Nothing to slow me down on starting today’s bike ride. Four days in a row riding outside in early February is good. The temperature was in the mid 70’s and mostly cloudy. The big weather item: strong wind. I decided to ride the same route as Monday when I had the Bolt computer problem to confirm the mileage that didn’t get recorded. I chose a different bike, my Lynskey Helix. Though the temperature was 74 I wore a long sleeve jersey and a wind jacket because of the strong wind and the likelihood that the wind coming off Lake Houston would be chilly. That was a good decision. The lake wind was chilly, more so riding west than east. When I go back to Kingwood the wind direction shifted more to the west as the slow moving cool front approached. I was glad I started at 10:12 AM and finished at 12:45 PM before the front rolled in. As I write this the temperature dropped from 78 when I finished to 55 degrees.

When the wind is from the SE like today the hard part of the bike ride on the Atascocita – Walden – Huffman route is getting to Old Atascocita Road and FM 2100. When I reach that point I turn back to Kingwood with the wind becoming less of a problem. Riding north on FM 2100 the tailwind pushed me along lowering my pedaling effort. But the ride west on FM 1960 from Huffman the wind was from my left side to left front quarter and the gusts while I was over Lake Houston moved my bike around when they hit. The passing traffic didn’t provide any break from the wind like other times. The ride east over the lake was easier with the wind coming from my right rear quarter. Also the concrete bridge wall blocked some of the wind.

Back in Kingwood I set another Strava PR on Kings Crossing North (1:38). This is the same PR segment I recorded a new PR on Monday. I improved by 1 second. I’m 1 second slower than Bob Bixby who is in my age group on Stava. Craig Prejean has the record at 53 seconds. Data from AXS.SRAM.com.

Matche rides from Strava.