I started the bike ride a few minutes earlier leaving at 8:18 AM on the “Atascocita – Huffman – Walden” route. I needed 31 miles to put the week at 200+ miles and I actually biked 34.59 miles pushing the week’s total to 203.89 miles, making this the fourth week in a row of 200+ miles. I plan on biking a shorter route tomorrow (Sunday) to boost the week a little more. June now totals 236.93 miles, 30% of the way to my June goal of 800 miles. YTD I am 50% of the way to my 6,800 mile goal.

The reason I try to leave around this time on Saturday is to see other cyclists along the route. As I rode south on W. Lake Houston Parkway over the San Jacinto River a group of 6 cyclists headed north marking the first ones I spotted. I saw another cyclist on Kings River Drive on the way to FM 1960. Once I made the left turn onto FM 1960 from Atascocita Shores Drive several groups and single riders passed on their way to the west while I rode east.

On Fairlake Drive is where I usually see most of the bikers and the largest group were in the church parking lot. A white Jeep JKU Wrangler followed me from FM 1960 and pulled into the parking lot as I pulled to a stop on the far side of the entrance. From that spot I took these photos. The blue sky is a biker’s dream.

I waited a few minutes to see if any other bikers would appear from the south on Fairlake but none did so I got back on the Canyon and continued the ride. The next ones were on the east side of FM 2100 on Old Atascocita Road. As they approached I said hello and to say “cheese”. as they rode by.

After I took that photo I rode east to a driveway and waited to see if any others would come by but no one did. Turning around I headed back to FM 2100. Now the headwind came on the scene and I had to pedal harder than I did getting there thanks to a tailwind. The ride north on FM 2100 to Huffman was easier with the wind from my left but in Huffman I changed to riding west on FM 1960 into the headwind again. According to Strava today’s ride was “consistent with your usual efforts.” I pedaled hard enough to keep my average speed at 14.0 mph and after getting onto the causeway over Lake Houston I saw another cyclist in the distance. He was riding slightly slower than I was and I gradually got closer to him by the time we reached the west end of the causeway. I moved to the center lane to turn south onto Atascocita Shores Drive while he turned right but reappeared at the traffic light heading south while I waited for the green arrow. Stopping at the Chevron station for ice and water he rode south and disappeared by the time I came back out of the store. That was the last sighting and I rode through Walden, Atascocita, and into Kingwood finishing the ride at 11:10 AM. Overall I guess 30 to 40 bikers crossed my path during the ride, not as many as last Saturday.

Weather during the bike ride: start 77 (82% humidity), a few clouds, wind W 5 mph. Finish 90 (60% humidity), a few clouds, wind NW 10 mph.

My plan is to ride early before church tomorrow.

2018 is a tough year to follow as it still leads 2019 by 3 miles. All other years are less than these two years.