Oklahoma

I got a really early start this morning. My mother drove us into Elk City for a fast food breakfast and then she gave me a bit of a head start by getting me through some busy highway driving first. But now it was time to see if I could really make this happen.

Well, it was like Sunday had never happened. My legs felt great and I started eating into the miles. Then, the gods really smiled upon me and granted me the rarest of favors, a north wind in June. I was half way through by 9:30 in the morning. With my confidence restored I was really able to start enjoying the ride.

Today was my first scheduled day off, and I wasn’t going to pass up the chance to be extremely lazy. Woke up to a beautiful sunrise and had some nice oatmeal for breakfast. Then, I went back to bed.:)

I repeated this system of getting up, eating a bit and going back to sleep for most of the day. Which is about the perfect way to spend a vacation day.

Update (7/2/2012): The program has reopened.  Read about it here.

[flickr id=“7253069806” thumbnail=“small” overlay=“true” size=“large” group="" align=“right”] After only two weeks in operation, all bikes belonging to the Spokies Bike Share program have been removed from the racks.  Citing problems with the credit card software and a design flaw in the bikes that has “led to incidents of theft and vandalism”, the Oklahoma City Office of Sustainability and Downtown Oklahoma City, Inc. made the decision to temporarily suspend the program.  The software and bike fixes can be expected to take up to three weeks to complete at which time they hope to restore the program.

I don’t often put out fundraising pleas to this blog, but this is a cause worthy of all the attention I can muster.  As fellow Oklahomans, you know all to well the severe impact that diabetes is having on our community.  As of 2010, more than 10% of the Oklahoma population had been diagnosed with some form of diabetes, far greater than the national average.  That doesn’t even begin to count the large numbers people who have the disease but remain undiagnosed.   Diabetes is, without a doubt, one of the largest health problems affecting our state.

Many of you have expressed upset, if not downright dismay, at the lack of head shaving from me this year. While I really enjoyed the St. Baldrick’s Day event, this year I am serving on the organizing committee for the Tour de Cure ride in Mustang, Oklahoma. This ride raises critical funding for diabetes research for the American Diabetes Association. As of 2010, over 10% of Oklahoman’s have been diagnosed with some form of diabetes and many more remain undiagnosed. This far outstrips the national average and it one of the most critical health issues facing our state. So, to do my part, I am going to be riding the 62 mile distance on June 23rd in Mustang, OK.

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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.”

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Back in November, St. Gregory’s University’s Benedictine Hall, built in 1915, was severely damaged from an earthquake. Now the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, the Shawnee Pedalers Cycling Club and Team PG-13 Cycling Club are organizing a bicycle race and tour on May 28th to raise money for its repair:

Bicycling enthusiasts can travel back in time by participating in the St. Gregory’s University Memorial Day Road Race and Bicycle Tour on May 28. Event courses follow scenic roads from SGU to historic Sacred Heart Mission in Konawa. Proceeds from the race and tour go toward restoring SGU’s Benedictine Hall, which was severely damaged as a result of an earthquake in November. The Citizen Potawatomi Nation is the presenting sponsor for the event.

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The Oklahoma chapter of the Multiple Sclerosis Society opened their Art Bike Tulsa show today at the Williams Tower Two lobby.

Art Bike Tulsa 2012 is an installation of colorful, uniquely-designed bicycles that have been transformed by local artists to raise awareness about Multiple Sclerosis and the MS society’s annual bike ride/fundraiser.

via KTUL.com - Tulsa’s Channel 8 - News, Weather & Sports - MS Society “Art Bike Tulsa” Preview.

The OKC bike sharing program, Spokies, has announced where the first six kiosk locations will be placed. Spread out from Midtown to Deep Deuce to Bricktown and the Convention Center, the system seems well placed to provide easy transportation throughout downtown.

Memberships will range from $75 dollars for a full year to $5 for a day.  Rentals are free for the first 30 minutes and $2 for each half-hour after that.  You can get full details at their website, http://spokiesokc.com or by following them @SpokiesOKC on twitter.

Tulsa is doing a little bragging about their bicycle trail system and on paper, it seems well justified.  Unlike the OKC system, Tulsa’s seems well designed for both recreation and transportation which is a big bragging point.

It connects neighborhoods to downtown and that’s not the case in many cities.

Since 1999 the system has grown from just 25 miles to about 100, with a lot more trail work being planned.

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