Bicycling north to Tavola was hard work today thanks to the north 13 mph wind and 18 mph gusts. I used the 34 x 14 gearing to maintain a steady 15 to 16 mph. The “New Caney – Tavola – Valley Ranch” route runs to the north until I make the turnaround out of Tavola onto Roman Forest Blvd. and ride back to I-69/US59. The bike ride totaled 35.04 miles long. In Tavola I rode to the new recreation center which the sign says is now open. No one was there but me.

I am not sure how long the center has been open but it looks very nice. From where I took the picture I rode to the left by the playground and into the parking lot. The street is not open going to the right and left the street goes a couple of hundred feet. Future development is in the works.

Bicycling back to Winding Summit I rode to Roman Forest Blvd into the stiff wind. As I turned left on Roman Forest Blvd the wind turned friendly and my speed picked up. I shifted into the 34 x 13 gearing and 19 to 20 mph. I kept that speed all the way to the Stripes station at FM1314 and Valley Ranch Parkway where I took a recovery break.

I arrived at Stripes at 12:38 after biking 23.4 miles. The bike ride started at 10:56 so I got there earlier than usual. This would put me in front of all the school traffic. I refilled my water bottle and took my spot by the pumps in the shade. No Gatorade today to wash down the two packages of snack crackers. I finished eating and prepared to leave waiting in the shade until a car tripped the traffic light on Valley Ranch Parkway to cross FM1314 and ride through Briar Tree. The north wind continued to propel me and I improved my overall average speed to 14.5 mph.

Riding south on Rock Creek Drive in Oakhurst a sign warned of road work ahead and to expect delays. I thought the sidewalk might get me around the work if necessary but I didn’t see any work or workers. From there I bicycled to Kingwood Place and the I-69/US59 service road making a u-turn at Kingwood Drive. Kings Manor was calm since school traffic had not gathered yet. The fall like weather was pleasant and a couple of times the sun went behind some clouds making it feel a little cooler. A front is supposed to pass through this evening but the weather forecast doesn’t show it making much of a difference in the temperature.

The last school I passed, Bear Branch Elementary, was still in session. As I looked for traffic on Tree Lane I saw the school sign and noticed a bike rodeo was scheduled for today. As I rode by I couldn’t tell if it had already happened or not. I hope the children had a great time at the bike rodeo. I biked the mile or so to finish the ride at 1:55.

My plan is to ride early tomorrow (early for me anyway) to get finished so I can watch the University of Cincinnati vs. UConn football game. The weather forecast looks great for biking, not sure about where the football game is.

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