Any Given Sunday

The rhythmic beating of drums pounded through my veins, gradually getting nearer and louder as I walked from the soggy grass field that passed itself off as a parking lot toward the race area at Portland International Raceway on Sunday afternoon. As I rounded a corner and threaded my way through the throngs of racers, family members and fans, I finally saw the source: the Last Regiment of Syncopated Drummers, a local band somehow finagled into drumming under a sky threatening rain for the last three races of the weekly insanity that is cyclocross.

On any given Sunday in Portland in the fall, over 1,200 people show up with their bikes to spend 45 minutes chasing each other around in approximately one-mile circles through mud and over barriers. This particular Sunday held the additional draw of hosting the SSCXWC (code for single-speed cyclocross world championships, but they can't actually call it that because there's lots of bureaucracy and hoo-ha attached to a title like that and this is really just a bunch of local crazies goofing off). Near the start/finish area, vendors sell french fries with garlic mayonnaise and maple bars topped with bacon(!!). Bob's Red Mill passes out free oatmeal and racers are treated to hot Belgian waffles after they finish. For the price of a $4 pint glass, the beer is free-flowing all day.

Even though I had to miss racing this entire season due to my broken wrist, I've discovered that I enjoy hanging out, watching my friends participate, drinking beer, and ringing my obnoxiously loud cowbell. Since this race was just minutes from home and, according to my friend Peter, "not to be missed," I figured I'd better show up, cowbell in hand. Since I actually do have a life of my own, I opted to not go early enough to watch many of my friends race at 9 and 10 a.m., but to go after lunch, in time to see the women's race, the Cat A (really fast) men, and, of course, the SSCXWC.

From the SSCXWC registration site: While negotiations are still on going as to whether Single Speed Cyclocross racing will replace figure skating in the 2010 Winter Olympics, the promoters are confident that this 2nd running of event will be the decisive nail in the coffin.

Finally, the race was on and Peter and I stationed ourselves at the top of a steep run-up that included two barriers followed by a spinning windmill blade that racers had to duck through each time around. Prior to reaching the run-up, they rode through a giant bubble machine that left them foaming in suds as they scrambled up the hill with bikes on shoulders.

As racers appeared through the windmill, we could make out costumes and bicycle anomalies. An entire team rode in shimmery gold hot-pant shorts and cut-off t-shirts. One guy rode a kids bike with a carousel pony on it. Superman powered through while my friend Caroline inspired racers by ringing her cowbell in a red and white polka dotted bikini. Several riders pounded PBR at the top of the hill, and some begged for beer handouts from the crowd. One guy even rode the last lap naked.

At the end of the day, it was the most fun I had had in a while and I didn't even have to go to Belgium! Check out the photos at http://bikeportland.org/2008/11/10/sscxwc-and-cross-crusade-photos-and-mini-report/.