Oregon State MTB Championships

Return on the Jedi - 2008
(Near Grants Pass, OR)

Miriam Gillow-Wiles raced well in another brutal, long loop, classic mountain bike race down in Southern Oregon. She toughed it out in the heat, surviving a crash, and got another medal on the PODIUM! Second Place Sport Woman. Her post-race drink of choice? Cold Coca-cola.

Chris Brandt was able to put together a decent ride as well, finishing 5th in the Pro category, and within one second of 4th place. It was a close one with a full speed sprint to the last corner. Another race ridden on the Specialized 29er hardtail, this time with a super low rolling resistance "Crow" tire and ultra low pressure (22psi). A little sketchy in the most technical, loose descents, but ever-so-fast rolling in the smooth sections.

Pro course map here.
Elevation profile here. (just a wee bit of climbing at 5,800' in 30 miles)

Pickett's Charge MTB Race

Bend, OR. - Collins was represented well again with some impressive race performances at the classic Pickett's Charge mountain bike race. Andrew Bennett and Miriam Gillow-Wiles both made appearances on the podium - a reward for their hard efforts.

Not only did the 15 year old Andrew finish in 1st place at Pickett's, he won the Series Overall (!) in his category (Jr. under 18). Wow, that is quite the accomplishment and surely only one of many successes to come. (If you haven't met Andrew, he is a great kid with a good head on his shoulders. It has been fun to see his development in the short time that he has been bike racing. Andrew has the attitude to keep it fun, while still making his competitor's legs hurt!)

Miriam finished 2nd Overall Sport Woman in the series and her trophy serves as an exclamation point to a fantastic rise through the ranks in her first year racing off road. She finished in 5th place at Pickett's too, timing her efforts and coming around Anna Saltonstall just before the finish line. Great job and smart tactics!

Chris Brandt raced faster than ever on the course most suited to his strengths. Unfortunately, as has been the case for the past SIX YEARS (!), his performance was hampered by bad mechanical luck. He got a great start in the Pro race and was sitting in 4th place heading into the first singletrack section. A strong group emerged shortly thereafter and got a good gap off the front, chasing the ever-so-strong Carl Decker. Unfortunately, Chris suffered his first of THREE (!) flat tires and had to fall back for a quick repair. When his second flat front tire forced him to collide with a pine tree, a more lengthy repair was necessary. After making a serious comeback effort catching back up to nearly all that had passed, he was struck the final frustrating blow with a cut rear tire. A spare tube bummed from a spectator got him back to the finish line in one piece and 10th overall. (6th pro - of course, there were only 6 pros!)

Jeff Bennett achieved a 7th place in the beginner category. Carl Gurney pulled off a decent ride in the Expert field riding his singlespeed bike to an impressive 9th place. Mike Adams toughed out a rough race with a blown rear shock, but with plenty of air in his tires. He finished in a respectable 14th place on a hot, dusty day for racing.

Triathlon Updates!

Megan Banks won the Test of Endurance 10k Trail run!

Getting ready for the Ironman Coeur D'Alene, Kirsten Hansen got 2nd in her age group and 5th overall Woman at the Blue Lake Sprint Tri! Annie Loe reports that she also did well at the event with a 6th place in her age group. Katie Kohls placed 7th in her age group.

"Our family did Blue Lake too. My husband bettered his time by over 10 minutes on the course. Our daughters placed 1st (8 and under) and 4th (9-12) in their age groups. What a fun family event!!!" - Nikki Swanson

Test of Endurance 50 Mile MTB Race

Blodgett, OR - In its 4th year, the Test of Endurance is gaining a foothold as one of the greatest endurance mountain bike race courses in the Northwest. Not only is the event dual billed as the "Northwest Singlespeed Championships", but it is a unique format that focuses on the TEAM element for the overall prize money.

If you are not familiar with the race format, there are two long 25 mile laps that all racers must complete over a variety of terrain. The challenge is not purely due to the sheer length, but by over 8,000' of climbing and some fabulously challenging technical descending. The TEAM format is such that you add up the finishing time of the four fastest racers on your team with a goal of having the lowest overall combined time. A lot can go wrong in 50 miles and it can be helpful to have team mates to encourage you, or lend a hand when/if things go wrong.

This year, optimistic racers lined up to see if it was in any way possible to dethrone team S&M from the top step of the podium. After 4 years in a row, it appears that that may be impossible, considering the raw talent that their team is made of. Anyone ever tried to ride Erik Tonkin's wheel?

The Collins team did well, finishing 4th overall! Composed of Chris Brandt, Mike Adams, Carl Gurney, Justin Thayer, and the infamous Luke DeMoe. Luke borrowed Guy Polson's Specialized 29'er mtb and raced in the dirt for the first time in 5 years. Not only did he finish, but he managed to down a Pabst beer at the last aid station. Tough guy.

Individual Results:
Chris Brandt: 9th - Pro men (4:19:08)
Mike Adams: 8th - Expert men 40+ (4:56:20)
Carl Gurney: 7th - Singlespeed (4:58:17)
Luke DeMoe: 12th - Expert (5:00:10)
Justin Thayer: 13th - Singlespeed (5:31:55)

More pics here.

Falls City Firecracker MTB Race

June 1st, 2008 - Few photos have been posted out there, but the Collins team made a good showing at the Falls City Firecracker race held at the Black Rock riding area, Falls City, OR. The race was held on a challenging multi-lap course with a lot of steep climbing and some challenging descending.

Results:
Andrew Bennett: 2nd - Junior Men
Miriam Gillow-Wiles: 2nd - Sport Women
Carl Gurney: 6th - Singlespeed
Chris Brandt: 7th - Pro Men
Mike Adams: 8th - Expert Men 40+
Mike Ripley: 12th - Expert Men 40+