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.
Cover of new book based on Portland cyclocross images. One of the biggest stories about this year’s cyclocross season (besides the record crowds) has been the emergence of PDXCross.com. The site launched back in September and offers a weekly photo slideshow of all the glorious, painful and muddy action. The work is a collaboration between … Read more
This weekend, the Cross Crusade makes its final stop at the Washington County Fairgrounds in Hillsboro. Last year (check out my report here), Hillsboro was the sight of an epic battle between man and mud that still brings back fond memories for me both as a racer and as a photographer. Story continues below advertisement … Read more
The Singlespeed Cyclocross World Championships (SSCXWC) event on Sunday was much more interesting than my Front Page recap was able to convey. I came across an excellent report by Johnathon Allen of Bicycling Magazine’s “This Just In” blog. Here’s one of his many great passages: Uni-cogged competitors were barraged with silly-string, smoke bombs, and cheap … Read more
A ‘cross racer dressed up like a swamp monster riding through a huge wall of bubbly foam: It must be SSCXWC.Slideshow below — Gallery here(Photos © J. Maus)
A scene from last year’s SSCXWC.(Photo: PJB Photo/Flickr) If you’re trying to decide what to do on Sunday, you might want to roll over to Portland International Raceway to partake in a special edition of the Cross Crusade. In addition to the typical Crusade craziness, this weekend is also the second annual SSCXWC — the … Read more
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 … Read more
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 … Read more
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. … Read more
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 … Read more
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 … Read more
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 … Read more
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 … Read more
Comment of the Week: Real talk about building bikeways in east Portland