When I got up this morning just before 7 AM I thought today would be a Zwift ride day because it was raining. The rain stopped after 0.09″ and the streets began to dry off thanks to some strong wind and sun peeking through the clouds. I waited until 11:15 AM to start the bike ride to give the streets time to dry some. While I waited I thought about which route to ride and settled on the “Kingwood – FM1314 NW to McQueen Road” one. After finishing the ride at 2:33 PM I checked SportTracks and learned this was the second ride on the route in 2022 versus 6 times in 2021. I wanted to start the week with a longer ride because on Wednesday I have an appointment which will limit my bike ride. Today I biked 41.2 miles slightly farther than the other ride this year.

I was shocked when I checked the weather as I got ready to leave on the bike ride. The wind was from the south at 29 mph with 39 mph gusts. Almost as strong as yesterday. The route gave me time to prepare as I rode north and then northwest. The hard part came on the return from McQueen Road to the southeast. Pedaling to McQueen Road went easily with a few gusts thrown in to remind of the return trip. Standing at McQueen Road waiting for traffic I felt the wind and wondered how my legs would handle it. They were tired but managed to keep my speed in the 12 to 13 mph range to Old Sorters Road. I was tempted to stop at the Circle K store at Sorters Road but overcame it and kept pedaling.

Turning onto Old Sorters Road the trees and buildings offered a little shelter from the wind. Once in Oakhurst my direction changed where the wind wasn’t coming at me all the time. On the frontage road at Kellington I hit the headwind again as I rode to the Kingwood Drive u-turn. Under US59 I headed north again as I neared Kings Manor where trees and houses offered a little wind relief.

As spring progresses the wildflowers are blooming more. I showed some of them in the video.

Weather conditions: start 78 (humidity 69%, dew point 67), partly cloudy, wind S 29 mph gusts 39 mph; finish 78 (humidity 74%, dew point 69), overcast, wind S 16 mph gusts 24 mph. I didn’t know that the wind let up some during the bike ride but I’m thankful. I dressed comfortably wearing shorts, LS T-shirt, and a short sleeve jersey over it.

With the help of the wind I set a PR on Stripes-to_OldHoustonRd (21:54) headed NW according to Strava. Looking at the leaderboard my time is well short of the leaders by about 5 minutes. I wonder when these people ride this segment because I rarely see another cyclist there. The shoulder in this segment has debris with dirt, rocks and spilled concrete from the several concrete plants along FM 1314. The other shoulder is not any better.