'Wheel Pit' Offers Free Mechanical Help To Tulsa Tough Racers

A lot goes on behind the scenes at Tulsa Tough to keep everything running smoothly.

When more than 4,000 cyclists are zooming through courses all weekend long, things may not always go as planned, and that's why the 'Wheel Pit' is here, to help cyclists fix any problems with their bikes.

"I got a problem,” cyclist Hunter East said as he approaches the pit.

That's something Race Mechanic Rawny Semba is used to hearing.

He says the most common issue is a flat tire, but sometimes he fixes things after a crash, too.

"People stack up and crash, and a lot of carnage,” Semba said.

East is from Little Rock, and he's raced all over the country.

He says he's thankful for the resource of on-site mechanics, making sure an unexpected problem doesn't stop him and other cyclists from doing what they came here to accomplish.

“Sometimes you can have something happen to your bike and you've traveled however, a thousand miles, and then you're just out of the event,” he said. “And most of the time, these guys can get you going again."

All the services at the 'Wheel Pit' are free for the athletes.