A Payne in the...

This week's cycling event was the Tour of Payne, which leaves Stillwater Oklahoma at 7:30 am for a tour of Payne County. Because the start of the ride is some distance from home and start being rather early the WAACOs met up in Stillwater the night before. Shana and Sharon were taking their new bicycles out for the first time today, which I thought was very bold. I would have chosen to take a spin closer to home (and my bicycle store) to make sure everything was as it should be, but we've all been so busy that there just hadn't been time to get out for a short ride. Shana found her pedals gripped her shoes too tightly (which she got adjusted at the first rest stop), but otherwise she was happy with her ride. Sharon found the same pedal issue at about the same time she accidentally threw her water bottle across a bridge when she hit a bump. Also there was the matter of the chain falling off and the gears being somewhat unfamiliar. Still, by the time I caught up with Diane and Sharon she was doing pretty well.




Once I met up in Cushing with Sharon and Diane (and checked out a garage sale!) we rode back through Ripley together. Once through Ripely and back across the bridge. Diane figured Sharon and I could fend for ourselves and she took off at her own pace. We rattled along for the last twenty hilly miles together getting hot and cranky until we got back to Stillwater. Just before the last rest stop I was taking a drink of Gatorade and although I knew Sharon was close behind me I was startled when she drew up alongside and I spewed a big mouthful of my drink into my bento - and all over my phone. Now my phone will take calls, but except for turning the phone on and off no buttons work. Lucky for my my camera was in its closed case or it might have met the same awful fate.




The tour of Payne comes into Stillwater from the back, and until you are within half a mile of the finish you just can't tell if you are ever getting any closer. The distance we chose was variously represented as 62 miles, 64 miles, and 66 miles, depending on which source you used. We were quite cross to find that when we had completed 62 miles the end was not yet in sight, but pleased that it turned out to be close to 64. After a hasty shower joined our friends for Mexican food and a birthday cake in honor of one member of the group who was not able to attend.




I don't think I'll be riding again this weekend except for maybe an easy ride on Sunday. I'll be running Big Blue over to the bike store for a change of handlebars and tires and an adjustment of the front derailleur, which went from not quite right to downright aggravating over the course of the ride. I will also be visiting the phone store...