Crusading through October

This will be brief as pictures speak louder than words. The Astoria back to back races gave us 0ur first taste of mud for the season with a bit of the peanut butter between the barns. Check out the Halloween crazies on the OBRA photo sites (http://www.obra.org) - made for some fun, jumping over coffins, people and many the empty beer bottle in Sunday's race.

This weekend proved we really have entered cross season with temps in the 40's, driving rain, deep-deep rutted puddles and lots of trashed bike parts. OBRA State Champs moved down to the Oregon State Fairgrounds in Salem with a wide open course that split the field in the first 10 minutes. Much pain.

After an evening using the blow dryer on my shoes, Sunday's Cross Crusade proved to be more of the same plus the added benefit of elevation gain, off-camber used-to-be grass and raucous crowds. Fun...except for the flat and subsequent rim ride for a lap with 1 to go. Thank goodness for sweet DeSalvo salvation in the pits. Managed to only lose two spots but still dropped out of the top 5.

One more to go! Thanks Matt LaSala for the sweet pix and keeping all us Bendites healthy!