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June 21, 2002

NEED FOR SPEED UNDAMPENED RAIN CAN'T KEEP CYCLISTS FROM PORTLAND INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY, WHERE THE OBJECTIVE IS TO GO FAST
AND HAVE FUN

Abby Haight - The Oregonian

Two weeks in a row, rain fell on the Lakeside Bicycles' Monday night race series at Portland International Raceway.
Two weeks in a row, cyclists of diverse abilities, backgrounds and ages grinned at the sloppy sky and switched to higher gears, lighting the gray track with their colorful jerseys and swift speed. For these racers, resiliency against the weather is just part of the fun.

" This is some of the fastest racing in Oregon," said Kevin Chudy, an owner of Bike 'n Hike and a veteran racer. "People bring their lightest equipment. People come here for one reason -- to go fast."

They also go to the track in North Portland to learn the skills of bicycle racing. And for the good- natured camaraderie. And to test their fitness.

The Monday night race series for masters and women is all of that -- competitive, supportive and geared toward fun.
Monday is the start of a week of racing offered through the Oregon Bicycle Racing Association. Tuesday nights feature the high-intensity category racing at PIR. On Wednesdays, cyclists sprint Mount Tabor. Action moves to the Alpenrose Velodrome on Thursdays and Fridays. And weekends usually offer road races.

The masters and women's race series began about 12 years ago.

" We didn't lose money," said Eric Christenson, who helped start the Monday night racing and is a regular racer. "We needed to average 20 or something to break even."

The numbers grew.

Organizer Jim Anderson counted 92 racers on one of the first Mondays this spring. The numbers fell off on a string of rainy Mondays but increased again when the sky cleared.
The 1.9-mile PIR track is ideal for racing. It is flat and doesn't require sharp cornering. There is no traffic or rough pavement to worry about. Bikers clear the occasional auto debris -- bolts, metal scraps -- on their warmup circuits.

The track does become more touchy when its wet.
" The rain doesn't really stop racers from coming out," said Anderson, a student at the University of Oregon who races bikes and who has been organizing the Monday night series for about five years.

" It is a little slicker, because of the oil, but they just go a little slower."Chudy, 44, began racing at PIR at 15 and is enjoying a return to competition." What I like about this is a sense of accomplishment," he said. "You can train hard all week and then come here and the results are on the finish line."

Kent Johnston, 36, also was a longtime racer who took time off and then returned. Johnston's dark-pink racing bike stands out as a beacon in the swirl of colors and drew admiring comments from other racers. ("We tried to vote in this color for our team jerseys," Johnston said. "And all the guys went, 'Eeewww.' ")

The PIR track makes for fast racing, and the award of prizes for sprints and hot spots -- points for winning midrace sprints that can vault a third-place finisher into victory -- makes the racing strategic.

" You can go to the front if you want to work or you can coast in the back," Johnston said. "Wednesday nights they have Mount Tabor, and there's nowhere to hide there."
Patrick Edenfield of Vancouver has raced Monday and Tuesday nights at PIR for a decade." Mondays are safer, by far," the 38-year-old said. "On Monday, there's a little more experience."

The women's field, with about 20 racers, has a wide age range. Portland's Larssyn Staley, one of the brightest rising stars of U.S. cycling, raced at the track as a 15-year-old. Kathleen Moore, 46, rarely misses a Monday." It's a ball out here," said Moore, who also organizes races. "The age group can be 18 to 55. We all inspire each other to do better."
Mechele Knable of Washougal, Wash., had never raced before she came to a Monday night a year ago." I was totally scared to death," Knable said. "But everybody was just so nice."Since then, Knable has been a regular, advancing in categories. Her husband, Ward, also races but said his main goal was supporting Mechele." I enjoy it," Ward Knable said. "I just don't enjoy going out and getting beat up by these guys."

Some of the Category 1 and 2 masters are among the fastest riders among the Tuesday night open riders. But the Monday races welcome all levels of racers.

" It's competitive as hell," said Edenfield, who raced in the Category 3 and 4 division. "But there's no trash talking. Everyone's really friendly. We're really a community. A bike makes everyone equal."