Tulsa has a big street party every year on a hill near the River Parks called “Crybaby Hill.”
In amongst (amongst is a word in Oklahoma by the way) the party a bike race breaks out. It is Tulsa Tough. A three days series of bike rides and races for everybody from Sunday cruisers like me to top professionals around the world.
They have it in early June every year and it is generally sweltering. Tulsa Tough is sponsored by Saint Francis Hospital, a local Catholic Hospital Medical System.
The last day of the race is the most popular. The races all criterium style which means that they go round and around the same short course multiple times. The last day’s though is brutal. You start by the river and climb up a very steep hill then you come down off the hill and at the bottom you have to make a very sharp 120 degree turn and most of these guys/gals don’t appear to use their brakes at all so there are some spectacular bike crashes.
So down on the river is where the races start, and the top is where the party is. It appears to get a little bigger and a little wilder every year. Couple that with no parking, very few sidewalks and the crowd and the races get very close to each other. They have painted the race lanes in bright colors and there is an army of volunteers who are constantly yelling, “mind the gap.” The race lane area.
So I went out and made a lap of the course with my camera, walking and with the heat it about killed me. I cannot imagine riding the course up to nine times or so.
I love the contrast, the party with people getting drunk, and laughing and having a good time, and a high stakes race in the brutal heat and humidity.
I’m linking with “Our World Tuesday“
Previous Year’s Tulsa Tough Posts
We’ve had cyclists coming thru Yellowstone and I asked one of them what they were doing. He said they’re part of the Trans Am race. They go from Oregon to Virginia and the route takes them thru Yellowstone. It’s quite amazing.
Looks like a fun time, great pics too
Beautiful pics.
Have a nice week ahead.
lovely action shots of the race and looks like a lot of fun!
I don’t enjoy summer much except for all the street fairs and festivals.
Looks like fun for both participants and spectators!
Hello, looks like a great event and fun time. Have a happy day!
That sounds like a brutal bicycle race. Nice to know there’s something for beach cruisers. 🙂
You got some great pictures. I always wonder why races are held in such hot weather. I guess people train for it and are ready for the heat, but I’m like you, just walking around in it wears me out. I love the picture of the boy in yellow leaning in. You take good action photos.
Isn’t it amazing how dedicated bicyclists are?
We have a bike race in Colorado every summer called the “Triple Bypass”. The cyclists bike up 3 steep grade mountain passes! I don’t know how they do it, except that people train all year round for it at high altitude.
PS: The guy with little clothes on in photo #1 must have ended the day with a giant sunbun….hah!
I wondered if you’d ridden any part of this race. Smart move to just walk and photograph it.
Sounds tough! Good shots of the fun.