthopedic surgeons, it becomes an all night affair), sharing beers and pulls, pushing one another to generate more Watts than we think possible, and picking up one another when those Watts really aren't possible, and never putting down anyone who has the spirit to Draft. We have found a way to not only co-exist on the road, but to form a Drafter family that gives me more pride and joy than I can begin to express. So, thank you. As our family grows, there will be Yellow Jerseys and Lantern Rouges. No matter the color at the start. In the end, we all have earned the Drafter Green Jersey and a chair at the bar as passionate pursuers of the power through the pedals.18 Drafters rode to Springfield on Monday- and thanks to Dan-yelly and Cookie Monster's hospitality, they recruited another Drafter who they came upon during the ride. The route was new to many of us, and despite doing recon only 4 days before, the unfamiliar turn onto Loper Rd eluded me. The only clue I had as to my misdirection was lack of underwear. Of course underwear isn't allowed during cycling (Hincapie would take back our kits), but I had noticed a pair of boxers just off of Hwy V during recon, so when I didn't see the tell "tail" sign after a few miles, I figured I had missed the turn. Interestingly, the boxers also caught the attention of Billy Bob McC (this is not a typo- but rather a reassignment of a few Drafter handles- see next paragraph), who thought the waistband read "BrickO's Boxers". He figured since I have supplied headbands and socks in the past, boxers were a natural progression. I will talk to my distributer. I know... all the women are XS and all the men are XL. I can see the problem with collecting the order already.Drafter names are sacred. They capture the essence of the Draft and protect our identities from those who don't appreciate tan lines and power to mass ratios. However, I acknowledge that on occasion, they need to be revisited. I've heard numerous Drafters call Billy Boy Billy Bob, and I think it just fits, especially when he rides his Parlee, "The Stallion" like a Cowboy from the Wild Wild West. Next up is Tobacco City Cousin. Cast in the shadow of Tobacco City Boy, it is time to come into the light. The red light, to be precise. Typically the last rider in, it is fitting that our Lantern Rouge be appropriated as the "Caboose". Embracing his new title, Caboose negotiated with Tobacco City Boy to ride 15 minutes. It is unclear if Caboose was negotiating 15 min out AND back, or 15 min total. Ice Queen objects to her name, mainly as it draws attention to her superior athletic talents as a hockey player and coach. I can't fault modesty, as it is a dying trait. On a routine basis, Ice Queen has convinced the wait staff at Free House that she needs to have her food and be done eating before Caboose arrives so that she can be home to put her kids to bed. "Speedy" it is.
Speaking of Speedy, a quick shout out to Cookie Monster for speeding by her hubby, E$ at the Shell Lake Triathlon.... a first. I interviewed E$ and he generously complimented CM on her victory, noting it wasn't an official triathlon distance and had an extra long swim and run. So, technically, he still hasn't lost to her in an official sprint triathlon. Another shout out to Sandlot and Whamo on their 100k Dairyland Dare, and Vilks who stayed with 5x RAAM finisher Dave Haase for a good chunk of the day. Sandlot is still recovering from her T-bone incident with an inattentive driver, and found the strength to finish the 100k. Well done, Sandlot. She exempliefies The Velominati's Rule V (which coincidently happens to be the Roman numeral on Billy Bob's license plate). In case you aren't familiar please read here: Velominati The Rules.
HINCAPIE KIT UPDATE: look for an email about FedEx delivery on Aug 27. You will need to sign for the package unless you go onto the website and give permission for the package to be left. NEW orders can be placed through Aug 22 at this link: Hincapie Order Aug 22As we head into next week, PLEASE BRING AT LEAST ONE IF NOT MORE BLINKIE LIGHTS. And please bring a healthy appetite for beer, as we celebrate Tobacco City Boy's Birthday (I'm not sure he will be Drafting, but we will be drinking regardless). Which brings me to my favorite Velominati Rule #47: Drink Tripels, don’t ride triplesCycling and beer are so intertwined we may never understand the full relationship. Beer is a recovery drink, an elixir for post-ride trash talking and a just plain excellent thing to pour down the neck. We train to drink so don’t fool around. Drink quality beer from real breweries. If it is brewed with rice instead of malted barley or requires a lime, you are off the path. Know your bittering units like you know your gear length. Life is short, don’t waste it on piss beer.We are going to cannibalize the Rock of Ages Route, turning Def Leppard into AC/DC as we go "Back in Black". For those of you who have not climbed Black Hill before, be ware. The false flat is long and 8%. Beyond that, you are looking at a long 14% ascent. You will be in the red while you are back in black.
Garmin link: Garmin link to Back in BlackDownload PDF: Back in Black 38Draft responsibly,BrickO