'There's nothing like it:' Ride with the Pros event kicks off Tulsa Tough weekend

St. Francis Tulsa Tough kicked off its weekend events with Ride with the Pros on Thursday night. Local cyclists get to ride side-by-side with professional racers from all around the country as they get ready to compete this weekend. Pros and locals say this is the perfect way to kick off the weekend.

A Tulsa Tough tradition

The excitement was rolling in at Spoke House Bicycles, as people from around the area got ready to roll out to Ride with the Pros. This has become a Tulsa Tough tradition, allowing the professional cyclists to ride side-by-side with people before the big races this weekend.

This is Ty Magner's sixth year taking part in the tradition. As a pro, he says it's a great way to ease into the big races over the weekend.

"You know, it's a have some beers after, have some burgers together after. And this is kind of getting ready for the weekend," he said.

Building community

He says he looks forward to this event every year. Not just to race, but to spend time with the other people who love bicycling.

"You really start to remember names and faces that live in the city. And kind of come back and get to say hey, get to reminisce about the year and the year ahead," he said.

Robin Carpenter is also a pro. He's from Philadelphia and this is his second year at Tulsa Tough and says there's not another bicycle event like this.

"Whenever we can be in a place where there's a lot of people around and a good crowd, it really fires you up. There's nothing like it," he said.

Having fun

While he's looking forward to the competition this weekend, he says tonight it's all about having fun.

"It's just a casual ride. And then, you know, everybody's trying to rest and make sure everything's all their equipment style, and everything's like ready to go for tomorrow, because tomorrow's the crazy night," he said.

St. Francis Tulsa Tough continues through the weekend. Races start Friday around 4 p.m., all leading up to the championship race. We have a complete breakdown of the weekend's events, including the schedule and road closures, here.