Bike enthusiasts ready to roll

Summer may be waning, but Inland Northwest bicyclists are gearing up for their sport’s hottest season.

Starting this morning with the 25th annual Autumn Century, sponsored by the Spokane Bicycle Club, there’s a major leg-stretching event to enjoy every weekend into October.

If you’re up early to read the newspaper and you’re not entered, you can still join the 350-450 other cyclists on one of the rides starting at Mead High School. Registration is open until 10 a.m.

The full 100-mile ride starts this morning at 8; the “metric century” 62-miler starts at 9, and the 20-mile family ride starts at 10. All rides roll into the hills and valleys north of Spokane.

“It’s special because this is our silver anniversary,” said Frank Perry, ride organizer. “When we first started, it was a little rough. The food wasn’t so good and so on. But I think the ride has remained popular because the club has improved it a little every year. The food is good, we’ve put out portable toilets at the right spots, and the routes are well-marked.”

The Autumn Century is a fund-raiser for Centennial Trail projects.

Tour Des Lacs: Some riders consider the Autumn Century a tune-up for next weekend’s 14th annual Tour Des Lacs. The one- or two-day tour offers five routes and seven trip options ranging from a relatively easy 20-miles a day on the Centennial Trail to a rigorous and hilly 122-mile day that goes as far south as St. Maries and around Lake Coeur d’Alene.

One 73-mile route goes around Avondale, Hauser and Newman Lakes.

New this year, the tour also has a 64-mile route through the Palouse that incorporates a 15-mile portion of the Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes rail-trail to Harrison.

The routes spread out some 800 riders from the Centennial Trail to the varied countryside east and south of Spokane, visiting the Spokane River, six lakes, 10 towns and 12 food stops. There’s even options for a boat cruise on Lake Coeur d’Alene after the first day of riding.

Riding starts Saturday morning after a pancake breakfast at Red Lion River Inn. Riders are well fed for two days, with gear shuttled from various route destinations to their lodging choice in Coeur d’Alene.

Centennial TrailFest: Bicycles are only one of several modes of transportation featured in activities for the 15th annual TrailFest, Sept. 26, coordinated by the Friends of the Centennial Trail.

Events running from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. based at Mirabeau Meadows include a 5-kilometer run/walk, a 21-mile in-line poker skate to the stateline and back and a 21-mile cyclist scavenger hunt, plus a kids bike race.

While the events are free, participants who pre-register can pay $6 for a t-shirt, and/or $8 for a lunch of salmon and ribs by Outback Steakhouse. Both optional fees include a contribution to the Centennial Trail.

The trail’s main fund-raising focus is the $2.5 million West Link Project to complete the bridge over the Spokane River near High Bridge Park.

“The arches are up and the decking is going on,” said Kaye Turner, executive director for the friends group. “It could be done in October.”

Turner said the group has raised more than $240,000 from the community to provide mandatory matching funds for grants.

“We’re very proud of that,” she said.

Mountain Bike Festival: A folksy atmosphere always permeates Fall Mountain Bike Festival, now in its 12th year, with various individual and family activities scheduled Sept. 25 and 26 south of Republic, Wash., at Swan Lake.

“No experience needed and it’s all free, including the camping at Swan Lake Campground,” said Keith Wakefield, Colville National Forest recreation ranger and one of the festival volunteers. Bikes as well as canoes and kayaks will be available to try out.

Saturday activities include canoe and kayak clinics, Dutch oven cooking, bike repair clinics, a kids poker ride and mountain bike obstacle courses for kids and adults.

Sunday events include more demos, a woman’s ride and a poker ride for adults.

Methow Fall Bike Festival: Formerly the “Fat Tire Festival,” the name change for this popular annual event reflects less emphasis on hard-core knobby-tire events and a little more for the broader range of recreational cyclists, said Jay Lucas of the Methow Valley Sport Trails Association.

“We’ve dropped the downhill competition and added a cyclo-cross race on a short, spectator-friendly course with all sorts of obstacles that make the riders get off their bikes,” he said, noting that the rides have different categories for all types of riders. “The sport is gaining popularity.”

The popular cross-country mountain bike race is still among the many events, as well as several non-competitive lunch rides. “We have one up in the mountains and one down below for families,” Lucas said, adding that the festival includes on-road as well as off-road bike ridesw, poker rides and many events for kids.

“Many of the 700 to 800 people who come here just soak up the atmosphere and ride the roads and trails without entering the events,” he said. “Some come just for the food!”

SIGN-UP

Fall bike events

Today: Spokane Bicycle Club Autumn Century. Register 7 a.m.-9 a.m. at Mead High School, 302 West Hastings Rd.

Sept. 18-19: Tour Des Lacs. Register at www.roundandround.com or call 455-7657.

Sept. 26: Friends of the Centennial Trail TrailFest. Pre-register for food and shirt, or register day of events. Info: 624-7188.

Sept. 25-26: Fall Mountain Bike Festival at Swan Lake. Register day of events. Info: Spokane Parks and Recreation, 625-6246, or Colville National Forest Republic Ranger District, (509) 775-3305.

Oct. 1-3: Methow Valley Fall Bike Festival. Early registration deadline Sept. 24. Forms at www.mvsta.com/bikefest.html.