Ironclad Cycling

Anna Clark scored two 3rd placed at the PIR STXC races Monday night in the Women’s U35 and Singlespeed fields! Nice work Clarkittack! (it’s like a shark attack, only worse). The Colonel went at the SS field as well with a fine finish. Anona Lil’ Bit decided better of racing about halfway through due to dust blindness and a general fucky kind of feeling.

Dizzy rode the pavement side of things and enjoyed himself.

Now watch this and have yourself a proper laugh.

Lots of great fields ate up the prime-heavy criterium on a scorching day in downtown Hillsboro. Thanks to everyone that came out and enjoyed the racing action! Wide open roads with good pavement, hot temps and very little wind made for an awesome day of criterium racing. We were dragging a bit from the Street Sprints the night before, but we brought our best.

the women’s 1/2/3 comes flying into turn 2

Thanks as well to all the in-team volunteers that did a bang up job of marshaling a course infested with Spanish speaking church-goers, two small bars worth of committed Sunday drinkers, and a Masonic temple chock full of gem-sweatered curmudgeons. One senior citizen escaped onto the course but was quickly corralled. Given the depth of marshaling skills needed, it was no small task. Our people did an amazing job.

Very special thanks have to go to the Hillsboro Police Department, who were instrumental in the day’s smoothness overall. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Those cops were the very best. Well, until they had to arrest Dave.

damn!

Suzie and Kyle Bush were there, and Suzie took a page worth of amazing photos and you can find all the race action captured right HERE.

Thanks to OBRA for holding our hands through our first race weekend. We had a good time, and we’re already planning  on how to make next year better!

Were you there? Do you want to know what it felt like if you weren’t?

Dave Roth’s excellent photo expose HERE.

Jose Sandoval’s complete look HERE.

Bikeportland.org has some great looks  right HERE.

Check ‘em out. Thank you all very much for coming. Today’s crit was awesome as well, and we thank you. Full report on that forthcoming. Sleep now.

Here’s  a tasty shot from Jonathan Maus of Bikeportland.org:

Thank you to the OBRA peloton for showing up tonight to our Street Sprints event. Almost every team in the bunch was represented well, and we had a lot of fun throwing the event. We swiped some pictures from Team Oregon and Adam Edgerton. Final winners of each heat listed here. Thanks again for coming.

See you Sunday morning for the crit!

Some of the sprints were awfully close. Good thing we had a clean shaven Mike Murray to look at the photo finishes.

Big crowds enjoyed the spectator friendly race.

Come to our races. Want to do Larch Mountain TT, too? No problem, promoters can adjust your start time if you’re up for the double dip. Just ask the fine folks at the Larch registration.

We have more primes than you can shake a stick at!

Registrations are starting to tick up, so get involved if you want to save a few bucks and not stand in line at the event. All the information for our races right here.

Twilight Street Sprints Saturday – Be at Nw 13th and NW Raliegh/Quimby at 5:30-5:45pm Saturday night for the draw. Pre-regs will be assigned spots but we’ll announce all brackets right there on the spot. Be within earshot of the Bullhorn. We’re looking at maybe 40 racers or so right now, so it shouldn’t be too nuts.

Crit Sunday – downtown Hillsboro, just blocks from the MAX. Start times on the flyers.

Hope to see you there. We know you have choices this weekend!

A nice day in Gresham. Hey, did you know we’re having a race next week, too? Check it. We have SO MUCH STUFF ON THE PRIZE LIST EVEN YOUR GRANDMA WANTS TO RACE IT.

Before we really get started, has everyone noticed Alberto Contador sounds like a muppet?

Anyhow, breakout rider Brianna Walle said goodbye to the Cat 4 ranks by winning the Cat 4 women’s crit, then getting upgraded on the spot and racing the 1/2/3 – taking 3rd after BRIDGING to the breakaway by herself. No small feat. Way to go Brianna!

Crawford and Harwood and Dizzy took on the 3′s and the MST 1/2/3 race, with both races seeing our boys finishing well with some top finishes outside the podium, but in the points.

Shaun Conley took 3rd place TWICE, in the 4′s (with some excellent assisting by Joe Leineweber) and in the MST 4/5 as well.

Then in the senior men we had Willis and Spahr, both of whom finished in the top 15. Points!

Leineweber buries himself for Conley on the front

Ok, there’s no boobs, but we figure that would get you to read this.

Registration is open and it’s humming. You’d best get involved now if you want the savings ahead of time. How do you do it? Simple. Click right here.

Now, these street sprints, they’re a curious thing. You go in a straight line, for a short distance, against 3 competitors, as fast as you can. If you’re 1st or 2nd, you’re assigned a new bracket in the 2nd wave of heats. If you’re 3rd or 4th, you’re done. But look at the price, it ain’t too much. And the prizes between the sprints and the crit? Home cooked meals by a chef? Cases of Dr. Will Bars? Rapha? Chris King? All Hail the Black Market? Yakima? Little Package? Handful bras? Ironclad gloves and apparel? CASH MONEY B? Oh yes, and much, much more!

And while for a brief moment we thought we had the original Portland Street Sprints – it turns out that’s not true at all. It took the estimable Mike Murray (who at the time was waiting for bypass surgery – not kidding) to write us and tell us of our error. In fact he even sent evidence. We’re guessing by the rad porn mustache this was some time in the early 80′s, though our carbon dating system (read: sprinkling Hamm’s on it) has failed us.

Here’s your evidence. If this doesn’t make you want to Be Like Mike, we don’t know what would.

no kidding, no joke, no shit. That’s Mike Murray. Dig that style….just dig on it.

Hey….Hanrahan…..I know! I know!

Tuesday PIR, good times. Harwood 4th in the 1/2/3 with assist by Willis.

In the 3/4 we had Dizzy all lined up for greatness before an exploded rider forced our boy off the road. Still got him points earlier to slot in the top 10. Assists by Dave, Lana, Ryan, and Conley.

Fire and a crock pot of delicious BBQ beef afterward, as well as in depth discussions about Andy Schleck’s Monkey Salute.

Something like that.

We raced in the dirt exclusively yesterday, with no one on the road. That is indeed a first in our 4 year history. Amazing. It’s that time of year though, isn’t it? Those of you reading this that have put in a lot of races so far, and know how many races are still ahead of us, have that “not so fresh feeling” in your legs. We know your pain, and invite you to take a break. Have a cigar, you’re gonna go far.

Did you know we’re putting on our own races in 2 weeks? Hot damn, that’s right. Check out all the info right HERE. Don’t mess about young lad! Sign up now and save money. We’ll have lots of cool things to give away and for you to win. Cash, prizes, donkeys, llamas, handguns, and drugs. You can’t lose.

image courtesy Joe Martin and The One Second

Racing alone, in her first omnium in her first year, Brianna Walle just won the High Desert Omnium in Bend, Oregon! Playing the crit right, then angling for victory by winning the TT and then staying in the lead group and eventually winning the road race results in an overall WIN for our 1st season racer.

UPDATED: Barker chimes in, “Brutal, fucking brutal. Way faster than last year. I saw the spirit horse and told it to fuck off.”

Some early results tricking in – Crawfy got points in each stage, so he’s in the overall, we’re just not sure where yet. Probably 4th, 5th or 6th, so sayeth the abacus (which is actually just some empty beer cans with a thread going through them).

More details soon. Meanwhile, here’s the 4/5 dudes from today.

Atlin, Joe, Brian