It all started on Oct. 20, about 1,800 miles into Tanenhaus’ coast-to-coast trip on a Citi Bike from Manhattan to Santa Monica, California. He had stopped for a few days in Tulsa and had fun. He even tweeted from here, calling Tulsa his “favorite city yet.”

After four days in town he pedaled west and went down Old Route 66’s Ozark Trail near Sapulpa. That’s where he met Franklin Burton.

At first, Burton, 37, yelled at Tanenhaus, saying he hated bikers, Tanenhaus said. Then he drove away. A few minutes later, he came back, got out of his pickup and punched Tanenhaus in the face, the cyclist recounted.

Burton was arrested after other assaults occurred in the same area.

The cut on Tanenhaus’ lip required four stitches and prolonged his stay in Tulsa by two days.

In those two days he went to Oktoberfest and hung out in Brookside. He even tried a root beer freeze at Weber’s Superior Root Beer, a Tulsa original.

As Tanenhaus rode the bike through the city after the assault, those who recognized him from numerous news stories would buy him lunch or beers, he said.