Where Did Summer Go? Thrilla Cyclocross Series is Nigh

In as much as the Cascade Cycling Classic Criterium rings in summer, the Thrilla Cyclocross Series ushers us toward fall.

For racers both wholly dedicated and those trying, at long last, to get back into race shape, the four-date bicycle race series is a place to catch up with teammates, heckle friends and, most certainly, clang cowbells and crush beer.

A benefit for the youth-development Horner Cycling Foundation, Thrilla runs at the Athletic Club of Bend’s campus four consecutive Wednesday evenings, beginning Sept. 9.

The Athletic Club has hosted Thrilla, which began in 2004, since 2014. And while the terrain is, in turns, reliably moon-dusty, grassy and strewn with pinecones, Course Director Bart Bowen told the Source that this year’s courses will exclude the rear section behind the Athletic Club’s building, owing to fire suppression work conducted by property owner Mt. Bachelor Village Resort. That means that much of the course will wind through the club’s front yard, so to speak.

Terrain along the closed course ranges from thick grass to single track and paved sections. Racers compete from 15 to 45 minutes, depending on category.

The Thrilla Cyclocross Series welcomes all participants and spectators. Credit: Horner Cycling Foundation

“There will be less mountain bike-y parts,” Bowen said, adding that each lap will feature a single climbing section, unlike the additional one in years past. “But there’s still a lot of dry dirt out there — there’s no way around it.”

Racers accustomed to laying down watts on the smooth bike path sections will have less pavement to do so since the course is shorter, Bowen said. He and his team are still finalizing the four course layouts, which they’ll dial in during the coming weeks. They’re also setting the start-finish line in a new spot near an ankle-deep volleyball sand pit — a perennial favorite among many racers and spectators alike.

“There’s going to be some zigs and zags. I’m going to squeak out as much as possible with less space. That might mean it’s a bit more technical, but I’ll still be able to keep some flowy sections. There’ll be a good balance between the two.”

Cyclocross racing originated in France in the early 1900s, predating mountain biking as a discipline by nearly a century.

To the uninitiated, cyclocross looks like a mountain bike short-track race where all racers are somewhat under-biked. After all, the geometries of cyclocross bikes — or, more commonly at cross races these days, gravel bikes — more resemble those of road bikes, save for the added clearance in the fork and 33-millimeter knobby tires standard in ‘cross races.

Bowen says cyclocross is a great discipline for all abilities and ages of racers. He notes the Kiddie CX race — for young-uns 8 and under — and the 9-12 Junior race as great places for dipping toes into bike racing fun.

“For those who have done gravel races, cyclocross is shorter, and a lot more fun, I think,” Bowen said. “Its atmosphere is more festive. It’s a great participant sport, from beginner to expert. It’s an all-access event; families come out and stick around.”

Thrilla Cyclocross Series
Sept. 9, 16, 23 & 30, 4:05-6:45pm
Athletic Club of Bend
61615 Athletic Club Dr., Bend
tinyurl.com/hs7mwy6t
$25 for adults; free for juniors and spectators
Register at obra.org