There was a cyclocross race a couple of weeks ago that took place on a farm near Corvallis, Oregon. It was muddy. And windy. There were bizarre course features and ill-advised egg nog hand-ups. Seasoned racers high fived first-timers, rinsed off mud-caked bikes, shared post race coffee and bourbons. It was the second year of the Corvallis Cross Classic (CXC)and it ended up being a pretty great time.
Ruckus, Peoria Gardens and a whole lot of awesome sponsors worked hard to put the race on, and now, this week as we gear up for SSCXWC in Victoria, I think we’re finally done recovering from CXC2015. It’s difficult to capture the mayhem, and merriment of the event. Here are a few shots:
So why did a carbon fiber repair shop help put on a CX race? The simplest answer: We just like to have fun with our friends. The longer answer is that we want to make the bike community–and in this case the bike racing community–a more fun and welcoming place for everyone. If we’re in a position where we can influence the trajectory of the sport and the industry, even in a small way, then we’d like to make sure we’re doing it in a positive, meaningful way.
Ruckus’ involvement in CXC2015 comes on the heels of the Women’s Single Speed State Championship that we hosted last year at the Corvallis Cross Classic. The initial idea for that race arose from feedback from our female friends, teammates, colleagues. While not entirely a surprise, it was frustrating to hear how little support women in bike racing–especially those in single speed CX racing–receive.
Our goal was to set this event apart by working with sponsors to provide some extra encouragement, support and attention for our women’s fields. There were heated changing rooms, free coffees, whiskey handups and a really impressive array of prizes for not only top finishers but all participants in the women’s fields.
If we want the bike community to be a fun and inclusive place then we want to make sure that everyone feels welcomed and celebrated. There’s no question that the cycling world has come a long way with gender equality. And it still has a long way to go. We simply wanted to make this day of racing a fun way of continuing to take steps in the right direction by bringing a little more love to all the fantastic women out there on bikes.
And so, thanks to the sponsors, volunteers, racers, spectators, flag wavers, hand-up givers, hecklers and fire pit stokers. CXC 2015 was a great success. We all worked hard, got muddy and above all, we had a whole lot of fun with our friends.