Dave, Mike and I made a team on Sunday.

Rain began falling before Linda and I arrived at Mead High School for the start of the 25th annual Spokane Autumn Century. Fully breakfasted for a long ride, we just crossed our fingers.

At the start we saw a sullen Chris. He'd forgotten his gloves. I gave him an old crusty pair of mine and that's the last I saw of him. Linda rode the metric century and did see him finish about 2:30 at about 19 mph. Good job, Chris.

We had a bit of excitement as Linda had managed to lose her helment somewhere between her mother's door and Mead. I was distraught. Linda just found someone to loan her a helmet. She always gets away with it. And then she got a new helmet at REI before we headed home. I got, yep, nothing.

At the start line Mike Minnick joined Dave Tibbals and myself and we stayed together for the rest of the day. It's fun to do a century, even better with company, and better still with riding friends. That's probably why a fellow I met on the bridge the other day said he felt the club was clannish. We've got to watch that.

Last year I had mechanical problems. Sean and I got lost and didn't finish the second half of the century course. Instead we added 30 miles on our own toward Mt. Spokane. This year, I left the map in my pocket and made sure I stayed with Dave who did finish the course last year. Also knowing which Dan Henry's to watch on the pavement helped.

I'm here to tell you this is a very hilly, challenging century, I just road 7 mile last Monday. It seemed we were always climbing something. Mike kept telling us how wonderful tose hills looked. Dave and I understood this was how Mike deals with stress.

It did rain on us early and threatened with a drop or two most of the day. Early on, as I climbed, in the rain, up the first steep hill with no real warm-up, I thought going back telling Linda we'd spend the shopping cross my mind. SHOPPING. Fortunately I threw off that mad moment and kept going even when we passed a couple of cyclists who had gone down on a curve on a slick descent.

We never got to warm save from climbing. The temperatures made it perfect. I wish the Riddles had arrived a bit sooner. Mike wanted to do the century but missed the start and so road with Nicky, Linda, Debbie (triathlete, burger flipper), and John and Carla on their tandem.

Linda says she has Carla's recipe for great cookies. I'm looking forward to sampling them.

Saturday The Lapwai ride also experienced a drop or two of rain from Arrow to the Casino. Not bad though. The highlight of the ride was that I was not alone as I feared I might be. Lance brought a friend, Jim, from Pullman.

Jim prepares for the challenge.

He's just moved to Pullman. Expect to see more of him.

And Mike Warnock showed up steallig time from a schedule consumed with moving chores. Yes, he's sold his house and has no where to go. Plans to live in his camp trailer for a time. Thanks for the company, Mike.

Mike plays hooky.

No rain stopped the intrepid cyclists this weekend.