As I got ready to ride I thought I would ride the “Atascocita South – Walden – Huffman” route. After getting everything together I rolled out the driveway (12:19) and I looked to the south. The sky was gray where I saw rain clouds on the radar before I left. Seeing the gray clouds I change my route to the north where the sky showed a few blue spots among the clouds. Changing to the “Oakhurst – Cumberland – Valley Ranch” route could take me away from the ray clouds so I wouldn’t get wet.

The temperature was 82 degrees and the humidity was 68%. I figured this combination would produce lots of sweat and I was right for a few miles when the ESE 13 mph wind turned a little cooler. I think those gray clouds got closer bringing the cooler wind. I stuck to the route and no rain so far. That wind was moving me along when I rode to the north or west but I fought it going the opposite directions. Making the turn around at Cumberland Crossing put me back into the wind all the way to the Stripes store at Valley Ranch and FM1314. I took a break there after riding 22.05 miles arriving at 1:54. After getting a Diet Snapple I settled under the gas pump canopy to eat a trail mix bar and fruit bar. I watched the large flag in the middle of Valley Ranch Parkway stand straight out to the north most of the time and wondered how the ride be going on the southbound service alongside US59. The weather screen shots while I was at Stripes.

Leaving Stripes I rode north on Valley Ranch Parkway to reach US59. The wind was hard riding into going east but once I was on the service road riding south the wind wasn’t too bad. I rode at 17 to 19 mph and improved my overall average speed to 14.9 mph hitting 15.0 mph at one point. I made the u-turn at Northpark Drive and took the north service road to Knox Drive to get back to Kingwood. This meant riding into the wind until I got to Woodridge Forest Drive. So far no rain but as I reached the 30+ mile point in Woodridge Forest the rain started to fall event though the sky in front of me didn’t look like rain. The closer I got to Northpark Drive the more it rained. I got soaked but by the time I stopped to cross Northpark Drive the rain stopped. In the matter of 1/2 to 3/4 of a mile I went from dry to soaked. Crossing Northpark Drive I rode the last 2 miles to home on damp streets but no rain. I got home at 3:13. I ended up riding 33.56 miles.

After I got home I washed the Stradalli before putting it in the garage.

Today’s ride was number 15 on the “Oakhurst – Cumberland – Valley Ranch” route this year. I reached my goal for October with today’s ride, 640 miles.

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