I set out on today’s bike ride at 10:36 am following the “New Caney – Tavola – Valley Ranch” route to the north. I enjoyed the moderate temperatures when I got to the kitchen around 7:30 am of 72 degrees but by the time I started biking it was 90 and by the time I finished at 1:21 pm is was 95. Biking 34.4 miles got August started in a good way with only 766 miles left to reach my goal. For the year I am up to 4608 miles.

After riding through Woodridge Forest and getting ready to cross the railroad tracks on Knox St. traffic was backed up as two oversize load trucks slowly made their way north on Loop 494. After the traffic passed by I crossed 494 headed to the I-69/US59 service road. I wondered if I would encounter the entourage later in my ride since the route returns to Loop 494 when I take Community Drive east. I expected they would travel faster than I would but when I arrived at the Community Drive and Loop 494 intersection they were just approaching from the south. Bucket trucks zipped around as the pickup truck with the height gauge stick tried to drive under the traffic lights and hit them. A bucket truck moved to the side of the road and a man raised up above the wires and attached a strap to raise the lights and cables. With those up the big trucks slowly moved underneath. The motorcycle officers escorting the group held traffic up until the bucket truck lowered and the man got out. With traffic backed up to my right I thought it would be awhile before I got onto 494 but just as the officer left the light turned green and I rode onto the northbound shoulder.

As I rode north I watched the entourage move away and thought they would be out of range for the rest of the ride but not to be the case. I caught up with where Loop 494 makes a left turn and merges with the northbound service road just south of Roman Forest Blvd. The problem was the concrete road furniture that directs traffic to only make a right turn. The space between it and the edge of the road was just barely wide enough for the trailers to squeeze through and the first truck looked like it might have went up on the concrete divider. The service road traffic was backed up and the officers were holding everyone while the truck maneuvered over the concrete and turned right at the same time. The second truck did a much better job and once it was on the service road they drove onto Roman Forest Blvd. Traffic started moving and they kindly let us merge with me staying on the shoulder. At Roman Forest Blvd. the trucks slowed again because the traffic lights are on rigid metal arms and not moveable. They moved to the right to get around them. As I made the right turn onto Roman Forest Blvd. the trucks were stopped on the side of the service road. By the time I made the loop through Tavola and back to the service road they were gone.

I headed south on the service road into Valley Ranch enjoying the slight tailwind. Until I caught up with the oversized load group my average speed was improving and almost hit 14 mph but after that I never could get it above 14 mph even though the tailwind helped me. A quick stop at Stripes on FM 1314 for water and ice was the only interruption at 22.7 miles into the ride. Back on the bike I rode the 11+ miles to finish the ride.

More clouds in the sky for today’s ride than yesterday and the humidity increased some making for a sweaty ride. The weather forecast for the next several days now includes around a 50% chance of rain so biking could be wet.