• 65+ miles
• Secondary Highways, County Roads, City Streets
• Rolling hills
• Light to Moderate Traffic

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Description

There are lots of roads to explore near Stillwater, but I'm a tourist at heart and I like to extend my cycling occasionally. If my schedule permits and I can find a willing SAG I'll ride to Oklahoma City.

This ride starts at Boomer Lake Park and ends at The Bicycle Store in northern Oklahoma City. It is a strenuous ride with a head wind and a blast with a tail wind so watch the weather and ride the route forwards or backwards as you choose.

Leave Stillwater heading west on Lakeview Road. After the stop sign at Western Road you are out of Stillwater but the traffic can still be thick depending on the time of day. Avoid the Stillwater mini rush hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Turn south at the stop sign at Country Club Road. At the corner of Country Club and Lakeview is Tumbleweed's, a country dancing establishment if that is what you do when you are not bicycling. They occasionally have a "calf fry" event that causes very heavy traffic on Lakeview and Country Club Roads! Most traffic are people using the "Northwest Bypass".

Turn west on the shoulder of Highway 51. There is a Conoco convenience store at the corner if needed. This is where many afterwork rides begin for some club members.

Highway 51 became a four lane divided road late in its life. The east bound pavement is the old highway and has narrow bridges and no shoulder. The west bound section is fairly new (out to Highway 86) and has a good shoulder. There are quite a few oversized, extra wide trucks that use Highway 51 between Interstate 35 and Stillwater.

Expect two way bicycle traffic on the north side shoulder. This is controversial, but it's the safest way to ride west of Stillwater. When you ride against the direction of traffic on the shoulder, assume that cross traffic will not and cannot see you. There is alot of business development along the highway out to Range Road so be very careful. Ride west on the shoulder.

About 5 miles west of Country Club Road is the entrance to Lake Carl Blackwell, which is about 1.5 miles north on a road that was formerly Highway 51C. Visitors driving motorized vehicles are required to pay a $5.00 user fee at the entrance. The lake is owned by Oklahoma State University and offers camping, picnicing, and yet another convenience store. There are several miles of asphalt roads that wind around the south part of the park if you have time to explore.

At Highway 86 the shoulder on the west bound pavement ends. Between Highway 86 and Interstate 35 the east bound part of the road is newest and has a good shoulder. Although there are new "Share the Road" signs, most Stillwater bicyclists cross Highway 51 and use the good shoulder on the south side of the highway. Maybe someday we will have shoulders in both directions. But until then be alert and stay safe.

There is one convenience store just east of Interstate 35. It serves the nearby motorcycle park to the west. There is a restuarant on the south side of the highway..

Cross back to the proper side of the highway after Interstate 35. The road is now two lane with no shoulder, but traffic is much lighter.

Turn south on Highway 77 towards Mulhall and Guthrie. This is a scenic, lightly traveled road with no shoulder, and parts of the road are rough. Four miles south is the community of Mulhall. It was originally Alfred, Oklahoma Territory, home of the "World's First Cowgirl". A tornado destroyed much of the town on May 3, 1999, but has since rebuilt. There is a convenience store and Lucille's Restauant and Bar is in the old bank building.

Follow Highway 77 south from Mulhall, over a few rolling hills and along the Cimarron River into Guthrie. There are many services in town, so pick your own! This was the Territorial Capital of Oklahoma and there are many hitorical monuments.

There are Two Options from here:

OPTION ONE: West Route

Head west on Highway 33.

Turn south on Broadway Road. This road goes through Edmond and becomes Eastern Road in Oklahoma City. It offers a good asphalt surface and lots of rolling hills. I do not travel it often enough to remember all of the possible rest stops, but you are never too far from refreshment or relief.

Of course, traffic can be heavy through Edmond, so stay alert.

Cross Memorial and the Kilpatrick Turnpike then go west on Hefner Road. Ride four miles to Pennsylvania and turn south less than a block and you are at The Bicycle Store. This is where you can spend lots of money on a new, lightweight bicycle that will make the ride from Stillwater even more enjoyable!

OPTION TWO: East Route

Head south on Highway US-77 about four miles towards I-35. Just before the Interstate is a traffic light at Sooner Road. Turn right. Sooner Road was the old US-77 highway and has since been replaced by I-35, which is parallel and only 1/2 mile to the east.

Two miles south is a convenience sote and biker bar at Seward Road. Four miles further south is a nice convenience store at Waterloo Road. Five more miles south, Sooner Road ends at I-35 and the old Route 66, the Mother Road. Carefully cross all five lanes and continue south on the west access road of I-35 for 3 miles to Memorial. Go west on Memorial for one mile, then south on Coltrane for two miles. On Coltrane you will cross over the Kilpatrick Turnpike and ride past Frontier City Amusement Park

At 122nd Stree, again ride south on the I-35 access road for approximately 4 miles. This road gradually becomes the I-44 access road. At MLK turn left and ride one mile up the big hill past Remington Park horse track and the McDonald's south to 50th. Turn right and go west 1.5 miles to Lincoln Boulevard. Turn left on Lincoln.

Two miles south is the State Captial Building. It was built in 1918. The dome was added more than 80 years later. Take 8th street west and follow the signs to visit the Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial or continue south on Lincoln to Sheridan, then west to Oklahoma City's Bricktown, where there are several good restaurants.