Bicycles
Built for 200
|
|
|
June 13, 1979 By ROB KERBY SEMINOLE - I goofed off Tuesday. Instead of zipping up the line of bicyclists on my dented 10-speed and working at Free Wheel '79, I just enjoyed myself. Kevin Merrill, 14, and I were passed by everybody - J.T. Childress, 10, Evelyn Thomas, 58, Catherine Holland, 10... With an intermittent south wind at their backs cross country tour riders finished the day's 63.4-mile third day with a total of 176.8 miles pedaled from the Texas side of Lake Texoma en route to Chetopa, Kan. Perhaps 175-200 riders remained as teen-agers had to return to summer jobs and adults moped back to offices. Tulsa lawyer Doug Inhofe reluctantly loaded his bike aboard the Facet Enterprises baggage truck and hopped a plane at Ada's airport. "This was the original plan," he said. "But I knew I couldn't stay gone all week. I might be back Friday or at least Saturday for the ride from Bartlesville into Kansas." Kevin and I didn't intend to spend Tuesday so lazily. I had hoped to speed through the course and take a turn at the wheel of a say wagon. Several Tulsa Whellmen bike club members - such as Jay Mattioni, Dwayne Brannon and Bob Pierce - have spent only portions of days riding, the rest providing free riders, cold water, kind words and minor repairs to tired riders and their bikes. Free Wheel ''79 is sponsored by the Wheelmen and the Tulsa World. Several miles out on the route Tuesday I decided to do that some other day. Kevin - whose father was riding a sag wagon due to a broken bike and whose sister, Monya, 17, was sitting out nursing sore muscles - had been trying to keep up with patient Tulsa racer Joe Himes, 19. We both ran out of steam, however, outside of Allen around 9:30 a.m. Himes disappeared over the horizon. Kevin and I wandered into town and drowned our sorrows with pancakes at the nearest cafe. In a steady stream Free Wheelers passed through town. Highway Patrol troopers A.A. Mitchell and Jack Birlew sped through town in their black-and-whites after a report of a green Lincoln Continental driver crossing the route and yelling at cyclists. There have been no accidents involving bikes and cars; no injuries requiring hospitalization. Several riders have told of cars that "sneaked up" behind and ran them off the road. At least one such rider had no more problems after digging a mirror out of a saddle bag. Fewer than 10 riders have needed attention of the ride physician, Dr. Tom Campbell, Sand Springs. The complaints have been mostly scrapes, insect bites, sunburn and strains. Today's worst complaints? The south wind at our backs wasn't strong enough. We still had to pedal. The wooded hills and valleys tended to go both up and down. Down only would have sufficed. And Holdenville Lake - yes, many riders abandoned their bikes and took a dip - was perhaps a few degrees too chilly. Even repairs have slacked off. Repair truck driver Jim Frederick and son, John, 12, from Fay's Bicycle Shop, Tulsa, complained of not enough to do. Unlike Monday when Durant and Tishomingo riders joined up in force, only a few Ada, Holdenville and Wewoka riders were seen Tuesday. Bo Bearden, 10 Ada, Sped off with new friends, Keith Chessher, 10, Wewoka, pedaled a half mile or so with every large group that passed his house. Daily from 7 to 9 a.m. riders are free to show up and ride with Free Wheel as it leaves Seminole Wednesday, Okmulgee Thursday, Sand Springs Friday and Bartlesville Saturday. Some of the riders have it really easy: - All week long Mrs. Nettie Holland, Bartlesville, has been buzzing up and down the route looking after the need of husband Floyd, youngsters Howard, 14, and Catherine, 10, and friend Bruce Grazier, 14. - Similarly, Mike Ritchie and Rick McFeely have a friend, Hew Haslop, who fishes while they ride. Tuesday, co-worker Jo Ann Jones rode additional say wagon for the pair and for Jenny Dix and Vicki Baker. All work at Peppers, a Tulsa restaurant. But most of us have to go all alone with only the rides four sag wagons, two Highway Patrol trooper units, one repairman, on Owasso ambulance and the Highway department truck bringing up the rear. It's rough. Tuesday Kevin and I wobbled from Ada to Seminole in eight hours. We could have walked faster. Supper Tuesday was provided by Seminole's Epsilon Sigma Alpha sorority - fried chicken. It's rough.
|