June 12 – 19. 2010 - OKLAHOMA FREE WHEEL RIDE



On 6/12 - Hugo to Red River, OK 24 miles
On 6/13 = Hugo to Clayton, OK 55 miles
On 6/14 - Clayton to Heavener, OK 70 miles
On 6/15 - Heavener to Muldrow, OK 71 miles
On 6/16 - Muldrow to Tahlequah, OK 61 miles
On 6/17 - Tahlequah to Pryor, OK 50 miles
On 6/18 - Pryor to Miami, OK 67 miles
On 6/19 - Miami to Joplin, MO 38 miles

436 miles total


How did I get to the start of my adventure? Barry asked me to do Oklahoma with him. First I took a car to the airport, got on a plane, changed planes, and then took a shuttle to my motel. The next morning I took a taxi from Tulsa, Oklahoma to the Baptist church parking lot, and then a bus to Hugo. It went very well.

While I was on the plane, shy me was talking to the girl on the end of the row. I said you had better want to talk about bikes. This guy took the center seat and she told him to be prepared to talk about bikes. He was soon texting and telling his son about my bikes. His son texted him back and asked him how he liked sitting next to a superior being. My ego was high.

I stepped out of the airport and was thinking it would take two days to get warm. WRONG! When I left, it was in the 60’s and raining. When I got back it was 54 and raining. I was thinking it would cool off at night and I would get a good night’s sleep. Seventy-five degrees is not what I think of as cooling off. There was a lot of humidity.

There was a big green field and I walked to the center and put up my tent. An hour later it was full of tents. I wished I had taken a picture.

Ilene made a bunch of Souvenirs and I gave them to Ellen, the leader of the ride, to pass out.

A lot of people asked who I was going with and I said, “Friday.” I put him together when I got there. He is a fold up bike that fits in a Samsonite suitcase. Southwest flies luggage free. I had to pay because I couldn’t get in the other suitcase. Barry was on the Natchez Trace ride with me and asked me to do the Oklahoma Freewheel with him. He lives in Texas. People in Oklahoma and Texas are very nice to talk to shy people like me.

Barry said, “Let’s ride to Texas; it is only 10 miles.” Yea right, No problem. Yes there was a big problem. In fact there were two big problems - heat and humidity. Let me say shade was a must in my future. I thought, “22 miles and I am going to ride 55 tomorrow?” Feeling good was not one of the things I was doing very well. After drinking four ice teas and eating half my meal, I did a lot better. The next day I did feel better. It was down to me and Friday. The bus had left and it would not have taken me to Milwaukie, Oregon any way. I was in a new state with a lot of new names. No good way home but to ride Friday for a week. I did get used to the heat as the days went by.

You can get in five states on this ride. I only did four.

On the first part of the ride there was a lot of road kill. OK, so I took pictures of a bobcat, big pig, and a lot of other animals. Never stop to look. The smell is good but not my favorite. I now have the nick name of “Road Kill.” Why did the chicken cross the road? To prove to the Armadillo that it could be done.

I got up at 4:30 a.m. and rode the first ten miles in the dark. This was working very well. The sun rises were great to watch. Let me say sometimes it came up on the right and some days it came up on the left. There was one day it was down the road. They must keep turning the state. In some ways the scenery is a lot like the Natchez Trace. Barry was being a good mother, making sure I was doing well. “Drink more, Byran.”

Ellen passed out some of the souvenirs at the meeting. I talked to her before the meeting and told her that I just wanted Ilene to get the credit. So, she crossed out my name. She put it this way – “Ilene made the souvenirs and Byran, her husband, didn’t want me to mention his name.” Ellen was a lot of fun.

At 5:00 a.m. it is 77 degrees and will go up to the 90’s today. I was drinking water like it was a new fad - A lot more than at home. I tried to get the support people to ride my bike and let me get their truck with air to camp. I spent a lot of time pouring water over me and standing in the shade. Barry was in camp two hours before and saved me a camp sight in the shade.

One night they said it was going to rain and it would be here in two hours. We had 50 mile an hour wind gusts and heavy rain all night. Lightning and thunder came and the train blew its horn very very very loud three times in town four blocks away. I slept very well. Exhausted comes to mind.

Some of the back roads were rough with pot holes but no traffic. So it was a push to shove. Great scenery and you had time to look at it and not have to worry about the cars.

One day there were rolling hills and it reminded me of a Cycle Oregon ride with trees and a lot of green. There were three places to swim. One day I just went in helmet and all. I didn’t want to get out. In one place I stayed for an hour. My hands looked like prunes. There was no hurry to get in so early; there was lots of day to work with. It was raining when I got to camp. Barry and I set up my tent and I went inside. There was a big boom of thunder outside. I am not going to say how much it scared me.

There were some good bike races getting up to 45 mph on one of the downhill turns. It was a pizza and beer night.

Next day I talked to a guy who caught about 10 big cat fish and another woman who was also fishing told me where to see some big turtles. A third person showed me where they were on the lake bank. It was good of them to communicate with shy me. There was steak this night - good steak. You can never tell what you are going to get in these places.

We had a day you dream about - tail wind, flat, and you could move very fast. There was a turtle sleeping on the road; he was about a foot wide. As I took his picture, he pulled his head in.

The last night they had a dinner for us and it was just great! Then it was on to the school bus and to the 1929 Coleman Theatre in Miami, Oklahoma. This theater was restored by all volunteer workers and had the original pipe organ. I think it would play 15 different instruments. The theater was the only one left and worth seeing. The entertainment, The One Eyed Jack by the Byron Berline Band, was one of the best bands I have heard in a long time.

Last day of riding was short. It was like you never talked to the same person two days in a row. Even though they might be a great friend, you probably would never see them again. It is sad to think about, but enjoy them while you are riding with them because they will be replaced by more great people to ride with. There was just so many fun people to ride with. Pump up the tires on your old bike - you don’t need a new bike because you can have just as much fun on that old one. Come along and be Byranized. Take that road that looks like no one knows about it. You will be amazed at what might be down it.

For more Byranized adventures go to www.mrbontheside.blogspot.com
Mr. B on the side is looking for you and your bike. A bike ride in Alaska in January might be fun.