Wheeling and dealing

Promoters of a bike tour spent time in downtown Tahlequah Monday hyping the Speedwheel race set for June 16.

By JOSH NEWTON Press Staff Writer

TAHLEQUAH — When 1,000 bicyclists and their friends and family converge on downtown Tahlequah, they should bring with them a good amount of tax revenue for local businesses.

Promoters of the 2010 Speedwheel event spent Monday afternoon in downtown Tahlequah, visiting with merchants about the Wednesday, June 16 bike race, and hanging promotional posters.

Promoters Andy Wheeler and Ronnie Cookson said the event is, in many ways, similar to a NASCAR race.

“They’re going full-speed around sharp corners, and there’s this excitement that there might be a crash happen,” said Cookson. “There’s a lot of racing.”

Speedwheel is held annually in conjunction with Oklahoma Freewheel, a bike tour that crosses through various towns in the state. This isn’t the first time bicyclists have rolled through Tahlequah, and if past success is any indicator, it won’t be the last.

The race takes the form of several criteria, each featuring a field of riders with similar abilities racing a small, repeating circuit for a pre-determined time.

This race in downtown Tahlequah mimics a figure eight. The starting and finish line will be on Muskogee Avenue, at Norris Park. Racers will head south on Muskogee and go west on Morgan, turn south on College, then east on Downing. From there, they’ll pedal north on Muskogee back to the intersection of Morgan and Muskogee, and head east on Morgan to Water. Bicyclists will race north on Water, west on Goingsnake and back south on Muskogee to the finish line, said Wheeler.

“Goingsnake and Muskogee is a real exciting corner,” said Cookson, adding that’s where racers take the curve at high speeds as they push for the finish.

The race can add an additional 200 people from surrounding states like Texas, Arkansas, Kansas and Missouri, said Wheeler.

Promoters worked with city council members so all streets along the race path will be closed. Wheeler said organizers wanted to create as little inconvenience to drivers as possible.

The event begins around 4 p.m. and should wrap up around dark, or 9 p.m., and will also feature a beer garden at Norris Park, along with live music.

“Thousands of people out here will be seeing Tahlequah for the first time,” said Wheeler. “Tahlequah has been voted as one of the favorite stages for Freewheel, and I think the city will want to get that honor again.”

The event will be spectator- and family-friendly, he said.

“Just bring a lawn chair right here to Norris Park, and you’ll get a couple different vantage points,” said Wheeler. “The course is entirely walkable, and you’ll be able to see the race coming and going.”

There’s no fee for enjoying the races, and the events will also include a kids’ race, plus prime - pronounced “preem” - laps, which are single-lap races within a race.

During the criterium, a bell is sounded and an announcement is made to tell racers the current lap will be a prime lap.

The winner will receive a cash or merchandise award, donated by local businesses willing to sponsor Speedwheel in Tahlequah.

“We think it will bring in a lot of tax revenue for Tahlequah, and your city council and chamber were an integral part of bringing in these tax dollars for your city that night,” said Wheeler.

This marks the 32nd edition of Freewheel.

Bicyclists will begin their journey across the state at Hugo June 13, and will end their route June 19 in Joplin, Mo.

Promoters say they’ll spend more time before the event stops in Tahlequah talking with locals, especially those in the downtown area, about how they will be affected.

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