From a seldom used route yesterday to a frequently route today: Atascocita – Walden – Huffman. The start came later than I expected rolling away at 10:49 AM on my Canyon Endurace CF 7 bike. The summer weather still hung around but the sky was gorgeous and the wind light at 4 mph. My legs though were not as powerful as yesterday. I stopped for a rest at a bench just south of the FM1960 underpass on the Atascocita Hike and Bike Trail. It was in the shade and called out to me as I neared. How could I resist? The light breeze felt good and my legs appreciated the break, I think.

I pried myself off the bench and headed to Walden. Crossing Farmingham Road I continued on a short section of the trail to Cross Country Drive. This was the first time riding this section in this direction. The concrete trail is a recent addition. When I arrive at FM1960 it was time to ride east over Lake Houston, south on Fairlake Lane, and Old Atascocita Road. At FM2100 I turned left towards Huffman and FM1960. As I rode north the wind seemed to change directions challenging my legs with each move. At the FM1960 traffic light a man was passing out flyers and asking for donations. We’ve chatted before and he asked how far I was riding today and how much was left. I answered “about 11 miles” and he replied that was less than the 12 miles I said the last time. He told me to have a good day as the light changed and I rode on.

Riding west on FM1960 was not not my fastest time with the breeze taxing my legs when I was out in the open. Once I moved to Atascocita Shores Drive the wind was buffered by the terrain, houses, and trees. I stopped at the Kings River Pool in the shade to rest the legs and drink cold water while resting. A little over 5 miles left in the ride. The next stop was on the W. Lake Houston Parkway bridge where it goes up for boat traffic.

Despite the lackluster legs my overall average speed hit 13.2 mph until I was on the greenbelt at Magnolia Cove Drive going north. Only about 3.5 miles left. I finished at 1:52 PM.

Weather: Start 86 degrees, humidity 68%, dew point 74.0, fair, wind S 4 mph: Finish 91 degrees, humidity 60%, dew point 75.3, partly cloudy, wind N 6 mph.