After a near decade hiatus yesterday saw the triumphant return of Crit racing to downtown Portland. Spearheaded by Portland racing legend Steven Beardsley the Portland Criterium saw a great community convergence on downtown for more than just bike racing, but also very much for bike racing.

There was a great deal of nostalgia for many of us who recall the last criterium races in downtown to see all of the energy and life returning to the North Park Blocks. Between the finish line crowd and the Turn 3 Beer Garden there was a chorus of voices cheering on their friends and family lap after lap, and the blaring of bicycle soundsystems when a Pedalpalooza ride descended onto the course between races.

While there was a whole day of crit racing we were particularly proud to support the Women’s Pro 1/2/3 category by putting $20 on the line for the winner of every lap. And in a not-so-humble brag doubly excited to have our own Brenna Wrye-Simpson take home the Win by a just half a bike length! (It sounds like she won a fair amount of shop prize money too!)

There’s so much potential for growth of the Portland Criterium and we know with the support of the city, the enthusiasm of the local cycling community, and the spectacle of racers dipping in and out of the downtown shadows as the sun sets we’ll continue to see a return to the glory days of Bike Racing in Portland. A huge thank you to all of the businesses, volunteers, and to the City of Portland for helping make this event possible this year. We look forward to many more years of downtown bike racing.

Photos from the Women’s Pro 1/2/3 race taken by our shop photographer Jake Ryder.