Until around 11:30 AM today I wasn’t sure I would ride today but the overcast sky thinned a little and sun came through. Reminding myself of the rule to not ride because of somebody predicting rain while the conditions do not agree I got ready to ride and set out at 11:58 AM on the “Kingwood-Community Drive-Valley Ranch” route. I chose this route for being a little shorter in case the weather changed and I could get back home maybe before the rain arrived.

I am happy to say the rain didn’t materialize and after riding 25.3 miles I finished biking at 1:52 PM with the sky still overcast but some brightness coming through.

Weather during the bike ride: start 82 (87% humidity), overcast, wind SE 6 mph. Finish 87 (77% humidity), overcast, wind calm. I tried something new with my biking kit: shorts and a short sleeve jersey but I added a pair of bcg arm sleeves for sun protection. I bought two pair last evening at Academy Sports + Outdoors in New Caney at Valley Ranch. Thanks to a gift card I can try these out without any cost. The pair I wore today were blue with a black stripes. I was wary thinking they would make my arms hot but that didn’t happen even with 87 degrees. The zinc oxide sunscreen wasn’t working and was too messy so the arm sleeves look like a good solution so far.

With the light breeze I was able to build up my average speed to 14.2 mph on the return to Kingwood. My legs felt good with the power needed.

At the beginning of the ride through the Elm Grove Village in Kingwood when I turned onto Creek Shadows Drive several homes had piles of damaged and soaked debris from Tuesday’s flooding at the curb. This street is not too far from a drainage bayou to the north that must have came over it’s bank. Its so sad that these homes came through Hurricane Harvey without getting wet and then get water.

Near the end of the ride as I rode by Bear Branch Elementary school Tree Lane was blocked by an Humble ISD Police cruiser and trucks from the Harris County Flood Control District. I asked one of the officers want happened and he said a tree fell across power lines along a drainage bayou and they were working to get the tree off the lines. About 400 homes were without electricity but the school had electricity. I rode around the problem on the sidewalk and went on to finish the bike ride.

Rain is still in the forecast for later today (Thursday), Friday and Saturday. But if my rule applies I will bike.

2107 which lead 2019 until recently now is trailing 2016, 2018 and 2019. 2016 is 38 miles behind 2017, 2017 120 miles behind 2019, and 2018 just 10 miles back from 2019.