Tulsa Time
The night of stealth camping went about as good as you could expect. I found a nice spot on the side of the road with great cover and seclusion that offered a comfy spot to spend the night. Of course, the humidity was still present, and made falling asleep a little difficult, and the onslaught of mosquitos made for an itchy day of riding today. However, all in all, I was safe, and got a few good hours of sleep. I knew today would be a short, smooth, and hopefully safe ride.
It didn’t take long for me to realize that the wind was very much in my favor. I’m loving the tailwind. I’m able to average a great speed and not exert much energy. I can’t complain about that one bit. Even some of the long gradual climbs that are present in Oklahoma aren’t all that bad when you have a strong tailwind pushing you across the country side. I made wonderful time.
As I was about 25 miles outside of Tulsa I had a cyclist ride up on me. Now take notice, I have seen essentially zero cyclists for the last few thousand miles since Denver. None. They’re just aren’t many through these different areas so I was thrilled when he struck up a conversation. Cliff was a friendly Tulsa local who knew the cycling community quite well, and gave me as escorted tour and ride into the city. Ironically, the route he provided almost identically followed that of the one Google maps provided. However, it was great sharing conversation with him as I rode along. He knew all the little ins and outs of the cities, and I got to learn a lot while riding. He even provided me with some local dining suggestions. Thanks Cliff, and here’s a big Hi5 for your friendliness!
This weekend is Tulsa Tough. A weekend long cycling event that has numerous races and events throughout the city. It’s a huge event that attracts world class riders. Thus, the city was amped up for cycling. I, however, won’t be able to stay very long, I’ve got to take off in the morning to stay on pace for KC. It seems like quite the event, and maybe I’ll come back to participate in years to come.
My host tonight Cathy really went above and beyond for me. By beyond, I mean Buzz Lightyear level. She went way above infinity and beyond. From driving me to a bikeshop to get some more tubes, to giving me a tour of Tulsa, she continually impressed me. On top of that, she cooked an incredible dinner with friends and family and really welcomed me into the home. This is the kind of experience that hosts provide that help me so much mentally. I’m riding by myself all day, everyday, thus, when I’m able to share time with others it makes the trip so, so much better.
I hung out for a while with Avery, a spunky almost two year old girl who has quite the personality. Though normally shy, she apparently found a liking to me and was more than willing to talk and read books. We took her to first ballgame, and though she was mostly enthused by the mascot than the actual game, it was a fun time! She even already has a love for Hi5s, just the type of supporter we recruit to B4B. Welcome to the team Avery!
Cathy even invited me to the minor league ballpark in town, home of the Tulsa Drillers. More baseball? Count me in! She even went as far to help set up an interview with the local newscast before the game. Way to go Cathy! Hi5! The ballpark was cozy, and of course, has a different feel of a major league ballpark. That does not make it not a ton of fun. Since the team is the Double A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers there’s a high possibility that a few of these players will be spotting major league rosters in years to come. It’s a different feeling to watch a ballgame and trying to scout out who may be good in future years, but it was a beautiful night for a ballgame. No doubt about it. The Tulsa Drillers even gave me a free bobblehead and tshirt. Woohoo!
Tomorrow, I bike into Kansas, with a few days remaining until Kansas City. With a mixture of storms and heat in the next few days of forecast, it’ll be interesting how it all pans out. As of now, I don’t have much lined up as far as hosts, but hopefully something will fall into place. I’ll keep pedaling and grinding onto KC!
Talk to you soon.
Matt