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General Category >> Upcoming Rides >> Looking for summer plans?
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Message started by TonyWard on Feb 4^th, 2012, 5:47pm

Title: Looking for summer plans?
Post by TonyWard on Feb 4^th, 2012, 5:47pm

For a few years now I've wanted to do some touring. I have also wanted to do a cross state ride. Looks like this year may be the year. Wife gave me the go ahead to do the Oklahoma Freewheel. http://www.okfreewheel.com/

A few non-cycling people I have told about it have said "uh.... but it is Oklahoma". I'm really excited about it - but then I'm weird. I mean - not only do I ride a bike..... on purpose... it isn't even a real bike - it is one of those "recumbents" for "special people" as my wife says. Yeah - people that can ride all day long even across a state but I'm preaching to the choir. Anyway on the ride they provide a place to camp, haul your gear, route map, showers each night etc. For food you are on your own but what do you expect for around $200 for a week of riding. Anyway - if any one is interested or planning on going as well let me know maybe we can get together.

Title: Re: Looking for summer plans?
Post by Ric_Clark on Feb 4^th, 2012, 8:08pm

TonyWard wrote:

I was thinking about the same thing.....tell me more....maybe we can talk Jay into it as well..... [smiley=jawdrop.gif]

Title: Re: Looking for summer plans?
Post by TonyWard on Feb 4^th, 2012, 9:42pm

I'm not sure I have been successful in getting Jay interested about it. Maybe someone else would have better luck. You can read more about it here as well: http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/?o=1&page_id=183097&v=8i

This guy is a recumbent rider from Houston and this was his write up about it. Him and a couple others rode from the Houston area to the start that was in Durant last year then did the Freewheel to Kansas. I contacted him this afternoon through CGOAB to see if he is going again this year and get any tips/advice for fellow bent riders.

This year the start is about 60 miles from Wichita Falls and the ride runs from 6/9 - 6/16. Not sure what else to tell you about it. Carolyn has been at least once. She said to make sure your tent has a good rain fly.

Title: Re: Looking for summer plans?
Post by mleuck on Feb 5^th, 2012, 12:20am

There's also the Tour du Rouge in Louisiana early May

http://tourdurouge.org/

Title: Re: Looking for summer plans?
Post by TonyWard on Feb 5^th, 2012, 7:46am

Yeah - there are quite a few cross state rides. Most popular is RAGBRAI (Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa). Also BAK (Bike Across Kansas - my birth state), BRAN (Nebraska) etc. I'm thinking these are a perfect way to help accomplish my bucketlist goal of riding across all 50 states.

Title: Re: Looking for summer plans?
Post by jman on Feb 6^th, 2012, 11:02am

Tony, I hope you take something like a GoPro HD camera with you, so the rest of us can celebrate with you. :D

Title: Re: Looking for summer plans?
Post by artcat on Feb 7^th, 2012, 9:24pm

I have done it and I concur with Carolyn. It rained hard every night. I was fortunate because I was with people who had a popup camper so we were not on the ground. Every morning we watched people carry their dripping sleeping bags to the sag truck. But the ride was beautiful and dry and sunny during the day.

Title: Re: Looking for summer plans?
Post by diannalightning on Feb 8^th, 2012, 10:06am

Well, signed up yesterday for the OK FreeWheel. I"ve done this ride before and you've not lived until you've been through tornado warnings on this ride. However, I've seen rain during the days on this ride, but it's always nice and fun. This year they are limiting the ride to 850 instead of the 3,000 that it used to accomodate. Tony, I would also suggest the GABA ride across Arizona. It's beautiful but does have some climbing involved.

Title: Re: Looking for summer plans?
Post by Ric_Clark on Feb 19^th, 2012, 4:33pm

Well Tony, I am in if you are in.......what say ye??? [smiley=dancer.gif]

Title: Re: Looking for summer plans?
Post by TonyWard on Feb 19^th, 2012, 6:55pm

Ric_Clark wrote:

Well Tony, I am in if you are in.......what say ye??? [smiley=dancer.gif]

Then sign up - I already signed up last weekend. I also signed up for the $50 shuttle from South Haven, KS back to Frederick, OK.

Title: Re: Looking for summer plans?
Post by TonyWard on Feb 19^th, 2012, 8:20pm

Hey Ric - read your pm's before you register.

Title: Re: Looking for summer plans?
Post by TonyWard on Apr 18^th, 2012, 7:42am

Bump

I traded emails with a friend of Kenny's that is going on a bent as well. Anyone else signed up besides DiannaLightning?

Ric - you still in?

Title: Re: Looking for summer plans?
Post by diannalightning on Apr 18^th, 2012, 3:59pm

Tony, just to let you know, I am still planning on doing Free Wheel. A friend on a Giro 20 is coming in from Lousiana to do the ride and a couple that I ride with all of the time on a recumbent tandem are plannning on doing the ride as well. I've done this ride twice and I've only had rain maybe 2 days of the week. Maybe we're just lucky, but I don't remember it raining at night on us in previous years very much. We did spend one night in a manger (fair ground stock barn) to get out of the rain but that was fun. I'd much rather have the rain at night than to have to ride in the rain all day like I've done several times on RAGBRAI. Remain optimestic. The couple on the tandem have done RAGBRAI over 20 times so you can find out all you ever wanted to know about that ride from them. The friend from Lousiana has done BAK, so you will have another resource for information for future trips. I'll send you a PM with my email address should you have more questions.

Dianna