It’s the build up to 2023 World Championships and the peak of the CX season! To celebrate, we’re revisiting our US Nationals experiences, starting out with Sophie’s foray into the Singlespeed scene. Sophie has a deep background in the sport of cyclocross as a young rider. With any long term rapport, variety and reframing your process and what gets you excited in order to keep going, keep trying sometimes requires a new approach or tactic. @sscxwc22dgo was originally slated for 2020 in Sophie’s second home of Durango, postponed for two seasons thru the pandemic, and it became a fun target race for Sophie. We’d set up a @konabikes Private Jake for her in anticipation, and Soph put it thru its paces in Durango, all the while having a really good time. It made sense to keep the momentum rolling and plan to race SS Nats, too. “Singlespeed Nationals was special because it provided opportunities for me to learn more about cyclocross racing in a way that’s different from geared racing,” says Sophie. “The team talked a lot about decision-making in cyclocross this season, and only having one gear makes it important to plan ahead and make decisions so you don’t end up over geared or get bogged down. It was also a way for me to keep me from getting nervous for the Elite Women’s race on Sunday. I got to experience the course at race pace in the SS race—something hard to do if you are just doing practice laps.” Sophie’s debut SS efforts landed her a bronze medal on the day and a wealth of fun lessons, plus a relaxed but amped appetite for Sunday’s elite event, where Soph almost cracked the top-10. Turns out the SS race, wrapped in costumes and a theoretical relaxed vibe, is not-so-secretly a race for “Try Hards.” (CC: @maxx_chance) And Soph is decidedly that. Congrats on a rad season of continued growth and execution, @sophenberger 🧡💙💜 📸: @pdalyphoto #TeamSandMCX #workingclasscyclocross #doitthehardway #womenscycling #sscx

😉😉😉 @sophenberger is set to rip the ‘22 Women’s Singlespeed National Championships today at 2:30pm EST! Catch it live on @flobikes!! ⚙️🔥 📸: @dcmediahaus #teamsandmcx #workingclasscyclocross #doitthehardway #sscx

It’s #tbt and also t-9 days to 2022 US Cyclocross Nationals in Hartford. To celebrate, we’re sharing this lovely @snowymountainphotography gallery from ‘21 Nationals outside Chicago, covering the 17-18 Junior women and our @madelinestover and also the Elite Women with our @sophenberger & @brunoandorbrenna. We’re putting on the final touches here at home and crossing our fingers for glorious CX conditions this year too… ready to bring that good, irreverent PNW energy to the East Coast! 📸: @snowymountainphotography #teamsandmcx #workingclasscyclocross #doitthehardway #womenscycling #vrouwenwielrennen #veldrijdeordie #cx #usacycling

We like to think that @skratchlabs designed these bottles with us in mind 🧡💙💜❤️💁🏼‍♀️ P.S. these cozy & iconic S&M Supporters buffs are still available! Shoot us a DM, all $ goes to the program! #skratchlabs

One more big gallery from our Nov 12-13 Officially Unofficial S&M Worldwide Race Weekend! This orange & blue Global Takeover included representation at home in Portland, abroad in Belgium, raucous laps in Durango, and this crew right here at the 31st annual Northampton International—the oldest running CX in North America. Rachel, Ali, and Brenna enjoyed throwing down in a deep field of 50 talented women and in tacky, fun conditions thanks to a Friday fringe storm from Hurricane Nicole. This upstairs/downstairs course lends itself to tactical group racing playing out all the way to the line, which was just what we needed. No wild results to write back about, but the reminder about how to fight and keep fighting for every spot the whole 50+ minutes was phenomenal. We’re so grateful for the community-first aspect of this race weekend. The emphasis is placed on a welcoming and safe environment for everyone. No hate allowed. Grassroots side by side with professionalism and polish. We love this. Thank you for this, @nohocx. To three plus more decades of self-discovery and big stories on the CX course! Sports are for everybody, and cyclocross is an amazing gateway. 📸 @angelicadixon825 #TeamSandMCX #workingclasscyclocross #doitthehardway #womenscycling

Last weekend was an Officially Unofficial S&M Worldwide Race Weekend! A Global Takeover of the orange & blue, you might say! While factions of the team raced at home in Portland, back east in Mass, and in Durango seeking singlegeared shenanigans, our Junior rider @madelinestover has been busy soaking up her first European CX experience with the @usacycling Olympic Development Academy November trip. The riders are getting top notch exposure to the unique challenges and standard of hard Belgian racing—not to be taken lightly! It’s fun to see her and fellow @oregonbikeracing youth @jake.johansen20 @tnrwsctt @jade__rohde making the most of this two week block. Races included Superprestige Niel, Maldegem, Superprestige Merksplas, and Cyclocross Waterbek Ardooie just yesterday where Maddawg capped her trip with a silver medal in the junior competition!! From Madeline: “[My time in] Europe has been a very incredible and eye-opening experience, I have learned lots and I am excited for the opportunities for growth it is giving me. I’m am super grateful for the ability to be here and to be able learn all that I can!” Huge thanks to the @usacycling ODA and MudFund + amazing staff behind the scenes for making these critical, high-quality experiences possible. #teamsandmcx #workingclasscyclocross #doitthehardway #usacycling #olympicdevelopmentacademy #MUDFUND #oregonbikeracing #veldrijden #cx

Last weekend was an Officially Unofficial S&M Worldwide Race Weekend! A Global Takeover of the orange & blue, you might say! While factions of the team raced at home in Portland, back east in Mass, and abroad in Belgium, this intrepid crew of @gender_deer @sophenberger @bethannorton @senditsummy threw down at @sscxwc22dgo 2022 World SS CX Championships—a seriously unserious event planned pre-pandemic and nervously anticipated for over three years. Before contenders could face off for a chance at winners bragging rights and a certain tattoo, feats of strength through qualifying lay before them. A beer mile but on rollers, and hardened appetites for Big Macs and hot dogs were necessary and called upon. We’re lit up and proud of the whole crew and the weekend’s proceeding. We’re especially proud to congratulate our @gender_deer for winning the inaugural non-binary Singlespeed World Champion title. From Robert: “Being able to participate in a world championship - no matter how unserious it might be - in a category that aligned with my gender identity was a victory in itself; earning a tattoo was icing on the cake. I hope I can show up just as fast next year and lose, because I’m certain there are other fast queer cross racers out there.” Congratulations Robert, we love you. #TeamSandMCX #workingclasscyclocross #doitthehardway #capsonbrimsup #sscxwc22dgo #sscxwc

This last weekend was the third annual @bridgecitycx, a double-header weekend that has quickly captured the hearts and imagination of the OBRA and greater Portland community. An event meant to invite and include everyone into its event space, racer or no, backed by the colorful sightlines of historic Oaks Amusement Park, the fluctuating winter tides of the Willamette River, and the downtown Portland skyline downriver. Team S&M CX is proud to be a presenting co-sponsor of this ambitious event, alongside our home @sellwoodcycle, and many other companies that we love. This photo set is from S&M rider and photographer @patrick_means capturing Sunday’s 2022 Women’s 1/2 OBRA Championship race, where @get.it.geiter 🥇 @sophenberger 🥈 and @brunoandorbrenna 🥉 presented exciting, slippery battles for a podium sweep, and last year’s champion @ali_halp presented Rachel with this year’s jersey. It means a lot to build community event space like this and keep giving back to our racing and riding scene at home in Oregon. Thanks to everyone who came out, smiled through the storms, and enjoyed the course + vibes. #TeamSandMCX #workingclasscyclocross #doitthehardway #bridgecitycx