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cwskas
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- Location
- Central Texas
Off on my first longish Catrike adventure
- Thread starter cwskas
- Start date
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HobbesOnTour
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The master of understatement!!
You crossed out of TEXAS!! There's nothing small about Texas!!
Well done, Willie!
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cwskas
Über Member
- Location
- Central Texas
A quick summary of the journey so far. To get to Idabel, I rode just over 300 miles and spent two nights in the hammock and one in the tent. The fourth was in a hotel due to severe weather.
Average day was to get up at 615am and meet the other two at their hotel around 7am.
David and Mark keep a very steady pace, uphill or down and are very organized. I will discover that I have to get up 30-45 minutes earlier and still am the last one ready to go.
Every night I adjust my packing and think that I have it much better . . . only to prove myself wrong before the next morning.
I am not complaining, I just totally underestimated the need to know what you need, leave anything you can do without and have the most significant items ready for easy access. For example, sunscreen was never easy for me to find.
The actual cycling has exceeded my expectations.
Willie
Average day was to get up at 615am and meet the other two at their hotel around 7am.
David and Mark keep a very steady pace, uphill or down and are very organized. I will discover that I have to get up 30-45 minutes earlier and still am the last one ready to go.
Every night I adjust my packing and think that I have it much better . . . only to prove myself wrong before the next morning.
I am not complaining, I just totally underestimated the need to know what you need, leave anything you can do without and have the most significant items ready for easy access. For example, sunscreen was never easy for me to find.
The actual cycling has exceeded my expectations.
Willie
HobbesOnTour
Guru
- Location
- España
Any chance of putting up a map for those of us that are geographically and navigationally challenged?
(Yes! I'm fully aware that I have just nominated myself for hypocrite of the year
)I've taken the liberty .....
https://www.nodroptours.com/the-tour
You'll get there! It's good to have a puzzle to solve as you ride along
This! Absolutely this!
Of course the most significant items can change from person to person and trip to trip. And even within a trip.
Fabulous!!!
That's what it's all about!!
Thank you for sharing and looking forward to reading the rest of it.
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cwskas
Über Member
- Location
- Central Texas
Day 6 - OK Freewheel Day 0
Saturday, June 4
Idabel, Oklahoma
27 miles, 1h57m moving, 13.9 mph, 680’ elevation gain, 329 total miles
Day 0 is the day most participants arrive and there was a short ride setup which I don’t think many did.
I spent most of Saturday cleaning the trike, checking cables, adjusting shifters & brakes. I also made an attempt to tweak the alignment of the front wheels, the trike tends to drift slightly to the right even on a seemingly level surface.
I considered taking a rest day for my legs, but decided I needed to keep them moving and I wanted to see some of the local scenery, so off I went about 5pm. I decided to try and complete this at a fairly brisk pace since it was short and relatively flat, but not to push too hard.
I was so glad I did. Not too many cars and not many riders. The road surface was good, but not much shoulder. All in all very similar to my home roads, but different scenery! I love to ride on roads I haven’t ridden before.
No scenery pictures today, but here are some from Idabel High School where we are all staging for the start tomorrow morning. The G markings are for the folks taking the gravel route. <-- not the route I am taking.
I did not get a firm figure on how many were signed up to participate in this event. The answer was always 3-4 hundred. Some only rode on one or two days, but it seemed to me that was a fairly accurate accounting of how many people passed me each day!
And a map
Saturday, June 4
Idabel, Oklahoma
27 miles, 1h57m moving, 13.9 mph, 680’ elevation gain, 329 total miles
Day 0 is the day most participants arrive and there was a short ride setup which I don’t think many did.
I spent most of Saturday cleaning the trike, checking cables, adjusting shifters & brakes. I also made an attempt to tweak the alignment of the front wheels, the trike tends to drift slightly to the right even on a seemingly level surface.
I considered taking a rest day for my legs, but decided I needed to keep them moving and I wanted to see some of the local scenery, so off I went about 5pm. I decided to try and complete this at a fairly brisk pace since it was short and relatively flat, but not to push too hard.
I was so glad I did. Not too many cars and not many riders. The road surface was good, but not much shoulder. All in all very similar to my home roads, but different scenery! I love to ride on roads I haven’t ridden before.
No scenery pictures today, but here are some from Idabel High School where we are all staging for the start tomorrow morning. The G markings are for the folks taking the gravel route. <-- not the route I am taking.
I did not get a firm figure on how many were signed up to participate in this event. The answer was always 3-4 hundred. Some only rode on one or two days, but it seemed to me that was a fairly accurate accounting of how many people passed me each day!
And a map
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cwskas
Über Member
- Location
- Central Texas
Day 7 - OK Freewheel Day 1
Sunday, June 5
Idabel, Oklahoma to the Texas side of the Red River and then to Broken Bow, Oklahoma
48 miles, 4h27m moving, 10.8 mph, 1014’ elevation gain, 377 total miles
I got up at 430 am to get packed, had a nice breakfast of eggs, bacon, sausage prepared by volunteers. Finished my packing and we were on the road by about 630 am. I am still the last one ready to go each day. Luis, a friend of David and Mark from San Antonio is now in the group. David calls him ‘the jack-rabbit’ because he rides faster.
The route crossed the Red River into Texas for the first rest stop. This was a retrace of our route inbound on Friday, but the same route can look different going the other direction and I was really excited to start this part of the journey. All of the pictures are from Oklahoma.
These mimosa trees were very ubiquitous everywhere we went (is that redundant, I think that might be redundant). They smelled really good and were very pretty.
A very cool little building I suspect was a family store at some time. It was in reasonable condition, but didn't seem to be in use now. I wanted to go back and take a picture of this yesterday coming in, but didn't since it was near the finish and I was ready to finish the day and I knew I would pass this way again today.
The river was really flowing due to the big storms that had been passing through north Texas the last few days. I took a lot of pictures and some video of the river with my GoPro but haven't even reviewed them yet. I took almost 700 pictures over the 12 days with my phone!
I will have to post an addendum at the end with some video and other pictures I suppose.
There were a lot of small creeks and river beds to cross this week. This is a pretty good example. I always knew 2 things when we came upon a significant downhill run - there would be some body of water at the bottom and after you crossed that, it was time to pay the piper on the ensuing climb. I know that is obvious, but repetition really implants it in you memory.
A prime example of the so many roads we enjoyed with this type view, each having it's own character and charm. You might think that with 3-400 riders on the same route it would be awfully crowded. But the majority of the time I might only see a couple of riders and it was very peaceful almost all of the trip. More on that later, I don't want to distract from the scenery.
Serious weather was threatening on arrival in Broken Bow. I got the hammock set up and spent 2 hours in the hammock under a tarp while it rained buckets full with lots of thunder and lightening. I stayed dry and even enjoyed a nap. It was almost like being under a tin roof with the rain falling.
This will date me . . .
Gratuitous photo . . . just to show my big smile and it is only day 1.
Sunday, June 5
Idabel, Oklahoma to the Texas side of the Red River and then to Broken Bow, Oklahoma
48 miles, 4h27m moving, 10.8 mph, 1014’ elevation gain, 377 total miles
I got up at 430 am to get packed, had a nice breakfast of eggs, bacon, sausage prepared by volunteers. Finished my packing and we were on the road by about 630 am. I am still the last one ready to go each day. Luis, a friend of David and Mark from San Antonio is now in the group. David calls him ‘the jack-rabbit’ because he rides faster.
The route crossed the Red River into Texas for the first rest stop. This was a retrace of our route inbound on Friday, but the same route can look different going the other direction and I was really excited to start this part of the journey. All of the pictures are from Oklahoma.
These mimosa trees were very ubiquitous everywhere we went (is that redundant, I think that might be redundant). They smelled really good and were very pretty.
A very cool little building I suspect was a family store at some time. It was in reasonable condition, but didn't seem to be in use now. I wanted to go back and take a picture of this yesterday coming in, but didn't since it was near the finish and I was ready to finish the day and I knew I would pass this way again today.
The river was really flowing due to the big storms that had been passing through north Texas the last few days. I took a lot of pictures and some video of the river with my GoPro but haven't even reviewed them yet. I took almost 700 pictures over the 12 days with my phone!
I will have to post an addendum at the end with some video and other pictures I suppose.There were a lot of small creeks and river beds to cross this week. This is a pretty good example. I always knew 2 things when we came upon a significant downhill run - there would be some body of water at the bottom and after you crossed that, it was time to pay the piper on the ensuing climb. I know that is obvious, but repetition really implants it in you memory.
A prime example of the so many roads we enjoyed with this type view, each having it's own character and charm. You might think that with 3-400 riders on the same route it would be awfully crowded. But the majority of the time I might only see a couple of riders and it was very peaceful almost all of the trip. More on that later, I don't want to distract from the scenery.
Serious weather was threatening on arrival in Broken Bow. I got the hammock set up and spent 2 hours in the hammock under a tarp while it rained buckets full with lots of thunder and lightening. I stayed dry and even enjoyed a nap. It was almost like being under a tin roof with the rain falling.
This will date me . . .
Gratuitous photo . . . just to show my big smile and it is only day 1.
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cwskas
Über Member
- Location
- Central Texas
Day 8 - OK Freewheel Day 2
Monday, June 6
Broken Bow, Oklahoma to Mena, Arkansas
70 miles, 7h26m moving, 9.5 mph, 3929’ elevation gain, 447 total miles
This was a day I had been quite anxious about, several long climbs and the longest day on the schedule. I also expected it to be perhaps the most beautiful overall, so that helped. I knew I could handle the distance, but it was forecast to be mostly clear all day and quite hot. They had an extra rest stop setup for today because there were not many places to stop and get water or nourishment except at the rest stops.
The first section was essentially a 17+ mile climb to a pass in the Ouachita National Forest with a net gain of about 600'. Nothing like the Andes, but a formidable expectation for me and my trike. The beauty of the tall pines on either side of the road was inspiring. We started early enough (602 am) with rain threatening that there were few riders ahead of us. I dared not stop for a picture on this section, there were logging trucks and other traffic which kept me focused on the task at hand.
This photo was taken as I started down the far side of the pass and is pretty representative of the scenery for the first half of the day.
There was a store at an intersection just before we headed toward Arkansas that was recommended for a lunch stop. I took advantage of it!
It was only 19 miles into the day, but 3 hours of riding already. The place was pretty interesting. There were two women working the cash registers, multiple items already cooked and in the display case to choose from as well as items you could have cooked as you waited. You got your own drinks and they didn't ring you up until you were ready to leave. You would tell them what you had and they would ring it up. Seemed to be quite trusting to me, but it did keep things moving smoothly.
I did not take this photo, I scavenged it from another site. That is my trike with the yellow bag on the rack and the orange straps.
The scenery began to get more varied as we headed east & then northeast toward Mena. And traffic was lighter, so more convenient to get photos.
If you are not familiar with the 'Code Talkers' it is worth looking them up. A very interesting story and an important part of US military success in World War 1 & 2. There were a number of bridges and highways dedicated to code talkers.
This was the main fork of the Mountain Fork River which feeds Broken Bow Lake. It and the other tributaries were always muddy.
I always find old, apparently abandoned structures interesting and wonder about the history of that place. And look at the antenna in the back. This was near the previous picture of the river.
The section from here into Arkansas was mostly unsettled it seemed from the road. It was very nice riding, though I had again started a slow climb with some really steep sections into Arkansas, about 24 miles and 450' net gain. Upon arrival at the city park in Mena, I just sat in the shade on my trike for about 20 minutes to rest before setting up the hammock.
This was sufficient motivation to tackle the final 6 miles.
My maximum speed today was 42 mph and when I got to the top of one of those long climbs, I didn't turn a crank, I just let it roll.
Monday, June 6
Broken Bow, Oklahoma to Mena, Arkansas
70 miles, 7h26m moving, 9.5 mph, 3929’ elevation gain, 447 total miles
This was a day I had been quite anxious about, several long climbs and the longest day on the schedule. I also expected it to be perhaps the most beautiful overall, so that helped. I knew I could handle the distance, but it was forecast to be mostly clear all day and quite hot. They had an extra rest stop setup for today because there were not many places to stop and get water or nourishment except at the rest stops.
The first section was essentially a 17+ mile climb to a pass in the Ouachita National Forest with a net gain of about 600'. Nothing like the Andes, but a formidable expectation for me and my trike. The beauty of the tall pines on either side of the road was inspiring. We started early enough (602 am) with rain threatening that there were few riders ahead of us. I dared not stop for a picture on this section, there were logging trucks and other traffic which kept me focused on the task at hand.
This photo was taken as I started down the far side of the pass and is pretty representative of the scenery for the first half of the day.
There was a store at an intersection just before we headed toward Arkansas that was recommended for a lunch stop. I took advantage of it!
It was only 19 miles into the day, but 3 hours of riding already. The place was pretty interesting. There were two women working the cash registers, multiple items already cooked and in the display case to choose from as well as items you could have cooked as you waited. You got your own drinks and they didn't ring you up until you were ready to leave. You would tell them what you had and they would ring it up. Seemed to be quite trusting to me, but it did keep things moving smoothly.
I did not take this photo, I scavenged it from another site. That is my trike with the yellow bag on the rack and the orange straps.
The scenery began to get more varied as we headed east & then northeast toward Mena. And traffic was lighter, so more convenient to get photos.
If you are not familiar with the 'Code Talkers' it is worth looking them up. A very interesting story and an important part of US military success in World War 1 & 2. There were a number of bridges and highways dedicated to code talkers.
This was the main fork of the Mountain Fork River which feeds Broken Bow Lake. It and the other tributaries were always muddy.
I always find old, apparently abandoned structures interesting and wonder about the history of that place. And look at the antenna in the back. This was near the previous picture of the river.
The section from here into Arkansas was mostly unsettled it seemed from the road. It was very nice riding, though I had again started a slow climb with some really steep sections into Arkansas, about 24 miles and 450' net gain. Upon arrival at the city park in Mena, I just sat in the shade on my trike for about 20 minutes to rest before setting up the hammock.
This was sufficient motivation to tackle the final 6 miles.
My maximum speed today was 42 mph and when I got to the top of one of those long climbs, I didn't turn a crank, I just let it roll.
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cwskas
Über Member
- Location
- Central Texas
Day 9 - OK Freewheel Day 3
Tuesday, June 7
Mena, Arkansas to Poteau, Oklahoma
64 miles, 6h12m moving, 10.3 mph, 2127’ elevation gain, 511 total miles
I think this was the only morning that I was ready before the others.
We were on the road today by 620 am and had a short descent north out of Mena and then turned west through two ridges for what promised to be a very scenic ride. It was humid and fog hung over the road in places and obscured the tops of the ridges in others.
After turning east we had about 13 miles and almost 800’ of elevation gain. The slope was often so gradual, I would find myself wondering if I left a brake engaged after stopping for the last picture, nope.
But a beautiful environment for a ride. This was the start of the gradual downhill which dominated most of the rest of the day. The white cloud is actually fog obscuring a portion of the ridge which will be to our left for the next 15+ miles. Most of the pictures from today are from this first part of the day.
This young lady (I think I heard her tell someone she was in her 80s, but my hearing is not so good) is from the Little Rock, Arkansas area and she passed me a lot on this trip. She is a very strong rider up the hills, but I think I would take a shorter break at the rest stops. We were often on the last stretch of the ride together by the end of the day. Just one of the inspiring riders I met on Freewheel.
The picture I took of the train right after she took off again.
You can't see it, but there is a small creek between the train and the road, I could often hear it as I rode. In places it was large enough to have a small bridge or low water crossing, in others just a trickle.
Mark zipping along while I snap a shot of the northern ridge.
And back in OK.
Not long after the train, it started to sprinkle occasionally, not enough to warrant the rain jacket. But it wasn't long and we were pulled over and suiting up. For the next several hours we rode in mostly moderate rain.
The most observant may have noticed that I do not have fenders on my trike. 🏆 for those who did.
On this day, I could not figure out how to get my hood to stay over my helmet, it kept blowing off, so eventually I just quit trying. There was enough water coming down and on the road that my rear wheel acted like a waterwheel and dumped a steady stream right down the back of my jersey. We stopped at the next gas station/convenience store that came along and this is how I looked. I know, I am smiling, and I was loving the ride even though I was making mental notes about how to make the next rain 'opportunity' a bit different.
Just after the rain started, a rider had passed me and said, "Willie, your back wheel looks to be badly out of alignment" or something like that. I stopped and looked at it and didn't notice anything in my brief inspection. I mentioned it to David and he watched from behind and said it seemed OK to him. And we pressed on. More on that later.
Not long after the convenience store stop, the route took a short detour in the town of Heavener, OK. There is a park there called Heavener Runestone Park. I am going to make another post about this detour below so I can add a few more photos.
The last rest stop was in Heavener (pronounced hiv-ner) after the park and then a rolling county road on to Poteau (pronounced Po toe). This is a picture a few miles outside of Poteau of Cavanal Hill, a geological attraction of the area.
Tuesday, June 7
Mena, Arkansas to Poteau, Oklahoma
64 miles, 6h12m moving, 10.3 mph, 2127’ elevation gain, 511 total miles
I think this was the only morning that I was ready before the others.
We were on the road today by 620 am and had a short descent north out of Mena and then turned west through two ridges for what promised to be a very scenic ride. It was humid and fog hung over the road in places and obscured the tops of the ridges in others.
After turning east we had about 13 miles and almost 800’ of elevation gain. The slope was often so gradual, I would find myself wondering if I left a brake engaged after stopping for the last picture, nope.
But a beautiful environment for a ride. This was the start of the gradual downhill which dominated most of the rest of the day. The white cloud is actually fog obscuring a portion of the ridge which will be to our left for the next 15+ miles. Most of the pictures from today are from this first part of the day.
This young lady (I think I heard her tell someone she was in her 80s, but my hearing is not so good) is from the Little Rock, Arkansas area and she passed me a lot on this trip. She is a very strong rider up the hills, but I think I would take a shorter break at the rest stops. We were often on the last stretch of the ride together by the end of the day. Just one of the inspiring riders I met on Freewheel.
The picture I took of the train right after she took off again.
You can't see it, but there is a small creek between the train and the road, I could often hear it as I rode. In places it was large enough to have a small bridge or low water crossing, in others just a trickle.
Mark zipping along while I snap a shot of the northern ridge.
And back in OK.
Not long after the train, it started to sprinkle occasionally, not enough to warrant the rain jacket. But it wasn't long and we were pulled over and suiting up. For the next several hours we rode in mostly moderate rain.
The most observant may have noticed that I do not have fenders on my trike. 🏆 for those who did.
On this day, I could not figure out how to get my hood to stay over my helmet, it kept blowing off, so eventually I just quit trying. There was enough water coming down and on the road that my rear wheel acted like a waterwheel and dumped a steady stream right down the back of my jersey. We stopped at the next gas station/convenience store that came along and this is how I looked. I know, I am smiling, and I was loving the ride even though I was making mental notes about how to make the next rain 'opportunity' a bit different.
Just after the rain started, a rider had passed me and said, "Willie, your back wheel looks to be badly out of alignment" or something like that. I stopped and looked at it and didn't notice anything in my brief inspection. I mentioned it to David and he watched from behind and said it seemed OK to him. And we pressed on. More on that later.
Not long after the convenience store stop, the route took a short detour in the town of Heavener, OK. There is a park there called Heavener Runestone Park. I am going to make another post about this detour below so I can add a few more photos.
The last rest stop was in Heavener (pronounced hiv-ner) after the park and then a rolling county road on to Poteau (pronounced Po toe). This is a picture a few miles outside of Poteau of Cavanal Hill, a geological attraction of the area.
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cwskas
Über Member
- Location
- Central Texas
Heavener Runestone Park
I had decided to try and make good time to the next destination since it was raining anyway. Mark & David were not far behind me. When I got to Heavener I headed straight through the first traffic light because I knew that the highway I was on went to Poteau. Then I noticed that others were turning right at the light, so I turned around and saw Mark & David. Since they turned right at the light, I returned and turned to follow their lead. It was raining pretty heavy at this time and I was not inclined to consult the map on my phone.
This new road was quite busy and at one point we pulled into a driveway to allow traffic to pass. With the next break in traffic, David followed by Mark went a short distance and turned a sharp left. I had to delay a bit for another vehicle and followed. From an almost dead stop I was now starting up a 12.5 grade climb.
I gave it all I had and realized I was not going to make it. I found myself stopped and my brake locks would not hold while I got off the trike. I decided I would milk the brakes to slowly back up and across the road so I could head back down. Seemed simple enough.
When I got perpendicular to the road, the trike fell over on its side. Realizing that anyone who made the same turn would have very little time before reaching me, I quickly tried to right the trike without success. The road was slick, the wheels were wanting to take the path of gravity and I was scrambling.
After a few more tries, I managed to move the trike to the other side of the road with the rear wheel over the edge and managed to get it upright. I climbed on breathing the heaviest I have so far on the trip and slowly headed down the hill, knowing I would have a sharp right turn at the end.
I retraced our route and then into downtown Heavener where I found an awning to park under while I consulted the route on my phone and planned how I would rejoin. The downtown was really interesting with little shops and IMO would have made an excellent route. Earlier in the week the owner of No Drop Tours had joked that they had someone on staff who searched out the steepest hills so they could be incorporated into the route. Maybe he wasn't joking.
Here is a zoom into the map showing where I made my u-turn at the bottom center. It doesn't look like much right now. It must have been fatigue. "Yeah, that's the ticket, fatigue." Saturday Night Live fans of a certain age may recognize that reference.
Anyway it was easy enough to rejoin the route and head on into Poteau.
It would have been really interesting to see the Runestone, but the internet had a picture of it. I will definitely visit the park when I am in the area in a car.
So, when I got to Poteau, I checked with the bicycle shop that was providing support maintenance to riders. They found a broken spoke and they did not have any spokes to fix it. They said there was a good bike shop right next to where we would be camping in Tahlequah in two days and I should call tomorrow and see if they could fix it when we got there. They zip tied the spoke to an adjacent one and advised that I should be fine riding the next two days if I would get all of the weight of the back of the trike. I was carrying 45+ pounds in my panniers and on the rack.
Trevor gave me permission to put my gear on the luggage trailer for the remainder of the ride.
It is possible that is where I broke the spoke, but I think it must have been on one of the major potholes that I failed to miss earlier in the trip.
I had decided to try and make good time to the next destination since it was raining anyway. Mark & David were not far behind me. When I got to Heavener I headed straight through the first traffic light because I knew that the highway I was on went to Poteau. Then I noticed that others were turning right at the light, so I turned around and saw Mark & David. Since they turned right at the light, I returned and turned to follow their lead. It was raining pretty heavy at this time and I was not inclined to consult the map on my phone.
This new road was quite busy and at one point we pulled into a driveway to allow traffic to pass. With the next break in traffic, David followed by Mark went a short distance and turned a sharp left. I had to delay a bit for another vehicle and followed. From an almost dead stop I was now starting up a 12.5 grade climb.
I gave it all I had and realized I was not going to make it. I found myself stopped and my brake locks would not hold while I got off the trike. I decided I would milk the brakes to slowly back up and across the road so I could head back down. Seemed simple enough.
When I got perpendicular to the road, the trike fell over on its side. Realizing that anyone who made the same turn would have very little time before reaching me, I quickly tried to right the trike without success. The road was slick, the wheels were wanting to take the path of gravity and I was scrambling.
After a few more tries, I managed to move the trike to the other side of the road with the rear wheel over the edge and managed to get it upright. I climbed on breathing the heaviest I have so far on the trip and slowly headed down the hill, knowing I would have a sharp right turn at the end.
I retraced our route and then into downtown Heavener where I found an awning to park under while I consulted the route on my phone and planned how I would rejoin. The downtown was really interesting with little shops and IMO would have made an excellent route. Earlier in the week the owner of No Drop Tours had joked that they had someone on staff who searched out the steepest hills so they could be incorporated into the route. Maybe he wasn't joking.
Here is a zoom into the map showing where I made my u-turn at the bottom center. It doesn't look like much right now. It must have been fatigue. "Yeah, that's the ticket, fatigue." Saturday Night Live fans of a certain age may recognize that reference.
Anyway it was easy enough to rejoin the route and head on into Poteau.
It would have been really interesting to see the Runestone, but the internet had a picture of it. I will definitely visit the park when I am in the area in a car.
So, when I got to Poteau, I checked with the bicycle shop that was providing support maintenance to riders. They found a broken spoke and they did not have any spokes to fix it. They said there was a good bike shop right next to where we would be camping in Tahlequah in two days and I should call tomorrow and see if they could fix it when we got there. They zip tied the spoke to an adjacent one and advised that I should be fine riding the next two days if I would get all of the weight of the back of the trike. I was carrying 45+ pounds in my panniers and on the rack.
Trevor gave me permission to put my gear on the luggage trailer for the remainder of the ride.
It is possible that is where I broke the spoke, but I think it must have been on one of the major potholes that I failed to miss earlier in the trip.
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cwskas
Über Member
- Location
- Central Texas
It is 2 o'clock in the morning here and I am going to wait till tomorrow to finish the other posts. I think if I keep working tonight, I will not do a very good job.
Willie
Willie
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cwskas
Über Member
- Location
- Central Texas
Day 10 - OK Freewheel Day 4
Wednesday, June 8
Poteau, Oklahoma to Vian, Oklahoma
57 miles, 5h24m moving, 10.5 mph, 1660’ elevation gain, 568 total miles
No rain during the night last night and I slept quite well in my hammock. But when we awoke, there was a large area of weather to the northwest that would be passing through sometime today, so we were on the road by 540 am today. We figured we might as well get in as much riding as possible before the rain. There were quite a few who thought likewise because the breakfast location was pretty busy and the first rest stop had more cycles than any other rest stop during the week.
It was a beautiful, cool morning on rural roads and lots of riders in view at times on long stretches of road. I took quite a few pictures, so this will be in at least 2 parts. I also felt like superman today, since (due to the broken spoke) I had shed at least 45 pounds off the rear of the trike.
There are two women with carbon fiber trikes with form fitted seats & 700cc rear tire made by Bacchetta. I spoke with one of them yesterday and she said they were looking for the fastest trikes they could find. All week I tried to get a picture of them from the front. I would see them coming in the rear view mirror and by the time I would get my phone out this is typical of what I would get, and this is zoomed in quite a bit.
At the first rest stop we were notified of the first detour of the day due to flooding of low water crossings. Look at my happy trike on the right, carrying it's usual weight.
I had seen this fellow's jersey earlier in the day and tried to get a photo. He was just leaving the rest stop so I ran him down and got him to pose for me. I love it! The back . . .
and for the rear view mirror . . .
The detour took us on a small county road with the occasional spectators.
Not all were interested in us.
I was moving at a pretty good clip and passed this next shot and just couldn't let it go, so I doubled back.
And not long after that, a climb rewarded us with this view.
A few more miles and David & Mark passed their 600 mile mark and I took a picture of them and Luis using David's phone. He took the following of me about to mount back up. Notice the brown spot on my sleeve from the rain the day before coming off the front tire. I just rinsed it out and wore it again today since it was likely we would ride in the rain again today.
This was a group of riders that passed me while I was stopped taking photos.
continued in the next post.
Wednesday, June 8
Poteau, Oklahoma to Vian, Oklahoma
57 miles, 5h24m moving, 10.5 mph, 1660’ elevation gain, 568 total miles
No rain during the night last night and I slept quite well in my hammock. But when we awoke, there was a large area of weather to the northwest that would be passing through sometime today, so we were on the road by 540 am today. We figured we might as well get in as much riding as possible before the rain. There were quite a few who thought likewise because the breakfast location was pretty busy and the first rest stop had more cycles than any other rest stop during the week.
It was a beautiful, cool morning on rural roads and lots of riders in view at times on long stretches of road. I took quite a few pictures, so this will be in at least 2 parts. I also felt like superman today, since (due to the broken spoke) I had shed at least 45 pounds off the rear of the trike.
There are two women with carbon fiber trikes with form fitted seats & 700cc rear tire made by Bacchetta. I spoke with one of them yesterday and she said they were looking for the fastest trikes they could find. All week I tried to get a picture of them from the front. I would see them coming in the rear view mirror and by the time I would get my phone out this is typical of what I would get, and this is zoomed in quite a bit.
At the first rest stop we were notified of the first detour of the day due to flooding of low water crossings. Look at my happy trike on the right, carrying it's usual weight.
I had seen this fellow's jersey earlier in the day and tried to get a photo. He was just leaving the rest stop so I ran him down and got him to pose for me. I love it! The back . . .
and for the rear view mirror . . .
The detour took us on a small county road with the occasional spectators.
Not all were interested in us.
I was moving at a pretty good clip and passed this next shot and just couldn't let it go, so I doubled back.
And not long after that, a climb rewarded us with this view.
A few more miles and David & Mark passed their 600 mile mark and I took a picture of them and Luis using David's phone. He took the following of me about to mount back up. Notice the brown spot on my sleeve from the rain the day before coming off the front tire. I just rinsed it out and wore it again today since it was likely we would ride in the rain again today.
This was a group of riders that passed me while I was stopped taking photos.
continued in the next post.
Last edited:
OP
OP
cwskas
Über Member
- Location
- Central Texas
Day 10 - OK Freewheel Day 4 (continued)
These day lilies were prominent on most of the roads and this is my favorite shot I got of them.
I saw this variety of flowers and when I stopped was pleased to see they offered a well framed photo of the clouds that kept us cool all morning.
And a mimosa tree display right beside the road.
As mentioned before, there was weather approaching from the northwest. We pulled over at a small gas station and store to take a break and consider our options. The blue dot is where the cell towers think we are. It seemed to me that we could get a bit further down the road, but the others thought it best to wait. They were right, before long it was pouring outside with lightening & thunder which lasted for quite a while. I was reviewing photos, so didn't pay attention to the time.
It got quiet outside, but was still raining of varying intensity and we decided to press on.
we rode pretty hard aided by a slope down to a bridge across the river shown above and then as we neared the top of the following climb, David took a right to join a steeper climb. It was a very pretty detour even in the rain with a view of the next valley and then we starting winding down a steep hill and into a parking lot. David had a destination in mind.
What better way to wait out the rain than eating some tasty BBQ. The whole time we were there it rained, a steady rain, but not too hard. We all got our rain gear on and gathered in the entry to review the radar and it began to rain the hard. We ended up waiting for 45 minutes or so as wave after wave of the storms passed, all the time checking our location on the radar and trying to plan a time to sprint the last 13-14 miles to Vian where we would stay tonight.
There was no shelter for my trike so it just weathered the storm under a large tree.
The bus you see in the above picture is from a bicycle club (I think) in Tulsa. Some of their riders were inside enjoying beverages of various sorts and their bikes are secured on the top of the bus. Their own SAG retreat. Finally the worst of the weather seemed to pass with just moderate to heavy rain still falling and we decided to make a run for it. I finished the last stretch in just over an hour, sometimes through water crossing the road.
They were expecting the majority of us to camp, but since it was raining and forecast to do so all night, they opened the gym and one of the school buildings to accommodate riders. Some set up their tents under the awnings of the school. We and several of the other riders went to a nearby church that opened it's doors to accommodate riders.
It was a great day even if we couldn't see much of the last stretch. A picture David took of me before the rain.
These day lilies were prominent on most of the roads and this is my favorite shot I got of them.
I saw this variety of flowers and when I stopped was pleased to see they offered a well framed photo of the clouds that kept us cool all morning.
And a mimosa tree display right beside the road.
As mentioned before, there was weather approaching from the northwest. We pulled over at a small gas station and store to take a break and consider our options. The blue dot is where the cell towers think we are. It seemed to me that we could get a bit further down the road, but the others thought it best to wait. They were right, before long it was pouring outside with lightening & thunder which lasted for quite a while. I was reviewing photos, so didn't pay attention to the time.
It got quiet outside, but was still raining of varying intensity and we decided to press on.
we rode pretty hard aided by a slope down to a bridge across the river shown above and then as we neared the top of the following climb, David took a right to join a steeper climb. It was a very pretty detour even in the rain with a view of the next valley and then we starting winding down a steep hill and into a parking lot. David had a destination in mind.
What better way to wait out the rain than eating some tasty BBQ. The whole time we were there it rained, a steady rain, but not too hard. We all got our rain gear on and gathered in the entry to review the radar and it began to rain the hard. We ended up waiting for 45 minutes or so as wave after wave of the storms passed, all the time checking our location on the radar and trying to plan a time to sprint the last 13-14 miles to Vian where we would stay tonight.
There was no shelter for my trike so it just weathered the storm under a large tree.
The bus you see in the above picture is from a bicycle club (I think) in Tulsa. Some of their riders were inside enjoying beverages of various sorts and their bikes are secured on the top of the bus. Their own SAG retreat. Finally the worst of the weather seemed to pass with just moderate to heavy rain still falling and we decided to make a run for it. I finished the last stretch in just over an hour, sometimes through water crossing the road.
They were expecting the majority of us to camp, but since it was raining and forecast to do so all night, they opened the gym and one of the school buildings to accommodate riders. Some set up their tents under the awnings of the school. We and several of the other riders went to a nearby church that opened it's doors to accommodate riders.
It was a great day even if we couldn't see much of the last stretch. A picture David took of me before the rain.
OP
OP
cwskas
Über Member
- Location
- Central Texas
Day 11 - OK Freewheel Day 5
Thursday, June 9
Vian, Oklahoma to Tahlequah, Oklahoma
58 miles, 5h23m moving, 10.8 mph, 2578’ elevation gain, 626 total miles
NO rain today! Humid in the morning with a beautiful fog which created a lot of picture opportunities, so probably another multi-post day.
The Vian volunteers provided a very nice croissant, egg & bacon breakfast on the school grounds.
After we were out of town, the day started with a 2 mile 2% steady climb followed by a rolling 10 miles down to the far side of the Illinois river valley. I rarely turned a pedal. The fog created some really nice views. I could not resist myself.
The road crossed the river in two places. These images were from the first crossing.
If you look at the tree in the lower right corner, you can tell the river is over it's banks.
I rode a bit further and when I realized there was a second bridge, I crossed, parked the trike and walked up the shoulder on the far side to try and get some good photos of riders. Here are some I liked best.
David & Mark
It would have been so cool if a train had passed while I was there, but I wasn't willing to wait.
And probably my favorite.
continued in the next post.
Thursday, June 9
Vian, Oklahoma to Tahlequah, Oklahoma
58 miles, 5h23m moving, 10.8 mph, 2578’ elevation gain, 626 total miles
NO rain today! Humid in the morning with a beautiful fog which created a lot of picture opportunities, so probably another multi-post day.
The Vian volunteers provided a very nice croissant, egg & bacon breakfast on the school grounds.
After we were out of town, the day started with a 2 mile 2% steady climb followed by a rolling 10 miles down to the far side of the Illinois river valley. I rarely turned a pedal. The fog created some really nice views. I could not resist myself.
The road crossed the river in two places. These images were from the first crossing.
If you look at the tree in the lower right corner, you can tell the river is over it's banks.
I rode a bit further and when I realized there was a second bridge, I crossed, parked the trike and walked up the shoulder on the far side to try and get some good photos of riders. Here are some I liked best.
David & Mark
It would have been so cool if a train had passed while I was there, but I wasn't willing to wait.
And probably my favorite.
continued in the next post.
OP
OP
cwskas
Über Member
- Location
- Central Texas
Day 11 - OK Freewheel Day 5 (continued)
Today was such a pretty day and the scenery was fantastic as we rode through valleys and peaks with fantastic views.
This was just before a steep twisting descent into a valley and up the other side. I took some really cool video during the first part of this descent and quickly stashed my phone in my jersey and hung on. No pedaling after I took the above photo and a max speed on this descent of 36 mph.
It is a screenshot from the video right after I passed a warning sign for cars to slow down.
The uphill part was steep enough that reality set in quickly and I just reminded myself that without climbs there would be no descents.
One of the great joys of my trike is acceleration on the downhill. I think it is because I weigh more (personally and in combination with my cycle) than the average cyclist. I suspect it also has to do with the fact that I am riding on 3 sets of bearings instead of two. It is common for riders to pass me going up hill and I have to either brake frequently or pass them going down. Who wants to brake?!!
One of my devices reported my maximum speed today was 126 mph!
That device depends on signals from cell towers. The one which reads my speed from the sensor on a wheel reported a much more likely 41 mph.
Back to scenery. You can tell there is dew on the ground in the first picture of this building.
Soon we were at the top looking across to the other side of Greenleaf Lake, home to a State Park. I am pretty sure it was this long descent which earned me the 41 mph. Those are clouds above the ridges in the distance, not snow caps. Temperatures this week have been in the 60-85 degree range.
The bridge across the lake is just around the corner.
continued in one more post
Today was such a pretty day and the scenery was fantastic as we rode through valleys and peaks with fantastic views.
This was just before a steep twisting descent into a valley and up the other side. I took some really cool video during the first part of this descent and quickly stashed my phone in my jersey and hung on. No pedaling after I took the above photo and a max speed on this descent of 36 mph.
It is a screenshot from the video right after I passed a warning sign for cars to slow down.
The uphill part was steep enough that reality set in quickly and I just reminded myself that without climbs there would be no descents.
One of the great joys of my trike is acceleration on the downhill. I think it is because I weigh more (personally and in combination with my cycle) than the average cyclist. I suspect it also has to do with the fact that I am riding on 3 sets of bearings instead of two. It is common for riders to pass me going up hill and I have to either brake frequently or pass them going down. Who wants to brake?!!
One of my devices reported my maximum speed today was 126 mph!
That device depends on signals from cell towers. The one which reads my speed from the sensor on a wheel reported a much more likely 41 mph.Back to scenery. You can tell there is dew on the ground in the first picture of this building.
Soon we were at the top looking across to the other side of Greenleaf Lake, home to a State Park. I am pretty sure it was this long descent which earned me the 41 mph. Those are clouds above the ridges in the distance, not snow caps. Temperatures this week have been in the 60-85 degree range.
The bridge across the lake is just around the corner.
continued in one more post
OP
OP
cwskas
Über Member
- Location
- Central Texas
Day 11 - OK Freewheel Day 5 (continued)
Just a few more pictures from today.
SAG support was fantastic all week. I was fortunate to not have any flats on this trip or any other complications except the broken spoke.
I think I had mentioned the mechanics from a bike shop which were on the road each day. A great group of guys.
And here is a SAG driver helping with a flat. Thank you to all of the support staff and volunteers.
I didn't need to stop, but couldn't resist stopping at this gas station. There used to be Sinclair stations all over the country, but they are rare now.
And a few other photos which didn't fit above.
Today was only 58 miles, but I was more exhausted than I was on the long second day. I thought at first it might be just cumulative effects, but then I realized the issue. It was so cool all morning and I was enraptured and busy taking photos that I had not stayed on my schedule. 'Drink and eat a snack before you think you need it.' 'Stay ahead of the curve.' I think I had not had anything to drink or eat all morning. The rest of the day, I drank a lot, but was always exhausted. Note to self . . .
Just a few more pictures from today.
SAG support was fantastic all week. I was fortunate to not have any flats on this trip or any other complications except the broken spoke.
I think I had mentioned the mechanics from a bike shop which were on the road each day. A great group of guys.
And here is a SAG driver helping with a flat. Thank you to all of the support staff and volunteers.
I didn't need to stop, but couldn't resist stopping at this gas station. There used to be Sinclair stations all over the country, but they are rare now.
And a few other photos which didn't fit above.
Today was only 58 miles, but I was more exhausted than I was on the long second day. I thought at first it might be just cumulative effects, but then I realized the issue. It was so cool all morning and I was enraptured and busy taking photos that I had not stayed on my schedule. 'Drink and eat a snack before you think you need it.' 'Stay ahead of the curve.' I think I had not had anything to drink or eat all morning. The rest of the day, I drank a lot, but was always exhausted. Note to self . . .
