Black Towns Bike Tour adds children's ride

Sep. 19—More participants of all ages are expected at this year's Black Towns of Oklahoma Bike Tour.

This year's tour, set for Saturday, involves two routes. The north route includes Taft, Tullahassee and Redbird. A south route includes Summit and Rentiesville.

"Oklahoma owns the Black Town narrative," said tour organizer Osborne Celestain. "When people start digging into the history of Oklahoma, they realize Oklahoma had more Black-owned land in the early 1900s and late 1800s than the rest of the country combined."

Cyclists will have several options with each route. North route riders leave at 9 a.m. Saturday from Depot Green. Options include:

— A 25-mile ride including Tullahassee and Redbird, with a shuttle back to Depot Green.

— A 40-mile ride including Tullahassee, Redbird and Taft, with a shuttle.

— A 60-mile round trip of the north route.

A 25-mile south route, with a return shuttle, leaves from Depot Green at 8:09 a.m. Saturday.

The 50-mile round-trip south route leaves Depot Green at 9:15 a.m. Saturday.

"We try to approach it as a town tour rather than a cycling event where you try to go as fast as you can," Celestain said. "They go and visit. That changes whole dynamic how fast people go."

The 2023 Black Towns Tour attracted 70 riders.

"Townspeople had a great time because they had time to share their history with the cyclists," he said. "The kids see all these adults riding in on bikes, that's not something they see every day, Celestain said. "Most of the time, the kids ride their bike, but they don't see adults riding in their communities."

Ride proceeds will be shared with each community, he said.

As of Tuesday,fifty-nine riders signed up for this year's tour as of Tuesday. Celestain said he expects far more.

"Cyclists are notorious for signing up at the last minute," he said.

Cherokee youth who did the Remember the Removal bicycle ride are expected to come, he said.

There also will be a free 3-mile ride, 9:30 a.m. Saturday from Depot Green to the Coody Creek Bark Park and back. Celestain said participants can register ahead of time or the day of the ride.

"The fun ride is to just get kids and their parents involved in cycling," Celestain said. "You'll go down for a mile and a half down the trail and we'll have people standing by at trail crossings to stop cars for people coming by on their bikes, Rest stop at end then ride back to Depot Green.