Thursday, February 1, 2007

I Have Friends And They Have Bikes


I got an email from a Zach, Spokane local, self-described bike geek and fixie rider. Zach thought I might have been the guy wearing bike shoes he had talked to at the Baby Bar the other night. It wasn't me but when I mentioned the story to Ben Tobin he though it might have been him. While talking to Ben I went into a homily about a feeling that I have been getting. Just in the last several months I have seen signs that prophesy a new cycling age in this town. Every time I turn around I see more people living the bikestyle. This town has always had plenty of people out on club rides, wednesday night criteriums and weekend cx races but it has had a microscopic community of people who ride for life. Ben said he saw 8 guys on a mtb nightride last week, I am recognizing a dozen people who have been commuting by bike all winter long and now Zach and his friends. Things are really picking up. Time to have a party.
I have struggled to put together some events in the past but the effort to attendance ratio stole my will to forge ahead with them. It is time to resurrect the Midnight Century, Street Racing and the beer run. St. Patrick's Day (amateur night) falls on a Saturday which makes it a good night not to go to a bar. It is better night to drag some beers to the far flung corners of Riverside State Park and do some mountain bike night riding littered with libation stations. No details yet but really all you need to know is March 17th, Riverside S.P. on the Centennial Trail at the Seven Mile Trailhead around 9pm.

2 comments:

John Speare said...

The guy talking to Zach at the Baby Bar in bike shoes was me! I'm pretty sure -- b/c my wife and I were there and the Wheelsport dudes were hanging out and we chatted and some guy said: "I was wondering why you were wearing your biking shoes..."

I saw Zach again (I think -- I still couldn't pick Zach out of a lineup) a couple nights later at Benidittos. He approached me and we talked bikes/fixed for a few minutes.

Anystinkin' ways -- we need a gathering. Some kind of thing. I'm in.

liza said...

and, zach and the guys from wheelsport said they're thinking of organizing a sunday morning ss/fixed rides this spring. if you're in, talk to josh at wheelsport-valley and let him know.