I got up early today (5 AM) to drive to Lee College in Baytown for the 8:30 AM start. Leaving home around 6:20 AM I drove through some fog/mist and when I got to Loop 330 and Lynchburg Road I saw the sign flashing ferry closed. I was glad I registered for the 53 mile route (actually 51. 01miles). I suspected once the fog lifted the ferry would open and the 63 and 43 mile routes would take the ferry.

Arriving about 7:10 AM I walked to the gym to pick up my number and shirt (I pre-registered) and met a long line. Once inside the line broke into pre-registered and not registered. After 10 minutes or so I made my way to the table, got checked off the list, received my t-shirt and number. From there I walked back to the Jeep handing out Texbiker.net business cards along the way. I gave away all I brought.

Back at the Jeep I got the Canyon Endurace CF SLX out, mounted the front wheel, added my number to the back of the jacket, and then rode to the starting line. I expected to wait until 8:30 AM when the 53 route left but riders were leaving when they wanted. I took a couple of photos, started the PowerPod and started the ride at 8:14 AM.

Unlike last week at the Jalapeno 100 the route signs were numerous and easy to spot. You needed to know the color designated for the route though. I was okay since the 53 and 33 mile routes stayed together for awhile and at the first rest stop I checked the big map to learn that the 53 route was dark blue.

I dressed based on the forecast with shorts, leg warmers, long sleeve thermal jersey, wind breaker jacket, and half finger gloves. I chose those gloves expecting it to warm up during the ride. For the first 10 miles or so my fingers were chilly but then I didn’t think about them. Weather during the bike ride: start 59 (93% humidity), fog/mist, wind NE 7 mph. Finish 70 (79% humidity), mostly cloudy with haze, wind E 8 mph.

The roads were generally smooth with a few rough short sections. Loose dogs appeared in three places. The first two were aggressive but short lived. The third one though was super aggressive wanting a pound of flesh as I told the cyclist ahead of me when I caught up with him after the encounter. This was around the 20 or 21 mile point so I was warmed up and the wind didn’t slow me down as I out raced him. He lasted a hundred yards or so and then gave up circled back to his waiting spot for the next biker.

By now the route headed east or northeast into the wind but would turn south putting the wind in position to help some. I was ready.

Up to rest stop 4 I stopped but at number 5 I rode on by partly because I didn’t see it until I was at the left turn and needed to go across two lanes to get there. From there it was about 13 miles to the finish and I kept the pace up and my average speed at 14.6 mph. The roads looked familiar even though the last time I did this ride was 3/2/2013. This section had some freshly resurfaced roads which was nice.

Back in Baytown a funeral procession caught up with cyclists and I stopped near the cemetery off Ferry Road to wait for the cars to move by. Resuming there was about 8 miles to go.

A few hundred feet from the finish a group of us stopped for a slow moving freight train to clear the crossing. Once the crossing guard arms lifted we were off and I finished the ride at 12:06 PM.