Originally I planned on riding south and to the east until around 10 AM it rained about .12″ . I looked at the weather radar and patches of rain covered the area south of where I would ride. So I waited for the streets to dry off some and chose the “Kingwood – SH 242 – Kingwood” route to the north. I left at 1:02 PM which is a winter start time. The sky was overcast from what I could see at home among the trees but some blue was visible to the north. As I rode west to exit Kingwood the sky to the south and west was dark making me wonder if I would get wet before I got back home.

Arriving at the I-69/US59 north bound service road the south 12 mph wind propelled me to the SH 242 turn around point. I could tell my legs and power were much better than yesterday as I kept my speed at 18 to 19 mph. I was concerned about the ride south though. That same wind would try to slow me down. Surprisingly my legs had the energy to not only hold my speed but I improved my overall average speed to 15.3 mph for a segment before settling at 15.2 mph.

The Valero station on Northpark Drive and I-69/US59 offered an opportunity for a short rest and time to return a phone call I got south of FM 1314. My intent was to buy an apple fritter to eat and use the the sugar to energize me for the final stretch to the finish but they didn’t have any. The stop was short and I rode south.

With the rain and overcast sky the temperature was much cooler than normal at 80 degrees but the humidity was strong 85% which explained why I was dripping in perspiration. While I was standing at the Valero station my arms dripped steadily leaving the concrete wet. My concern about rain returned as a few rain drops hit me as I rode toward Kingwood Drive but that was all that fell.

Making my way through the Kings Manor school traffic I rode a shorter way to get into Kingwood. The next challenge was the Bear Branch Elementary school which was about to let out as I biked by. From there it was about a mile to the finish. I stopped the ride at 3;27 PM. The sky was not quite as dark but the weather radar still showed rain activity in the area. I was glad to be home wet from sweat and not from the rain.

With the 32.2 miles for today I need 191 miles to reach the 6,000 YTD total by the end of September. The weather should be dry and warmer tomorrow for bicycling.

Strava Ride Summary (click on the image to go to Strava.com)