Cyclocross at PIR Heron Lakes (Photo Gallery)

The Monolith once again proved to pose a challenge to many racers at Sunday’s Cyclocross Crusade race.
(Photos: Drew Coleman/DC Media Haus)

The fourth stop in the Cyclocross Crusade series was back in town on Sunday when racers of all types came together at the Heron Lakes venue at Portland International Raceway north of Kenton. From the looks of images our contributing photographer Drew Coleman brought back, the infamous Monolith loomed large during the competition — as did several thick mud sections that nearly everyone was forced to run, walk, and slip around on to keep the momentum moving forward.

The Monolith is perhaps the single most feared obstacle in the nine races on the Cyclocross Crusade calendar. It’s a big square block of concrete at the top of a rise that riders must go up-and-over each lap in front of cheering and/or heckling crowds.

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Some people can pedal up to the Monolith, hop up onto it, then ride off the other side and keep going. But most mortals are forced into some other — usually awkward — combination of dismounting, jumping on top, then hopping off the other side and running several paces before being able to remount.

Let’s see how folks did on Sunday:


And here’s the rest of the action and ambience:

Dollar bill hand-ups are appreciate by up-and-comers.



Hope you’re having fun out there! Sure looks like it. Next weekend the series moves to Bend for the traditional Saturday-Sunday, Halloween themed doubleheader. Stay tuned for costume photos!

— Jonathan Maus: (503) 706-8804, @jonathan_maus on Twitter and jonathan@bikeportland.org
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Jonathan Maus (Publisher/Editor)

Jonathan Maus (Publisher/Editor)

Founder of BikePortland (in 2005). Father of three. North Portlander. Basketball lover. Car owner and driver. If you have questions or feedback about this site or my work, feel free to contact me at @jonathan_maus on Twitter, via email at maus.jonathan@gmail.com, or phone/text at 503-706-8804. Also, if you read and appreciate this site, please become a supporter.

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SilkySlim
SilkySlim
4 years ago

I look forward to my kid one day supplementing their weekly allowance with dollar hand ups. Personally, I’m not compromising my race lane for anything under ten bucks.

jeff
jeff
4 years ago

Ditto, there seems to be a lot of lycra haters in BP comments, great to see the representation (racers commute too).

rain panther
rain panther
4 years ago

That was a really fun race on a really fun course. Thanks for the pictures – me, I can’t get enough of that cyclocross stuff!

SERider
SERider
4 years ago
Reply to  rain panther

For such a flat course Heron Lakes is always really hard.

SERider
SERider
4 years ago

These are making me so “homesick” for ORBA cross races. Oregon has a REALLY special thing going for cross that just doesn’t exist in most of the rest of the country.