OBRA Rules Meeting and Awards Party

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January 16, 2016

Chris King World Headquarters

Schedule of Events

1 PM – 4 PM Rules Meeting
6-9 PM Awards Party

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Rules Meeting Agenda:

Introduction and updates
Rule changes
Board member election (2 slots)

Proposed rule changes
Bios of board member candidates

Representatives from teams that paid in 2015-2016 are eligible to vote.

Board Member Candidates

Glen Gann (incumbent)

Glen has been a long time member of both OBRA and the board of directors.  As the sole representative from Southern Oregon he gives valuable insight into racing from the southern half of our state.  Glen was born and raised in Southern Oregon. He has a journeyman’s license in HVAC and has worked in the trade for over twenty years. Glen has owned the Central Point RV service and repair shop since 2006. He has been racing bicycles since 1985 and races or has tried most every discipline of cycling including CX, MTB, Track, Tandem and Road with a fondness for criteriums. Besides racing he has promoted, volunteered services and officiated bike races for over 15 years. Glen has served as President of the Siskiyou Velo bike club and has been serving on the OBRA board for the past nine years. He stays involved in the local community and serves on the School Board budget committee.

Norrene Godfrey

Converse wearing, caffeine addict, bike racing misfit with a rebel streak, known for pushing the limits . . .too far at times, tegaderm is my friend. Marketing, innovation and creativity are my superpowers, don’t tell me I can’t, I will find a way, as lift is too short to not to dream big.

I’m excited and passionate that I submit my application to serve on the board of directors of OBRA.

OBRA has a long history with cycling as do I and I feel it is my time to step up and help out. As many of you might know, I have run a few successful cycling teams in the past and they consumed all of my spare time and I have not been able to do anything else but work and manage teams.

I have retired from running professional teams and that has freed up personal time and I feel that I can make a solid, thoughtful, commitment to OBRA and all its members, a commitment I do not take lightly.

There are so many opportunities to grow new events in Oregon such as the transcontinental stage race that is just now starting to take flight. I can help OBRA find these events, as I’m well connected within the cycling industry. I also have strong connections within USAC’s BOD, should another reciprocity issue arise, I can reach out and help stop the madness so we do not have another missed opportunity for OBRA athletes.

However marketing, innovation, creativity and connecting the dots are my strongest assets and I can help OBRA with proposal writing, innovative marketing, story telling to help OBRA reach new consumers, and possibly sponsors.

In the end, it’s about teamwork and being a good teammate and I can do both. I love leading people out, if you would have me on the OBRA BOD, I would make one hell of a good domestique member.

Brian Vegter

Brian Vegter is a race promoter, road racer, mountain biker and full time artist. He lives in Baker City, OR where he and his wife Corrine, and along with hundreds of volunteers organize the Baker City Cycling Classic (Elkhorn Classic).

Vegter is running for a position on the OBRA Board because he’d like to see further growth of cycling in Eastern Oregon, and help to foster partnerships with the Eastern Washington and Western Idaho racing communities.

In 2006 the Vegters moved from New York City to Oregon and have been OBRA members from the start. Because of the demands of race promoting, running an art gallery and directing the We Like ‘Em Short Film Festival he doesn’t train as much as he needs to lead the pack so his moto is “I may not be fast, but I won’t be last.”

Rule Proposals

Proposed by Seth May- add section

3.6 Safety

3.6.1 Prior to race start

Any rider whose equipment is unsafe shall not start an event unless the equipment is made safe and demonstrated to be safe to a race official.

Riders who pose an inordinate danger to themselves or others shall not start an event.

3.6.2 During racing

In the case of incidents during a race, the race official may remove a rider from the event if:

· They perceive the rider unfit to continue; or

· They perceive the rider to be an inordinate danger to themselves or other riders; or

· They perceive rider’s equipment is no longer safe

The race official will remove a rider if the rider’s helmet has visible cracking or the rider has obvious symptoms of a head injury.

Seth May: Based on the training (on head injuries), it seems clear and appropriate that officials should pull riders suspected of having a concussion even if the rider does not want to be pulled.

Judgments of this nature must often be made by Assistant Referees since, in most cases, it will be impossibly to consult with the CR
prior to making the call. It is also an irreversible call (removal from competition), since the rider cannot appeal the decision prior to
it being enforced. Although this is not a penalty and is really a rider safety issue, it will feel like a penalty a racer who disagree with being pulled.

From reviewing the rules, I’m not sure that pulling riders for theirs and others safety (as opposed to a rule violation) is well supported.

Proposed by Mike Murray:

6.6.2 Women

Women may enter any race for which they are eligible by age, category, and any performance requirements and may enter categorized races for men that are up to one category lower than their women’s category, or in the case of category 1 women, up to two categories lower.

Delete below

Category 1/2 master women can race with master men up to 10 years older and Category 3/4 master women can race with master men up to 20 years older.

Mike Murray: The edited portion of this rule, to my knowledge, has never been used. It is overly complicated and doesn’t really open up more racing for women especially given the provisions of the non-edited portion of the rule.

Proposed by John Wilson, Candi Murray and Kenji Sugahara:

Change 6.4 to:

6.4 Cyclocross Categories (move from alphabetical to numerical standard))

Category 1 (Existing A riders)
Category 2 (Existing B riders)
Category 3 (Existing C riders)
Category 4 (Existing Beginner riders)
Category 5 (New Beginners starting 2016)

Kenji Sugahara: To help make it easier to race between OBRA and other organizations.

Proposed by John Wilson, Candi Murray and Kenji Sugahara:

Change 6.5.2 to allow racers as young as 9.

Current:

6.5.2 Age graded races Age graded races are defined at the discretion of the race organizer subject to the following:

MASTERS may be any age range 30 or older. If no age range is stated on the Entry Form/Race Announcement the default age will be 40 and older.

JUNIORS may be any age range between 10 and 18 Youth is defined as riders under the age of 10.

6.6.4 Juniors Juniors with an actual age of 11 and under are not permitted to be racing on a cyclocross course at the same time and on the same course as adults.

Youth riders may enter only youth races and may not be mixed with other categories. Youth races can only be held on closed courses.

Fields which define a range with an upper and lower limit may only include racers that fall within that range. For example a 46 year old may not race with the 35-44 year-olds group. If a race has a 35+ and a 45+ field, then a 46 year old is allowed to race in either group (or
both groups if the groups race at different times)

To:

6.5.2 Age graded races

· Age graded races are defined at the discretion of the race organizer subject to the following:

· MASTERS may be any age range 30 or older. If no age range is stated on the Entry Form/Race Announcement the default age will be 40
and older.

· JUNIORS may be any age range between an actual age of 9 and a racing age of 18.

· JUNIORS with an actual age of 9 may only race in Cyclocross events and may only be permitted to ride in Junior only categories per rule 6.6.4.

· Youth is defined as riders under the actual age of 9. Youth riders may enter only youth races and may not be mixed with other categories. Youth races can only be held on closed courses.

Fields which define a range with an upper and lower limit may only include racers that fall within that range. For example a 46 year old may not race with the 35-44 year-olds group. If a race has a 35+ and a 45+ field, then a 46 year old is allowed to race in either group (or both groups if the groups race at different times)

John Wilson: To expand the junior age bracket to get more kids involved.

 

Awards Party:

Food catered by Chris DiMinno of Chris King.  Thank you to Sierra Nevada for providing us with the beer.  Awards party is open to all but we request that you RSVP so we can anticipate the proper amount of food.  Thank you!

Menu:

  • Grand local charcuterie and cheese platter, breads and traditional garnishes
  • Mushroom, chile, and potato with avocado vinaigrette
  • Braised spicy pork belly with pickled onion
  • Smoked brisket with radish and cabbage

Master of ceremonies: Brad Ross

  • Introduction

  • Oregon Cup

  • Oregon Women’s Prestige Series

  • Oregon TT Cup

  • Video Intermission

  • Bar Awards

Details:

Dress for attendees is casual.  Awardees should dress business casual.  Awardees will be announced and called up to the stage in groups.  We will provide further details at the event.  There will be an opportunity for photos after each group is on stage.

Awardees:

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  1. Tim Reinhart, Rapha/River City Bicycles
  2. Joshua Liberles, HiFi Sound Cycling Components
  3. Eric Gushurst, Team Oregon p/b Laurelwood Brewing
  1. Sydney Running, Team Ironclad
  2. Brenna Wrye-Simpson, Team Ironclad
  3. Kristina Hughes, BMC Total Care Racing
  1. Cristina Mihaescu, Team Ironclad
  2. Jennifer Haliewicz, Upper Echelon Fitness and Rehab
  3. Emily Boscacci, Oregon Bike Shop
  1. Dawn Andres, Portland Bicycle Studio
  2. Neisha Strait, Poplollies
  3. Helen Kennedy, West Coast Women’s Cycling p/b Oakshire Brewing
  1. West Coast Women’s Cycling p/b Oakshire Brewing
  • P/1/2 Men, Colby Wait-Molyneux, Hagens-Berman LLP Cycling
  • P/1/2 Women, Bre Rue, Fred Meyer/Lakeside Cycling Team
  • Category 3 Women, Heather Johnson, Beaverton Bicycle Cub
  • Category 3 Men, Ron Sines, Pacific Power Blue Sky
  • Category 4/5 Women, Hazel Gross, West Coast Women’s Cycling p/b Oakshire Brewing
  • Category 4/5 Men, Joe Tysoe, Unattached
  • Junior Men 10-12, Jacob Smith, PDX Devo Juniors Cycling
  • Junior Men 13-14, Grayson Szczukowksi, unattached
  • Junior Men 15-16, Alex White, Word-RCB by Cyclisme
  • Junior Men 17-18, Adam Oliver, Hutch’s-Slocum-Co-Motion
  • Junior Women 10-14, Kaylie Ragsdale, Fred Meyer/Lakeside Cycling Team
  • Junior Women 15-18, Gillian Bergmann, Word-RCB by Cyclisme
  • Masters Women 30-39, Erica Rinella, Fred Meyer/Lakeside Cycling Team
  • Masters Men 30-39, Carl Hoefer, HCH-RPM Mortgage Cycling Team
  • Masters Women 40-49, Brenda, Middleton Pacific Power Blue Sky
  • Masters Men 40-49, Ron Babcock, Team Oregon p/b Laurelwood Brewing
  • Masters Women 50-59, Laura Wanker, unattached
  • Masters Men 50-59, Dean Anderson, unattached
  • Masters Women 60+, Joanne Heilinger, RAO/Imperial River Racing
  • Masters Men 60+, Gregory Hartman, Team Rose City
  • Junior Women 17-18, Gillian Bergmann, Word-RCB by Cyclisme
  • Masters Men 35-39, Nick Skenzick, Hutch’s-Slocum-Co-Motion
  • Masters Women 35-39, Heather VanValkenburg, Portland Bicycle Studio
  • Category 3 Men, Marek Litinsky, Trusty Switchblade
  • Category 3 Women, Heather Johnson, Beaverton Bicycle Club
  • Category 4/5 Men, Matthew Brock, Team Lazy Tarantulas
  • Category 4/5 Women, Vicky Hanson, West Coast Women’s Cycling p/b Oakshire Brewing
  • Singlespeed, John Penfold, Oregon Bike Shop Racing Team
  • Clydesdale, Scott Pierce, Sappo Hill Soapworks
  • Junior Women 10-12, Roxanna Hart, Hapi-Go!
  • Junior Men 10-12, Jacob Smith, PDX Devo Junior Cycling
  • Junior Women 15-16, Kristina Owen, Capitol Velo
  • Junior Men 15-16, Peter Newlands, PDX Devo Junior Cycling
  • Junior Men 17-18, Kent Ross, PDX Devo Junior Cycling
  • Masters Men 30-34, Carl Hoefer, HCH-RPM Mortgage Cycling Team
  • Masters Women 30-34, Heather Johnson, Beaverton Bicycle Club
  • Masters Men 40-44, Jamie Mikami, Veloforma
  • Masters Women 40-44, Sarah Tisdale, Highfive Cycling
  • Masters Men 45-49, John Prosser, Pacific Power Blue Sky
  • Masters Women 45-49, Virginia Xing, Bicycleway.com/Oregon Paddle Sports
  • Masters Men 50-54, Martin Fuss, Beaverton Bicycle Club
  • Masters Women 50-54, Jan Moss, Highfive Cycling
  • Masters  Men 55-59, John O’Brien, Evolution Racing Team/River City Bicycles
  • Masters Women 60+, Flo Leibowitz, Pacific Power Blue Sky
  • Masters Men 65-69, Daniel Caldwell, Sunnyside Sports
  • Masters Men 70+, Einar Traa, Portland Velo Racing Team
  • Team Bicycleway.com/Oregon Paddle Sports
  • Senior Men Steven Beardsley, Gentle Lovers
  • Senior Women Bre Rue, Fred Meyer/Lakeside Cycling Team
  • Overall Masters Men, Masters Men 60-64 Ken Rodgers, Bicycleway.com/Oregon Paddle Sports
  • Overall Masters Women, Masters Women 55-59 Melissa Boyd, Pacific Power Blue Sky
  • Overall Junior Women, Junior Women 13-14 Lauren Ziehnert, Beaverton Bicycle Club
  • Overall Junior Men, Junior Men 13-14 Kyler Ervin, Smith & Nephew p/b Westend Bikes
  • Tandem John Cacabelos/Margareta Germeaux
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Oregon Cup and OWPS

Oregon Cup- top 3 will be called up and presented with checks.
1. Austin Arguello
Therapeutic Associates Racing

2. Paul Bourcier
Smith&Nephew p/b West End Bikes

3. Eric Gushurst
Team Oregon presented by Laurelwood Brewing

OWPS
1/2 Series
1. Kristina Hughes, ­ Monster Media Racing p/b Fight Meso ­
2. Misha Fuller, ­ Unattached ­
3. Brenna Wrye­Simpson, ­ Olympia Cycling Team

Cat 3 Series
1. Gabrielle Lehnert ,­ Hutch’s­Slocum­Co­Motion
2. Kae Erickson, ­ Portland Bicycle Studio
3. Kristin Duyn, ­ Portland Bicycle Studio

Cat 4 Series
1. Sara Schmitt,­ Athletes Lounge
2. Meg Hamilton, ­ Hutch’s­Slocum­Co­Motion
3. Neisha Strait, ­ Hutch’s­Slocum­Co­Motion

Overall Receiving Awards

Senior Women
Kristina Hughes
Monster Media Racing p/b Fight Meso

Senior Men
Jeremy Russell
PDX TI / HUB / RCB

Masters Women
Masters Women 45-49
Julie Ann Smith-Simonsen
Sweetpea Ladies Auxiliary

Masters Men
Masters Men 60-64
Russ Patterson
Portland Velo Racing Team

Junior Women
Junior Women 10-12
Mckenna Mckee
Fred Meyer/Lakeside Cycling Team

Junior Men
Junior Men 10-12
Jacob Smith
PDX Devo Junior Cycling

Team
Team Oregon presented by Laurelwood Brewing

Category and Age-Graded Receiving Awards

Tandem
Jamie Mikami/Cavan Mikami
Veloforma

Singlespeed/Fixed Men
Seth Patla
PDX TI / HUB / RCB

Singlespeed/Fixed Women
Bridget Hildreth
Portland Velo Racing Team

Clydesdale
Mike Reddig
Camas Bike and Sport p/b Sunset Audi

Athena
Kathy Hovermale
Boneyard Cycling

Category 3 Women
Lauren Trolley
Team Cycle Sport

Category 3 Men
Paul Hynes
Therapeutic Associates of Bend/Pine Mountain Sports

Category 4 Women
Julie Baird
Olympia Cycling Team

Category 4/5 Men
Chris Sarrett
Pacific Power Blue Sky

Junior Men 13-14
Parker Green
Beaverton Bicycle Club

Junior Men 15-16
Joseph Lukens
PDX Devo Junior Cycling

Junior Men 17-18
Cooper Irwin
Hapi-Go!

Junior Women 15-16
Kaylie Ragsdale
Fred Meyer/Lakeside Cycling Team

Junior Women 17-18
Charis Darnall
Hapi-Go!

Masters Men 40-44
Joseph Holcomb
Smith&Nephew p/b West End Bikes

Masters Men 45-49
John Weathers
Audi

Masters Men 50-54
Martin Fuss
Team Oregon presented by Laurelwood Brewing

Masters Men 55-59
Paul Mautner
Veloforma

Masters Women 35-39
Hazel Gross
CX Pistols p/b Gigantic Brewing

Masters Women 50-54
Betty Tucker
Pacific Power Blue Sky

Masters Women 55-59
Sue Hanna
Oregon Bike Shop Racing Team

Masters Women 60+
Melissa Boyd
Pacific Power Blue Sky

Categories and Age-Graded Not Receiving Awards
(Not enough disciplines- winners will receive certificates of recognition)

Masters Men 4/5
Robert Tornai
Audi

Junior Women 13-14
Charlie Wirth
Fred Meyer/Lakeside Cycling Team

Masters Men 30-34
Joseph Dengel

Masters Men 35-39
Andrio Abero

Masters Men 65-69
Daniel Caldwell
Audi

Masters Men 70+
Dale Harless

Masters Women 30-34
Heather Johnson
Beaverton Bicycle Club

Masters Women 40-44
Heather VanValkenburg
Portland Bicycle Studio

TT Cup Awards will be distributed

Location:

Chris King
2801 NW Nela St.
Portland, OR 97210

Parking:

You may park along the areas marked in red, or if you cannot find parking there, you can park along 29th Ave.  You will be towed if you park by Metro or any of the other businesses.  Entrance along alley on left side.

parking

2016 Gorge Roubaix

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The Gorge Roubaix is back and better than ever for 2016. April 2nd and 3rd, The Dalles, OR will host one of the premier weekend of road racing in the country. Day One on Saturday April 2nd will be the same route used last year with all the gravel you’ll encounter on the climb. Chad and Breakaway Promotions are currently putting together the course for Day Two and it should be better than ever.

If racing isn’t quite you’re thing, and you’d feel me comfortable in a mass start ride, the Gorge Roubaix Gravel Grinder on Sunday April 3rd may be more for you. There are Big Grinder and Little Grinder options so every rider can have a route that fits into their riding abilities.

Registration is open now on the OBRA website. Register early and get yourself a free pair of Gorge Roubaix socks. For more information on the race and updates as they come out check out the Gorge Roubaix website.

The video below is a short clip from a course recon Castelli Cycling did with a few Portland based racers last year.

November 25, 2015 Board Meeting Minutes

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Meeting was brought to order by Kenji Sugahara at 4 PM via teleconference.

Board Members in attendance:
Russell Cree
Meg Mautner
Michelle Mercer
Mike Murray
John Wilson

Absent:
Glen Gann

Also in attendance:
Joel Fletcher
Candi Murray

Joel provided a marketing report including statistics on social media outreach.  He also outlined some of the marketing work that has been done this year. Instagram and Facebook impressions are up with engagement also increasing.  He also mentioned that he will be heading to Cyclocross Nationals to cover OBRA juniors.  Joel highlighted the impact of Kenji’s drone video in helping create buzz around cyclocross with over 5,000 views through Willamette Week and 4,000 views through other channels.

Kenji provided a report on trends in the marketplace and a report on the relationship with Travel Oregon.  Road racing continues to follow national trends with a decline in road racing.  Gran Fondos and gravel grinders continue to gain traction.  Joel said that both the Gorge Roubaix and Ochoco Gravel Roubaix were highly successful. Recommendations included continuing to advise promoters that they should create products that are innovative and match the demand.  One concern was raised about OBRA being a racing organization, but Joel explained that if there is a finish line, then the event by nature is competitive.  The regulatory environment is becoming tougher with permits harder and more expensive to obtain.  However, it was noted that we should continue to support promoters who put on road events and help them overcome these barriers.

Successful promoters in Oregon who have engaged with destination marketing organizations (like Travel Oregon) and local economic development bodies include:  Kenny Graham, Chad Sperry, Brad Ross, Mike Ripley and Nick Gibson.

Mike briefly discussed his conversations with USA Cycling when he was back in Colorado Springs.  Derek B. seems to be more open to talking with OBRA.  Kenji then noted he had sent an e-mail message to Derek suggesting a possible solution to the national call-up issue.

John and Joel then briefed the board on the Junior Series and NICA.  Bill Warburton will be following up with NICA to see the costs involved with becoming part of NICA.  Joel noted it could be very expensive given the discussions on the conference call with the organization. John suggested we keep looking at whether we can leverage the JCS infrastructure on the MTB side.  The JCS is going strong though numbers are a little bit down.  The board then discussed the idea of capturing the “tweeners” (those who are too old for kiddie cross but too young for juniors).

Kenji made a motion to ask John to come up with a proposal for lowering the membership age to 9.  Russell seconded the motion.  The motion passed unanimously.

Kenji then covered some of the projects that are underway including the annual newsletter, the change of credit card processors, adding the capability to the industry site to allow teams to submit their annual renewal information and pay for it (without having to submit separate paperwork), and creating a process so promoters can submit and pay for their race applications through the industry portal.

The board then engaged in a marketing strategy session.  Michelle provided a great analysis of the importance of social media in engaging with audiences and attracting new members.  Joel highlighted the work of Chad Sperry with the Gorge Roubaix Recon and how the use of social media helped create “buzz” and helped boost attendance.  Michelle also provided great feedback about the newsletter advising Joel to link to articles and to keep the e-newsletter mobile friendly.

The board then discussed the financials.  OBRA’s finances continue to be strong.

Kenji then advised the board of the current status of NABRA.  NABRA is continuing to grow and is healthy.

Michelle gave a brief update on the Bend Velodrome Project.

The board then discussed issues and ideas that were brought up in a letter submitted to the board.  One of the issues that was brought up was with the calendaring- OBRA will continue its policy of non-interference though it will now publicize when

1. promoters are advised of a conflict
2. OBRA did its due diligence in attempting to mediate the conflict; and
3. there was no resolution.

OBRA will also bring back the promoter’s gathering for new and veteran promoters.  Tony Kic will be taking over the equipment program and will be providing suggestions for equipment purchases.

The board then agreed to schedule out meetings one year in advance.

The meeting was adjourned at 7:15 PM.

King’s Valley Update

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Hello OBRA and WSBA folks:

Today is the first Saturday in April and that can only mean two things:  The Tour of Flanders is tomorrow AND the Second Saturday in April is only one week away, which means that the Nearly World Famous Kings Valley Road Race is coming up fast. A few things to note for this years race:

We have had such a large turnout for our mens’ masters field in recent years that we are running separate 40+ and 50+ fields this year.  Note that 60+ has a separate 4 deep prize list and will race with the 50+ group.

Our beer sponsor is back with half cases of  Hop Valley Brewing beer to the winner of the first lap of most races.

We always are in need of support drivers to make our races as safe and sporting as possible, so if you are racing and have a spouse, friend, or minion who can drive a vehicle for us, you get a free entry and they get their race gas $ covered as well as a tasty lunch.  Please contact me @ scott.goldstein@summitbankonline.com

Advance weather forecast for race day calls for typically excellent racing weather…as is the norm for Kings Valley.

Further bulletins as the days progess.  See y’all at the race!

-Scott Goldstein

Promoter, Kings Valley RR

Beginner Friendly Monday PIR Begins in 3 weeks!

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All levels of bicycle racers invited to the start line for the Monday Night Bicycle Race Series at Portland International Raceway. Races are organized for five months from April 20 – August 31.

PORTLAND, Ore. (April 1, 2015) Portland International Raceway shifts into high gear as the Monday Night Bike Race Series kicks off its season on April 20th. Hundreds of racers of all levels will sprint to the finish in this long-running series. Participants race for fun and prizes all season long every Monday night, April 20 – August 31.

“Bicycle racing continues to grow in Oregon, and we see new racers each year trying it out. PIR is a great place to learn about racing,” said series race organizer Jim Anderson. “The race series is designed for experienced, novice and curious bike racers alike. There are a wide variety of categories to fit the needs of a growing sport. Also, with the track being easily accessible in North Portland, we expect our great bike racing venue to be packed with racers this summer,” said Anderson.

In the Monday Night Bike Races, support for cyclists learning how to race is a priority. The series offers several opportunities to learn and get excited about bike racing for first-time racers. Free introduction to racing clinics will be offered the second Monday of each month at 5:30 p.m., beginning in May. These short, concise clinics are led by coaches and experienced racers to teach the basics of racing to beginners. The series also receives support from Let’s Race Bikes, a women’s racing group. These racing ladies will gather the first Monday of each month from May to August. Let’s Race Bikes members will be available to answer racing questions, engage new riders and provide a fundamentals racing clinic.

This year the series has partnered with Oregon Bicycle Racing Association (OBRA) to offer Try Bike Night, an event to encourage novice racers to come out to PIR. Try Bike Night events will be held May 4 and July 13. For these events, OBRA will waive the one-day membership fee ($5) for racers rolling up to the start line for the first time. ($15 entry fee still applies.)

All levels and abilities are welcome and encouraged to attend: all that’s required is a helmet, a road bike and a sense of adventure. There are separate races for novice men and novice women, two categories for more experienced master (age 30+) men, and two categories for women (any age).

The course is a 1.9-mile, flat, wide and smooth paved loop of the Portland International Raceway (1940 North Victory Boulevard, Portland, OR 97217) in North Portland. The raceway circuit is closed to all car traffic.

Entry fee is $15. Registration area opens at 5 p.m. and is located at the start/finish area in the middle of the track, opposite the main grandstand. An OBRA license is required to race and is available at registration for $5 (single-day) or $30 (annual) and is available at the race or at www.obra.org. Online registration is available at www.racemondaynight.com.

Top-placed racers are eligible to receive gift certificates from fantastic local sponsors Laurelwood Brewing Company and River City Bicycles, and Castelli will award monthly leader jerseys along with the competition for the Team Prize. Prize is $1,000 for the team with the most collective points—across all categories—for a month. Teams are encouraged to enter as many racers as they can in all levels to increase chances of winning points. The prize will be awarded twice—once in July and once in August. But the emphasis is on learning, improving and getting a great workout in a fun, sociable and exciting environment. Racing starts at 6:15 p.m. on Monday nights from April 20th to August 31st.

More information at: www.racemondaynight.com.

Thank you River City!

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A big thank you to River City Bicycles from all of us in OBRA for RCB’s support of biking and racing in Oregon!  Happy 20th anniversary!

See the great article on Bikeportland.

The Blitz gets new course and finish line festival

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Bend, Ore. – The Blitz (formally known as Blitz to the Barrel) is announcing a new course and finish line experience. The new course will start at Wanoga Sno-Park and wind down several of Central Oregon’s best single track trails, as it has in the past. The new bottom quarter of the race course will include the always popular Big Air jump at Tetherow; from there the racers will loop around the neighborhoods and trails surrounding Skyline Ranch Road before coming back and finishing at Tetherow.

At Tetherow the racers will down a pint of their favorite beer and then arm wrestle for final glory! The new finish line area will include a mini beer festival featuring some of Central Oregon’s best breweries, a BBQ by The Row, bike demos and other activities.

“We are excited that The Blitz is now taking place exclusively at Tetherow,” says event founder Erik Eastland. “With the finish happening at the golf club, no one will miss a second of the race and all the festivities.”

Eastland and his team are currently in the process of inviting all the racers and Event Theory is currently booking sponsors. With the new race format and location at Tetherow, everyone involved is confident The Blitz will be a better than ever.

The Blitz will take place June 11, 2015. For additional information, contact Lee Perry. New website coming soon!

Contact: Lee Perry

541-390-3214

lee@event-theory.com

About The Blitz:

The Blitz pro mountain bike race features the 40 best men and women riders in the nation.

The Blitz is more than just a race though. It is a spectacular competition featuring five competitions: First through the Hole, Big Air, Fastest on Pavement, First to the Finish and Arm Wrestling. The finish line festival features bike demos, BBQ and a mini beer fest.

Save Vista Ridge!

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Vista Ridge

In the remote hills above Parkdale, a hidden gem of a road awaits your skinny little tires and your spandex-clad backside. Known as Red Hill, Vista Ridge, or FS 16, this remote single-lane blacktop gives you the chance to ride through the woods, far from traffic, with stunning views of Mt. Hood. This road hosted the now-defunct Mt. Hood Cycling Classic stage race. Vista Ridge hosts the Tour de Hood supported ride. FS 16 allows you to link the stellar Lost Lake ride to more climbing for 52 miles and 5200 feet of low-traffic, forested awesomeness. And if you’re into big, hard rides, you can tack on Cooper Spur for the crushing Three Summits. There’s nothing like Vista Ridge.

And sadly, it’s endangered.

Due to budget cuts, the US Forest Service (USFS) plans to remove 3.5 miles of pavement from this unique road. Once the pavement is gone, it’s not coming back. If we want to save this ride, we need your help. We need you to write letters. We need you to send them to the regional office of the USFS and to the Parkdale office.

And we need you to use your own words. Form letters, we’ve been told by the USFS won’t help in this process. Your unique views of why Vista Ridge (and other local USFS roads) should remain paved are the only chance we have to Save Vista Ridge.

If you want to Save Vista Ridge, the BEST thing to do is to e-mail (waiting for an answer on the best way from USFS, so submit ANY way at this point), and we would encourage you to do that. Please also send a copy to savevistaridge@gmail.com, as we may use your comments when working with federal representatives.

Here are the relevant questions you need to include:

1) We are interested in hearing from you about how you use Forest Roads. What do you like to do when you visit the Mt. Hood NF? What roads are a priority for you or are most important for accessing your favorite area or activity?

Use your own words to create a compelling story.

2) Are there particular road segments that provide unique opportunities?

We’d encourage you to mention Vista Ridge as your number one priority, as it’s the USFS’s number one priority for downgrading. We also encourage you to mention Lost Lake, Whatum Lake, and Lolo Pass roads. Please mention these roads MUST stay paved for you to use them for your preferred activity. Do not forget to mention why these roads are UNIQUE!

3) Is there anything else you’d like to share?

Here’s your chance to be creative. Did road biking save your life? Is Vista Ridge the only place you’ve ever seen a bear while biking? Were you part of a bike-vehicle interaction that scared you, and Vista Ridge is the only place you can escape the PTSD? Do you shed tears when you think of us losing this ride? Did you do your first bike race there? You get the picture. Go wild. Share your passion. Make the USFS understand just how much this ride means to you. Go do it now, before you forget. It’ll take less than 15 minutes.

–From the Save Vista Ridge

DO NOT USE THE ONLINE FORM SUBMISSION.  IT DOES NOT WORK.

Please e-mail your answers to mthoodtap@fs.fed.us and Todd Reinwald at treinwald@fs.fed.us

Please let the Mt. Hood National Forest Service hear thoughts on  this issue! We must save Vista Ridge from being decommissioned, and also ask that all Forest Service Roads connecting communities, such as the six mile stretch of FS Road 1810 off of Lolo Pass connecting the villages of Mt. Hood to Hood River be repaired and maintained.

You can also snail mail your answers to:

Public Affairs Office/TAP, Mt. Hood NF

16400 Champion Way

Sandy, OR 97055

 

Things to Do During and After Cherry Pie

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Independence_Bank_(Polk_County,_Oregon_scenic_images)_(polD0058)
Here are some places and sights to visit while in Independence during this year’s 2015 Cherry Pie Road Race.

Food and Drink:

The Three Legged Dog is a great new pub that opened recently downtown a block south of the amphitheater – locally sourced ingredients, great food, great drinks, etc.  They’re open for lunch and dinner Saturday and Sunday. https://www.facebook.com/TLDPublicHouse

Mangiare is a good iItalian restaurant directly across from the amphitheater on Main Street. They’re open Saturday and Sunday https://www.facebook.com/MangiareItalian

Independence Grill is also across from the amphitheater a couple doors down from Mangiare.  It’s a steak, seafood, and burger place.  They’re open Saturday andSunday https://www.facebook.com/IndependenceGrill/info?ref=page_internal

Lion’s Share & Ovenbird Bakery – two artisan bakeries and coffee shops located downtown a block south of the amphitheater.  Lion’s Share is a bit more of a coffee shop and Ovenbird is a bit more of a bakery, but both serve excellent baked breads, pastries, etc. as well as deli sandwiches.  Lion’s Share’s coffee is supposed to be excellent (I’m not a coffee drinker).  Both are normally closed on Sunday but should be open for the race  https://www.facebook.com/LionsShareCoffee  http://www.ovenbirdbakery.com

2EZ – a soup, sandwich and ice cream place right on the corner next to Riverview Park.

Shopping/Other:

http://www.rivergalleryart.com  The River Gallery – a great art gallery with pieces from the 15 members and a bunch of other artists.  Their motto is “from fine art to folk art” and it’s high quality work for very reasonable prices.  They’re normally closed Sunday but should be open for the race.

There are also several antique/craft shops in the downtown core.  If people are looking for a bit of an excursion, Rogue Ales has a hopyard just south of town where they grow a bunch of the hops they use in their beers.  It has a tasting room and a lot of other cool stuff.  They also offer tours of the farm and harvesting equipment.  It’s really interesting, especially since Independence used to be the hop capital of the world.  Half the hops harvested worldwide passed through Independence in the early 1900’s.  http://www.rogue.com/roguefarms

If you have any questions, please call me @ 541-905-9698.

We look forward seeing you all in Independence Oregon on Sunday, March 22, 2015!