New Caney – Tavola – Valley Ranch Bike Ride
I almost started biking before 10 AM but I was 9 minutes too late. Tomorrow I am planning on starting by 9 AM. This early for me unless it is an organized ride.
Last night I when I took the garbage out I checked the tires (an obsession I guess) and found the rear tire was flat. My squeeze test worked this time. I removed the wheel and looked for a cause. At first I thought I wasn’t going to find anything but almost near the end I found two pieces of wire sticking out of the tire. Fortunately I made it home on yesterday’s ride without any problem. I went inside to start fixing the flat. Pulling the tube out of the tire I needed pliers to remove the wire. I marked the hole, spread the glue and then applied the patch. I am not known for accurate patch placement but this time it was in the right place as I aired up the tube before putting it back inside the tire. To be safe I kept the tire in the house for about an hour and it was still firm. This is the first flat in a long time and the tube doesn’t have any other patches.
The route for today was “New Caney – Tavola – Valley Ranch”. I needed to bike at least 32 miles to put the total for the month at 700 miles. I ended up riding 34.18 miles bringing June’s total to 702 miles. Riding through Tavola reminded me of what the land used to look like before it started being built.
The earlier start meant the weather wasn’t at its peak but it didn’t take long. The weather at the start and end of the ride.
The rest stop at the Porter Stripes station came at 22.9 miles into the ride. I was there about 30 minutes enjoying the wind while sitting in the shade of the pump cover. The cool Gatorade and a Clif bar helped me get ready for the 11+ miles to home. I refilled my water bottle with ice and water. The pages from my Elemnt when I arrived at Stripes.
No stops after leaving Stripes other than traffic. I was back home at 1:14, the earliest finish in some time.
[iframe http://ridewithgps.com/trips/9624750/embed 600px 600px]
[iframe https://www.strava.com/activities/619527512/embed/e0a89a54dd09cf52911a6132a10c02e6f3d2b1e8 590px 405px]