More Lapwai Loop Photos

Jim called for reversing the Tour de Lentil route and like so many lemmings we joined in.

I new we were in trouble when, after having stopped to call Mike just outside Palouse, I saw a lone rider remount and head off after the others. It was Linda.

"She's stopped to wait for me." I thought. "Why does she do that? I might be able to catch up, but Linda won't be able to. She needs to stay with the group."

I had the poor sense to tell her that as I passed her. Seems she had dropped a chain finding granny and she wasn't too happy.

We had enjoyed a tail wind from Pullman to Palouse.

Now we were paying for it. The sky was had been a bit cloudy at 9 am at Dissemore's on Grande and Stadium Way. Some of us put on jackets, arm warmers and anything else lying around. I didn't think it was too bad. Sean announced it would be "nice to be riding int he cold for a change."

I had been afraid Jim wouldn't get much of a turn out but I was wrong. We had a dozen riders.

Sean Ellis had ridden out from the top of the grade. He really must like that ride since he does it everyday. His plan was to ride back to the top of the grade. He'd have 110 or more miles. But plans go awry. Carol joined us as well but her daughter picked her up in Colfax. They were headed to a production of the Wizard of Oz in Pullman at 2. That made it likely Sean would end up riding all the way home though I heard him asking Tamra to keep an eye out for him. He spent most of his day hearding the troops, pushing Carol, Linda, and Helen in turn up a variety of Palouse hills. He even had time to stop and bandy words dwith Farmer John Arland. Sean got his workout on Sunday.

John McInturff on his recumbent showed up avowing as always that he was self-contained and that we needn't wait nor look out for him. We spent most of the day catching, passing, and then doing the whole thing over again. John did take a break in Colfax but got off before the rest of us. He made one mistake though. He rode all the way back to Pullman rather than tackling Hamilton Hill to get to Albion. That mean he had to ride back into the wind.

You never can tell who's going to show up. Mike Warnock has made several surprise visitations this summer. Here he was again all skinny and fit. When Sean took off, Mike was with him.

Tamra and Rory arrived together.

Tamra complained of a bee sting and Rory had an assortment of bike problems. He told me he thought his front wheel might have been bent on the ice cream ride. In Plaouse, though, we decided the problem was underinflation. We pumped up the front tire and changed the tube in the back since he had managed to break the valve stem. Things looked better for Rory from then on and he could be counted upon to jump out front at every opportunity. But he's going to need a new set of tires. The front tire developed a bubble. It probably wasn't used to actually being inflated. It got him back, though.

Tamra, Helen, and Rory were usually together. Helen seemed to keep up just fine in her pace line. She didn't seem to like the climb out of Colfax even with Sean pushing.

Nicky and Mike couldn't get away from church in time to start with us. They managed to leave Pullman at 10 on the tandem, a full hour behind us. We were just getting back on the bikes at Arby's in Colfax when they rolled in. Nicky wasn't too happy about the wind and was making noises about going back to Palouse or riding 195 back to Pullman. But before we left the church stop and headed a bit east, here came that tandem. It wasnt' a course I'd have thought was tandem friendly to begin with. Fortunately we had mostly tailwinds on into Pullman. It wouldn't have felt like a club ride without you, Mike and Nick.

Wanda did the Tour de Lentil last week so we know she could have done the course but she chose instead to drive sag most of the day. She was plenty happy to do so, I'll bet, between Palouse and Colfax. She did get a few miles of riding in when Linda took over the driving.

We've been lucky to have Wanda willing to drive sag for us. This turned out to be tougher than any of us expected. It was nice to have support. Thanks, wanda.

Dave Tibbals went to a start-camp last week so he needed to do this ride. Dave and I have done quite a bit of riding together over the last several years. He's one of my regular riding partners and I'm always glad to have his company. He doesn't present much of a wind break riding low on that recumbent, but I tried to make the best of all day. Thanks, Dave.

Jim McCracken has been on more club rides this summer than anyone else save Chris. He is indefatigable. He's done Native Planet (128 miles), Ramrod, and STP this summer and is signed up for PAGE. I asked him what he'd do next year and he said Europe. I believe him.

McCracken was good enough to ride Lapwai Loop with me on Saturday. I'm down in my mileage this year and not recovering well. I figured two 60 mile days would be a good challenge. Doyle came along too all the way from Pomeroy to join us on his new Trek Pilot. We left at 7:30 avoiding any heat. I stopped to take a bunch of pics for the route guide I'm doing. I was surprised to find I had over 60 pics. Maybe that's why we were a bit slow.

So we had a nice cycling weekend. Saturday was cool, beautiful and not too challenging. Just right for setting me up for Sunday. Thankfully it wasn't hot. As it was, this is a ride more to be enjoyed in remembrance than as one actually climbed hill after hill into a head wind.

I'm tired just remembering!