New event will bring criterium racing off-road
Posted by Jonathan Maus (Publisher/Editor) on August 14th, 2007 at 10:19 am
at the Halloween Cross
Crusade event last season.
(File photo)
Kris Schamp has done it again. The man that has injected life into the Portland race scene with his popular short track mountain bike race series and events at Kruger's Farm on Sauvie Island, has just announced his latest creation: The Kruger's Kermesse Farm Crit.
Borrowing from his Belgian roots, Schamp wants to bring the "kermesse" -- a traditional Belgian-style summer bike race that accompanies a celebration and feast -- to the Rose City.
Slated for September 15, the "cyclocross-style criterium" will take place on the farm roads of Kruger's Farm on Sauvie Island (just a few miles north of Portland).
Schamp says, this will not be the usual downtown crit (a type of race where road cyclists complete laps around a short course).
Here's more from Schamp,
(Photo: Kris Schamp)
"The race will probably feel more like a fast and non-technical cyclocross race over hard-packed farm roads, featuring some potholes, some ruts, a sprinkle of gravel, a bit of sand, and depending on the weather, possibly some mud... everything will be 100% rideable (no barriers or dismounts).
Just think about it as Portland's mini-version of Paris-Roubaix, sans cobblestones."
And in addition to the racing, Kruger's Farm is a perfect place for spectators. Schamp plans live music, a beer garden, gourmet food (catering by Kruger's Farm Market and Salvador Molly's), and a shwag raffle.
For more details, check out the official event website.
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Sounds like a blast...I only wish that the organizers would add biking time to Sauvie Island to the website, since they\'ve listed driving time. Since, you know, some of us don\'t have cars or just prefer to bike.
RecommendedToo bad you folk\'s missed the short lived, Chevil\'s Grass Flat Track Series this summer.
Pretty much this same thing, only jankier.
Recommendedride time from my house in SE (28th and Burnside) is about an hour, give or take.
ride time would be slower on the cross bikes though.
RecommendedI\'ll be biking there from Sellwood on a heavy karate monkey (should be an interesting race). Might take me a while to get there, but it will still be fun!!
RecommendedHey Jonathon,
I am not sure saying Chris \"injected life into Portland Racing scene\" is a very accurate description. I think the Monday and Tuesday PIR series and of course the Mt Tabor series had plenty of life in them before Chris. Not to even mention the Cross Crusaders who have been putting on races since you were on training wheels (ok maybe not that long). Chris puts on some good races, and brought Short Track Mt Bike to Portland, but road and cross racing was alive and kicking in this town long before, thanks to all the hard work of other promoters and the incredible work of OBRA.
Just to set the record straight.
Recommendedpsyclist,
I wrote that only to convey that Schamp has created some great new events that have gotten a lot of folks excited about racing.
I know full well that the Portland and Oregon race scenes had plenty of energy and life before he came to town.
thanks.
RecommendedSauvie is about 10 miles from Downtown. Give yourself 45-1 hour to ride out there.
RecommendedYes, I\'ve ridden to Sauvie Island many times, so it\'s not that I need to know how...it just always bums me out to see organizers of bike events assume that all participants will drive there. Could we at least give equal weight to information about how to bike to bike events, next to car info?
RecommendedI\'ve always been annoyed that Bike Gallery has Inter-Store Driving Directions on their website, but \"If you need bike-friendly directions, please check with our sales staff.\" (I\'m reading the website. If I\'d wanted to call up the store, or go to the store and ask them, I would have done done that in the first place...)
RecommendedChevils Grass Flat Track?
RecommendedJessica..
Recommendedmight want to pick your fights a bit mroe carefully...berrating the cycling community will do none of us much good..and the majority of racers will be driving...sorry, its a fact. I can tell you don\'t race much as its difficult to carry spare wheelsets, a warm-up trainer, extra clothes, changes of clothes, a tent, multiple spare parts, floor pump, etc. on the back of a bicycle...all of these things are typically used by racers on a regular basis.
if you didn\'t need to know riding times, why did you ask?
I don\'t think it\'s picking a fight to ask that if any business or event gives driving directions that they also give biking directions. Do we really believe that biking is a legitimate form of transportation or don\'t we? If we do, why not at least give it equal air time when we\'re trying to help people get where they\'re going?
RecommendedJessica this might help -
From the website:
\"Kruger\'s Farm is located at 17100 NW Sauvie Island Road.
From Portland, take Hwy 30 West (towards Scappoose). At the Sauvie Island stop lights, you cross the bridge and continue onto Sauvie Island Road for about 1.5 mi. Kruger\'s Farm will come up on your right...car-pool with friends, or just ride over to the farm on your bike!\"
There is nothing there that says those are driving directions, you assumed they were. Hwy 30 is the only way you can get to Sauvie by either car or bike.
RecommendedJessica is right, the omission of biking directions is pretty much universal, even for bike shops and events. Once we have a Bike Friendly Business Program underway, I\'m hoping one of the things that can raise a business or event\'s level of bike-friendliness would be equal place given to biking directions on website and literature. Being bike-oriented doesn\'t necessarily make something bike-friendly.
RecommendedJessica..the directions are the EXACT same...who are you fighting here? Kris is operating under the auspices of OBRA..NONE of the OBRA sanctioned events give \"bicycle\" directions...as its commonly understood that the majority of participants will be driving due to their gear requirements. It was done maliciously or out of content for anyone sans automobile....not everything you read is worthy of argument. pushkin is correct...you assumed those to be driving instructions...when in fact they are simply instructions...however long it takes for you to get there pretty much depends on how fast you spin your pedals, now doesn\'t it?
RecommendedIf everyone brought their spare wheelsets, a warm-up trainer, extra clothes, changes of clothes, a tent, multiple spare parts, floor pump and chamois butter then it would be \"the usual downtown crit\".
RecommendedThis is going to be a nervous crash-a-thon, so you might as well hitch home in an ambulance.
RecommendedHow about considering Jessica\'s point rather than just finding reason to attack her. Even though all y\'all don\'t need riding directions to Sauvies, Jessica\'s point, especially if considered in a larger context, is a good one.
I for one am grateful the topic of providing bike/ped directions came up - even though a bit of a tangent to the race post.It\'s a good reminder to business/events/etc. to pay attention to the needs of cyclists. I think, the swelling ranks of new cyclists need help finding the bike-appropriate ways to reach their destinations. It\'s time that we (businesses and events) catch-up with the need.
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