Crossroads V 2.0
Oi and a few other choice words from Roy Kent's prolific vocabulary were heard as 19 Drafters battled the wind on their way to Roxbury. Per usual, idle threats were exchanged in the corral about "taking it easy" due to the poor air quality thanks to the overproduction of S'mores in Canada. "Take it Easy" may be one of the greatest Eagle's songs of all time, but those words have no meaning in the Draft. Alveoli be damned. It's Drafter time.
Drafter times is more accurate. Working our way through the alphabet, the A, B, and D teams (no C as that is so average) have expanded to include E for Early. Cookie Monster and Footer wanted to get a jump on drafting responsibly.
The D Team welcomed a Newbie! Turns out he really knows Canadian trivia. Speedy (sporting her new OCG jersey) was testing his knowledge about the culture, mostly hockey and maple syrup, but the Newbie surpassed her expectations by coming up with Justin Beiber. Who knew? Beiber.
The B Team was definitely bad a**, riding 3 extra miles which were, according to Z Wrecks, "all uphill, into the wind and snow".
The A Team has taken drafting to a new level. Granny and Squirrel had fresh legs after a lovely vacation in Greece. If Keez had tired legs after racing ToAD over the weekend, it wasn't apparent.
From her position as lantern rouge, BrickO enjoyed a serious draft in the wind tunnel.
BrickO may be short on wattage from her quadage, but the wattage from her grey matter was in full force. As the A Team contemplated their options home, the bike path seemed the wisest option. NOT because taking the bike path missed an opportunity to climb Woodland, but because is presented an opportunity to shoot a shot of whiskey at the Missouri Tavern. Since 1940, the Missouri Tavern has been a watering hole for the thirsty traveler. But not on Mondays, apparently. Despite the disappointment, all were pleased with the choice to take the bike path, but only Granny risked ridicule when she confessed, "I love the bike path."
The hot and thirsty were not no be denied. Just delayed.
There is NO DRAFT on July 3. We will return to Crossroads Coffeehouse/ Creekside Scoops located at 2020 W Main in Cross Plains on Monday July 10. Departure times are 5, 5:15 and 5:30PM. This is a new 36 mile route, with the same short pour 24 mile option as our last Crossroads expedition.
PLACE CROSSROADS PIZZA ORDER HERE by Friday July 7. The choices are cheese, pepperoni, sausage or margherita. The pizzas will be pre-made. When you have completed the draft, head to the counter to pay for your pizza and they will pop it in the oven. A pizza easily feed two Drafters, unless you are Slim, who can easily put one away.
RidewithGPS link Drafters | Crossroads V2.0
RidewithGPS link Drafters | Crossroads Coffeehouse Short Pour
In dirty news, BrickO and Z Wrecks had a 6 hour Romp in the Swamp. Being the ONLY relay team to sign up, they were DFL and swept the podium. The Wisconsin Endurance Mountain Bike Series (WEMS) is definitely something to check out. And if you really want a long Romp, it isn't too late to sign up for the Wausau 24 on July 29.
A great turn out for the second Dirty Draft in CamRock on Tuesday! Octane and Footer led the way with their well defined calf muscles. Footer earned hers the hard way barefoot skiing, while Octane's mother forced him to wear high heels during his formative calf years. The true God of Gastroc, Skipper, was honoring the colors from across the pond in Norway. There will be no Dirty Draft on July 4. Details for the following week, July 11, will be posted in GroupMe.
Last chance for Drafter gear in 2023. The Hincapie store closes tonight at midnight. Get your green here. Everyone looks stunning in green.
Draft responsibly,
BrickO
Rockin' to Roxbury (or Indian Lake Short Pour)
23andMe. A great turn out for the warmest draft of 2023. Our Drafter family tree extended a branch to welcome a newbie flying through by way of Colorado. Last week we learned about "Baltimore Oreos". Looks like the Drafters just landed one of these rare birds.
Rare birds are not uncommon in the Draft. Cookie Monster honed in her skills riding with the D for Daycare Pickup Team last week before joined the D for Determined Drafter Team... on her way home from her first day at the UW Center for Innovation in Engineering Education. Their mission is to positively impact the world. Pretty sure they picked the right Drafter for the job.
The D Team set off promptly at 5PM. Even the Swiss would have been impressed. From there the timing went downhill while the riding went very much uphill.
Duracell checked his watch to be sure the B Team was on time. What could go wrong with a copper top battery?
The standard 5:15PM B Team departure was subdivided into B+ and B- Team departures. While some B Team members were still rolling in, 5 members rolled out ahead of schedule.
The B+ Team enjoyed baby Drafter smiles as Gopher made his New Daddy Debut. She looks right at home providing Draft protection for LuLu.
The B+ Team in hot (86 degrees) pursuit.
The B+ Team had an official lantern rouge, or perhaps a lantern orange. Our Newbie traveled all the way from Colorado to draft responsibly. At first glance, the Drafters were giddy to welcome Steve Martin. Certainly more fit than the famous comedian, our lantern orange was just as witty. He held his own with Vilker's backyard banter. Purely academic discussions ensued about the relative size of various monuments, tequila squeezers, holy subsidiaries of the Drafters, the proper spelling of bequeath, cocof'inuts, and an ornithology lesson in Cardinal Red and Baltimore Oreos. The conversation outlasted the case of beer he brought. A testament to his endurance. He is a rare bird, and we are lucky to welcome BoreO to the Draft.
The A Team was small but mighty. Cannibal, Keez and Booker J caught the B+ Team on Spring Valley Rd. BrickO gained some satisfaction in learning that Keez was nauseous, hoping it was the result of her effort to catch the B+ team and not due to the 13 hours of travel she endured the day before. Slim got a late start due to a mechanical. The former semi-professional road racer longed for his pit crew, as he lost time swapping out his road bike for a gravel bike. Without a Domestique, Slim road the route backwards until he came across the A Team and then laid down hammer, furthered their suffering. All in the spirit of the Draft.
While there were multiple multiple start times, all Drafters finished united hot and thirsty and cooled off with a post-draft draft.
Congrats to the finishers of the 20th annual Horribly Hilly Hundreds! Ninja, GFK, Pepe, Shaq, Velo, Z Wrecks and BrickO enjoyed what was likely the finest weather in as many years.
The Summer Solstice this week will provide ample daylight for a longer ride on Monday, June 26. Rockin' to Roxbury is a 42 mile trek through some of our favorite roads, including Dunlap Hollow.
RidewithGPS link to Drafters | Rockin' to Roxbury
The short pour 30 mile option heads out of town along the same route, but turns a bit earlier to enjoy Indian Lake. PLEASE ride single file on HWY 19. There isn't another way to circumnavigate Indian Lake, unfortunately.
RidewithGPS Drafters | Indian Lake Short Pour
THERE WILL BE NO DRAFT ON MONDAY JULY 3. Enjoy the holiday!
There have been a few requests for Drafter kits. There will likely be a new design next season, but the 10th anniversary kits from 2022 are available. Here is the link to the Hincapie Team Store. THE STORE CLOSES ON TUESDAY JUNE 27 AT MIDNIGHT. Place your order directly and the items will be shipped internationally from Columbia via FedEx, requiring a signature (you can sign indirectly in most instances). There are no returns or exchanges, so be sure to order the right item. Jersey styles for road are Velocity "race cut" and Axis "club cut", along with a MTB/gravel style jersey. Bibs and shorts come in two lengths- most order the long, but you do you. It is recommended that you try on a kit for size from a Drafter with similar morphologic properties.
DIRTY DRAFT: the fun has begun! Tuesdays at 5PM, starting tonight at Blackhawk. Trails may vary each week (or not), so be sure to join the Dirty Draft GroupMe for updates.
Draft responsibly,
BrickO