Tulsa's Wednesday Night Ride

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Tulsa, OK, US

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Route Overview

Brett Woodward

Tulsa Wheelmen Roadie

33 mi.

1,515 ft.

Come join your 300+ closest friends and have the best time on two wheels on a Wednesday night.

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Route Details

Experience one of Tulsa's most popular and longstanding cycling routes during the Daylight Savings months. The Wednesday Night Ride, originally called "The Old North Road" route, was created circa 1984 by Tulsa's road cyclists and is an exciting ride that attracts a mix of individual riders and cycling clubs.

The Wednesday Night Ride is a short, weeknight ride loop, free of heavy traffic and safety issues. Most riders on the route belong to a club, started the night with a club, or prefer to ride solo. Dropped riders or soloists will freely jump in with groups of similar abilities along the route. The expectation is that you ride safely and not above your limits if you join a group. Give the slower riders plenty of room and stay to the right if you start to slow down.

While most Tulsa cyclists use [RideAlert](https://www.ridealert.co/index.html) to find rides to join, this route is so well-known that few teams bother to create a RideAlert post for it. Instead, cyclists gather near the north end of the River Parks trail system, between 21st and Southwest Blvd on Riverside Drive. The starting point for my club, the Tulsa Wheelmen, is at the parking lot at 19th and Riverside. Additional parking is available a block or two north but if you want a little warm-up, park south of the start point near [Tulsa's Gathering Place](https://www.gatheringplace.org/) at 31st or at the 41st Steet Plaza.

## What to expect
* Rolling hills
* Fast descents
* Low traffic
* Lots of friendly but focused cyclists
* Shoulders where needed
* Rough roads in spots (it is Oklahoma!)
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The route is short enough that you won't need to stop for concessions or restrooms, but should you need them, there are a couple of options along the way. Look out for convenience stores at @point[Shell Creek Road](d,25780.84) and just a block west of the @point[highway 97 terminus](d,35951.48). You can also stop at @point[Chik Fil-A](d,38284.33) if you need a sandwich and lemonade.

Don't miss this great opportunity to join Tulsa's awesome cycling community on the Wednesday Night Ride. Visitors to Tulsa are recommended to download RideAlert and connect it to their Strava account to find more exciting rides to join throughout the week.
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## Section Breakdown
(This section is best viewed on the desktop browser)
Your experience in these sections will vary depending on the group you ride with and their approach to the course.
#

* @photo[Rollout](13774865) - Generally we use the small ring on the multi-use trails and gradually warm up until we reach Edison.
* @slice[Edison](d,4464.46,6446.46) - This road starts with a small rise and then is downhill to 33rd W.
* @photo[33rd W Ave](13774867) - The @slice[road](d,6510.49,9352.57) has some holes along the right edge and sometimes in the center. This is a climb segment with two sustained, but low gradients before terminating at Apache.
* @photo[Apache & 41st W Ave](13774871) - Watch for traffic as you jump onto @slice[Apache](d,9352.57,10129.39). The right turn onto @photo[41st W Ave is a short climb](13774917).
* @photo[Post Oak](13774864) - This is a @slice[fast stretch of road](d,12165.4,16014.5) unless you have strong south winds. 
* @slice[Old North Road](d,16478.16,20344.87) - This is where the work begins. 3 climbs that get progressively harder. The fast descent between climbs 2 & 3 has a dimple in the road on the inside corner - go a bit wider than you would in a race.
* @slice[Osage Hills](d,20344.87,22514.29) - This is a neighborhood where the climbs keep going. You finally get a short recovery after the first climb, use it well.
* @slice[Highway 97 North](d,23308.44,25501.03) - If you are going to have traffic, this is the place. No shoulder for most of it. 
* @slice[Shell Creek Road](d,25501.03,30581.95) - This is the worst road of the standard length route. It is also one of the fastest stretches of road.
* @slice[Pogue Airport Road](d,30581.95,34912.21) - Heading south, you will climb and then descend where speeds can reach 50 mph and stay elevated for as long as you can pedal. Very fast and protected from wind once you reach the bottom.
* @slice[Wekiwa Road](d,34912.21,36796.39) - Just a short stretch to get over to 97.
* @slice[Highway 97 South](d,38070.72,39389.77) - @photo[Super wide shoulder](13774866) but usually unusable because of the debris. Stay close to the white line.
* @slice[Avery Drive](d,39622.11,45288.48) - A great stretch of road with a big shoulder. Scenic with rollers and sometimes you'll spot an eagle.
* @slice[21st Street](d,45299.05,49335.64) - This is the last segment with a sprint that breaks out just after @point[33rd W Ave](d,48013.11).
* @slice[Back to the start](d,49356.7,52318.81) - Put it in the small ring and head back to the start. There is a nice @point[convenience store](d,50208.42) after the bridge, but you'll want someone to stay with your bike. Unlike the other stop options, leaving your bike here without supervision would likely be a mistake.
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## Variations of the Route
* [WNR - Short](https://ridewithgps.com/routes/42888979) - Good for intersecting your group if running late. Skips the @slice[Post Oak Extension](d,6457.05,16070.08).
* [WNR - Long](https://ridewithgps.com/routes/42424793) - Turn right at the airport, travel about a mile or two over the pockmarked road, and then cross the scenic @photo[Shell Lake Dam](13780195). Head south to Wekiwa where fresh asphalt awaits you. 
* [WNR - South](https://ridewithgps.com/routes/42175300) - There used to be a south option, and the route is still solid. City Cycles uses this route on their Thursday ride with start and finish at the shop in Jenks downtown.

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Tulsa's Wednesday Night Ride

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