OBRA's fearless leader Kenji Sugahara.(Photo: Kenji Sugahara)

The River City Bicycles Cross Crusade's sixth race of the season brought the show to Barton Park over the weekend.
Judging from photos, reports, and my memory from last year, the race site was a muddy, gravel pit full of tricky descents, big puddles, and slippery run-ups that [...]

Team Tron (complete with discs) sought to eliminate any riders without costumes. - Slideshow Below - (Photos by Jose Sandoval)

Last weekend, the Cross Crusade race series held their annual Halloween weekend.
For two days, Crusaders raced and romped around the Clatsop County Fairgrounds in Astoria fueled by beer and a hunger for fun that [...]

This weekend's Cross Crusade event will be all about beer, costumes, and...oh yeah, bike racing.(Photo � J. Maus)

This weekend, scores of Portlanders will head north for the annual Halloween-edition of the Cross Crusade.
Held once again at the Clatsop Country Fairgrounds (in Astoria), this year organizers have planned the first-ever double weeekend of racing. And, [...]

The Alpenrose course was full of surprises, like this dual-option stairway run-up.Slideshow below(Photos � J. Maus)

The opening race of the Cross Crusade series set a record for attendance yesterday. Kenji Sugahara, the director of the Oregon Bicycle Racing Association says that, despite the wet weather, 1,267 racers participated.
That number is up from 1,078 participants [...]

I love the rough-and-tumble outer shell of the otherwise cuddly sport of cyclocross. With it's usually grueling weather, tough courses, and party-like atmosphere, the sport's promoters revel in its rowdiness.
The first 'cross race of the season was named Pain on the Peak and this weekend, racers will head south on Saturday to the Rickreall [...]

Screenshot of pdxcross.com

Heidi Swift at The Everyday Athlete Blog introduced me to pdxcross.com this morning. It's a great-looking new blog that is the work of a group of professional photographers who plan to document the Portland cyclocross scene.
They've already uploaded slideshows from last weekend's Pain on the Peak and the Kruger's Kermesse.
Check out the [...]

Mud and smiles coming soon.- Watch slideshow below -(Photos © J. Maus)

There is no denying that the cyclocross season is upon us.
The first sign is always an increase in sales of 'cross bikes and parts on the OBRA email list. Then, I hear shop employees telling me how everyone is coming in to gear [...]

You can rent this bike: Now there's no excuse not to give 'cross a try!

In the latest sign that Portland is gearing up for another crazy cyclocross season, a downtown bike rental business has announced they'll offer cyclocross bikes as part of their fleet.
Eric Roden, the manager at Waterfront Bicycles (now at 10 SW Ash [...]

The 2nd annual Single Speed Cyclocross World Championships (SSCXWC) have opened for registration.
The event is scheduled for November 8-9 and will take somewhere in or near Portland (awaiting confirmation of exact location).
Dani Dance of the Portland Single Speed Collective and an employee at Portland-based River City Bicycles is the woman behind the race. She [...]

I made it out to Portland International Raceway yesterday to check out the US Gran Prix of Cyclocross.
The racing action, large crowds, and good times could not be stopped despite a barrage of wild weather that included snow flurries, strong winds, and cold rain.
Check out the photo gallery below for a look at the scenes [...]

Steven Hunter dove deep in the Willamette to uncover his piece of The Grail.(Photos courtesy Brian Ellin)

So much of what makes the Cross Crusade a success has little to do with racing bikes. Take for example the Quest for The Grail.
The Quest is a contest dreamed up by Crusade director Brad Ross, and event [...]

It's coming...

This weekend, cyclocross racing will put Portland in the national cycling spotlight when the finale of U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclocross comes to town.
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Event flyer.(Click to enlarge)

A photo essay that documents the American cyclocross scene is coming to Portland.
Washed in the Mud: US Cyclcross Portraits is the work of Santa Cruz, California-based filmmaker and photographer Brian Vernor. Vernor, who's best known for his work on "Pure, Sweet Hell", traveled with the U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclocross last [...]

Racers slogged through the course at Hillsboro Stadium yesterday.View slideshow below(Photos © Jonathan Maus)

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Post-race at last year's event.(Photo © Jonathan Maus)

Tomorrow is the final stop in the 2007 River City Bicycles Cross Crusade.
The event will be held at Hillsboro Stadium and with the rain we've had the past few days, the race is sure to be muddy and challenging.
The event will also be the official Oregon [...]

This is why I love Portland's 'cross scene.(Photos: Kenji Sugahara)

Regrettably, I wasn't able to attend last weekend's cyclocross debauchery out at Estacada Timber Park (30 miles southeast of downtown Portland).
Not only was it the sixth stop in the Cross Crusade series, but the event also crowned the King and Queen of single speed cyclocross.
Yes, it [...]

This weekend (qualifying events on Saturday, main event on Sunday), Portland (actually Estacada) will host the first ever Singlespeed Cyclocross World Championships.
Organizer Dani Dance has some advice for would-be competitors and spectators. Below, she shares a few easy steps to convert your bike to a single speed, issues a call to all the [...]

View full slideshow below - (Photo © Jonathan Maus)

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Videographer Dan Kaufman and his "Disco Trike", a rolling audio-video command center.Watch his video below.(Photo © Jonathan Maus)

Dan Kaufman of CrankMyChain! Cycle TV has posted his video from last weekend's Cross Crusade Halloween fest.
It's an awesome video that captures the fun-loving spirit of Portland's signature cyclocross series, the River City Bicycles Cross Crusade.
Not [...]

We wore race number 800 in honor of Brett Jarolimek.(Photo © Jonathan Maus)

Wearing white t-shirts emblazoned with the words "No Blind Spots", Cross Crusade founder Rick Potestio and race director Brad Ross said losing Brett Jarolimek was like losing "a member of the Cross Crusade family."
Also speaking before a memorial lap was Bike Gallery's Kris [...]