Have you ever ridden your bike to the bar? I’m not talking about your Harley; I’m talking about your Trek or Schwinn. Many people do at Tulsa’s Soundpony, where it is not uncommon to see bicycles chained up outside the old brick dwelling which ironically has a parking lot next door that is blocked off with a “No Parking” sign chained across. Many of the locals in Tulsa told us about this homely little dive and we made a point to check it out. As we walked down the quiet street and located the bar, which is next door to the legendary Cain’s Ballroom, a lady on a bicycle went cruising down the middle of road, as if almost on cue.

I have to tell you, I walked in and the place just instantly adopts you as its second home; it has so much character and heart. The outside door of the bar showcases the official Soundpony logo, which is a horse with a megaphone at the end of its mouth, and below, the operating hours are described as “3ish – close.” To the left of the door, “Soundpony” is wreathed upon the wall and written in sod. Behind the bar is yellowed brick, and the other walls in the bar are orange and yellow. Every single intricate detail of the bar has some sort of cycling theme to it. There is a bike tire hanging from the ceiling with a disco ball trickling down, bike uniforms and ‘kits’ all over the top of the bar, cycling pictures gracing the walls, and bike handlebars at your feet. Above the couch to the right, is a 2008 Tulsa Trails and Bikeways poster, highlighting all the biking trails in the area. The back of the bar has a long wooden bench and old school joystick Donkey Kong and Galaga games, with a Ms. Packman to the side. There is no smoking allowed inside the establishment, in an effort to promote heath, but a cozy smoker’s patio is out the back door.

Co-owner Mike Wozniak has run Soundpony for the past three years and gave us a little history on the bar. “We are obvious cycling enthusiasts. We felt like sometimes Tulsa is behind the times and this is kind of a way to bring people up to speed and teach people about alternate transport.” Mike goes on to explain that they also race bikes, sponsor bike teams, and have bands perform in the bar. “This is a part of town that needs some revitalization. It’s kind of a dead part. Cain’s historic ballroom is next door and right along Route 66, so we get a lot of traffic in here due to that,” explains Mike.

As far as music, Mike is a big supporter of many local artists. He says that many of the bands that are playing D-Fest have played at Soundpony. They play a lot of different music in the bar and are known for spinning vinyl and have a decent sized record collection. “We play everything,” says Mike. “CSS – that’s a dancie album that we play a lot, Nation of Ulysses, Blue Reed…”

Mike told us that the bar attracts a lot of scensters, but we found it to be the case that many locals are also fairly addicted to the magical atmosphere of Soundpony. Everyone that we talked to had so much pride for the bar and was overly exited to show us every little detail, while praising Mike relentlessly. “This is the coolest bar in Tulsa,“ states regular Scott Craig. “Mike has not only created a bar, but created a brand and a culture.” Sitting at the end of the bar was former welder, Roger Condrey, who was responsible for constructing the sign out front of a bicycle coming thru the top of the brick dwelling with “Soundpony” hanging below. In addition to the sign, Roger has also contributed a chair made of bike parts, and a ramp out back. Roger says, “What the bar is doing for the community is great. “ He now rides his bike to work and didn’t used to.

The bar really engages the people. Mike got on the microphone at one point and welcomed everyone to “Happy Hour Q&A time.” The guest that got the question correct earned a ‘shitty prize’ from a box of random stuff. Today’s prize was a piece of an old belt buckle and a random t-shirt. Scott Craig told us that there is also a $40 Guinness glass jar that holds an obnoxious amount of Guinness. “If you drink it in under an hour, it’s free but pretty much impossible.” In addition to their interactive happy hours, the bar also sponsors pub-crawls and cycling teams.

Soundpony serves a variety of beers, boxed-wine, and liquors. There is a very unique beer tap that is made out of a bike petal that says “Soundpony Specialized for $1,” which happens to be Miller High Life. There is a hotdog machine spinning franks in the back of the bar, as happy hour includes free hotdogs, however, that’s not the only reason for the machine. There is a shot that is unique to this bar which is made out of a hot dog that is cut in half, hollowed out, and filled with, of all things, blackberry brandy. “It’s the Soundpony signature shot,” Mike explains. “It’s kind of a birthday thing. It’s pretty gnarly.”

Mike made us feel right at home. He even put an empty Budweiser can to his ear and said, “If you girl’s miss LA, you can hear the ocean in here.” The first drink that he poured us as a Marshall Wheat, which is a local beer. The second drink was one that patron Scott Craig insisted we order, a Franziskaner, and the third…well, let’s just say it was a terrible idea to suggest for Mike to make the famous hotdog shot for someone in the bar to take so that we could snap a photo, because he agreed, but then mischievously plopped one down in front of each of us. The entire Soundpony community gathered around to encourage us and the pressure was on. I felt as if it was part of our initiation into Soundpony so I grabbed the greasy hotdog skin, put it to my lips, and well, there is a video floating around somewhere on You Tube by now, I’m sure, if you really want to know the rest of the details.

“It’s our shitty little bar,” states Mike. “We seem to be almost a liberal outpost in conservative Tulsa. I have a partner and we maybe work like 20 – 25 hours a week and ride a lot of bikes and that’s beautiful. I tell people, it’s not money. It’s lifestyle, and I’m richer because of my lifestyle.”

Soundpony – 409 N. Main, Tulsa, OK
(918) 582-PONY (7669)