FreeWheel 2001by David Kincannon| Intro | Day 0 | Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7 | |
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FreeWheel
Day-3: Tuesday, June 12 Today was the day that several RDPs helped with loading the Central
Tech baggage truck. We tried to ride with some of the other riders
in our club who start a little later (its not a race you know).
We waited for everyone to pack and get something for breakfast.
A little before 7:00 am we rolled out of Carl Albert State College
and headed towards the center of Poteau. Our group consisted of
Dan Winnie, Chris McWatters, Alex Welch, Chad Wilson, Kendra Branch,
"Minnesota" Scott Nutt, and Ben Mandsager. Only two miles into the
ride and its time for breakfast again for the late starters. I can't
believe it. Well, I don't really like to eat a big breakfast at
the start of a long ride, so it was adios amigos, I'm going on to
Panama.
The rest of the day my riding partners were Dan, Chris, and Alex.
We worked together very well with a rotating paceline several miles
down Highway 9, and in our famous precision cycling diamond formation
on Highway 2. (Okay, it's not famous and not very precise, but it
was fun anyway). We stopped in Panama for a junk food breakfast
at mile 10. I had a Yoo-hoo, a sweet roll and a glazed doughnut.
Not quite the breakfast of champions. We greeted all the citizens
of Panama that we met with Spanish greetings - Hola! Como esta?
They just stared back wondering where all of the brightly colored
Mexicans were riding their bikes to.
The rough road between Panama and Bokoshe made us homesick for
Payne County. We saw Kevin Musset and Tomilyn Seigerist on that
road and in Bokoshe we rode on another road that we called "chocolate
chip road" due to its patch job. Fruit stops today were in Bokoshe
(18.8) and Porum (57.7). We had lunch at the Subway in Stigler.
The late start got us in to town with hundreds of other cyclists.
The great thing was that we were all traveling together, so we would
share tables with other cyclist that we had never met before. Common
enemies (heat and traffic) make interesting friendships.
Glee Kincannon and Bill Burke are alternating as bicyclists and
SAG drivers. Glee got in 34 miles today her longest ride on FreeWheel
so far. Way to go mom! She had decided to ride on FreeWheel on the
Wednesday before it started.
After six miles of rough pavement on Highway 9, we made a shade
stop in Whitefield, then began a tailwind ride 18 miles to Warner.
We had a fruit stop in Porum, which was shortly after we passed
the site of a one-car accident that did not involve any FreeWheelers.
Today we were passed by cement trucks, a mobile home, and an ambulance.
We stopped at a lemonade stand in Warner. I ate lunch #2 (spaghetti
and salad) at 2:00pm at the campsite and we rode into Warner for
Simple Simon's Pizza at 5:00pm. Simple Simon's could not keep the
pizza coming fast enough for the buffet. I think one pizza lasted
all of 10 seconds.
Jim Flescher found us a real nice campsite next to a shaded duck
pond on the campus of Connors State College. Alex Welch got his
bike cleaned by The Bike Detail as part of their demonstration.
Several of watched a presentation by Rick Denman. The evening ended
with a fireworks display at 9:00 PM.
David Kincannon |
Intro | Day 0 | Day
1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day
4 | Day 5 | Day 6
| Day 7 |
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