Chickasaw Elder participates in Cross-State Bicycle Tour

Published in The Chickasaw Times

           Chickasaw elder, John Burkhart, 66, traveled from Kemp, Texas to participate in the annual weeklong bicycle tour, OK FreeWheel. OK FreeWheel’s route celebrated the 150th anniversary of the Chisholm Trail. The bicycle tour began, Sunday, June 11 in Wichita Falls, Texas and ended, Saturday, June 17 in South Haven, Kansas.

Mr. Burkhart started cycling in 1980. He took a break for several years, then began cycling again five years ago as a family activity. He rides with his great-niece, and camps with his wife and daughter along the trail. Burkhart says cycling has enriched his life and helped him focus on his health.

           “We left Chickasha and were riding up to kingfisher,” Burkhart said. “We were riding south to north and we had the wind behind us at our backs all the way. It was anywhere from 18 to 22 miles an hour. We felt like we were 20 years-old and breaking the speed limit.”

            The OK FreeWheel is a bicycle tour that is sponsored by the Tulsa Bicycle Club. This is the 39th tour that OK Freewheel has hosted a cross-state bicycle ride. Participating cyclists must undergo rigorous training to ride more than 420 miles over seven days.

           This is Mr. Burkhart’s second year to participate in OK FreeWheel. Mr. Burkhart cycles all year round in preparation for the bicycle tour. Eight weeks before departure for OK FreeWheel, he takes longer rides, about 50 to 70 miles, on the weekends to acclimate to Oklahoma’s scorching heat.

           Mr. Burkhart is a member of the Chickasaw Cycling Club, which is comprised of Chickasaw citizens, Chickasaw Nation employees and local community members. He joined a year ago, and says he is proud to be part of an organization that promotes healthy living.

           “Be educated, learn more about it and maintain a healthy lifestyle,” Burkhart said. “Chickasaw cyclist are trying to fulfill that mission of the Chickasaw people.”

The Chickasaw Cycling Club

           The Chickasaw Cycling Club is open to the public and offers an outlet for locals to find riding buddies. The group focuses mainly on road biking, with mountain biking on the side. The group meets weekly for bike rides and participates in yearly events, like the annual Pontotoc Pursuit.

The club also offers community service opportunities and plans to clean up the Ada bike trail, which stretches across town from Main Street to Stadium Drive near Ada High School.

           The group meets the second Thursday of every month, usually at 5:30 p.m. in the Chickasaw Community Center, 700 N. Mississippi Ave., Ada, Oklahoma. Anyone interested in becoming a member need only attend a meeting and fill out an application. Applicants must be at least 16 years of age. Those under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult family member. The entry fee is $25 for individuals and $40 for families.

To join the Chickasaw Cycling Club, contact Ryan McMahan at ryan.mcmahan@chickasaw.net.