I wasn’t quite as quick to start today’s bike as yesterday rolling out the driveway at 10:10 AM. I needed to ride at least 41 miles to push June’s total over 900 miles and I accomplished that biking 43.16 miles. June’s final total came in at 902.84 miles, the 3rd month over 900 this year. I chose the “Stroker Road – Huffman” route with some variations. This was the second time I biked this route in 2020, both times on the Lynskey R300. Summaries of the month and rides on the route.

I managed to bike 902 miles after missing 4 days due to weather.

The bike ride went well until I rode west on FM 1960 after stopping at The Huffman Chevron for ice. Around 32.2 miles I rode over a large piece of a glass bottle with the rear tire instantly causing a flat with a cut in the sidewall. I looked for a place in the shade, walked across FM 1960 and to a closed bar with shade. At first I didn’t find the cut but with the wheel off the cut became obvious. I carry a small tire tool in my seat bag which made getting the tire bead off difficult until I pushed the opposite tire bead into the center of the wheel. Pulling the tube out where the cut showed exposed the hole. A large patch covered that but before putting the tube back into the tire I spotted a tiny hole about 2″ away. Patching that hole I put the tube in the tire, stuck the foil from the patch behind the sidewall cut, mounted the tire and pumped it up. My patch work held so I put the tools in the their places and resumed the ride. The tire felt firm but I noticed a flat spot as the wheel turned. I will inspect it later when I decide what to do about the tire. A cut in the sidewall can affect the tire’s ride plus the tube tries to squeeze through the cut without a boot.

It was hot and steamy during the bike ride. Wind was strong making for tough pedaling whenever I rode into the headwind. Weather conditions: start 89 (72% humidity, 78.7 dew point), mostly cloudy, wind S 12 mph. At 11:53AM 90, mostly cloudy, wind S 12 mph gusts 20 mph. Finish 92 (65% humidity, 78.8 dew point), mostly cloudy, wind S 14 mph gusts 22 mph.

FM 2100 construction narrows the northbound shoulder in many places from Crosby to north of Stroker Road. The southbound shoulder isn’t constricted so today’s ride went south on FM 2100. I saw another “casual” biker riding north where the barriers narrow the shoulder. Not a good idea.

PowerPod Bike Ride Data Charts. Note the wind in the second chart from the top.