Seg #43 On the Trail Again Sperry-Tulsa-Bixby, OK 9/15-16/14 HomaTex Trip

Seg #43 Osage Prairie&River Park Trail 

Start	Sperry. OK	N 36.29701 W 96.00507	N-S miles 23.5
End	Bixby, OK	N 35.94389 W 95.88714	Trl lgth 33.3mi Ride37.2mi

Ride hr 4:16

AVS 8.7

MXS  mph 21.5

DST37.2 mi

Tmp72-91

Kcal 1231

I am calling this trip of five latitude segments, the Homatex Trip in deference to two TAVRTO states, Oklahoma and Texas . I started out before six in the morning and drove from Coralville to Sperry, Oklahoma. After eight hours behind the wheel and six hundred miles of interstate and turnpike racing, I was ready to jump on the bike and head toward Tulsa. About four miles down the trail, in my rear view mirror I noticed someone coming up on me. The closer he got, the more I could see he was an old guy without the luxury of teeth. He had a stubble beard and an Indiana Jones-like hat. I took this fellow to be in his early nineties. But how in God's name was he keeping up with me? I was peddling thirteen miles per hour, yet he was right even with me and babbling a mile a minute. Inspecting his bike a bit more, I realized this guy was not even moving his feet. He was riding an electric motor bike. It was so quiet, I could not hear the motor over his chatting and a train in the distance. J.D. was his name and conversation was his game. I could not understand him between his southern drawl, his riding ahead of me and my poor hearing. J.D. wanted to take me to downtown Tulsa. but after I heard a few words about being robbed after dark, I broke off from him and headed back to Sperry. Apparently the burg of Turley, is full of renegade teenagers that like to rob bicyclists after dark. I pumped hard and got to the car with plenty of light to spare. I was comforted by the fact that I left the car at the Sperry police station. 

The next morning I called a taxi that hauled my bike and me to Bixby, Oklahoma. Actually I didn't need to go that far south so I ended up riding an extra five miles. That included becoming discombobulated in an exclusive neighborhood. After riding in circles, a nice gentleman helped me find the exit. This is one time Goggle Maps let me down. After riding back to the spot where I turned around the day before, I loaded up the bike and headed for Oklahoma City about noon. 

J.D. rode (coasted) up by me and
talked my leg off. I had to escape!