State-News

The Oklahoma Freewheel has announced their 2013 route with a return to eastern Oklahoma after a couple of years further west. This year will start in Idabel and finish in Joplin, MO after crossing some scenic and a bit hilly terrain. Total mileage is between 458-509 miles depending on the optional routes. Route Breakdown Day 0, June 8: Idabel-TX Border 41 miles Day 1, June 9: Idabel-Antlers 68 miles [Read More]

The Oklahoma Freewheel has announced the registration fees for this year’s ride which will start at $295 for an adult (from $175 last year) and $195 for riders under 24 (up from $100 for riders under 15 last year). They list the benefits for the price increases as follows: One of our first steps is to make FreeWheel THE premier bicycle tour in the country. The better our event and the more people we can bring to our host communities, the more everyone wins. [Read More]

OSU cyclists are upset that the university has removed all bike lanes on campus: Cyclists on campus are hoping to find a solution to the now non-existent bike lanes. Oklahoma State University recently removed all bike lanes on campus in hopes of creating a more shared campus, according to an article in the O’Colly on Sept. 26. Trevor Steward, president of the Oklahoma State University Cycling Club and off-campus SGA senator, said he plans to meet with a group of university faculty and staff later today to discuss some concerns that the OSU cycling community has about the removal. [Read More]

Stillwater has formed a standing bicycle committee in an attempt to improve their bicycle friendliness: Stillwater has taken another step toward becoming more cycle-friendly. The Stillwater Bicycle Committee was officially established Wednesday night, following the tradition of other bike-friendly communities across the nation. Jim Bruer, committee member and Oklahoma State University academic counselor, said this is a necessary step in promoting cycling in Stillwater. “One of the main things you need to be approved (as a bike-friendly community) is to have a cycling committee like this,” Bruer said. [Read More]

Fleet Feet Sports in Tulsa is organizing a duathlon this Sunday to honor cyclists Christa Voss and Matthew Edmonds: A duathlon organized by Fleet Feet Sports Tulsa will take place Sunday to remember Christa Voss and Matthew Edmonds, cyclists killed by a drunken driver while riding their bikes on Oklahoma 51 near 161st West Avenue on June 9, 2009. The race benefits the Edmonds & Voss Memorial Fund, which has supported the families of Voss and Edmonds as well as benefiting drunken driving prevention and the Tulsa Zoo fund, among other causes, according to event coordinator Kate Critchfield. [Read More]

[flickr id=“4405514107” thumbnail=“medium” overlay=“true” size=“large” group="" align=“center”] The League of American Bicyclists has increased Oklahoma’s bicycle friendliness ranking from 43rd in 2011 to 35th this year. Even more impressive to note is that in 2008, Oklahoma was ranked 48th. According to the League, this steady improvement is due to increases in “infrastructure and funding that provide on-the-ground bicycle facilities; education and encourage programs that promote cycling; and passage and enforcement of bicycle-friendly laws that make it safe and comfortable for people of all ages to ride. [Read More]

[caption id=“attachment_1204” align=“alignright” width=“200” caption=“OKC Mayor Mick Cornett”][/caption] Mick Cornett, Republican Mayor of Oklahoma City along with Eugene A. Conti, Jr., Secretary of Transportation, N.C. and Steve Heminger, Exec. Dir., Bay Area Metropolitan Transportation Commission have written an editorial in The Hill urging the House to reconsider many of the controversial measures in the current transportation bill including the removal of funding for both walking and bicycling initiatives. After thanking the House for restoring funding to public transportation and asking for an effective bridge repair plan, the editorial goes on to ask the House to restore both Safe Routes to School and Transportation Enhancement funding: [Read More]

Tonight in Tulsa, this year’s Oklahoma Freewheel route was announced and what an exciting route it looks like it will be. The route will start in the southwest quadrant of the state, and finish in the Northeast quadrant just across the border in Kansas. The ride will take place on June 9th through the 16th. Mileage pretty consistent but there are some long days, plus there are two bonus rides including a century ride and a ride to the top of Mount Scott. [Read More]

The Tulsa World is reporting that a cyclist that was hit on Saturday in a hit-and-run crash has died: A bicyclist seriously injured in a hit-and-run collision Saturday has died. Mowery Funeral Home identified the victim as Bobby Richardson, 51, of Owasso. A motorist found Richardson in the roadway on 101st East Avenue near 12th Street at about 8:30 p.m., officers at the scene said. via Bicyclist injured in hit-and-run Saturday dies | Tulsa World. [Read More]

The Oklahoma Gazette has written a nice piece about the upcoming bike summit: A group of Oklahomans is holding the state’s first-ever bike summit in the hopes of making Oklahoma more bike-friendly. This two-day conference in Oklahoma City in early November, coordinated by the Oklahoma Bike Coalition, will be geared toward engineers, city planners and cycling advocates. via Oklahoma Gazette News: Pedal power. As a reminder, the conference will take place on November 4th and 5th. [Read More]