Boise Road Cycling Routes

Cha-chink!

Cha-chink!

CHA-CHINK-CHINK-CLINK!

These are the garbled words of protest my bike chain has been bellowing the last two or three weeks. Initially, it had me worried—what's wrong with my favorite little bike? But realizing the Randonee has taken me well over 450 miles in the last three months, and had yet to go in for her first (free) adjustment, I decided to kill two birds with one stone.

I took my bike in earlier in the week to get tuned up, which meant I could pick it up on Wednesday, the same day as REI's Boise Cycling Routes presentation with Steve Stuebner. Like a kid in a candy store, I was filled with excitement to pick up my bike before the seminar. You don't realize how much you miss your bike until it is gone. (Hmmm . . . sounds like a song in the making, doesn't it?)

I was just as excited to see what Boise's local author and outdoors enthusiast (Mr. Stuebner) had to offer in way of cycling routes. He is responsible for publishing the first Boise area cycling map. A couple buddies of mine showed up to listen in on the talk, too. And when the final folks were filing in I was pleasantly surprised to see a new friend, one from Kristin's Cycling Clinic, had arrived for the talk also!

We listened as Steve showed us several different routes around the valley. You can ride anywhere from an easy Greenbelt loop to the more ambitious Bogus Basin trek. Basically, the area cycling map covers all the loops he talked of, so don't despair if you missed the seminar. It can be yours for only 12 bucks and some change at any local bike shop, running store, or REI. And as my new friend pointed out, a lot of the area cycling groups ride these same routes.

With a little more inspiration in pocket I think I will be venturing out on one of the more rural loops this weekend. I have been longing to ride out to Eagle and take on some hills, knees willing.