Free Wheel 2004: It's all over but the
stories
JARED
JANES World Staff Writer
Tulsa World (Final Home Edition), Page A19 of News
For one, some
bicyclists keep peddling the tale of the Portapotty
man.
ANTHONY,
After a
thousand people spend a week on bicycles riding across
"People
will have a lot of stories," FreeWheel director Libby Stalter said after
most of the riders had rolled into Anthony on Saturday to finish up the
400-mile event. "People will have a lot of memories. It's an
adventure."
The story of
the "Portapotty man" probably fits in the
urban legend category, but it changes, depending on whom you're talking to.
If he does
actually exist, a new category is in order: stories of embarrassment.
The story of Portapotty man began on Wednesday night in Thomas, where the
campers were hit by one of the strongest windstorms in FreeWheel memory. The
wind snapped poles supporting tents, while rain poured down on the fields where
riders were camping, and lightning lit up the sky.
Most of the
FreeWheelers woke up and headed for the cover of the Thomas school gymnasium.
In the confusion, the wind was toppling everything and eventually it hit the
row of Portapotties that were in use at the event.
The wind created a domino effect, with one Portapotty
knocking over the next, which is where the legend begins.
A few of the
riders said that someone was actually using a Portapotty
when it toppled and was trapped inside. After being rescued, he was said to
have begged for soap in the showers to cleanse the horrific experience from his
skin.
The Portapotty man's legend grew over the remaining days of
FreeWheel, though most people had never actually seen the man who claimed to
have been trapped.
Stalter is
convinced he never existed.
"There is
no such guy," she said. "We had a city worker who went over
immediately and knocked on all of the Portapotties --
every single one -- to make sure that nobody was in them.
"People
said some guy came in and said, 'Could I borrow some soap for the shower.' I
said, 'Why would someone come in to borrow soap when he brings his own soap?'
They said, 'Well maybe his tent was torn down.' I said, 'Maybe he didn't
exist.'
But she said
it will be hard to contain the story that will be retold around campsites in
coming years, even if it is only a FreeWheel legend.
"That will always be a FreeWheel
memory for people, and it will grow," Stalter said. "There will be
other things that happened that night, that supposedly
happened but are probably myths. You always have to have an urban legend."
The accomplishments
by most FreeWheelers, however, are more than legends.
Jim Kimbrough
and Terry Publow, both of
They started
with an optional ride from the
To them,
riding their bicycles was only part of FreeWheel. They spent a lot of time in
the saddle, but they spent even more time sitting around the campsites after
the pedaling was over.
"A big
part of it is sitting around afterward," Kimbrough said. "You get to
see a lot of different things and meet and find out about a lot of
people."
Shawn
Gillespie, a major in the U.S. Air Force, used FreeWheel as a tune-up for the
Tour de France. He'll be following the professional cyclists up the tough
"I
thought this would be the best training ride ever," he said.
Even though
he'll move to
If he does,
he'll rejoin the extended FreeWheel family. Most riders see people on FreeWheel
that they only see once a year, and one of the hardest parts is always saying
goodbye.
"I'm not
(happy it's over) because everybody goes home and the big family reunion is
over," Stalter said.
It takes a village to
host all the cyclists
JARED
JANES World Staff Writer
Tulsa World (Final Home Edition), Page A19 of News
Towns mobilized to feed and accommodate visitors who often doubled
their populations.
When Vicki Litsch,
executive vice president of the Thomas Chamber of Commerce, was first
approached about hosting FreeWheel, she jumped at the idea because she thought
her town could easily handle it.
"I swear
to you they said that there would probably be two to three hundred," she
said. "I said, 'Well, sure.' "
A few months
before the big day arrived, the town of 1,200 people had to drastically raise
its expectations - and preparations.
"When I
called them in the spring, they said, 'Probably 900 to 1,000 bicyclers,' and I
said, 'You're kidding me.' "
Litsch started organizing and finding places for
FreeWheelers to stay and eat.
The result was
as much a testimony to the creativity and ingenuity of the residents of Thomas
as it was to the diversity of the FreeWheelers.
Vendors
offered everything from $25 massages and apricot oatmeal to
All along the
400-mile route across western
In most,
FreeWheelers almost doubled the population, so people and organizations had to
get together to feed, support and entertain the riders.
"It takes
every organization in town to host something like this," said Marc Jungman, president of the Cherokee Main Street
Organization.
Groups also
got together to accommodate riders along the route. Country stores and small
towns served as resting points for the riders to relax and get something to eat
between overnight stops.
Girl Scouts
from
Last year,
they raised $2,000 during the event. Each night, they would sleep in their cars
at the campsites and then drive ahead of the riders in the morning to a new
spot along the road.
"They've
been real nice to have on the road," said
In Hammon, the volunteer fire department sold Gatorade, candy
bars and bottled water to dehydrated and hungry riders 20 miles into their
daily ride.
"We're
trying to do repairs to trucks and buildings," said Debbie Orgain, a volunteer firefighter and schoolteacher. "We
don't get this many people in Hammon that often, so
this was a good opportunity."
Jared Janes 581-8320
jared.janes@tulsaworld.com
Copyright © 2004, World Publishing Co. All rights reserved.