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SPORTS BUZZ Get back on your bike and bikepack your way back to better health
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April 9 , 2017
The Orwells Opolis Productions Norman , OK
The Direct Connect Band Elmer ’ s Uptown Bar & Grill OKC , OK
Colony House / Knox Hamilton The Vanguard Tulsa , OK
Brandon Clark Mercury Lounge Tulsa , OK
Cirque du Soleil-OVO Chesapeake Energy Arena OKC , OK
Open Jam W / Karma Bourbon Street Bar OKC , OK
Hosty One Man Band Show The Deli Norman , OK
Open Jam W / Otis Watkins Mojo ’ s OKC , OK
Paul Benjaman ’ s Sunday Nite Thing The Colony Tulsa , OK
Hosty The Deli Norman , OK
Local H The Shrine Tulsa , OK
April 10 , 2017
Steve Parnell Bourbon Street Bar OKC , OK
Open Jam W / Cara Black & Scott Wright Woody ’ s Sports Bar & Grill OKC , OK
Open Jam W / Eddie Edsel Mojo ’ s OKC , OK
Monday Situation / Zach Short Group / Showstopper Productions The Yeti Tulsa , OK
April 11 , 2017
Bobby Cantrell Bluestone Steakhouse Tulsa , OK
Wood Chickens Red Brick Bar Norman , OK

SPORTS BUZZ Get back on your bike and bikepack your way back to better health

By Bill Edgar
Backpacking can be fun exercise and a great form of outdoor travel . But what if you want to see more ?
Hiking can limit you to a dreadfully slow 2 mile per hour pace . What if there was another way , a way to get outside in the fresh air , off the beaten path , into the back country but at triple sometimes quadruple the speed ?
A decently equipped mountain bike can cover most hiking trails and fire roads at speeds between 7-10 miles per hour . What if you could enjoy all the benefits of backpacking with the ability to go further than ever before .
Bikepacking is the newest trend in off-road cycling . Just like backpacking , you carry all of the gear you need for your journey . However , instead of carrying a heavy backpack , you attach all your gear to the bike . I have been bikepacking for several years now and have made some epic journeys ; from an overnight trip in the Ouachita Mountains of Southwest Arkansas to a 4-day adventure through the Texas Hill Country around San Antonio and Austin .
Bikepacking can be an easy sport to get into , especially if you already have some camping and hiking experience . All it takes is an off-road capable bike , some lightweight camping gear , and a sense of adventure .
There are several ways to attach your gear to your bike . The simplest and most common way is to stuff your gear into a dry bag and strap it to your handlebars . Other ways include using racks , seat post bags and frame bags . Many of these types of carrying systems can be found at your local bike shop .
Once you have found a way to attach your gear to your bike it is time to pack up and hit the trail . There are several mountain bike trails in Arkansas that are long enough for an exciting multi-day adventure . Trails such as The Womble in Mt . Ida or the Syllamo Trail in Mountain View . If you do not live near one of the many trails Arkansas has to
offer , Oklahoma offers a few shorter trails great for an overnighter . In Oklahoma give the Lake McMurtry trails system in Stillwater a try , or the Ankle Express at Greenleaf State Park near Muskogee . The weather is changing , spring is here time to dust off that bike , shake the spiders out of your sleeping bag , and hit the trail .
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