PORTLAND, Ore. - Under the glare of spotlights, four Lycra-suited racers climbed atop stationary bicycles in a darkened Portland warehouse Saturday night for an all-out 500 meter sprint, a bucket positioned in front of some in case they puked.

Once they finished, the contest was far from over. As crowds cheered them on, the racers grabbed one of four mini bikes nearby, navigated an oval obstacle course and hit the finish line with a clang of a golden cowbell – all within less than a minute.

The event, which was called Rapha's Cross Roller Race, was the finale to the Oregon Manifest, a show that took place Friday and Saturday celebrating many of Oregon's handmade bicycle frame builders. 

The indoor race was based on the outdoor Cyclocross concept, where riders ride, carry or run their bikes over many natural and fabricated obstacles such as puddles, hills and turns - all typically covered in mud.

Organizers of Saturday's race at the Leftbank Building near the Rose Garden said they were trying to expose more people to Cyclocross by holding it in an urban, compact space – easily accessible by bike.

Portland's Cyclocross racing series, River City Bicycles' Cross Crusade, used to take place in city parks such as St. Johns' Pier Park, according to Rick Potestio, one of the founders of the series.

However, many people living near the parks complained to city parks and recreation officials about damage caused by the races as well as the amount of cars and people drawn to the event. Despite measures organizers took to fix park damage, the races were eventually banned.

The series now occurs in more rural locales, but Potestio is searching for private venues in the city to hold the events, mainly to encourage spectators and racers to ride their bikes to the races.

He was excited about Saturday's event because it brought racing back into the city.

And the fans seemed to love it too, crowding a stage where riders started their head-to-head match. There were 16 men's teams and four women's teams, mostly all clad in colorful costumes and leotard-looking Lycra suits.

After pedaling as fast as they could on the stationary bikes, they jumped off and grabbed one of the four mini bikes located behind them. These small bikes are a common theme in Portland bike events, such as Zoo Bombing, and the Multnomah County Bike Fair. Frequently the racers would end up in a tug-o-war over a mini bike, causing the crowd to erupt.

The racers proceeded to navigate the oval course surrounding the spectators. The course had various obstacles similarly found in Cyclocross. There were several barriers to maneuver and one steep carpeted hill where riders had to decide whether to ride over it or get off the bike and run over it while carrying or rolling the bike. They were all vying to win a custom bike frame from local frame builders, a $2,000 value. 

Megan Farris, the winner of the women's category, will get a Sweetpea frame. The winner of the men's category, Craig Etheridge, will recieve a frame by Signal Cycles.

With heavy metal and hip hop blaring between races, the energetic crowd maintained their energy by devouring Belgian waffles slathered in Nutella made proudly by Joshua Creem of Cyclo Sportif. (Creem is regularly set up under a tent at all the Cross Crusade events providing cold, wet and muddy, racers and observers with a shelter from the elements and inner warmth from his hot and fresh waffles.)

Rapha employees are certain there will be more Roller Racing in Portland's future. The next date and location is yet to be determined.

Previous footage and history of Rapha's Roller Racing

- Jacob Cummings is a native Portlander and freelance journalist