I rode the bike on the “Stroker Road – Huffman” route today for a total of 42.64 miles. I detoured around the road repairs on W. Lake Houston parkway adding a mile or so to the usual mileage. The ride started at 11:13 because I watched the Binche – Chimay – Binche race from Belgium on www.cycling.tv. This was the first time I watched this race. The live stream was first class as was the commentary.

The weather is warming up almost to early summer levels. 82 degrees at the start and 90 degrees when I finished at 3:03. Scattered clouds contributed to the warming but the stiff SE wind (13 mph with 21 mph gusts) made riding difficult into the headwind.

People were active in the grass fields along Ramsey Road as I rode by. I welcomed the 18 wheel trucks as they passed me providing a brief relief from the wind.

Once I reached Stroker Road and turned to the west the wind helped move me along to FM2100. Riding north on FM2100 the continued to assist me. Approaching the railroad tracks in Huffman I slowed down and then the cross arms came down. A long freight train passed through going west which is not the usual direction trains move on this track. I figured this meant the Amtrak train would not come through Huffman with the time about 1:25 and the Amtrak train usually coming through about the same time. After the cross arms lifted I rode to the Huffman Chevron for a needed rest break. The Elemnt screen when I stopped at the Chevron station and the weather while I rested.

I enjoyed the shade and breeze sitting under the canopy. The blue Powerade, snack crackers and candy helped to replenish my energy for the ride back to Kingwood. Around 2:00 I heard another train horn blowing from the west, the usual direction trains come from, and it sounded like the Amtrak horn. It was the Amtrak train which I guess waited for the freight train to get by somewhere. Normally the Amtrak train is a short train with a couple of engines and five or six cars but today there were several engines and maybe twice as many cars. Maybe they need these to the east of Houston.

Leaving the Chevron station about 2:10 I rode west on FM1960 with a nice tailwind. The rest stop and fuel enabled me to keep a good pace and move my average speed back up to 14.6 mph.

More warm weather in the forecast tomorrow. I plan on riding to take it in.

[iframe http://rwgps-embeds.com/trips/11374129/embed 700px 700px]

[iframe https://www.strava.com/activities/734492044/embed/502fa078d7a0cdf108a894ac367e503719f5825a 590px 405px]