Oklahoma FreeWheel bike tour to be hosted in Joplin on June 15, 2013 CONTACT: Lenny Brubaker, Convention and Visitors Bureau, 417-625-4789 The Joplin Convention & Visitors Bureau and FreeWheel, Inc. announced that the final stop for the 2013 FreeWheel bicycle tour will be held in Joplin on June 15, 2013. Oklahoma FreeWheel is an annual event for cycling enthusiasts throughout the state of Oklahoma. The event will bring over 600 riders to Joplin as they finish their tour at Schifferdecker Park. FreeWheel is a week-long bicycle tour, lasting from Sunday through Saturday during the first or second week of June. The route changes each year, but typically begins near the Red River, Oklahoma’s southern border with Texas, and travels north to end just across the state line in Kansas or Missouri. Distances traveled each day can vary from 50 to 75 miles, with an average in the mid 60’s. There are usually a few 100 mile (century) options offered during the week as well. Participants camp in rural communities and their gear is transported via semi-truck while they ride to the next site. Mechanical, SAG, and Oklahoma Highway Patrol support is provided along every inch of each day’s marked route. The host communities provide entertainment and food for the riders each day, as well as information about all the sites to see in the town. The prior stop to Joplin will be Miami, OK, which will give the riders a short 37 mile trek for the final day. They will begin arriving in Joplin at Schifferdecker Park around 8 or 9am, where they will be greeted by area residents and civic groups. Food and beverages will be for sale in the park. The event will conclude around 2pm when buses will depart to return the riders back to Tulsa and Idabel, OK. Joplin last hosted the event in 2010, which brought together civic groups and area restaurants to serve food and beverages to the riders, as well as athletes to help unload gear and luggage. FreeWheel, Inc. is an Oklahoma 501©4 not-for-profit corporation promoting cycling as part of a healthy lifestyle and Oklahoma as a travel and tourist destination for cyclist and non-cyclist alike. Through bicycling, FreeWheel connects Oklahoma’s unique peoples, cultures, communities, and landscapes, to celebrate a happy, healthy, safe, and sustainable Oklahoma. # # #
Posted on: Thu, 06 Jun 2013 14:36:23 +0000