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!

Cherry Pie Road Race Notes

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CHERRY PIE ROAD RACE

          Sunday, March 22nd, 2015 – Independence, OR.  

 

GENERAL INFORMATION:

Race stages at City Hall in Independence, OR.  “Neutral” spare wheels are used for this event. Wheels you bring may be issued to other riders in the event of puncture during the race.  Return ALL spare wheels issued to you to the Wheel Pit!!

PARKING:

Parking available at Riverview Park in downtown Independence and along “C” Street into the Park.  Follow signs and directions by Event Volunteers.  DO NOT park on Main Street in the downtown area, in private driveways or businesses if the businesses are open.

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

See Course Maps and Profile on-line.  Neutral Roll-out from City Hall to the Independence Bridge (River Rd.).  Fields will do one (31 mi), two (60 mi) or three laps (88 mi). Course follows smooth pavement, rolling hills, a few thigh-burnin’ climbs and rewarding descents around scenic farmlands between Independence and Albany.  With a fantastic, flat sprint finish in front of City Hall, come test out your early season legs!!

COURSE MAP:

FEED ZONE (CAT 1/2 Mens Race):  Due to the length of the race for this field, we will be adding a feed zone for the Cat 1/2 race.   We are still determining where this zone will be setup, so please stay tuned for more information.  All teams are responsible for manning the feed zone during this race for your team.   
 
VOLUNTEERS:  If you are interesting in volunteering for the Cherry Pie this year, we are looking for course flaggers and course drivers.   WVCT will cover your race entry and provide lunch – in exchange for you help during this event!  AM and PM session help is needed.   Please contact me @ 541-905-9698 for more information. 

FEES AND REGISTRATION:

  • Pre-Registration (On-line):  Adults: $30,  Juniors: $15
  • Online registration closes Saturday, March 21st, 2015 by 12:00 p.m., Pacific Time.

REGISTER ON-LINE at:   http://obra.org/events/23478/register

  • Day-of-Race Registration:  Adults: $35,  Juniors: $20

START TIMES:

1 Masters 50+/60+ Group scored & awarded prize separately if 5 or more in the Field.  Otherwise, prize shared with entire Field.

2 Women Masters 40+/50+ group scored and prize awarded separately.

PRIZES:

  • Prizes shown will be split 3 deep in each Field, unless noted otherwise.
  • Prizes awarded as cash or gift certificates, at the discretion of the Promoter.
  • Prizes for Morning Session presented during Afternoon Session, as soon as Results can be tabulated.
  • Afternoon Session prizes presented after the end of the last race as soon as Results can be tabulated.

 

FACILITIES:

Portable toilets will be available at Riverview Park and at the Start Line area.  Water will be available in Coolers & Jugs at the Information Area and at the Start Line area.

SPECIAL INFORMATION:

  • Use your OBRA Race Numbers for this event.  Pin two numbers on jersey – one on right side and one horizontally across your lower back.  If Officials cannot read your number, you will not be scored.  OBRA licenses are required to race.  Licenses available for purchase at Registration Area.  No license = No race.  Racers are STRONGLY encouraged to get licenses from OBRA as early as possible.
  • Riders off-the-back and Returning to the Start Area must follow Oregon all applicable traffic laws, signs and traffic control devices.  Ride single file and check for traffic regularly.
  • Centerline Rule is strongly enforced for your safety!  Officials will relegate or DQ centerline violators at their discretion.  Consider this is your First and Final Warning.  Helmets required anytime riders are on their bike.
  • Littering and public urination will not be tolerated!  Violators subject to fines and/or prosecution.
  • No feed zones.  Feeding from vehicles or spectators is not allowed anytime.
  • OBRA and the Race Promoters do not provide insurance coverage for injuries that occur at the race. Costs related to any injuries are the responsibility of the individual participant.
  • Participation in the Cherry Pie Road Race is voluntary.  Race Promoters are not responsible for personal injury, loss or damage of equipment, or theft directly or indirectly related to your voluntary participation in this event.

DRIVING DIRECTIONS FROM:

  • Monmouth (Hwy 99W):  Drive east on OR 51 (Monmouth St.) for 2.5 miles.  In Independence, turn left (north) on Main St.  Take the first right onto C St. into Riverview Park.
  • Corvallis (Hwy 99W):  From downtown Corvallis (99W & Hwy 20), head north on 99W for 20 miles. In Monmouth, turn right (east) on OR 51 (Monmouth St).  Follow for 2.5 miles to Main St.
  • Portland (I-5 southbound):  South on I-5 to Keizer.  Take Exit 260B (Chemawa Rd.).  Follow signs to Hwy 99E (Salem Parkway).  Follow 99E for 5.2 miles to downtown Salem and Hwy 22 (Marion St.).  Turn right and head east toward Dallas/Ocean Beaches.  In 5.4 miles, turn left (south) onto OR 51 (Independence Hwy).  Follow 6.3 miles to Riverview Park (left on “C” St. into Riverview Park).
  • Eugene (I-5 northbound):  North on I-5 to Exit 243 (Ankeny Hill Rd).  Turn left (west) on Ankeny Hill Rd. and follow 2.6 mi. to Buena Vista Rd.  Turn left onto Buena Vista, follow 1 mi. to Sidney Rd.  Turn right onto Sidney Rd. (becomes Riverside Rd.), follow 7.6 mi. to River Rd. (west).  Turn right (west) onto River Rd., cross Independence Bridge.  At Stop (Main St.), turn right, follow 1/2 mile north to Riverview Park.

ADDITIONAL EVENT INFORMATION:

Contact Kenny Graham at: 541.905.9698, kl_graham@comcast.net , or: www.willamettevalleycycling.com

THANK YOU!!  For the fantastic support and sponsorship from the following organizations: