Thanks for all of the replies everyone. Seems like I have a bit of noodling to do…
I’d like to add a big thanks to the Bike Barn for last year. In the middle of the pre-raceday silliness they spent at least 20-30 minutes messing with the cleats on my bike shoes, got everything fixed up, and didn’t even charge me for it! That’s a place that actually cares about the athletes and the bikes! Thanks again guys!
Hi IAMike,
I’m another Mike from Iowa (Ames), and I’m also doing IMC for the first time this year. I’m planning to drive to Penticton, taking my time on the way up and way back to see a part of the world I’ve never been to before. It’ll be my summer vacation, and I’ll probably make a two-week adventure of the whole thing.
Thanks for starting this thread. I haven’t really thought about lodging, etc., and I suppose I’d better start. It’s not really that far away now, is it? Time to start planning.
See you at the races, best of luck for 2009.
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For shipping your bike, use Tri Bike Transport. Best $220 you’ll ever spend. Makes it VERY easy you pick your bike up in the park right across from the lake, drop it off there Mon. morning for the trip home. Good Luck, it’s an AWESOME race!
Any ideas on how to find a room to rent?
(other than mile140.1.com)
Two shops that I’ve dealt with in Spokane:
Two Wheel Transit and Fitness Fanatics. I think you’ll be happy with either one.
Good luck, IAMike! IMC is a great race!
I did it last year, and sherpa’d the year before. (for the right price, I would sherpa SlayerHateBreed and fix his house issue 
)
Bike transport: If TriBike Transport is available in your area, it is definitely one of the best options out there! I used them this year, and was very happy with it. I gather you would rather have a bike shop assemble your bike, rather than do it yourself (always a good skill to have if you travel). DO NOT ship it over the border. Fly with it, drive it, or send it with TBT. A friend of mine shipped his to the hotel last year, and it got hung up in customs, cost way too much in the extra brokerage fees, and he got it in his hands (unassembled, still, obviously) Friday night before the race. Way too much stress. So if you don’t fly with it, ship it to Spokane. I don’t have that much familiarity with the bike shops, though the 2nd one listed in the post above seemed cool when I popped in there last spring. The Bike Barn people are great.
Drive from Spokane: I thought it was an “easier” drive than from Seattle. (drove from Spokane last year, and from SEA the year before). Bring your passport to cross the border. (as of last year, you could cross with a birth certificate, but that is supposed to be changing.) You can check out the Grand Coulee Dam on the way.
Don’t speed, esp. at one of the towns about an hour or so out of Spokane. We got caught in a speed trap on the way back to Spokane.
I thought the post-race party/dinner was nice and fun. Last year, a friend and I stayed in Penticton until Tuesday morning, then went to drop off other friends in Spokane that day, and we went over to Coeur d’Alene for an evening. Did a nice recovery swim in the lake to refresh our legs, then hung out in CDA. Cute town. That’s likely to be my next IM. (CDA is about 35-40 min. from Spokane.) Or maybe hit CDA on the way up…you can swim in the lake and do a run along the lake to stretch your legs after your flight out.
Lodging in Penticton: things will open up. Or keep an eye on the mile141.com forum page.
you can start here, http://www.ownerdirect.com/penticton/vacation-rentals/51254.htm
after that just google Penticton house rentals
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Been to IMC 4 times.
Last year, flew into Spokane from Boise the night before the race to watch friends, and sign up for 2009. Rental car from Hertz. I took me 3:30-4 hours drive from Spokane to Penticton. * *I drive fast. No stopping. Highway speed limit is 65, but easily went 75. Not much traffic. Seattle is much longer.
Crossed border at about 10:30 pm. in Osoyoos. Was the only car there. Took 3 minutes. Passport required.
Rental cars are no problem to take to Canada from US. I rented from Hertz and got unlimited mileage for like $40 a day for a 3 day rental, using my corporate rate. How do they know you are taking the car to Canada anyhow. Hertz never said anything about restrictions?
Stay until Tuesday. Monday you are going to be tired and sore, and you really won’t want to sit in a car for 4 hours, then an airplane for another 4-5 the day after an IM. Chillax in lovely BC for a day. You won’t regret it.