sscxwc

The first ever experience cx (cyclocross) was a race I watched at riverside park in St. Cloud, MN, my hometown. The weather was cold and windy, and the race looked really hard. There was a bunch of beer and pork chops. There was a few people there but most were racing. There were no crowds.

So up here in Portland cx I've got into it a bit more, doing some of the races in the cross crusade series. They know how to throw down a cross race out here. There is a Halloween edition in astoria (that I missed), but you'll see costumes in each of the 7 weekly races. There are huge crowds every weekend. Last weekend was the official un-official world championships of single speed cyclocross. Estacada has a pretty good venue watching and racing. We're talking costumes. A tequila shortcut, dodge ball zone, lady in a bikini cheering all day, tons of intoxicated people yelling at all the riders. Here are a few picks I caught of the action...







Here's the leaders going through the tequila shortcut. It was a rowdy bunch.

the lead pack.

So I did not race in the world championships. I didn't attend the qualifier on Saturday, because of other stuff I had to get done. It was a spectacle, that's for sure. I did race the regular singlespeed race for the regular cross crusade, so that was just fine. I placed better than I have before getting top 20, so that was cool, but I got outsprinted again!!! Second week in a row. This time it was after the muddy run up with the crowd, and I was ahead of this guy by a bike length. Then we both had to get off the bike, and run up, only I pushed my bike instead of shouldering it, like a good cx boy. Well, I couldn't run fast enough to stay ahead of him and by the time I realized I should have picked up my bike it was too late. oh well. I'm learning.

State championships is this weekend at Hillsboro stadium. The only thing that might keep me away is electric circuit's homework and a chemistry test on Tuesday. After this weekend you can still race for 2 more weekends in Portland if you want to, a psuedo cross race on the 25th and the grand prix of cyclocross on Dec. 1st and 2nd.

So this time of year I've usually had the bike hung up. This year I've been biking to work every day (4 days / week) and I only drove the car to school a few times. And cross racing. So that's all. We are staying in Portland for Thanksgiving going over to Laurie's brothers house.

Thrilla in the milla

Raced in the 2nd installment of the weekly September cyclocross series the Thrilla in the Milla. It is a pretty sweet little bike race where you're supposed to ride a bike that's in between a road bike and a mountain bike. I ride a full on mountian bike though, because I don't have a CX bike. There's usually a few obsticles where you are required to get off the bike and jump over them. So it's not easy.

I haven't been training hard or training to race lately, so I knew I would be hurting through this one. It started out fast and I was pegged way too early and by that time, I just tried to maintain position. Last year I was pretty strong in the B race, so either the Bs are stronger or I'm slower, and I'm thinking that the weekly trips to the red cross have just a little bit to do with it.

No worries though it was still fun, and I got to suffer a little bit. The weather is supposed to be changing here at least for a couple days, and this time of year, in this area that could mean that either fall is going to happen, or winter. But then we could get more summer in a couple weeks too.

Laurie leaves for a couple weeks tomorrow for Paraguay, on a mission trip with Operation Smile. Should be a great experience for her. She's going to stay a couple extra days to travel a bit. So I'm flying solo, party at my house!

Smith rock time trial this weekend. stay tuned...