These Colors Don't Run...from rain, mud, wind or cold beers!

The most intense CX weekend in this lil rookies life for sure...so much f*ing mud I feel like I am a mud scientist. I saw peanut butter mud, greasy mud, ankle deep energy zapping mud, mud that was unrideable, doggie mud, Mudweisers...all sorts of flavors. We had it all: classic Oregon CX weather/conditions. fondue, a sketchy bike  rack, lots of Beermongers, a bonfire, doggie cross race, smiles, broken bike parts and everything you would look forward to seeing at a race.

 

Part 1 - Saturday, 17, 2012 Krugers Crossing

We got things started off at Kruger Farms on Saturday...it basically rained all night (Friday) pushing the water table under Sauvie Island up high.  Kyle H, Gina and I were setting up in the rain when they told me they saw 'B.A.' Sam towing his bob-trailer down Hwy. 30 toward the race course.  He arrived with 25 pounds of wood in his trailer and a smile that stretched from ear to ear.  The BA obviously stands for Bad-Ass as this mofo rode (I mean submarined) his way to the race in a fierce rain.

 

 

 B.A. Sam joined Hammerin Hambone Heddy and Bill in the Cat. C race.  In this photo it certainly looks like Hammerin Hambone is riding out of the gates of hell.

 

 

Krugers is legendary for snapping rear derailleurs but aside from Bill's broken chain on his last lap the Cat C. dudes made it home unscathed. 

 

 

 Master Cs were up next and even though I was in the 'loo' when I heard my name get called up I was pretty confident that my third row start was going to be fine.  Stroup and Kyles S. joined me on this one.  The mud was heavy and half way through the first lap I snapped my chain...shit!  Well this has happened before at Krugers.  I ran around the course and shouted for a new steed when I passed our tent.  Kyle H brought me Brian W's Giant to the pit and I hopped on.  That bike was a dream and I was able to claw my way back into the middle of the pack, finishing 19/43 after running a mile in lap 1.  Thanks a bunch Brian!!  Kyle H was not as lucky as he got a flat and was done.  Stroup had an amazing race...he ate shit on a slippery run up in lap one and still managed to finish second, nice work brothers.

 

 

Between the boys racing in the morning and our Fair-maiden Mongers we were treated to my brother Pat's Beer Fondue recipe. This was the first time I tried to bring fondue to a CX race but it worked out well. Look for more in the future. The Campbell Clan was in town from Bend and Virginia for this heavy day of crossing and the Doggie CX made it all worthwhile

 

 Paul & Lucy, Emily & Wally and Kyle and Jericho all took their dogs for runs in this race.

 

 

 

At several races this season there has been a funny, jovial fellow with a badger hat hanging out at our tent.  He brings the laughter and good times but does anyone know who he is?  Oh wait, that's my Dad a retired Federal Police Officer under that skin cap.  Here he attempts to wrap all of the cheese around his fondue bread.

 

 

Oh and who could forget the little girl that was screaming at us during kiddie cross...that was hilarious.

 The Ladies were not scared off by the rain or my fondue and they came to this race in droves.  Julie is usually looking back at the competition but you would think that she would give these B riders a little more respect, not.  Plus, check out the Trusty Switchblade chick sticking her tongue out.  "Give me a Voodoo Donut here!"

 

 

Steph and Shawna rode in the Cat. C race and I caught Steph channeling her race face.

 

 

As the race got started it was clear that these ladies were working their arses off and they were going to take a little mud home with them.  Shawna rode through the mud, leaped the barriers and finished with a smile.

 

 

 Jericho rode in the Beginners race and ended up in the middle of the Cat. C field...time to move yourself up I think.

 

All of the Lady Mongers did us proud as there was probably another inch of rain on the course by the time they rolled.  Julie was so crushed after her race that Stroup needed to assist her with her post-race hydration.

 

 

All in all Day 1 of this epic weekend was really fun...oh in classic Monger style our bike rack fell over even with two bike stands a solid 2x4...can I get an engineer to design, never mind.

 

 

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Sunday, November 18, 2012 - CX Crusade Race 8 Pro Paddock (PIR)

Well everyone says that Krugers is the place to ruin your derailleur...think again.  The mud was so thick and nasty after days of heavy rain that lots of bike components were ruined on this day.  The last CX Crusade race is always a fun day and we set-up our tent next to the friendly PDW peeps, thanks DPowell for for all the beers.  That was super awesome!  Kim said it best, "CX in Oregon is an ass warming good time!!!".

 

Karl rolled out first in the Clydesdale race and he kept his bike out of the mud and his kit unsoiled, for the most part.  Bill earned a call up for his Cat. C race and this allowed him to push his sweet tubulars through the mud to a 15/68 place finish.  I could not find my camera so no early pictures were taken, sorry.

 

Our Mster C crew included Stroup, Ryan, Kyle S and myself.  Sean got his normal call-up and I could see Ryan and Kyle in the front half of the start pack while I was in the back.  Second to last number...behind everyone without a beer coupon, doh!  The first lap and a half were slow as I tried to work around 100 riders in front of me...eventually I saw the green/yellow/blue jersey of Kyle and tried to work myself up to him.  After a few more laps we traded places and I had a good battle with Snorkel from the Stumptown team but he beat me by a second.  As a group we had awesome finishes: Stroup 8/Ryan 30/TC 40/and Kyle 54 out of 154 riders.

 

Abram raced in the Master Bs and he had a solid series finishing race with a 59/95 placement.  Next year he will be pushing higher for sure.  No pictures as I was waiting to wash my bike while going hypothermic.

 

Yo baby look this way...

As has been the case all series our Lady-Mongers are attacking almost every category, except the Masters, with some new blood and fight.  Jericho rolled for a second day in the Beginners and she finished 13/35.  Here she picks the line that is not choked with mud.

 

Steph, Chris, Shawna and Erin all raced in the Cat C race and I can see some real competitions brewing in this Category for 2013...who is going to be secretly seeking an off season training regime to have that edge next autumn?  Sorry to Shawna and Erin the only pics I took of you two were out of focus.

 

 

Julie was racing in the Cat. Bs even though I felt she got shafted by being 'cat-ed up' before the last race.  Whatever..she still raced to a 9/25 finish and had lots of solid B riders worried about next season too.

 

 

Nick was warming up in the tent as rain was accumulating on top...so we made it Bloody Knee Nick Falls. There was a flow later that went down my jacket, sweater, and T-Shirt...whoa that was cold.

Nick and Matt both rolled in the Cat. B race and from the sidelines it looked like Matt was enjoying the course and giving Nick a run for his money.  A flat knocked Matt out of the race and Nick finished with a solid 26/52 place.  I think Nick's new pre-race hydration, Mudweisers, were having there sleepy affect on him.  Either that or this kid is Luke Skywalker practicing his Jedi mind tricks.

We agreed to help CX Crusade crew clean up the course after and we made a lil $$$ for our coffers while giving back to such a solid series.  However, the rain did not stop and we all were pretty happy and wet by the ended.  Thanks to all that helped, even those two nice S&M girls that are always hanging out at our tent.  They may wear a different color but they bleed Mongers green/gold/blue.

 

Well the season ain't over yet but the CX Crusade is...its has been a phenomenal year and we have added lots of fun people to the club.  Overall we came 19th in the CX Crusade and individually we had some outstanding performances: Julie Deal came 1st in Beginners, 3rd in Cat C and has been pushed into Cat B all in one year.  Sean Stroup even though he was injured much of the season finished the Master C of Crusade in 19th and Bill finished 20th in Cat. C for the Crusade.  Other outstanding mentions include people riding for the first time, over coming the fear of a particular course (Barton), Cat'ing yourself up, getting to know other Mongers/riders, and having those inter-team battles that are so much fun. 

 

Plus, I would like to give a shout out to all the new Lady-Mongers...we have lost a few over the years but we have a solid crew now that I hope we can build on.

 

Sean will be riding for the Master C series Championship at 10:30 on December 2nd at WinterCross and it would be awesome to have as many Mongers out there as possible to cheer him on.  I will be doing the best I can from inside the race to push him around the course, you can help by bringing your coffee, cowbell and vocals to the sideline.

 

Many of us are planning to head to the USGP in Bend during the weekend of Dec. 8/9.

 

SAVE THE DATE:  The BMCC season ending party will be on Thursday, January 17th at 6:30 at the Beermongers (SE 12th and Division).  We will have awards, drink specials, a slide show, and more



WA County Fairground...was very fair to our Lady Mongers

Another sweet day in the Oregon rain...Karl got our day started with a call-up on Veterans Day for having served in the armed forces.  He found that the course favored his mud skills and we hung out the flag as he made his way past our tent.  Thanks for your years of service and the delicious cake!!

 Bill was our only Cat. C racer today and his number put him in a good place to have an awesome race.   Here he is showing those mustached DNR dudes how to ride the course.  Nice finish today Bill...top 20!!

Master Cs were a little light today as well.  Sean and Kyle who also raced on Saturday came out ready for a fight.  Stroup was called up and he held s sixth place spot for the first two laps, after it was all said and done he finished in 8th place.  Kyle now thinks that he will race two days every weekend because his 64th place finish in this massive field was his best of the year and put him well into the top half of the field.  I am sure these guys slept well last night.

Abey baby rolls with the Mster Bs and even though I forgot to get the dog cage he was fired up to represent the Mongers this week and he was only let down by the worst luck.  Lining up second to last, at the back of the pack without any beer.  Doh!!!  On a positive note...he did track down the ailing Eddie Wang and beat him on the last lap...nothing beats a dog fight.

 Now as the headline reads this day was all about the Lady Mongers.  Our beginner ladies, Steph and Jericho, were rolling some new bikes and looking real happy during the race.  Steph is moving so much faster on this bike I could barely keep it in focus.   Brian is getting his clap-on too...lets invite him to join.

Jericho looks relieved that she does not have to carry that mt. bike up those stairs anymore.  Now she can focus on remounting that stead and kick these girls asses.

Shawna was part of the crew who raced twice this weekend and she hit the table top in the Cat. C race shoulder to shoulder with two other girls.  However, the fire in Shawna's eye burned right through them as she remounted and took off down the ramp.  Notice how these two other girls are looking at me and Shawna is totally focused.  This is an old school bit of Mongers trickery...lean over the railing with a camera and people starting looking at you while the Monger rides to victory.

Speaking of victory: well Julie 'the Real' Deal pulled a double today by winning her race and having fun doing it.  I mean once she got out of the gridlock in the photo below she beat the second place girl by 40 seconds.  She is currently in second place in the Cross Crusade Cat. C standings by 5 points.  If she wins the Cat. C race next weekend she will win the series.  Unbelievable!!  That is her new nickname Julie 'the Unbelievable Real' Deal.  Great race Julie Jo.

  

 Following the Ladies race we got a sweet photo of the girls with their victorious smiles and sweet bikes.  It was muddy, rainy, cold, and down right unpleasant but these girls eat those weather conditions for lunch...then they washed it down with a beer, of course.

Now the Cat B race came on last...but we had a solid showing with Nick and Andrew.  Below you will see that Nick has no problem battling these hammerheads while heckling us to put out dollars.  I mean the nerve of this guy.  "Yo, Bloody Knee Nick watch your line bro, not our dollars!!"  This category got the the course in the worst condition because it had been subjected to hundreds of bike tires and lots of rain.

 However our Cat Bs look no worse for wear as they enjoy a post race malted beverage and warm fire...is that a Yuengling Lager?  Damn the Mongers always have the best beer.

 Oh what a day...all the racers, all the mud.  As it stands today November 12th the BMCC is in 19th place in the overall series team standings and we need a good turn out to reach our goal of finishing in the top 20.  We also need a good turn out to cheer for Julie as she goes on a demolition course to win her category overall.  Lastly, BMCC will be helping the Cross Crusade folks clean up the course after PIR and then you are welcome to come to my house and soak in the hot tub. Bring a bathing suit and a towel.

Bloody Barton Park...well except for those of us drinking beer....

Barton Park is always a favorite course amongst the mtb. riders.  There are technical turns, uphill runs, rocks, down hill drops, and loss gravel...lovely.  The crowds come out to Barton to watch the racers take on these technical challenges and ride a steep, long off-camber drop.

We had a solid showing today with twelve riders stretching from the Clydesdale/ Cat. C race to the day's finale Cat. B/Snglespeeders.  Karl 'weighed in' and jumped in with the Clydesdales. Neigh, neigh!!!  Bill brought his new tires to this course looking to easily handle the slippery conditions.  He  did not find very slippery conditions but he road the steep hill in style.

 Hammering "the Ham stands for Hambone' Heddy brought his game face out today.  He was heckling other riders while he was racing and using his Chris Sharma breathing to fight those hills.  Either that or he was telling Gina what he wanted for lunch, I am confused?

Ryan and Sean held down our Master C Category.  I usually don't get to take photos of my co-racers so they get an extra spread this week.  Sean finished in 16th and Ryan made his way though a heavy category to finish in the top half.  Nice work boyz!!! I will be back next weekend, make some room.

 

 Abram is clearly getting more comfortable as a Master B racer...

this week his epiphany was that he may need to be a little more 

aggressive...you may need?  I think we should lock him in a dog

 cage and poke him with sticks for an hour before each race.

 Our ladies came out with a fire that could only destroy their competition

and show the CX world how awesome the Lady Mongers are!!! Shawna and Julie getting ready to go in the Cat. C Women's race. That Sweat 360 chick is saying, "Shit I am going to get worked by these Lady Mongers! They beat me every week"

 Chris and Erin thought they would take advantage of the extra hour of sleep on Saturday night by over hydrating and staying up late training.  They came to the race in jeans and switched it up after a little prodding from their fellow Mongers.  That's what we are here for...encouraging you to do things your body is resisting.  Nice Race ladies...all that hydration and training was not a waste of time after all.

Jericho rolled out in the beginners race and she managed to carry her mt. bike up several run-ups...no need for her to do any upper body workouts for a few days after that effort.  Julie 'the Real' Deal won the Monger of the Day award, direct from the Beermonger himself, for her second place finish.  Can you say Candi Murray knows your email address?  Flanadez she is knocking on the door....

 Birthday boy Jer came out to celebrate on his singlespeed bike and I caught up with him rolling through the trees  ...happy b-day brotha!!!  I hope the Pizza Scholls was awesomely tasty!

Nick 'weighed in' for the B race and gave me a scary Droog face...the smirk was gone by lap 4 when he earned his new race name 'Bloody Knee Nick!'

We were blessed with lots of Cross-Dawgs and their friendly owners.  Don't forget Doggie Cross at Kruger Farms (November 17)...I think Wally is the reining champ in his category.

Life in the Ira Ryan team tent...yo where's my waffle!!!  Cool view...

Even though I did not get to race...this is still my favorite way to spend a Sunday in the autumn.  Friends, the outdoors, bike racing, tasty beverages, good laughs, fun heckling (i mean cheering)...We caught Abram looking toward the camera...

See you all either Friday night for some scandalous movies or next Sunday...here is primer video from Hillsboro 2010.