Eight Lakes; Leg Aches sponsored by a Lutheran Church in Spokane wss one of the first organized rides I ever did.
We started in Brown's addition, rode down into Hangman Valley, crossed 195 and climbed out again. I remember Nicki broke a chain that year on the climb.
It's been several years since I've done this ride. but I wanted to see Dave again. I haven't talked to him since before STP and our IBR trip. So I got up at 4:30 and made the 112 mile drive to the new start position: Group Health at the top of sunset Highway.
Dave and I have been pushing one another all season so I expected we might try to ride this one fast as we had the year following the year we'd arrived too late for pizza.
It was fun whipping over the rollers and maintaining a good pace on what appeared to be long climbs but which were really only 1 to 2 percent. And we got pizza, too. And I got leg cramps sitting in the shade eating it.
"Corrie,"
I heard my name called as I walked through Group Health's parking lot. Someone knew me?
It turned out to be the Crosses from Moscow. They had been at the spaghetti feed and had ridden half-Chafe and STP in two days. They plan to do Joseph with us though the hills have them a bit worried.
And I'm glad to say Katherine and Randy Cross are our newest TRC club members.
"Corrie," came another call.
The fellow in the white jersey sporting a red beard and mustache was Dwight. "Eisenhower" he said to help me remember.
I knew him now from Chafe. We had ridden together for most of two legs and I had enjoyed his company.
I was surprised that he recognized me. Was I wearing the same jersey? My eyes certainly weren't good enough for me to pick up this kind of detail. As I think back, though, I must be pretty recognizable. Short, bent forward chronically, puffy cheeks. I guess I'm readily identifiable at that.
We immediately made a threesome, Dave, Dwight and I. And we stayed togther for most of the day or at least until Dave decided it was more iinteresting to change his flats than to ride. So here was a mix of new and old.
Most of the route was the same as in the past. I enjoyed recognizing turns and climbs and knowing in advance how best to handle them--shift to a lower gear and stand; shift and stay seated but upright spinning furiously; skip the shift and just stand.
I remembered some hills as being steeper. I remember the ride out to fishlake as being longer; the ride back being hotter.
I haven't been riding all that long but there's lots of miles in these legs and lots of memories. Sometimes it's nice just to retrace a familiar route.
This was Dwight's first 8 Lakes and he'd have dropped us for sure had he been using aerobars. He plans to get them right away. So I don't know if I'm looking forward to his showing up sometime down here.
We made good time taking turns into the wind going out. My flat front tire just out from a rest stop slowed us a bit. Then Dave couldn't resist. A front tire flat wasn't good enough for Dave though. He had to flat the rear and then fiddle endlessly mounting and remounting the tire and fighting with the derailleur and finally adding more air.
This was Dave's day for flats. As Dwight picked up the pace and I gave chase, Dave fell back. Wait for him at the rest stop, I thought not wanting Dwight to out run me.
But at the rest stop, Dave didn't show. Had he skipped it? We waited longer than we could reasonably expect it would take for Dave to catch us and headed on.
We rolled in shortly afte4 1 pm in time to rack our bikes and still get pizza. But no Dave!
And then there he was, sweaty, a bit used looking. "I had another flat," he deadpanned.
Why not? Beating Corrie's flat with a rear flat was just a call. Dave wanted to raise.
You win again, Dave.
Dwight says he's riding Michelin tires. Dave and I are on Bontragger Hardcase? I wonder? . . .
Becky Phillips hasn't ridden with us for years but her facebook posts say she rode 8 Lakes and used First Aid to help an 8laker hit by a mountain biker enroute.
8 lakes was a mix of old and new for me this year.
For the ride of it!
Corrie
