Dear Lord,

It's me...Sally.
I'll never ask anything from you ever again...if you could PLEASE stop pictures from SSCXWC from showing up on the Internet.
Thank you.

{Boy do I know how to debate!}

{it felt this trippy...}

{when they say run up...they mean it}

{I can still hear this body slam when I close my eyes}

{ummmmmm....yeah.....}

{Enouragement for the ladies?}

My good friend (????) Kelsey is responsible for ALL of this. You can see more pictures and his write up here or if your smart...you'll skip that debauchery and check out his amazing book Kwa Zulu and place an order.

Five On Each

In a previous life I was a USA Cycling Team mechanic.
Specifically, Iwas the US National Sprint Team mechanic.

I was the guy at the Velodrome 2 hours before everyone else, and 2 hours after everyone left.
I was the guy who set up the pit area. Hauling in (and out) all the tools, rollers, wheels, and necessary equipment needed by hand. Everyday.
I was the guy pumping up 20 sets of tires to 180psi, everyday, one handed, by myself. (no one has made a pump 'chuck' yet that'll stay on by itself at that pressure)
I often spent hours working on a bike...for 10 seconds of racing.
I was the guy gluing tires till 3am. Glue in one hand. Beer in the other. Glazed look on my face provided by all three.
I was an international traveler and a master of getting through customs with 20 pieces of checked baggage.
I kept an extra bag at my apartment that was pre-packed and ready to go out the door as soon as I walked in.
I had the stamina of Semi-Truck driver all goofed up on Amphetamines as I drove bikes across the country to the next race.
I was a friend.
I was a "soccer mom" to the athletes because I had the keys to the only vehicle where ever we went.
I was a villain.
I took verbal lashings for no other reason than "I was there".
I endured the stress of knowing a lifetime of training and dreams could be undone in the fraction of a second if something broke.

In 2 1/2 years I helped riders obtain National, World Championship, and Olympic titles.
After 2 1/2 years, I walked away with all of my fingers.

Breaking Leaves

Leaves have fallen.

Nights are colder.

Layers are thicker.

Beer is darker.

And I'm in love with the sound of leaves shattering under my tires.

Pope Cam...

Who else can tout one of those? Holy Cross...at SSCXWC...my liver still hates me.

Raleigh SSCXWC from Saleigh on Vimeo.

Why?

Dear Lord Why? Knowing full well what is going to happen to me at SSCXWC every year...Why do I go? I liken it to the Laboratory Hamster who just can't figure out why the pellet dispenser continually shocks it...time...after time...after time... It just keeps going back for more.

This year, was different.
This year, was going to be the last year it was going to be in Portland.
This year, after the mud was removed and the hang over wore off...the knowledge would sink in that SSCXWC would be in a different city.
This year it would be traveling to either Seattle or San Francisco after a 3 part battle. A debate. A race. A gladiator battle.
This year, was going to be special.

Debate.
Why I was chosen to be the Seattle Debater is well beyond me. I was the only person in Seattle who was actually arguing against hosting SSCXWC. Alas, my arguments fell upon drunk ears and the debate concluded with a beer in hand and a "Shut Up Sally. We're going to win it".
I'd go into the details of the debate...if I remembered.
I remember I was debating Shelia Moon of Shelia Moon fame.
I remember my superhuman ability to silence an entire crowd of enthusiastic Seattlites with a simple wave of my hand.
After that it seems I pulled a "Frank the Tank" and blacked out during the entire thing...and yet managed to pull off the victory.
Stevil cited..."Watching the debate was like getting hit in the balls with a chalkboard that had nails dragging across it."
And CyclocrossBuild (later reported in CXMagzine) said..."Fornes better fit the singlespeeder’s mindset...Fornes sported a cycling cap with a Seattle Sasquatch doing unsavory things to a Portland unicorn, quaffed a bunch of beer when asked about his favorite beverage, rides his company’s Raleigh Rainier, and spoke to this group’s longing for inclement weather. Combined with Fornes’ own energy and his enthusiastic entourage and Seattle looked to be gaining momentum early."

Again...I really don't remember much of it. Mainly because I was spending way to much time, and going through too many $ingle$ with these two...




Race.
The race reports are everywhere.
And while the Eskimos have some 30 different names for snow...the PacNW has the equivalent for mud. All the different kinds were present. It was everywhere. It got in everywhere.

Who really won this event? Hell if I know.



Gladiator Battle.
Wow.
Wow.
Wow.
I don't know who the girl was that SF put into the thick of it all (mud)...but she was awesome! She survived the body slam heard round the Dome. A face full of mud. And multiple body bow-ties to emerge victorious.

It was glorious.

All things told...Seattle is hosting SSCXWC next year. Portland has made some big pants to fill over the last 3 years. But I think we've got the right stuff to fill'em.

Spread the word, and start your planning...I know we already are.

You Train Your Way...

And I'll train mine.


From the moment I pealed off my tight orange shorts last year, I've been shopping.
After the last trace of mud was finally removed some 30 days later, I've been in figuring out how to get it back in there.
The moment I sobered up and regained my composure, I found another beer. (duh)

Oh yes...SSCXWC is back upon me. And this year, I'm ready for it.

I've been refining my costumes...

Practicing my Beer Handups (I'm selfish and thirsty so I will not be participating in the popular HandDown that all those Stevil lemmings are practicing)

Searching out mud....

Flirting with trashy women...

Oh yeah...and riding my bike...a little bit.

(funny...I don't have any pictures of that...)

This weekend...the Power of Cross Compels me to bring my brand of Cross Religion to Portland and set up the school of Holy Cross. We're fully armed with enough Holy Water to drown a hippopotamus and will be setting up a confessional for all those Cross Sinners in PDX.

Look for us...and be saved.

A couple pictures are from MFG and PDXCross

{Click the Brown Bear at 2pm…there will be a Live announcement Here and Here the site will be blank until it’s time so no one can cheat}

Spread the word. At 2PM Pacific Standard Time the SSCXWC framesets will go live. Click on the banner above to go straight to the site and get ready to order yours.

In the truest form of “Limited Edition” there will be only 50 of these Single Speed CycloCross beauties that will EVER be sold. And in the truest spirit of SSCXWC, there is 1 random white frame in the batch. And to that one lucky person who opens their frame box and receives the White frame, Chris King has provided the gear, and Shimano America has generously donated a complete SS build kit that will be the envy of every cross dressing racer at the WC this fall. (honestly…Di2 brake levers!?!?!?!)


Raleigh is extremely proud to have partnered with the crew at SSCXWC in creating this frameset and this promotion. We at Raleigh so enjoy this event (alright, Brian REALLY enjoys this event) and the inspiration that it has provided us, that we will be donating 100% of the profits of these framesets to the event itself. Yup…you read that correctly. 100% of the profits from this promotion will go directly to the crew at SSCXWC. The hope is to see this event grow, expand, travel and to encourage more people to try the crazy sport of Cyclocross.

Remember…once they’re gone…they’re gone.

We can’t wait to see what the host city next year will do.

Good Luck.

as a technical side note for anyone wondering…due to the unique nature of this promotion, please understand that any valid warranties will be handled with a suitable replacement.