2024 Norman Conquest
July 13
Our 27th annual ride raised funds for the J.D. McCarty Center. Proceeds from our event will help to fund programs for children with developmental disabilities and their families.
Our 27th annual ride raised funds for the J.D. McCarty Center. Proceeds from our event will help to fund programs for children with developmental disabilities and their families.
Norman Conquest Ride Day Information
We are very excited you chose to conquer the heat and hills on the Norman Conquest! Listed below is information about our event.
Event Location
JD McCarty Center
2002 East Robinson
Norman, OK 73071
Ride Time: 7:00 am
Staggered roll out beginning with 62 milers (red arrow route), 46 milers (blue arrow route), and 23 milers (yellow arrow route). Course closes at 1:00 pm.
Parking
Parking will be in the JD McCarty Center paved parking lot with overflow parking in the field west of the main lot (if needed). Parking attendants with red and orange flags will assist with parking.
Packet Pickup
Friday, July 12 at O’Connell’s Irish Pub, 769 Asp Ave, Norman, OK 73069 – 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Riders can enjoy a free dinner of spaghetti, salad, bread and a beer/soft drink. Meatless sauce option while supplies last.
Saturday, July 13 at JD McCarty Center (inside building) – 5:45 am to 6:45 am
Free Friday Town Tour
This family friendly ride is open to everyone! We will ride from O’Connell’s, through the OU campus and central Norman. Ride will begin at 6:00 p.m., be about 8 miles, and last approximately one hour.
Onsite Registration
Onsite registration will be available on Friday evening at O’Connell’s and Saturday morning at JD McCarty. Riders will be directed to Bike Reg to register. Credit card payments are preferred.
Rules of the Road
- The Norman Conquest is not a race!
- Course is marked with color coded arrows and signs at all intersections and turns.
- Sheriff deputies will be present at major intersections.
Road Hazards
- White paint will designate any road hazards.
- The 46 and 62 mile routes will be crossing Highway 9 going South (with no stop light) at 60th. Police support will be present.
- Short, steep hill immediately after turning North on 36th from Cedar Lane. 46 and 62 mile routes are affected.
Signage
All routes will have color coded signs and arrows at all intersections and turns. 62-Red, 46-Blue, 25-Yellow
Rest Stops
Corner Market Convenience Store- 84th and Franklin – not an official rest stop (all routes)
Rest Stop #1 - Lake Thunderbird State Park East Sentinel Area – Alameda (just after turn off Mohawk) (all routes)
Rest Stop #2 - Maguire Store – Maguire and 96th – ice and water stop only (46 and 62 routes)
Rest Stop #3 - Cedar Country Fire Department Station 1 – Post Oak and 180th – (62 route only)
Rest Stop #4 – 120th and Banner – (46 and 62 routes)
Rest Stop #5 – 48th and Maguire – (46 and 62 routes)
Each rest stop will have smiling, happy volunteers with water, ice, Gatorade, oranges, bananas, pickles, pickle juice, an assortment of snacks and portable toilets.
SAG
SAG Support Phone Number – TBA
Scissortail Cycles and Phat Tire Bike Shop will be providing SAG for all routes. SAG will assist with minor repairs and taxi you to the nearest rest stop or finish line.
Emergency Medical Services will be roving the course throughout the event.
Scissortail Cycles and Phat Tire Bike Shop will provide pre-ride bike checks at JD McCarty.
Supported bike ride, with aid stations (stocked with water, gatorade, and snacks) or convenience stores approximately every 12 miles, Sag Wagon, and police at major intersections.
Full lunch after the ride in air conditioning. Burgers, veggie burgers, fixings, sides, giant cookies, tea, and lemonade. (SO GOOD!)
Friday night pasta dinner at O’Connell’s
Friday night town tour - 8 mile family friendly ride around OU campus and central Norman
Comfy cotton dark orange T-shirt
Camaraderie with fellow bike lovers
AND MOST IMPORTANTLY gratification of knowing that you are supporting an amazing center that benefits children with developmental disabilities. Learn more about the J. D. McCarty Center!
5-8 p.m. - Packet pick-up, registration, and pasta dinner at O’Connell’s (769 Asp Ave, Norman, OK 73069)
6-7 p.m. - Free Friday Town Tour - meeting at O’Connell’s, riding through the OU campus and central Norman. About 8 miles, approximately one hour.
5:45-6:45 a.m. - Packet pick-up at JD McCarty Center (2002 E Robinson St, Norman, OK 73071)
7 a.m. - Rides begin, staggered roll out beginning with 62 milers, then 46 milers, then 23 milers
9-10 a.m. - Light breakfast for early returning riders
10 a.m. -1 p.m. - Lunch
1 p.m. - Course Closed
Expect our typical hilly east Norman challenge of 62, 46, and 23 mile loops.
Download routes as a PDF
Download routes as a .gpx file for your bike computer
Download rest stop .gpx file
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Our Town Tour will be a 9 mile free casual ride on Friday night - great for families and beginning cyclists. We will meet at O’Connell’s at 6:00 p.m. Friday July 12. The tour will have a leader and a sweeper and will stick together through the OU campus and central Norman. After the ride you can pick up your packet for Saturday’s ride and enjoy a pasta dinner at O’Connell’s.
Routes are subject to minor changes. Please check your route the week before the event.
Cyclists like to ride in groups because no one likes to ride alone, and no one likes to be left behind. The same can be said about life in general, but many children face daily struggles with being alone and falling behind due to developmental disabilities, and that is why the Bicycle League of Norman has dedicated so many years of support to the J.D. McCarty Center.
For nearly two decades, the Bicycle League of Norman has committed tens of thousands of dollars in proceeds from its annual Norman Conquest cycling event to support the children and staff at J.D. McCarty, and we invite you to join us in this commitment. The center serves children from birth to age 21 by enriching their lives with resources and support such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, language
therapy, medical care, and more. Eventually, these children move into adulthood, and the work being done at J.D. McCarty gives them tools and abilities that allow them to participate, contribute, and find fulfillment.
The Norman Conquest is one of Oklahoma’s oldest cycling events, attracting hundreds of bicycle riders each year from across Oklahoma and around the region. Always scheduled in early July, cyclists ride 62 miles and a variety of shorter distances through eastern Cleveland County’s undulating countryside. The ride is known for its summer heat and those who can overcome the substantial hills walk
away with a sense of pride, and even conquest. Because of its support for the community and its advocacy for fitness and healthy
lifestyles, Norman has embraced the Conquest ever since it was established in 1997, and we are returning to businesses and individuals throughout Norman for continued financial support.
While grassroots donations of $100 and $200 are of foundational importance to our event, we are also seeking leadership contributions of $500, $1,000, $2,500, $5,000, and more to reach this year’s $25,000 goal. We appreciate your consideration and your interest in the J.D. McCarty Center’s mission to help children overcome the challenges of disability so they can move into adult lives filled with promise and opportunity. And we hope you will share in our dedication because, as everyone knows, no one likes to be left behind.
Sponsorship inquires - email: bln.normanconquest@gmail.com
Thanks to our wonderful sponsors, 365 registered riders, and hardworking Norman Conquest committee, we were able to donate $25,000 in 2023 to the J. D. McCarty Center for their camp experience which they are expanding this fall!
Mark your Calendar for Next Year!
Saturday July 12, 2025 for the 28th Norman Conquest
Stay up to date on all the Norman Conquest news on our Facebook and Instagram feeds!