The Oregon Manifest kicks off tomorrow night—Friday, September 23—and we're on the ground in Portland to cover all of the proceedings. We'll be on the scene for the entire thing, but the weekend is also packed with plenty of events for fans, followers and cycle enthusiasts of all stripes, so if you're in or near Portland this weekend, be sure to stop by and say hi.
The festivities start with the unveiling of the field test route and the bikes themselves—including the three well-documented creative collaborations—at the Pacific Northwest College of Art (at 1241 Northwest Johnson Street) from 7–10 PM.
Join us in the PNCA Commons as we grandly unveil the entries in the Constructor's Design Challenge to design and cycling fans. Each entry and its builder and/or team will be here, showing off their final design. Come admire the entries, meet the makers, and perhaps discover the next-wave utility bike!
In fact, each of the three design/build teams gave us a sneak peek at the final results of their collaboration, pictured below, in yesterday's final diary entries...
As for the most important question: there will indeed be free beer, courtesy of Hopworks Urban Brewery... though the teams themselves would be wise to save the celebration until after the race, not least because they're expected to start the field test at 8AM on Saturday.
The moment of truth! 40 entry bikes and the three Creative Collaboration bikes and riders will be whisked off to the field test start point 50+ miles from Portland, and make their way back to the finish line at Chris King Components Headquarters. Each bike and rider must complete the on-road/off-road course and pass through checkpoints where we'll test mandatory features outlined in the design criteria. The Field Test requires riders to keep a brisk pace that will stress their bikes, and demands a well-crafted, expertly assembled rig in order to complete the route in good time. Our judges will be on the course, sizing up true functionality on the road.(more...)