A while back I read about a famous writer. He had a number of rules he followed and he said they may have helped with his success. One of his rules was to not start with the weather. I am not a famous writer but I thought I would follow this rule. Today though I have to start with the weather.

Yesterday I said I would probably not get to ride because of the cold front that would arrive early this morning. Well that changed once the front arrived. The temperature kept going up and by the time I got ready to ride it was 68 degrees. The sky was clear and the air was clean. The reason it was clean was the wind. When I left at 2:17 the wind was from the NNW at 21 mph with 34 mph gusts. I knew this would be a bear to ride in. My normal ride rotation pointed to a north route. This is good because I think it is best to start a ride into the wind and finish with the wind. By the time I got home at 4:56 the wind was from the N at 26 mph with 34 mph gusts.

The wind was a brute. Every time I rode into the wind my speed dropped to 11 or 12 mph. I went up a gear on my rear cassette to try and lower the effort and maybe increase my speed. It didn’t work very well and I continued to battle the wind until I reached Cumberland Blvd on FM1314. This was my turn around point and I was ready. Going SE on FM1314 the wind was at my back I was able to ride at 20 mph or more all the way to Valley Ranch Parkway where I stopped at the Stripes station. I sat on a plastic pallet in the sun drinking my Diet Pepsi and eating a trail mix bar and two cookies. The sun warmed my leg warmers and my position was out of the wind. I unzipped my windbreaker to let some of the perspiration evaporate since this jacket does not have any vents. I wore this jacket thinking the wind would be chilly but the riding effort and sun kept me warm.

Leaving the Stripes station I went north on Valley Ranch Parkway into the wind. It was hard pedaling and I went slow. At Valley Ranch Bend Drive turning east put the wind at my back where it stayed for most of the ride home. Riding with the wind was not long enough to raise my average speed above 15 mph and I ended up at 14.5 mph average speed over the 30.33 mile route. March now totals 230.92 miles leaving 274 to reach the 505 mile goal for March. This week I biked 99.93 miles and 936 miles year to date.

Tomorrow’s forecast could repeat today without the wind. If that hold true I should be out biking.

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