I rode into a persistent headwind all morning. I stopped in a bakery in Chewalen for lunch and ran into another cyclist there. Bill lives in Spokane, but was in Deer Lake for the weekend. He was finishing his lunch when I walked in, but he offered to wait for me and give me a riding companion as far as Deer Lake. We rode together for the next 17 miles. That was a nice change of pace, and it helped to have someone share the wind! We met a friend of his on the road who is one of the top downhill mountain bike racers in the country. He's out of commission temporarily due to injuries, so he's working in a bike shop right now. I asked him which shop might have touring tires. Bill and his friend both suggested the North Division bike shop in Spokane. I rolled by there five minutes before closing and was able to pick up a new tire. Just what I wanted too, a Continental Top Touring 700x32.
I'm back at the Marriott Courtyard in downtown Spokane. I decided to stay here for 2 nights. I think I need to just sit in one place for a day. Tomorrow's the 4th of July, and there is a festival going on by the river.
Oh, I forgot to mention - Bill was riding a Schwinn cruiser with big gears and aero bars. He said the bike weighed 40 pounds. He has a good road bike too, but he uses the Schwinn to get back in shape for riding. And I'm sure that I slowed him down considerably on the hills!
