The Single Speed Cyclocross World Championships were held in Portland, OR this past weekend, November 7-9. The course featured an extremely unique obstacle in the form of a huge windmill complete with a foam machine.
Yakima's company team, the Yakima Bike Vigilantes, developed the windmill for the event, which was perched at the top of the biggest run-up on the course. Racers had to dismount, run through as the blades tried to nail them, and then remount their bikes once they were through the contraption, all the while avoiding foam that was pumping out through a foam machine.
This is just another event where Yakima showcases their fun loving spirit -- it's about about having fun, making other people have fun, and Yakima is as authentic as it gets.
Cyclocross Magazine covered the event and shot the following video, which shows the windmill in full action.
Matt Karre filed the race report on the SSCXWC08 website. An excerpt follows.
...Olympic mountain biker Adam Craig hit the start line on a slightly modified version of his usual Giant ‘cross bike. It was, of course, single speed but Craig had a partner in crime. Attached to his bike was a tag-a-long trailer bike ridden by Tina Brubaker (who happened to be wearing his Short Track national champion skin suit). Technically not a tandem and not truly two bikes, the two raced around the course with surprising grace and speed, even trying to bunny hop the Vault. Trebon came to Portland with winning in mind. After winning two previous races, the Cross Crusade single speed race and Category A race, Trebon found himself caught behind the initial pile-up and was unable to catch the lead group.
While Craig may have had a unique racing bike, many other racers competed perhaps without speed in mind. One strong man raced on a Surly Big Dummy, a 45 plus pound long tail cargo bike converted to single speed. Another wore an outfit best called lots of moss. A crowd favorite wore PBaRmor, a knight suit made of PBR cans. Perhaps the slowest contender was Brody Boeger riding a plastic pony mounted to a 20 inch kid’s bike. Many donned bikini briefs. One man wore a women’s one piece bathing suit. Last year’s winner Wendy Williams wore her world champion bikini.
The women’s race saw crowd favorite Megan Farris take a huge early lead. Destined for victory, Farris suffered an untimely flat that allowed Butler and Williams to pass her. Over thirty racers qualified . Butler, Williams and Farris caught and passed most of the men’s field even after starting 30 seconds behind.
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