Cyclists ride through the plains during Tour of the Wichitas

The wheels were turning for cyclists Saturday in the annual Tour of the Wichitas cycling ride through Fort Sill and the Wichita Wildlife Refuge. This annual event brought in people from Southwest Oklahoma and parts of Texas together to promote an active lifestyle and to enjoy the scenic and historic views around Fort Sill and the Wichita Wildlife Refuge.

This year’s tour had four different routes and over 450 participants. Cyclists could choose between a 17-mile, 31-mile, 54-mile, or 66-mile route. Each route would take you through Fort Sill and parts of the Wildlife Refuge, but the longer the route the more of the Wildlife Refuge you got to see. There were rest stops for every route to keep cyclists hydrated and ensure safety during their ride.

Tour of the Wichitas has actually been going on for decades and its beginnings go back to the 1960’s. Since 2014, Richard Rogalski has been the coordinator of the event. He was an active participant in the tour for many years prior to getting the position.

“In any sport, at some point you need to give back,” said Rogalski.

Rogalski believes that this is one of the most beautiful tours in the area and that’s what attracts people to it. “Fort Sill is beautiful and there’s hardly any traffic…It’s still the countryside. I’ve been on a lot of rides, and this is the best anywhere near here. It brings culture to the area.”

Lawrence Spottedbird, Chairman of the Kiowa tribe, was one of the cyclists participating in the tour on Saturday. In his free time Spottedbird rides a bike, but it was his first time on tour. The Tour of the Wichitas inspired Spottedbird so much that he is hoping the Kiowa tribe will have their own tour when October comes around.

“I want to promote a healthy lifestyle for my tribe and for myself,” said Spottedbird.

Mother-son duo Amanda and Michael Armstrong drove nearly three hours from Aledo, Texas to be a part of the tour. The duo had participated in tours before, including a 50-mile ride in the Hotter’N Hell tour in Wichita Falls. Today, they were enjoying the shorter, 17-mile trail. Michael, who’s going into fourth grade, said, “I like riding for the adventure. I get to see a lot of stuff.”

According to Rogalski, everyone who makes the event possible are volunteers. It takes a team to do this and Rogalski is thankful for everyone who took part in the event. He wanted to make a special shout out to the Fort Sill MWR for allowing the tour to happen on base and for helping in the coordination of events.

“We couldn’t get this done without MWR. We are so thankful for them,” said Rogalski.