Roads Change Over 4 Years, Some Arrive, Some Leave
It was a rest day for the tour de France but not for me. For some time I have kicked around biking on the New Caney – Roman Forest – Splendora route. I’m not sure why I waited until today from June 7th, 2019, to ride it, the last time I rode the route. Back then I wrote this post about my ride which might shed some light on the long absence. Maybe it was the dog chase from a ride on Tram Road before June 7th. Today’s bike route mostly followed the June 7th roads but I made a few changes because during that time new roads came along. Leaving Kingwood followed different streets, navigating Tavola was different because the streets I biked today didn’t exist in 2019. I also altered getting to Roman Forest Blvd. from Magnolia Bend. Once I was on Tram Road the roads were the same until the construction area on the US59/I-69 service road at SH 242. To avoid the barriers I walked across broken concrete behind the barriers for about 25 feet to reach an unopened road passing close to Big River Water Park and SH 242 west of US59/I-69. From there the roads were familiar all the way back to Kingwood though not exactly the same ones from June 2019. The 2019 ride was 46.89 miles and today I rode 46.61 miles. There was a time gap between rides prior to June 7th but clumps of rides in 2014, 2013, and 2012. Maybe ones earlier than those years too, before I used a GPS bike computer. My average speeds decreased over the years. I getting old.
To celebrate the bike ride I wore a new jersey with an Egyptian theme. I rode my Canyon Endurace bike but not the same one as 2019. I rolled out at 8:40 AM and finished at 12:40 AM. I stopped under TX 99 on Valley Ranch Parkway to eat a bagel and get out of the sun for a few minutes. I needed the bagel to power me and the rest to refresh my legs.
The wind was modest today, cooling more than hindering me as I went south. The humidity backed off some too. Weather conditions: 85 degrees, 75% humidity, dew point 76.4, a few clouds, wind S 4 mph; Finish 93 degrees, 55% humidity, dew point 74.2, a few clouds, wind W 8 mph.
