Hey, lookee here—it’s the week of Thanksgiving! How did that happen?? Last I recall, I was introducing you to our new roster, drumming up the enthusiasm for a new season and new adventure ahead, stories yet untold and strengths yet undiscovered. Now, we’re on the later half of our season with so many stories yet to share! So we’ll start with the dearest one.

Our goal on this team is to grow the enthusiasm and talent of regional PNW women cyclo-crossers and help them become their best selves on the National level, with tutelage and care through it all. We contribute to the quality and development of women’s sports, because it’s important.

But our goal as a team is also to continue feeding that beating PNW heart that loves cyclocross so much, to feed the grassroots hunger for fun and community and doing hard things. We do that in a lot of ways year after year, but planning and hosting our race weekend, Bridge City CX, has proven to be a beautiful and critical contribution to our local world.

The first annual Bridge City CX was late in November, 2019. It took place just three weeks prior to US Nationals, which would be hosted just up the road in Lakewood, WA. Our community remembers it as a special weekend with so many hopeful feelings in the air. Bridge City was a late opportunity for OBRA members to accrue valuable USAC points, as the event was jointly run by both bodies. And on a very personal level, the momentum our team and Clara were carrying was very palpable. We knew something special was about to happen, and that energy of goodness and anticipation permeated both days at Oaks Park.

But the critical undertone of this event hinged on just that—it was billed as a welcoming community event superseding its bike race focal point. It was a gift to the city and our neighborhood of Sellwood, with the downtown skyline and ebbing river levels providing the backdrop. It was an instant success because so many community factions bought in to this concept and contributed. It was a gathering place where attendees would be welcomed, could be their best selves, and would experience something both satisfying and fun. That’s the true intention behind Bridge City.

The past several decades of racing events have enjoyed success and notable participation thanks to their own internal merit and a greater curiosity about bikes, maybe through Lance, maybe from the birth of the mountain bike right here in America. Anymore, it does seem that for racing events to be healthy and vibrant, they should look outside of their immediate world and build themselves into something bigger, that appeals beyond, that invites in more than the known audience, that includes more engagement than just the racing on the course. So, that’s what we’re working on. That’s where Erik’s intentions are with this event.

This third iteration of Bridge City was another great one. It stood up to the equivalent of a West Coast hurricane and delivered the sloppy conditions that PNW CX-ers crave. Those out building the course in a 2” deluge on Friday deserve a hot drink, a standing ovation, and more. Attendance was great on both weekend days, even as the elements proved gloomy. And we were able to make it happen because so many other businesses and individuals (from the bike biz and also not) believed that this kind of gathering and shared community space is more of what the world needs. We pulled out the stops with a killer course design, food, beer and amazing coffee at the course, podium ceremonies on the day, and a special part at the shop Saturday night after the racing had concluded. The party played host to the last podium of the day (the singlespeeders), plus a very fun raffle of goods and art, and also served as the 2022 Harvest Cross series celebration. It was a jam packed house, and you could tell everyone had a good time, keeping the party rolling.

The Team S&M CX crew couldn’t help but put on a good show on course to say thanks. These images are all from our pal, rider, and photo legend Patrick Means, all taken on Sunday, and a lot of them are of our women’s cat 1/2 race event. Enjoy the energy, and thank you for being a part of building it. Stay tuned for 2024.

Thanks to our event partners: Sellwood Cycle Repair, Starkwood Chiropractic, Otto’s Sausage Kitchen and Meat Market, YouMoveMe, Hopworks Urban Brewing, Coava Coffee, 1-800-Got-Junk, Maple XO, Candi & Mike Murray, Castelli Cycling, Grand Central Bakery, The Portland Bottle Shop, Sellwood Moreland Neighborhoods, Bob’s Red Mill, Collage PDX Arts & Crafts, Stages Cycling, Lazer Sport, Skratch Labs, Challenge Tires, Enzo’s Cycling Products, Goodr, Handup Gloves, Grafletics, the OBRA officials and staff, and so many more.