Scotty Carlile and Damian Schmitt, two local cyclists who from February – December race mountain bikes, road bikes and cyclocross, mostly in the Portland area, aspire to build a cohesive team to race nationally. They’ve been working as a team for the last several years to secure sponsorship to offset the costs of travel, entry fees and equipment for bike racing. Thump is happy to do our small part by fueling them with coffee for the early morning drives to and from The Valley for races.

These two are particularly psyched to be involved in the upcoming National Cyclocross Championships that will be held here in Bend from Dec. 10-13.  Damian describes cyclocross as “… the Steeplechase of mountain bike racing… with a course consisting of dirt, pavement, natural and manmade barriers and run ups too steep to ride, requiring the cyclists to get off their bikes to run up and over.”  Since the course is a ½ – 2 mile loop, it’s a great spectator sport.   Damian added, “If you thought the summer Cascade Classic downtown criterion was fun to watch, you’ll be blown away by cyclocross! Dress for the weather, bring a cow bell, eat fries and Belgian waffles, drink a beer and watch the race!”

Scotty is working for Visit Bend to promote the National Cyclocross Championships and is planning related events for visiting cyclists and the Bend community the week of the races.  Tune in next month for an update on these events, including a bike themed art walk in downtown Bend in which Thump is participating.

The National Cyclocross Championships will be held in the Old Mill District Dec. 10-13.  Go to: www.visitbend.com for event details. To learn more about the adventures of “Damian and Scotty’s Super Fun Cyclocross Team”,  search for their site on Facebook and look for their upcoming website, www.bendcyclingevents.com (soon to be live).