Off on my first longish Catrike adventure

[bluenotebob]

I'm really enjoying your travelogue, Willie - and some great photos !

Keep it coming !

I guess you'll be in Muskogee soon - don't forget to mention Merle Haggard ..

 

[cwskas]

I guess you'll be in Muskogee soon - don't forget to mention Merle Haggard ..

I am glad you are enjoying it. We turned did not make it to Muskogee, but were close.

 

[cwskas]

Day 12 - OK Freewheel Day 6
Friday, June 10
Tahlequah, Oklahoma to Grove, Oklahoma
69 miles, 6h53m moving, 10 mph, 3244’ elevation gain, 695 total miles

Tahlequah is the capital of the Cherokee Nation and a very interesting town. If I had been on my own, I would have taken a rest day there for sure. Check out the link above for more information.

I did not get any pictures in the town. As soon as I arrived, I took my rear wheel off and got it to Paceline cycling which was right next to where we were camping in the town square. I had called the day before and told them I was coming. They were very busy with other cyclists from Freewheel and I hoped they would be able to get to me.

I set my hammock and rested in the shade. In about an hour I got a call to come get the repaired wheel. The mechanic told me it didn't just have a broken spoke, 'it was really messed up'. He figured I must have been riding on it. I confirmed his suspicions. $25 for fixed spoke and realigned wheel was a great deal in my book.

I got the wheel on and took a spin around the square to make sure all seemed in order. Satisfied, I went back to my hammock in the shade.

There was weather again threatening and the forecast was an 80% chance of thunderstorms between 1 am and 1 pm tomorrow, some severe. About that time, I got a call from David and the place where they were staying the night had room for me and I decided that sounded like a great idea. I packed the hammock up and started up the street a few blocks to their location just as it started raining, not a storm, just steady rain.

There was no place to put my trike inside, and the historic building which appeared to be under renovation was packed with sleeping bags and such. I found my spot and settled in.

When I awoke the next morning at 5am, it was thundering & lightening and heavy rain out the windows. I checked the weather on my phone and it appeared there would be cycles of this all day and the best bet was to get ready and make a run for it when there were periods of little to no rain in between the lines of thunderstorms.

We went and got breakfast at the next short break and then headed out about 8 am. Tahlequah is a larger town than where we have typically stayed but it was a very pleasant route from downtown out into the countryside.

My day started as it often did. I had stopped for my first set of photos just over the crest of a small hill. I looked back and here come the carbon trikes! Finally I should be able to get a picture of them from the front. Nah!

Today had a lot of rolling hills like this.

Somewhere early in the day, David hit his 800 mile mark (I think) and I took this picture for him.

As pretty as the scenery was, the people I met were probably the most interesting part of the trip.

This is 83 year old Errol Heath from Pawhuska, Oklahoma, catching up to me as he always did some time during the day. I first visited with him in Poteau while we were waiting for the sun to go down and head to our tents. He loves riding his bike but explained that he has a partially blocked carotid artery and his cardiologist keeps making him stop riding. But, he said, "sooner or later I just start riding again, I miss it."

He talked his family into letting him make this trip and his brother-in-law, Marty, agreed to make the trip and support him. Marty helps Errol, if needed, get his gear at the end of the day, setup the tent, etc and then they visit until time for bed. Marty sleeps in his truck and Errol in his tent. In the morning Marty & Errol get the gear in the truck, Errol heads out and Marty drives on to the next stop. He rode every mile of the route and was a very strong rider.

This rider, was waiting on his father when I stopped to take his picture. He made the ride with is dog in this trailer. At rest stops the dog would get out, take a leash and get a little water, snack and walk a bit. When it was time to go, the leash came off and he hopped into the trailer.

A few scenery pictures

Today we had a major detour that was a surprise even for the planners. I arrived at the top of that long stretch in the first photo, which went for much further than you can see, and there was a large cluster of riders waiting and a patrol car. At first I thought perhaps someone was hurt, but then realized they must be waiting on instructions.

The earliest riders had discovered this flooded road.

We were all waiting on the Oklahoma Highway Patrol to scout out and advise of the best alternative. So before long, there was a long line of cyclists that thinned out as we continued to the detour. I did not take this picture, but you can see me 2nd from the left.

continued in the next post

 

[cwskas]

Day 12 - OK Freewheel Day 6 (continued)

Realizing this was the next to last day, I decided to concentrate a bit on getting more photos of riders from the front.

This rider is from Colorado and she often passed me heading up hills.

But there was plenty of scenery to keep my attention.

continued in another post

 

[cwskas]

Day 12 - OK Freewheel Day 6 (continued)

This stretch of rode was so pretty I think all of these photos are within a few miles of each other. I know the first 5 are.

After crossing that swollen creek we had a climb up to this view of Lake Eucha and the Spavinaw Hills State Game Refuge spread out before us. This picture was taken from a much needed rest stop.

The Eucha dam

There were many flowers and some spectators as we rode through the wildlife refuge, and maybe 2 cars per hour of riding.

I got a really cool video of a butterfly on a thistle, but I need to get it on you tube first.

The last stretch was on a 2 lane highway with little shoulder and it seemed everyone was headed for a weekend at the lake. Almost all of the drivers, even the commercial ones, were very considerate, but it was quite the contrast to the rest of the day.

 

[cwskas]

Day 13 - OK Freewheel Day 7
Saturday, June 11
Grove, Oklahoma to Galena, Kansas
47 miles, 4h27m moving, 10.6 mph, 2467’ elevation gain, 742 total miles

We were able to get on the road by 545 am today. Here are the three San Antonio area amigos preparing for a shorter and rain free day.

And a picture of David and Mark headed off into the sunrise of our last day of OK Freewheel 2022.

And my obligatory 'almost got them from the front' shot of the carbon trike sprinters.

I tried to catch up to them in case they had to stop at the stop sign coming up in a few miles, but finally gave up at this point. That is not them in the shot, they had just cleared the hill.

Quite an eye-catching house.

And the mostly flat terrain that dominated the first part of the ride.

Soon we were back in lush surroundings.

For a significant portion of today were were riding roads that straddle the line between Oklahoma & Missouri. I never saw a sign declaring who was responsible for the road or which state we were in at the time. You can see on the map to follow what I mean. I suppose I could have looked for a piece of mail in one of those mailboxes.

Continued in the next post.

 

[cwskas]

Day 13 - OK Freewheel Day 7 (continued)

There was a real sense of a destination today. I knew the day was shorter and I rode fairly hard. I didn't know for sure what time the bus left which would take us back to Idabel, but I knew I didn't want to miss it. I did have a few pictures I wanted to make sure I got though.

After entering Kansas, there was one rest stop and about 6 miles to go.

One of the first buildings (a mortuary) we encountered entering Galena. It made me wonder if that influenced the route planning.

And soon the finish line.

David and Luis arrive together. Mark must have been in front of me.

Finish line photos

Errol

Luis, David, Mark, Me

The tree I spent the next 20 minutes laying under, what a view.

and today's map

 

[HobbesOnTour]

Great write up Willie!!

Couple of questions...
It looks like some folk are traveling light and you mentioned a luggage van. Do riders have the option of having their gear transported if they want?
If so why didn't you avail of the service on your first longish adventure?

And where, oh where does one find these breakfast angels??

had a nice breakfast of eggs, bacon, sausage prepared by volunteers.

The Vian volunteers provided a very nice croissant, egg & bacon breakfast on the school grounds.

All week I tried to get a picture of them from the front.

Willie, that's being a Dirty Old Man!!

since it was raining and forecast to do so all night, they opened the gym and one of the school buildings to accommodate riders.

We and several of the other riders went to a nearby church that opened it's doors to accommodate riders.

For all the commentary on this side of the pond about "Murica" it's easy to forget that there is an innate sense of hospitality in most of them

I am smiling, and I was loving the ride

😍

 

[cwskas]

So that's my story and I am sticking to it. What a great 13 days it was. This was actually the first multi-day ride I had taken. The first 8 days, I carried all my own gear, too much of it to be sure, but that will help me plan next time.

I heard many comments along the line of "I can't believe I made it!" or "I am so glad that is over." But as I lay under the tree, I found myself thinking how great an experience it was. I didn't do it to prove anything to myself, just to have the wonderful experience.

It definitely has me thinking about my next trip.

I plan to post some more random photos and videos has I have a chance to go through the GoPro stuff and will post a more compete evaluation of the trip at a later date.

Thanks for reading.

 

[cwskas]

It looks like some folk are traveling light and you mentioned a luggage van. Do riders have the option of having their gear transported if they want?
If so why didn't you avail of the service on your first longish adventure?

Yes, OK Freewheel is designed to be a fully supported trip. They had a U-Haul truck and riders are responsible to deliver their bags to the truck every morning by a designated time, I don't recall the time. The truck arrives at the destination and dumps all the bags at a collection point and when you arrive, you find your bags and continue to your overnight location nearby.

I decided to do the full trip self-supported because I wanted to learn to do that. It was a deliberate decision on my part and in that since a test of 'my ability to succeed'. Even though I thinned my gear several times it still was way more than I needed and I know that now.

I did not carry any prepared food or cooking gear other than protein rich snacks on the trip.

I admit it was very nice to just drop my bags off at the truck and head out with only rain gear and my usual array of snacks, spare parts, etc. I am glad that my spoke failure necessitated that for the last 4 days. I got to experience both. I can certainly see myself doing a supported ride in the future . . . but it definitely made me want to do the next ride more on my own or with a very small group and more spontaneous on where and when to stop.


At registration, riders had the option of purchasing a 'Breakfast pass' for some reasonable amount, I can't recall that price, but it was a no-brainer for me.

There were also options to have 'premium camping' for a price. No Drop Tours would have your tent already setup and your bags outside the door waiting on you. Regular camping was provided in the same general location, but a rider was on their own to find a spot and setup camp.

Mid-day meals were the riders responsibility and for me were typically from a convenience store or other enroute location of my choice.

Evening meals were normally provided by some community group as a fundraiser for a very reasonable price. There would be other vendors available with home made ice cream (one I often searched out) or other food truck options for dinner. Only a few times did I not eat the community provided meal.

 

[cwskas]

Willie, that's being a Dirty Old Man!!

You got the 'Old Man' part right! I had plenty of opportunity to see the riders from the front during stops and in the evenings. I wanted to get a picture of the riders on their trikes from the front. And I realize you are being sarcastic.

 

[cwskas]

For all the commentary on this side of the pond about "Murica" it's easy to forget that there is an innate sense of hospitality in most of them

The Oklahoma host towns and volunteers were without fail exceptional in their kindness and hospitality. It was inspiring and greatly appreciated by me and I think the vast majority of the other riders.

I think this was the 43rd OK Freewheel and they use a different route across the state each year. The promoters clearly are great at cooperating with the host cities to showcase their town and area.

I have driven many miles in Oklahoma over the years and even camped in numerous locations, but I discovered so much history and geography.

I mentioned to one rider that the main wish I had was that there was more time to spend in the host cities. Being relatively slow, I was arriving mid to late afternoon and by the time I was setup for the night and had gotten something to eat, it was time for sleep.

 

[HobbesOnTour]

The first 8 days, I carried all my own gear, too much of it to be sure, but that will help me plan ne

You don't have to ..... But it may be helpful to others to mention what was too much? What will be left at home next time?

I heard many comments along the line of "I can't believe I made it!" or "I am so glad that is over." But as I lay under the tree, I found myself thinking how great an experience it was. I didn't do it to prove anything to myself, just to have the wonderful experience.

That gives me a warm, fuzzy glow just reading it

It definitely has me thinking about my next trip

Careful now!! It's addictive this bike touring thing

Thanks for reading.

Thanks for writing!

I am glad that my spoke failure necessitated that for the last 4 days. I got to experience both.

Isn't that the thing? - There's a positive somewhere in every little disaster.

By the by, you might want to look up "Fibre Fix" - it's a Kevlar temporary spoke that can be fitted on the road and packs really small and light. It works! I can vouch for it (But you need three of the things to replace three spokes!)

No Drop Tours would have your tent already setup and your bags outside the door waiting on you.

As a matter of interest do you know if many people utilised that service?
And did everyone camp or was hotel/motel/inn options available?

It just goes to show that there are all different types of bike touring!

On a different note did everyone do the full route or did some join "late" and depart before the finish?

the main wish I had was that there was more time to spend in the host cities. Being relatively slow, I was arriving mid to late afternoon and by the time I was setup for the night and had gotten something to eat, it was time for sleep.

I was thinking of that myself recently. With very few exceptions I passed a night in a US town getting practically no exposure to it. A combination of longer days, pedestrian unfriendly urban areas, cheaper accommodation on the edge of town and few landmarks to draw the eye and inspire a wander.
I was in Uvalde, the scene of that horrific school shooting. I have no recollection or "feel" for the town.

As a concept, an annual (and different) route across the State is a great idea. There's potentially 43 different routes across the State (OK maybe the ones from 40 years ago need to be checked first) for potential bike tourists to choose. A standalone project this year but an addition to an ever growing list of routes.
Do the host cities/towns try to develop this with any permanent facilities for cyclists?
Oklahoma is probably too far, logistically, for you but does Texas do anything similar?

There's a template in there somewhere for promoting cycling wherever cycling needs to be promoted.

Well done, Willie. Thank you for sharing and I'm looking forward to the next one!

 

[cwskas]

You don't have to ..... But it may be helpful to others to mention what was too much? What will be left at home next time?

Next trip, I will trim or in some cases eliminate the following:

1. fewer spare parts and tools - bulky things. One of the underseat small bags was jammed full of this gear and I think I only opened it a couple of times on the whole trip while looking for something else.

2. fewer changes of clothes. I only ended up using about 1/2 of what I carried.

3. fewer snacks . . . at home I have items that I habitually carry for the daily ride, 2 or three protein/energy bar type items. I think I carried with me a whole box worth and brought home over half of them. I could easily get them on the road, a bit more expensive, but not that much.

4. I would figure out a more efficient way to handle meds/toiletries/etc. I carried too many things that I never used. A clear example is carrying 2 of the same sunscreen containers. I could have purchased another in almost any town if I had needed to do so.

5. I carried a lot of cables, a large rechargeable battery, etc for recharging gear if I didnt have access to electricity. Rarely used a lot of it. I do consider this necessary (I dont like using disposable batteries) but can streamline what I carry I think.

I also will work on more efficient use of items which would serve more than one purpose, such as a cable with different ends perhaps. And on this trip, I did not carry any stove or cooking kit. I didnt need it this time really, but would need it on a longer, self-supported trip.

Before another longer trip, I intend to make more 2-3 day trips from home to practice and refine my skills, needs & preferences.

 

[cwskas]

By the by, you might want to look up "Fibre Fix" - it's a Kevlar temporary spoke that can be fitted on the road and packs really small and light. It works! I can vouch for it (But you need three of the things to replace three spokes!)

While looking up the above, I found this info and thought I would share it.

https://www.instructables.com/Emergency-Bicycle-Spoke-Repair-Kit/

I also ordered one FIBERFIX Emergency Spoke Replacement Kit from Amazon.