Over 620 turn out for Stinky Spoke mountain bike poker ride!

For the faint hearted (like me) and the strong-hearted (like B.J. Eliason in blue) "Stinky Spoke" was one hoot'n fun ride.  The faint-hearted did lots of walking - some all the way home.  B.J. battled cold feet as he ended in the first wave of finishers.  I hope, so.  B.J. "spins" at the RAC three times a week and bikes with a heart and lungs 'on steriods.'  I just about fainted walking up that hill.  Where's my cardiologist?

Bicycling Magazine  listed "Stinky Spoke" one of the "best in cycling" events for January.  It's a hilly16 mile mountain biking ride mostly on Puget Power and Tolt Water Line easements - starting and ending at Redhook Brewery.  The only competition (besides yourself) is to end with a winning Poker hand from cards picked up along the way.   Last year about 127 entered.  This year, news of the event spread like a virus with well over 620 riding.  PEMCO, REI, Overlake Hospital, Crystal Mountain, Chelan Vacation Rentals, and untold other vendors joined Redhook in this mud splattering good-time fundraiser.

All this bike'n in the stink'n weather for a poker hand was about raising funds for Little Bit Therapeutic Riding Center - Check them out at this link:  http://www.littlebit.org/   There will be a lot of happier and healthier kids from this event.  Thanks for the good time!  Keep the bikes tuned for Janurary 16, 2011!

by Bob Yoder
photos and story