Beacon Hill Blowout is this Weekend
6:24 pm
There’s another great mountain bike event this weekend. Read the press release: (more…)
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May 2008
Rock On Wednesday Night MTB Race
5:14 pm
If you haven’t gone out to the Steam Plant Grill’s
Wednesday Night Mountain Bike Series yet I’d like to provide some reasons to go. My son and I went last night and had blast.
• It’s close to town (7-Mile Rd. Airstrip at RSP)
• The trails are super-fun
• The scenery is lush and stunning right now
• The racers are friendly and welcoming to newbies
• The price is cheap ($15)
• Gino and Eric, two of the best race hands in the Northwest, put together a tight event w/ pro timing
• Did I mention free CDA Brewing Co beer at the finish line?
My son, 8-years-old doing his first MTB race ever, got a huge round of applause at the finish line even though he crashed at the end and clocked 92 minutes on the ten mile course. The final racer, who had to carry his disabled bike on the last part of the race, also got a big round of applause.
When it was over I didn’t want it to end. Maybe that means I should sign up for the 24 Hour Race next Year.
There are still 4 more races this season (6/4, 6/11, 6/18, and 6/25). Starting gun is at 6:30PM. You owe it to yourself to check it out. Call (509) 242-8568.
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Utah Phillips 1935-2008
4:23 pm
We were saddened to hear news of Utah Phillip’s demise this weekend. The amazing hobo poet had a special relationship with Spokane. His performance a few years back at Lewis and Clark High School was one of the most amazing things I’d ever seen. If anyone has his scene about being a hobo that appeared in the early 80s Spokane independent film “Only a Buck” please put it up on You Tube. You can read a family obituary of Utah Phillips here. His music and spoken word recordings are still available through Ani diFranco’s Righteous Babe Records.
So long Utah. We’re gonna miss ya.
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The River Wild
5:05 pm
A Maple St. Bridge pylon is battered by water. // Jon Snyder
Ladies and gentleman, introducing the Spokane River–on steroids. The river is raging, still rising and no longer suitable for recreation activities at the moment, in case that wasn’t obvious. Spokane County has asked folks to stay out of the river. The Northwest Whitewater Association has canceled its Friday Night float. According to USGS the river is running at almost 40K CFS and isn’t expected to peak until Saturday. The Centennial Trail near Avista is completely submerged. Please go out and loook at the river, which may not get this high again for years, but stay out until the waters recede. I took a bunch of pictures of the low-level flooding and sandbagging in Peaceful Valley. (more…)
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Basking in the Glow of BTW
9:09 pm
BTW Party at the Steam Plant Grill On Friday 5/16 // Photo Jeff Ferguson
By any measure the first big Bike to Work Week Spokane in many a year was a raging success. Read a wrap-up of the week at Cycling Spokane, or at Spokane Bike Work.
Next on the agenda: keeping up the momentum for cycling in Spokane. My hope is that the degrees of separation dividing cyclists and non-cyclists is diminishing. I hope anyone looking to bike commute now has a least a friend of a friend to help them get started.
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Dark Summit at Auntie’s
5:18 pm
Outside magazine writer and former Spokane resident Nick Heil will present his book Dark Summit: The True Story of Everest’s Most Controversial Season on May 20 at 7:30 pm. Free. Auntie’s, 420 W. Main Ave.”
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In Praise of Paul Turner
4:39 pm
Spokesman Review columnist Paul Turner agreed to ride his bike to work this work for Bike to Work Week Spokane and has been writing some cool stuff about. His best entry came today. It’s a great answer to the question “Why Ride?” I’m pasting a portion of it here since the Review (which I subscribe to) doesn’t allow you to link and I’m betting the SR won’t sue it’s own subscribers:
The things I enjoy about riding a bike aren’t kid stuff.
I like that it’s useful exercise.
I like how I’m the source of power for that elegantly simple machine.
I like that while wishing I was in better shape I’m actually doing something about it.
I like how the bike reminds me I can still try new things.
I like that I go faster than my walking pace but still travel at a speed that allows me to be aware of my surroundings.
I like how my anthropomorphic affection for my borrowed bike has been rewarded with dependable service.
I like that my steering and shifting improve each day.
I like how the air feels and seeing lights come on as I quietly roll into downtown at dawn and reconnect with my city.
Nicely done Paul.
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Kids in the Trailer
12:05 am
My friend Virginia sends this question:
“You’re the only person I know who commutes regularly with kids in a burley. Do you ever ride on Third Avenue? Is it safe with your daughter in the back? I am a bit apprehensive because I’m not sure if motorists are used to the trailer (with or without the orange flag).”
I don’t think 3rd is really unsafe, it’s more unpleasant. Because it is 3-lane oneway street you can take a whole lane with a trailer and it’s pretty simple for cars to go around you. But the speed and volume of traffic on 3rd is rough if you are on a bike. Main, Riverside, 1st, and even Sprague seem like much better ways of getting east to west downtown.
With kids in a trailer downtown I would consider these things:
- It’s easy to flip a trailer going up and down curbs. I stopped sidewalk riding after this happened once. I think you are safer for you and your kid staying in the street, avoiding multiple curbs and going in and out of traffic.
- Don’t mis-judge your speed. Trailers slow you down more than you might realize. Make sure you don’t get caught in interesections because you can’t get through them fast enough.
- Be visible. That means flags, lights, and bright colored helmets.
- Take the whole lane if you need to. All downtown streets are multi-laned so cars can pass you easily. Cars can see you better in the middle.
Hope that helps.
Chance to Hear Iranian Cyclists
5:40 pm
Persian Hour host Sharokh (white shirt) at the Polly Judd tree planting with Jafar and Nsim on his left.
Saturday’s planting of a Peace Tree in Polly Judd parks was fabulous. Later that evening the Iranian cyclists, Nasim and Jafar, gave a terrific slideshow on their trip at the community building. If you missed it you’ll have another chance to see it tomorrow:
BIKING FOR PEACE: Two Iranian computer engineers quit their jobs, sold their possessions and are now cycling the world and planting trees as a symbol of peace and speaking about environmental conservation. You may have seen the Spokesman-Review piece on them Saturday, May 10.
Come hear them speak and watch a slide show of their journey 11:30-12:45PM, in building 24 room 110 on the Spokane Falls Community College campus.
Also: two cool link to check out today:
- A post on the new Spokane Food Co-op at Metro Spokane
- Cool photo of flowers on the bluff trails at Cycling Spokane
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Spokane Bike to Work Week Kickoff
5:09 pm
BTW Chair Barb Chamberlain addresses cyclists while Mayor Verner sports a cool BTW t-shirt.
It’s hard to think of a better start to Spokane Bike to Work Week than the gathering this morning at Riverfront Park. Several hundred cyclists showed up to get free pancakes and orange juice and mingle before work. Is spoke with one rider who normally commutes from Cheney to Airway Heights and made a ten mile detour to enjoy breakfast with fellow commuters. If you want evidence that Spokane is becoming a better city to bike in look no further. Mayor Verner addressed the crowd and Councilman Rush was also in attendance. It’s not too late to get in on all the fun this week. Check out Spokane Bike Bike to Work.
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