Today was Flag Day so it was only appropriate that I deck out the bicycle as much as possible. However, today was also the day of Freewheel that I had kind of been dreading all along, and like most things that we dread, it wasn’t nearly as bad as I had thought. However, the ride certainly was hilly and hard, evidenced by my lack of photos for the day. However, they were mostly rollers which really aren’t that bad once you get your rhythm setup properly.
I actually got into Drumright much earlier than expected and had some time during the the heat of the day. The good people of Watonga had turned the small public library on main street into a Freewheel support center with cold water, wonderful A/C and free wifi. It was an offer I couldn’t possibly refuse. However, they also still held the kids story session with a fabulous local story teller, clown and balloon art master. Being that this was a Freewheel event, it quickly became a full participatory event with a rider being roped into singing some great kids songs while wearing improbable head gear. Even I, as a bearded weirdo, got pulled into the act:
I eventually left the comfort of the library in search of food and ended up at a local Lebanese steakhouse where I dined with a Tulsa English professor and cycling advocate who caught me up on the world of cycle advocacy and politics.
With an enormous amount of food in my belly, I got to bed early and while we got hit with a really heavy thunderstorm at about 3:00 AM, I was able to sleep well through the night.