Pacific Northwest - Good Summer Rides in C'DA or Spokane?

Well, my wife and I are planning on visiting her family in Coeur d'Alene, ID this summer for a couple days. As I love the area, I have always wanted to ride some of the lakes and roads in the area. What can locals tell me about it?

Is there a good shop from which to rent a road bike?
Any good, safe-ish routes?
Anyone up for meeting a Coloradoan for a half-day (or so) ride?

Any other details on cycling in the area?

Just planning a trip now, but wanting to know ahead of time.

There's loads of riding in CDA and Spokane. You should check Verticle Earth bike shop in CDA for both local ride information and rentals. If you're up for road riding in Spokane, you'll also find tons of riding. The Inland northwest is a cycling meca. PM me if you need more info. - mike

Well, my wife and I are planning on visiting her family in Coeur d'Alene, ID this summer for a couple days. As I love the area, I have always wanted to ride some of the lakes and roads in the area. What can locals tell me about it?

Is there a good shop from which to rent a road bike?
Any good, safe-ish routes?
Anyone up for meeting a Coloradoan for a half-day (or so) ride?

Any other details on cycling in the area?

Just planning a trip now, but wanting to know ahead of time.

I don't know much about riding the roads of Idaho, but there are several rail to trail biking oppurtunities in the area. Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes is a good one for road biking and skirts the south side of the lake. Also if you want you can rent a bike and do the Route of the Hiawatha. I have not done it yet but my co worker did it last year and said it was a blast.

Here is a link to the Idaho bike website hope it helps you .

http://www.go-idaho.com/Biking

Have fun and if you are ever in the Puget Sound area we offer tons of riding experiance.

+1 on Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes. I've only read and seen pictures of it, but it looks like a great ride.

http://friendsofcdatrails.org/CdA_Trail/index.html

If you only have a few days to ride then I would stick with the Centennial Trail which is 63 miles from Higgens Point in Idaho to Nine Mile Falls, WA. The trail of the Couer D Alenes Runs from Plummer, ID to Mullen. Both are great routes and the pic is from the trail of the CDA going through Heyburn State park.

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c255/stevemtbr/Sept26040001.jpg

Thanks guys, this is great much needed information. Now, we just have to figure out when we're going (and for how long the wife will let me ride ;) )

If youre around in August, check out the 8 Lakes Leg Aches in Sopkane. I has several routes depending on how far you want to ride thru the Cheney and Medical lake area. Well laid out and tons of cool folks. Davids Pizza and Ben&Jerrys at the finish wer'nt bad either! Its a benifit ride so register and ride on! Check it out under "events" at http://lcsnw.org

I would definitely check out the Trail of the Coeur d'alenes. If you're in CDA, I'd suggest going in at Cataldo and going north to Eanaville, then back south to Bull Run. From where you'll be, that would be the closest place for you to access the trail as well as show you some of the most scenic sections of the trail. If you have the time, the Harrison to Plummer section is great, too.

I would also suggest the Centennial Trail in Washington. From CDA, jump on at State Line and head east to Mirabeau Point. Great ride.

As some others have suggested, if you have a mountain bike, the Hiawatha Trail is a must ride. Spectacular views and a lot of fun. Make sure to take your own lighting - there's a number of tunnels with no lights. You can also rent bikes at Lookout Pass if you don't have a mountain bike. Last time we took the trail, I used my fitness bike and it worked just fine.

As always, check out the web sites for each of the trails. They'll give you a lot of info and pictures to help you make a decision. My wife and I also plan to ride these trails again this summer. You won't be disappointed. If I still lived in the area, I'd be happy to ride with you!