Arrow-right Camera
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Outdoors blog

Evening rides, 24-hour race highlight week’s bicycling events

A rider smokes across a flat during the 24 Hours Round the Clock mountain bike race at Riverside State Park. (Rich Landers)
A rider smokes across a flat during the 24 Hours Round the Clock mountain bike race at Riverside State Park. (Rich Landers)

CYCLING -- Bicycling events are cranking up in a big way this week. 

The Spokane Bicycle Club is inviting the public on free weekday and weekend rides to become familiar with enjoyable local routes during May’s “Bike Anywhere Month.” 

And the annual 24-Hours Round the Clock mountain bike race will take over the Seven Mile area of Riverside State Park for the weekend starting Friday. The 24-hour mountain bike race will begin at noon on Saturday and end at noon on Sunday. The course is a 15-mile loop participants ride continuously. 

Team-relay and solo riders compete for medals, prizes and bragging rights, and a family festival atmosphere livens the staging area where a weekend campground city blooms with tents.

Road and mountain bike rides at a more relaxed pace continue to be offered by the Spokane Bicycle Club, which pedaled a nine-miler earlier this week to acquaint new riders with the newly-paved Ben Burr Trail.

The next ride is today. The route is a loop that includes a portion of the Spokane River Centennial Trail out of Liberty Lake. Meet at noon at Town Square Park, 1421 N. Meadowwood Ln.

Other rides coming up include:

Tonight, May 24: Beginner Mountain Bike Ride, 6 p.m.  Meet at Wilbur Trailhead in Riverside St Park (Discover Pass required). Trailhead is off Seven-Mile Road, second parking lot off Seven-Mile Rd.   1.5 hour ride, mostly double-track.

Thursday, May 25: Liberty Lake Loop, noon. Meet at Town Square Park, 1421 N. Meadowwood Ln. in Liberty Lake for a loop route that includes a portion of the Spokane River Centennial Trail.

Friday, May 26: Saltese Upland Loop, 6 p.m. Meet at Saltese Upland Trailhead (Take I-90 E from Spokane and get off on exit 293. Turn right onto Barker Road and then left onto Sprague. Take a right onto Henry Road and follow it to the trailhead. Saltese and Henry loop, quiet country roads. Pace will be leisurely. Fair weather ride – rain, or threat of rain, will cancel.

Sunday: Ugly Industrial Ride, 2 p.m. Meet at Felts Field parking lot to see the soon-to-be developed Millwood Trail, then head toward downtown via byways in the industrial area. Some unpaved surfaces. 

Tuesday, May 30: Women-only Centennial Trail Ride, 6 p.m. Meet at Olmsted Brothers Greene in Kendall Yards. Enjoy scenic portions of the Centennial Trail, then swing by REI for refreshments and flat-fixing tips. Distance: 9 miles.

Next Wednesday, May 31: Bike & Hike to Southside Conservation Areas, 6 p.m. Meet at Hazel’s Creek entrance on 41st Street west of Freya. Tour three recently created conservation areas, plus the south end of the Ben Burr Trail.

Want more? See The Spokesman-Review’s 2017 Northwest Bicycling Events Calendar online at spokesman.com/outdoors.



Rich Landers
Rich Landers joined The Spokesman-Review in 1977. He is the Outdoors editor for the Sports Department writing and photographing stories about hiking, hunting, fishing, boating, conservation, nature and wildlife and related topics.

Follow Rich online:




Go to the full Outdoors page