Oregon Cycling Magazine

by Mike Ripley

Words can barely describe what took place and what it took to finish the 3rd annual Test of Endurance 50 presented by Mudslinger Events and Cyclotopia of Corvallis. The event brought together 128 men and women—from weekend racing warriors to adventure-seeking trail riders—in the coastal foothills northwest of Mary’s Peak. The Test of Endurance uses private singletrack and forest roads on Starker Forest’s timber property near Corvallis. Starker is a 4th generation forest family that incorporates recreation into their stewardship and land use.

All riders anticipated a hard day by most standards, and they were not disappointed. The night before the event, some 30 or so riders camped behind the Blodgett café, five miles from the start, and woke up to an all you can eat breakfast before making haste to the Blodgett school to drop supplies for one of three aid stations.
The week leading up to the event proved to be sunny to partly cloudy, but remember, we live in Oregon. On Saturday morning, God installed a drip irrigation system over the coast range and most of the state. For the next 30 hours it rained or drizzled, bringing the air temperature down to 55-60 degrees.

Despite the weather, the event started promptly at 9am and took off to a fast pace but with time, the pace slowed for most as brakes gummed up in the mire and riders became more concerned with scoping out safe places to crash. For most people, riding 50 miles off-road is an accomplishment in itself, and that is what organizers hoped to bring to riders, who came from all over Oregon, as well as Seattle, Spokane and even a rider from Reno, Nevada. The race winner was Evan Plews of (Capitol Subaru Cycling 3:55), who set the pace, but was challenged by new Oregon resident Rob English (Bike Friday 4:03). “That guy is for real,” Evan commented after the race.

In the Team Event, Team S &M Portland, led by Luke Pennington of Hood River, took the $500.00 fastest team award. Capitol Subaru 40 + took the masters competition and Tim and Sue Butler won the coed division.

One by one, riders came in and as hour after hour ticked by and they kept coming in and or had given it up after one lap for another year.

My personal friend and long time Oregon resident Daryl Alosa of Roseburg was last to finish, coming in at 8:53. At age 58, Daryl is an inspiration to perseverance. Many described the event as “epic”. John Weathers of Tigard said, “great race—I’ll say it again—GREAT RACE! I have raced mountain bikes since 1991, and you are rivaling Granny Gear in their mid-late 90’s heyday. Great Organization, attitude, volunteers, course and prizes,” he gushed, then gave the lowdown: “you just need a little more luck on the weather!”

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