Hello,

I would like to introduce myself to the forum. My name is Branden 25 and I live just outside of Spokane near Fairchild Air Force Base. I have decided to take up biking due to gas prices and the desire to get off my butt and get moving. I have been cycling for a couple months now, basically about 5.5 miles 3-4 times a week.

Currently I own 1 and a half road bicycles. 1 complete piece of crap which I would like to upgrade a bit (I will have another thread for that here), and a Hans Schnieder frame (older Style frame, will get a picture of it this today or tomorrow), with just the fork and handle bars. They are both are equipped with the old friction style shifting systems, which I would like to change.

I usually bike/bus from EWU to work, then to my house. This summer I will just be biking to work which is 12 miles one way, so I should get my fair share of cycling this summer.

As soon as I melt away some of this winter fat, and get my bike up to par, I am thinking about doing some weekend rides out to Long Lake, just 31 miles north of my house. So 62 miles, shouldn't be too bad for a days ride. Anyhow I just wanted to introduce myself to the community.

Well I look forward to your knowledge and stories on the boards,

Branden

I used live and cycled from base for about 10 years and I'm very familiar with your area and for road riding you could not be in a better place. The roads across Hwy 2, Wood Rd and Coulee Hite heading out to Long Lake Rd. see very little traffic. You can also use any of those roads to get down to the Centennial Trail in the 7 and Nine Mile area. 902 heading out to Cheney has had some increased traffic but you should be ok. One of the nicest roads to ride is Betz Rd heading into Cheney it runs through some beautifull rolling wheat fields. Grab a map, explore and enjoy.

Yeah, I am thinking about biking to EWU from my place next fall. I would take craig rd, granite lake rd onto betz, some 22 miles, but it would be faster than bus/biking it. It very good biking country, too bad I live on a dirt road, kind of rough for a 2 miles or so.

Branden

Welcome to the roads. We ride out there frequently. I'll wave if I see a guy on an old Hans Schnieder :)

Mtn Mike

Yeah my Hans Schnieder still has a ways to go before it is road worthy. I just picked up a Giant OCR 2 off craigslist, so that will be my ride. Just did a 30 mile loop today, very nice. This is my first time riding on a decent bike, and thus far it is great.

Are there any beginner group rides in Spokane? My bro and I would like to get a feel for cycling community, as we are both beginners.

Hi. You might try checking our club forum for rides. Some of our rides are fairly advanced, but you'll also see people posting shorter and slower rides.

On Monday nights we typically do easy 15-20 mile rides where no one will get left behind. The idea is basically to stretch the legs and enjoy the scenery. PM me if you need more info.

Mike