Sapulpa OK - Claremore OK
We started out with a great breakfast at the hotel. The temps were already high when we started. Gonna be a hot time today! We started out by going the wrong direction uphill!, I hate that, but by doing that we were able to stay outside of Tulsa so that was a good thing. Great roads today with light traffic. At one point we had a road block of a huge extra extra wide load. Some sort of a cylinder thing that took up the whole lane. There were actually two of them. We were able to get by them just as they were going around a sharp corner. It was amazing watching the driver negotiate the turn with that huge load. We stopped to see how it was done. We went through Tulsa downtown past Oklahoma State University, OSU. Not THE OSU but A OSU. Not much traffic at all going through the downtown area. Where are all the people?
Today we had a side wind again. And wow is it humid with temps in the 90's. Although the winds were from the south so we actually had alittle assistance since we are now heading northeast towards Joplin MO. For lunch we stopped at Annie's Cafe in Vertigris OK. Good food but alittle greasy. Great homemade onion rings. We were on mostly four lane highway (Route 66) with a nice shoulder for much of the day.
We started hearing a noise in the bike, and spent a lot of the day trying to figure out where it was from. As Hap was trying to figure, he would have me stop pedaling, now pedal harder, now stand on the pedals, now pedal backwards.........mmmmmm...... ok now pedal harder, no not that hard easier when I tell you....... Enough already! Hap can fix anything, he just needed to understand what was going on. Before we went to our hotel, We stopped at a bike shop in Claremore OK, to see what parts they had available in case he needed something. He is suspecting the bottom brackets. He had all the tools he needs to replace or repair the bottom bracket. What a great bike shop! Bike About Bicycles, Claremore OK. The girl took our picture, gave us her cell number and said if you need anything give me a call and I'll bring it to you!
After the bike shop, we stopped at the grocery for Gatorade and bananas, and the liquor store for .... well, liquor supplies. The owner helped us to find some IPA Beer. We have had a hard time finding any good beer for awhile now. We started to leave the store. And he handed Hap a bottle of gin too! He heard us talking about what our ride and said I'm buying you guys some gin. How cool is that?
We got to the hotel, checked in and the owner said let me know if you need anything. And if you need to go somewhere I'll be happy to take you. Nice! While Hap worked on the bike, I walked down the road to get us something for dinner. Wow, is it hot! It feels like I'm walking in an oven.
For bike repair, Hap took crank arms off the front, took out the front bottom bracket, cleaned and lubed everything. Cleaned up the sprockets and chains and put it all back together. Hopefully that took care of our noise/creak. There's nothing worse than having a noise that you can't find.
Claremore OK - Miami OK
For our first breakfast we had bananas, peanut butter and Luna bars. It's a start anyway. We got away about 7:45a hoping to beat some of the heat. NOT! It was already hot. Although it was overcast so that helped some. Still very humid and very sweaty! We didn't get far before we realized we still had that annoying noise. Grrrrrrr....... So once again we went through, OK pedal harder now, no not that hard, now stand up, ok now I'll stand up, now pedal backwards......Whew
he makes me tired! The road today for the most part was a nice four lane highway with a big shoulder. One section was a two lane highway with no shoulders, and that was of course when the traffic picked up as well as some road construction. Everyone moved over except for one, there's always one! But we all made it!
We stopped for our second breakfast at a Subway in Chelsea. They sure do have good breakfast sandwiches. We had a fun chat with a lady, who asked what we were doing, where we were going, how far in a day. She also asked how we trained, did we start with a few miles a day then build up. Well yes sort of, we started with a few miles thirty years ago and built up from there!
As we were riding today, we were talking about our trip in 2007 around the perimeter of the US, 10,300 miles. I said something like you know our big trip in 2007. Then I realized that the trip we were on is about 2800 miles. Isn't it a BIG trip? I guess some would say it is. Just shows how we think of our trips as just some normal thing to do.
In Afton, we discovered Clanton's Cafe. It was a diner that was featured on the show "Diners, Drive IN's and Dives". A fun place with great food. After leaving Afton, we got on the two lane narrower road. Oh, I forgot to mention the tailwind! We were cruising today. Fun riding. We finally got the tailwind we have been looking for in the last three states. What a great day! Tomorrow we will be in Missouri, our sixth state. Woo hoo......Actually it will be a three state day. We'll be in Kansas for about two minutes. So it counts. Tomorrow is Oklahoma, Kansas and then Missouri!
Trying to get out of the hotel
Route 66 in Tulsa, OK
Downtown Tulsa OK
Road block!
Nice shoulders leaving Tulsa
Lunch in Verdigris, OK
Bike About Bikes in Claremore OK
Yep it's the bottom bracket I'm sure of it
That should fix it
