Shop Ride Review

Friday after work we semi-organized our first Team Two Wheel Shop Ride. We met at Two Wheel Transit at 5.30 pm for a ride around the Seven Mile loop or Riverside State Park loop. We had one recent transplant to Spokane, who shall remain named Willy, who had never been on this route. This is functionally the SpokeFest loop and the same loop about to featured in a Visit Spokane e-blast of some sort. I'll keep you posted on what comes of it. (In the meantime, Visit Spokane has quite a few bike related blog posts and a podcast on Riverside State Park mountain biking (warning, don't go looking for expert trail riding instruction - hey, calm down you three, I'm just sayin'). Here's a podcast idea: Come along on the next Shop Ride).

Anyway, eleven of us rode away from the Two Wheel Transit in surprisingly nice weather considering what has come before. Mostly with arm warmers but at least not all in tights and seven layers, we made for a compatible group. There were discussions in the shop about who was going to appear and at least one elderly lady with a 3-speed comfort bike asked about the ride, but she apparently decided that it was more important to show up at her canasta group. I mean, who wants to miss out when Mildred is making virgin daiquiris and petit fours?

We had two females, so way to go ladies for representing the fairer sex, a couple of people who have race experience, a couple who have never raced, one who told me he hadn't been on a group ride in a few years, and a couple who were newer to town. Keep in mind that some of these descriptions may overlap. I am working on how to include a Venn diagram of our group, but don't have the blogging skills for that yet. By the way, you all know what a Venn diagram is right? Those circles that overlay each other in part to show that all bears shit in the woods, but not all shit in the woods is from bears . . . but did you know the accurate definition of a Venn diagram is "a graphic representation of all hypothetically possible logical relations between a finite collection of sets"? I didn't either.

We made an on-the-road decision to include the jaunt up to the Nine Mile Bridge because the group was rolling along nicely and the weather was just so appealing after a miserable, cold, wet, snow-filled winter. We doubled back to the Seven Mile Bridge, had a couple of cramps through Riverside State Park, but all made it up Doomsday Hill in good shape.

After arriving back in downtown, there was discussion of a bit of socializing over malted beverages, but yours truly had to head home for a family obligation (did you know this weekend is Pagan Springtime Festival?), so I can't report on the finale to the ride which was rumored to be at Beneditos Pizza.

All in all, a good time and a nice ride for those with the right kind of plucky spirit to show up for the first ever Team Two Wheel Shop Ride. We don't have a date set yet for the next ride, and there was discussion of adding a mountain bike ride, so keep posted for details as they become available. We have to find out the day of Mildred's next House of Canasta party first.

Up Next: Friday, April 17, 6.30 pm - Pro Night with Kit Vogel of BikeFit. Kit has an amazing background and experience in bike fitting. I don't think there will be any Pink Floyd or Rush, but there will be lasers and you will be amazed at the science behind getting a bike fit right. You will also be amazed at how little of the euro-pro race look is really appropriate for 98% of riders looking for both speed and long-term comfort. There is no charge for this event, it is just a hang around the shop and listen to Kit talk and answer questions kind-of thing. So if you weren't invited to Mildred's next House of Canasta event (Mildred, I'm still sorry about the Depends joke I made. I hope you will forgive me some day), come join us at Two Wheel Transit, 1405 W. First Avenue on the west end of downtown Spokane.