Define Hardcore:

I'll admit, I definitely don't fall into the "you have to wear obscene clothing to ride a bike" camp. But this dude not only snubbed his nose at the anatomically correct spandex wearers, he decided to go all garden club for okfreewheel this year. I saw him a couple times, and he always had a steady stream of sweat just pouring off the end of his nose. I wanted to ask him if he was planning on chopping wood at the end of each day's ride, but he was actually a bit intimidating. If a dude's gonna ride 400 plus miles in overalls and a flannel, I'm not sure I want to break that kind of focus.

Bike Farming

For urban farmers who need a bit more exercise ...

Golly, those Communists can accessorize!

I can't believe I forgot to include this pic in the last post. Not only was Vlad happy to oblige a smiling snapshot, but he insisted on modeling his sporty footwear as well. For a former kgb officer, his colloquial English was impeccable!

A Pictorial Freewheel Retrospective, or "Oklahoma, Too Freaky for Flannery O'Connor"

My first "Oklahoma by Bike" experience rendered scores of photographs, but I wouldn't want to bore folks with pictures of wildflowers (of which I took dozens) .... so ... I present to you a pictorial representation of my experience with idiosyncratic rural Oklahoma, ie, weird country stuff:
















For those of you who have seen There Will Be Blood, I'm pretty sure that same freaky preacher kid preaches at this church in Gene Autry, Oklahoma. For those of you who haven't seen the movie, I'm pretty sure that some freaky preacher kid preaches at this church in Gene Autry, Oklahoma. If not, then that's a shame.




















This is a photo I took just before the hurricane sent me scrambling to the nearest abandoned Stratford peach stand while Greek gods hurled lightning at me for the greater part of the morning. While sheltering, I had a bizarre conversation with a drenched garbage man, who spoke in some garbled dialect, unintelligible to myself. I spend 10 minutes nodding my head as he continued to ask me questions, none of which I understood. Eventually he smiled and hopped back in his truck, supposedly satisfied with the information I had given him.
















For those too cynical or jaded to believe in miracles anymore, I have just the thing for you. Go get yourself straightway to the Murray Co. Antique Tractor & Implement Assoc., because by god, that's "a place where miracles happen." I wish I would have had time to actually clarify what kind of miracles the Association lays claim to. The thought of a 1948 John Deer Tractor curing cancer just makes me aglow inside.















I took this photo just outside of Waleetka, Oklahoma. I realize that not nearly enough time has passed since the horrific events surrounding this little town, so I'll reserve any comments about local law enforcement for a later date. Until then, yes, that's a 15 foot tall police cruiser.















Forgive me for continuing to hurl jokes at rural religion, but if they insist on erecting "Endtime Revival Tabernacle" signs in front of corrugated metal buildings decorated with late-70's hubcaps, then it's out of my hands. At that point, better it come from someone with my sensitivity.















Communists?! On a bike ride?! I'm stunned. I can't believe I actually got to ride the OK Freewheel with Vladamir Putin. That dude can climb hills like nobody's biddness.

And there you have it. While some uber-athletes decided to conquer each day's ride with electrifying speed, I made the zen-like decision to patiently experience each of the hamlets along my path. While debilitating knee pain may have played a small part in my average speed of 4 mph, I prefer to think a thirst for a glimpse into the soul of America was my true guiding light.

Until next year ...

The Guthrie Coffee Cruise

Caffeine is such a cruel taskmaster. Not only does it demand our attention each morning, but for some it requires a chaser of bicycle riding. And that is why we have begun Guthrie's newest weekly ritual: The Guthrie Coffee Cruise.

Six of us met last Saturday morning and Winans, rode around town for bit, had a good time, talked about home improvement, aboriginal peoples in Brazil, sailing, and golden retrievers (not necessarily in that order). We'll be riding again this Saturday. Feel free to join us at Winans super fly chocolates and coffee at 9 a.m. We'll have a cup, chat a bit, then hit the mean Guthrie streets for a leisurely ride. Last week we rode up Oklahoma to the temple, over Highland Park, back to Harrison, returned to downtown, then over to Kent's shop, where we parted ways. Who knows where the wind will carry us this week.

Here's a shot of a few of us taking a pit stop at the Red Cross Bike Rodeo. Evidently, Guthrie Coffee Cruise participants are in some sort of witness protection program and cannot have their faces photographed.















Like I said, this ride is leisurely, ie, our priorities are as follows: drink coffee; sit, talk, and drink coffee; sit, talk, stare at bicycles; ride bicycles.