My biking experiences today ranged from watching three races, watching the temperature finally move above 60, and starting at 2:01 PM. I can’t remember starting a bike ride this late in quite some time. While watching the races I wondered if I would ride at all since the wind was strong and the temperature would not move above 60, my threshold. Determined to ride today I considered going even if it stayed below 60.

By the start time it warmed enough and I bundled up (for me anyway) with shorts, leg warmers, a long sleeve thermal jersey, windbreaker jacket, Burt’s Bees lip balm, and biking gloves. With the sunshine I didn’t feel too chilled as I set off on the Canyon Endurace to ride my “Atascocita – Walden – Huffman” route. Because of the late start I didn’t follow the longer lead out but reverted to the shorter one. I expected to ride about 31 miles but actually went 32.87 miles. My week total stands at 113.26 miles, within reach of a 200+ mile week. Friday’s weather forecast looks wet which is why I wanted to ride today and not loose 2 biking days this week. I now trail 2020 YTD miles by 45. Last year on this date I biked 41.86 miles is why the difference increased. Another reason to ride today.

Despite the late start I saw another cyclist on Fairlake Lane at the curve south of the church.

Sunshine overcame some clouds but the north wind had a bite to it. Weather conditions: start 63 (32% humidity, 32.9 dew point), mostly cloudy, wind N 15 mph; finish 68 (28% humidity, 33.5 dew point), fair, wind NE 10 mph. Any time I rode a direction with north in it I had to fight the wind. The hardest section was biking east over Lake Houston with the headwind pushing my bike around. I expected it might be like that on the riding west but the wind was helpful until I turned north onto Atascocita Shores Drive.

The shoulder between the west end of the Lake Houston causeway and Atascocita Shores Drive was blocked with orange barrels for the absent construction workers. I stopped before them and waited for an opening to sprint to the traffic light and make the right turn.

I finished the ride at 4:32 PM.