Tulsa Tough Bicycle Festival This Weekend

[Conan71]

Friday, Saturday, & Sunday June 4-6.

Professional and amateur criterium races: Friday night in the Blue Dome, Saturday in the Brady District, Sunday in Riverview.

There are also 50K, 100K, & 100 mile tour routes on Saturday & Sunday as well as an eight mile "townie" ride on Sunday afternoon.

The races are always fun to watch, especially in the Blue Dome on Friday night.  Pro level riders can reach 40+ MPH on their sprints.  This has become a major event for Tulsa and keeps growing every year.  It's reputed as having the second highest payout on the National Racing Calendar (NRC) this year with $115,000 in posted prizes & awards.

http://www.tulsatough.com/site/sections/14

[Ed W]

...and according to the organizers, somewhere between 4 and 5 million dollars pumped into the local economy by people who spend their money and leave.  It's gravy.

I'll be in Ochelata as a volunteer mechanic.  I love that place 'cause it's not much more than a wide spot in the road.  It reminds me of home.

[rdj]

Tulsa Tough's Friday night in the Blue Dome is one of my favorite nights in Tulsa all year.  Last night was especially fun.  I talked to several people that were downtown to attend Drillers & Shock games and stopped in to see what Tulsa Tough was all about. 

The coolest part of the evening was about 3/4 of the way thru the Pro I race the ONEOK Field fireworks started going off.  We were standing in front of Joe Momma's and it was awesome to watch the riders zoom by while the fireworks lit up the sky.  Awesome night downtown!

[TheArtist]

Last night was a great night for downtown.  The Shock won its game, the Drillers (went to my first ever in my life, real baseball game last night  and you know what, I liked it  ) won too.  And it was great to see the crowds out for the Tulsa Tough as well.   

[Hoss]

Last night was a great night for downtown.  The Shock won its game, the Drillers (went to my first ever in my life, real baseball game last night  and you know what, I liked it  ) won too.  And it was great to see the crowds out for the Tulsa Tough as well.   

And some people say downtown revitalization is a waste...pshaw.

[custosnox]

Even got a pretty good view of the cycling from the front area of Joe Momma's.

[Ed W]

I volunteered as a mechanic again this year.  I was in Ochelata on the 100 mile route.  It was hot.  We handed out water, Gatorade, fruit, electrolyte tablets, and ibuprofen.  Here's the web album of my photos:

http://picasaweb.google.com/e.j.wagner.jr/TULSATOUGH#

[dsjeffries]

I did the 50k today. What a grueling course, especially for someone who's never done it before! WOW! I'm just glad I made it, especially after missing the marks on the road and taking a 10km detour.

All in all, I bike 63 km in 2:52:00.

I've attended each day, and I've got to say, this is one of Tulsa's best events. As with most things in Tulsa, I wish it had been publicized better.

Now I'm gonna go to the Party on the Hill and have a hot dog!

[Ed W]

As with most things in Tulsa, I wish it had been publicized better.

Now I'm gonna go to the Party on the Hill and have a hot dog!

js, here's a heads-up.  In the fall, the Tough organization will have another "Ronde van Oakenberg" cyclocross race.  Last year's event was a lot of fun, and the plan is to make it another 3 day bicycling festival - this time organized around a cyclocross racing series.  These races are both on and off road, and usually include difficult sections that require a rider to dismount and run with his bike.  The courses are short, so a spectator can see the whole thing.  A really good course may include a water crossing and (hopefully) some mud or deep sand.  I heard of one that had a long flight of stairs for racers to climb!

This year the Tough will be donating to the Multiple Sclerosis Society, if I remember right.  The idea is to bankroll enough money to make the event self-sustaining, and use it as a means to support local charities.  That's clearly a laudable goal.  But it also fills the hotels and restaurants, and it give St Francis Hospital another venue to promote a healthier lifestyle and attract staff to the coolest place to live in Oklahoma.

[SXSW]

I agree, this is a great event for Tulsa and I like to see it grow each year.  Tulsa has always had an active cycling community and it seems like it is really growing too. 

[Conan71]

I did the 50k today. What a grueling course, especially for someone who's never done it before! WOW! I'm just glad I made it, especially after missing the marks on the road and taking a 10km detour.

All in all, I bike 63 km in 2:52:00.

I've attended each day, and I've got to say, this is one of Tulsa's best events. As with most things in Tulsa, I wish it had been publicized better.

Now I'm gonna go to the Party on the Hill and have a hot dog!

DSJ- major congrats on completing the 50, er 63K    They call it "Tulsa Tough" for a reason.  Now that you've done that, you should start coming out and riding with us on Weds. nights at 23rd & Jackson.  The primary routes go out near Sand Springs and are roughly 20-22 miles (if you head back down into DT Sand Springs from Old North) to 32 miles if you go past Shell Creek Lake to 177th West and back in Wikeawah up 97 and back in Avery Drive.  There are other groups who take off in different directions from there using the trail system.

I did the 100K yesterday with my GF.  She had done the 50K the last two years and wasn't sure if she was up to 100K.  She did the full 100 miler at the Hotter 'N' Hell Hundred in Wichita Falls last fall so I knew she had it in her.  Next year, I'll either attempt "The Deuce" with one of my teammates, or race in Brady on Saturday and do the century on Sunday.

[Townsend]

I could've sworn there was a thread about this year but anyway...

Here's the courses for this weekend.  (June 10th, 11th, and 12th 2011)



Blue Dome Criterium                                                           Brady  Criterium                                         Riverview Criterium

Such a great event for Tulsa.

http://www.tulsatough.com/races/

[Conan71]

Several of us will be meeting up in the Blue Dome on Friday night if anyone wants to do an impromptu TNF get together or happy hour during/before the races.  Great opportunity to get your hair blown back.

[Ed W]

Hmmmm....if I successfully plead for a kitchen pass, I may be in the Blue Dome area to take photos Friday night.  She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed may want to go to the horse event at the fairground on Saturday, so it could be my penance.

[Conan71]

Hmmmm....if I successfully plead for a kitchen pass, I may be in the Blue Dome area to take photos Friday night.  She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed may want to go to the horse event at the fairground on Saturday, so it could be my penance.

Are you working either of the century routes this year?