Portland’s ‘cross scene is wild, crazy and lots of fun. We’ve got the world’s largest participatory cross series (The Cross Crusade), tons of talented racers, and plenty of mud and cold to top it off.
Browse the articles below to experience the unique flavor of Portland cyclocross.
By Stephanie Chase [This is the second in a series on learning cyclocross by contributor Stephanie Chase. Read the first installment here.] The morning after my second ‘cross clinic, I woke up with various bike parts impressed on my body. There was some tire tread on my right shin, a pedal slash on my right … Read more
Good, dirty fun.(Photo courtesy Portland Racing) All signs point to a huge cyclocross season this year. Cross bikes are flying off the shelves of local shops, the first Alpenrose Cyclocross Clinic had a record 149 participants, and Saturday’s inaugural Kruger’s Kermesse race — the first chance to race cyclocross bikes this season — had over … Read more
I’m so embarrassed. I’ve lived in Portland for three years and — as of last week — had yet to try cyclocross. This is Portland, after all, home to one of the most enthusiastic cross scenes in the U.S., and home to of a number of notable pros such as Ryan Trebon, Erik Tonkin and … Read more
Erik Tonkin’s popular cyclocross clinics start next week.(Photo: Jonathan Maus) With the Portland-area road racing season all but over, the buzz about ‘cross season is coming on strong. Local ‘cross lovers can be found any night of the week honing their skills in parks around the city. Last night, I saw a guy practicing dismounts … Read more
Portland single speeder Matt Slaven.(File photo) This coming November, a group calling themselves the Portland Single Speed Collective (PSSC) will host the first “Official UnOfficial World Championship” event for single speed cyclocross racers. River City Bicycles employee Dani Dance is helping to organize the event and she says, “They’ve got a mountain bike single speed … Read more
[Rhonda Mazza, shown here in Hillsboro on 10/15/06, pedaled to 11th place at the Cyclocross World Championships.] Yesterday, Portland’s royal couple of cyclocross, Rhonda Mazza and Erik Tonkin raced in Belgium at the Cyclocross World Championships. According to reports, Rhonda came in 11th and Erik battled to a very respectable 43rd place against the best … Read more
[Tonkin at Hillsboro Stadium] Local cyclocross racer and co-owner of Sellwood Cyclery Erik Tonkin, will join a team to represent the U.S. at the UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships, on January 28 in Hooglede-Gits, Belgium.
[Wendy Williams at the Halloween Cross Crusade Race] Wendy Williams — of the River City Bicycles cyclocross team — has won the women’s Masters 35-39 National Championship title at Cyclocross Nationals held today in Providence, Rhode Island. This caps an exceptional year for Williams, who has ridden consistently at the top of the pack throughout … Read more
[Molly Cameron hopes to hold her own against the world’s best.] Molly Cameron — owner of The Veloshop — somehow finds time to not only run her bustling downtown bike shop, but she also competes at the highest levels of U.S. cyclocross racing. Coming off a top ten overall finish in the Cross Crusade series … Read more
Held under clear, sunny skies on Sauvie Island — a rural paradise just north of Portland — the inaugural Kruger’s Crossing capped another wild and crazy Portland cyclocross season.
The cover of this month’s Road Magazine — the “Journal of road cycling and culture” — features local racer Mark Blackwelder. The shot shows Mark competing at the recent Star Crossed cyclocross race up in Seattle. Mark is a member of Team Veloshop, which is based out of Veloshop bike shop in downtown Portland. Here’s … Read more
“Cyclcross fans’ race-day festivities rival those of Nascar and die-hard college football fans.”-from the New York Times article The buzz about Portland’s vibrant cyclocross scene got much louder today when the venerable New York Times published an article on last week’s USGP race in Hillsboro. Times reporter Oakley Brooks took advantage of the muddy conditions … Read more