Ironclad Cycling

Hi there! Ok, after a whirlwind week or so, time to get back to brass tacks. Or Brass Rail, if you’re in Toronto, that is.

Back to the slugfest PIR, and tonight, the first MURDERHORN of 2012 is upon us!

Monday only our Dutchman Erik Bakker took to the fray, while Tuesday we lined up to defend Joel Crouch’s overall month lead in the 3/4. We neutralized any threats to the points, and spent time attacking for kicks. Apparently some folks just can’t grasp the concept. It’s ok, Shitty McSnaps, it’ll come around, some folks can’t help being stupid. We like to make a plan, and usually stick to it. It doesn’t make any sense to go rushing headlong into anything, as we all know. In the end, we managed to defend the monthly series points lead, and finish 2-3-4 on the night with a large support crew out for Joel. We had McCoy (in his new pink-ish helmet), Crawford, and Penner in the 1/2/3 as well, with Crawfy slotting in the top ten or so. Also, a big Get Well to Nick Blacklock, who got tangled up on the straightaway and took a tumble. Nothing worse than good guys hitting the deck. Heal up, Nick.

This weekend, the Hammer Velo crit and Single Speed Championship of the Universe is taking place at Swan Island. You’ll want to be there, because this race is a lot of fun. Actually, it’s more than a lot of fun!

See you on the volcano!

Initial reports have Ace leading a 2-woman break for the final 4 laps, swamped at line, with Brie 2nd (to a pro) and Ace 5th – so by our abacus, Brie WINS the Nature Valley pro chase and will get a ride in Minneapolis later this year at the Nature Valley Grand Prix. Ace in the mix, too. More details to follow.

Amazing work!

The little team that could, did.

Ride the Cowboys from Hell. So, firstly, open this in a new tab, press play, and read on.

With  Bernard the Red firmly in their minds, The Ace and Brianna went down to San Jose to see just how well they’d stack up against the west’s best amateur ladies in a brutal 65 mile road race named the Mt. Hamilton Classic. On the line was a possible invite to the Nature Valley Grand Prix later this year in Minneapolis.

Turns out the winning ways of OBRA races carried on to the duo down in San Jose, as Brianna Walle was positioned perfectly by the hard work of teammate Anna Christiansen (who did all the chasing, pace setting, and peloton wrangling proving she’s the exemplary teammate) and won the sprint to take the top spot on the podium. Back in Portland, the rest of the team went apeshit over the news.The now healthy Christiansen is just ending her recovery from pneumonia and put herself firmly in the lieutenant’s role, doing a stalwart job of being the perfect teammate. Walle just had to wait her moment, follow the wheels, and strike when the 200 meter sign showed itself. Congrats ladies! Total team effort!

SO there’s a criterium today, and after that we’ll see if Brie gets the invite to the Nature Valley Grand Prix. Amazing teamwork between her and Anna to make the dream just this much closer to a reality against a stacked field of hard racing women.

photo courtesy of Thomas Preisler

Alright Hamilton!

In Bend, we had Crawfy, Rob, and Erik swinging in the Summit Criterium, where our Mark Crawford managed a fine 5th place. Ah, that Bend, such a nice town. We hadn’t sent anyone down to the road race the day before, opting instead for hometown rides and grilling meaty things on steel racks.

A pile of us went to Amity and tasted wine.

Lana and I took out the Soft Like Kitten team director who was visiting from Seattle and went out for a West Hills jaunt. Good times.

Earlier in the week, Joel Crouch made quick work of Tuesday PIR in the 3/4 with Bakker and Thompson to take 1st place. Nice work Joel and co.!

Also, we’re hoping we can visit Bernard as soon as the doctors say it’s ok. We’ve overtaken hospitals before, so this will be old hat for us. Read the post below to follow the link to his recovery blog, and see a note from the man himself! Keep swingin’ Bernie!

Our dear friends and fellow cyclists,

It is with regret that we announce the crash and injury of Bernard Sanders, a dear friend of our team and brother of Ironclad rider Greg Sanders. Bernie took a tumble mountain biking in Bend, Oregon, and as a result of the crash has sustained an injury to his neck and spinal cord.

The prognosis is fairly good at this point, and he’s through his first surgery to relieve pressure on his spinal cord. His PT is coming along here, just one week after the crash.

Speaking first hand, I know that Bernard is one tough son of a gun. We all ask you direct your positive energies toward Bernard and the Sanders family as they begin the grueling road to recovery that lies ahead.

Please sign up to subscribe to this inspiration in waiting, at this blog site: http://bernardrecovers.blogspot.com/

Sometimes life hands you lemons and you have to make lemonade. I have a suspicious feeling that after life handed Bernard these lemons, in his mind he threw them to the ground, said “Fuck this”, chugged some good pale ale, and set his sites on kicking this injury square in the ass and setting course to get back on his feet again.

We’re all with you, Bernard and Sanders family, every last one of us.

Bernard Shall Rise Again!

Day one of the OBRA RR Championship has come and gone, and we took ourselves a big ol’ bite of the action to kick things off.

We have a veritable ass load of pictures for you right here.

Our Brianna Walle continued her excellent list of 2012 palmares by snagging the OBRA RR Championship jersey (while simultaneously wearing the Oregon Cup leader’s jersey) iin a tight sprint against some fast ladies with help from Levo, Momany, Whitley, Christiansen, Mihaescu and Croy. Nice work Brie! Steph Croy did her thing earlier for the squad, and still managed to roll in 3rd in the separately scored lady 3′s. Nice!

Brianna and Ace now head down to San Jose to compete in the Nature Valley Pro Chase. Had you told me six years ago we’d be competing at this level, I’d have told you to go have your head examined. Good luck ladies! Do OBRA proud!

Joel Crouch had a scintillating ride in the Men’s 3′s to come second in a big way after bridging to the break in the closing kilometers and sneaking past most of said break to nab second. That Joel, he sure has some legs to him, and he nabbed us our 3rd podium of the day.

We had Willis and Spahr in the brutal Men’s 1/2 race, with Willis succumbing to the heat, and Trevor hanging in for a fine pack finish on a rough day. The high heat had really set in by race time and took its toll on many a rider.

We had Alana on the undercard in the lady 4′s, but her gears decided to play hooky, scuttling her race early, unfortunately.

All day, there was one true and only champion though, and his name was Walter. Behold, in all his splendor:

like a boss

Also, members of Team Cthulu, Ironclad, and Jens Voights Army have formed a band. It is named Ultra Goat, (some call it “OBRA Goat”) and they’ve been making weird noises. Sample a bit of this sinister shit right here.

See you at the volcano this weekend!

What the hell happened? I turn my back for a few measly weeks and everyone goes and does a ton of racing and riding….how am I ever to catch up? Well, I’ll give it the old college try, let me shove everything off my desk, grab a crispy new piece of paper and sharpen my #2 pencil and here we go. In reverse order:

The inaugural Montinore Road Race is behind us, and is clearly the frontrunner for pick of the litter status for new OBRA races. Held in and around the lush Montinore Vineyards, the race was the right mix of up, down and flat. We had Crawfy in the Mst 1/2/3, Barker in the Mst 4/5, Ramey in the 4, Davis, Joel, Trevis, and WDP in the 1/2/3, and Ace, Anona, Brie, and Steph in the W1/2/3. Everyone suffered and took their lumps like champs, turning in great rides and resulting in some good round-the-bbq stories later. The day was capped off by Brianna’s 10th win of this young season after the team spent each time up the hill tenderizing the peloton until springing Brie with two to go. To boot, Anona overtook the bunch in the gallop to the line to make it a 1st and 2nd in the 1/2 race! We have the day mostly captured right HERE.

“…little shakin’, little tenderizin’, ….down you go.”

Also of note was Dave Davis‘ first race as a 3 in a good 1/2/3 field, where the wiry lad scored a fine 12th place. He said after that his first experience in the higher ranks was “much smoother”. Then, he set about making a huge pot of refried beans back at HQ. Makes sense, doesn’t it?

Trevis, WDP, and A.T. Davis

The day before, the jesus freaks went to the rapture….wait, that’s not right, ….there’s no such thing. But there’s this ride, see, and it’s long and gravelly and has a lot of climbing in it, which means I avoid it like the plague. But some of us aren’t too bright, and went and hit it. There’s a ton of pictures of that insanity for your perusal neatly arranged right HERE.

Prior to that we rounded out the Rose Garden affair with Davis and Brie winning the final installments of this great new series.

There was some dabbling done at PIR as well. Monday and Tuesday saw the squad in action in most fields.

There was another MtB excursion deep into the forest, where everyone pretty much made huge asses of themselves.

Shaun Conley was our sole offering at the Eric Krautzky Track Race, and he scored us a nice 6th place.

Sharon went to the Bear Springs XC MTB trap something-er-other, and brought us home some BAR points too.

And now a new week upon us….the hunt for the new hot yellow PIR leader’s jersey starts tonight at PIR…..Castelli comes through again with the coolness. And tomorrow’s Tuesday Shootout along with tonight look to be large affairs with the welcome warm weather.

See you guys around the two wheeled contraptions!