Hi {{contact.first_name}},
November in Green Country still gives you good riding, you just have to pick your days. The clocks went back on Sunday, November 1, so the light is gone early, and the cold fronts sweep through with wind behind them. But between fronts there are plenty of clear, dry afternoons in the 60s, and the oaks in the hills east of Tulsa hold their color into the month. Keep the run reasonable and plan to be home before dark.
Ride of the Month: Tahlequah and the Illinois River on OK-10
Cherokee Nation hills, a scenic river and some of the best curves near Tulsa
Head east out of Broken Arrow on OK-51 and ride it into the wooded hills of Cherokee County. In Tahlequah, the capital of the Cherokee Nation, take a break downtown, then pick up OK-10 heading north out of town. The road follows the Illinois River, one of the few rivers in Oklahoma with a state scenic river designation, and climbs and curves through the hills above the water.
In November the summer float crowds are long gone, and the oak and hickory hillsides along the river turn bronze and rust. Watch for gravel at the river access roads, slow cars pulling out of the campgrounds, and deer in the shaded curves. Fuel up in Tahlequah, and when OK-10 meets US-412, take it back west toward Tulsa.
Short on time? The two-lanes around Skiatook Lake, north of town, make an easy afternoon loop. On Veterans Day, Wednesday, November 11, thank the veterans in your riding group. A lot of this community was built by them.
Late-Fall Safety: Oklahoma Edition
November gives you fewer good riding days in Green Country and a few new ways to get hurt on them.
- The rut is in full swing. Deer are on the move at dawn and dusk across Green Country, right when you are heading home now, and hunters' trucks are pulling on and off the rural roads. Slow down near fields and tree lines, cover your brakes, and never swerve across the center line.
- You are riding home in the dark. With the time change, the evening commute is now after sunset. Drivers on I-44 and the Broken Arrow Expressway are not looking for a single headlight. Run your lights, wear something reflective, and leave extra room at intersections.
- Fronts bring wind and a fast cool-down. A November front can drop the temperature 20 degrees in an hour and push hard crosswinds across the turnpikes and open highway, and a cold morning can leave frost on the bridge decks. Check the forecast, carry a warm layer, and give cold tires a few miles.
- Thanksgiving week traffic. Thanksgiving is Thursday, November 26. The Wednesday night before is one of the worst nights of the year for drunk driving. If you ride that week, go early in the day and stay off the road that night.
Know Your Oklahoma Law
- Fault gets split, and there is a cutoff. Oklahoma is an at-fault state with modified comparative negligence. The at-fault driver's insurance pays, your recovery goes down by your share of the blame, and if you are found more than 50 percent at fault, you recover nothing. How the crash is documented matters.
- Helmets are required only under 18. Oklahoma requires helmets only for riders and passengers under 18. Adults can legally ride without one, but insurers may still argue your injuries would have been less with a helmet, so gear up.
- The minimums are low, so check your UM/UIM. Oklahoma requires only 25/50/25 in liability coverage, and the state has one of the higher uninsured-driver rates in the country. Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage is what protects you when the other driver has little or no insurance.
- You have two years. Oklahoma gives you two years from the crash to file an injury claim, and shorter notice rules apply when a government entity is involved. Do not wait until spring to call.
Ride Nation Tulsa
The Green Country riding community does not slow down just because the days are shorter. Share your best November ride, warn other riders about wind, gravel and deer on the backroads, and post the photos from Tahlequah to Skiatook. Tag us in your photos. This is your scene, run by riders who ride these roads.
Final Weeks for the $20,000 BikeWin Giveaway
You are already entered for a chance at 20,000 dollars toward any motorcycle you want, and the winner is drawn December 10. That is only a few weeks away. Know a riding buddy who has not entered yet? Entry is free, so send them the link before it closes.
Enter the giveaway
A driver who never saw your headlight in the early dark on I-44. A deer jumping out on a Cherokee County backroad. A pickup pulling off the shoulder during deer season. If you ever go down in Oklahoma, one slice of blame can cut your claim, so you want a lawyer who rides these roads and fights the fault game hard.