Last week Strava notified me by email that I lost the local legend on FM 2100 south of where I bike most often. This reminded me of two routes that include the segment and I thought it would be good to end July biking on one of them. The routes: Kingwood – Stroker Road – Kingwood and Kingwood – Hare Cook Road – Kingwood. I rode the first route last on June 3rd for 44.91 miles and the second last ride was April 19th going 47.53 miles. Usually I ride north on Monday but I went south this today. I would make the route decision on Stroker Road at Miller Wilson Road.

104 degrees forecast for the afternoon motivated me to start the ride at 8:21 AM to get back home before the hottest time of the day. 83 degrees as I rode away on my Canyon Endurace. I carried extra water using the CamelBak and a water bottle. I might’ve emptied the icemaker to fill both of them.

The discarded broken sectional sofa at Ramsey Road and Old Atascocita Road that was there the last time I rode there was gone. I was planning on taking a break on it! Not really.

The ride was going smoothly when I got to Stroker Road and saw a road work sign. Harris County Precinct 3 workers ground off the old asphalt leaving grooves and a rough bike ride. Riding west on Stroker Road I saw flashing lights ahead when Miller Wilson Road arrived. Should I go straight on the rough road or turn left? I turned left and that decided the route was Kingwood – Hare Cook Road – Kingwood. Miller Wilson was much smoother until I made the right turn onto Hare Cook Road. The Hare Cook Road surface wasn’t ground down but heavy truck traffic took its toll leaving dips and cracked asphalt to the concrete approach to FM 2100.

Up to that point I had not stopped. On FM 2100 I stopped at the Fuel Max station for a rest break. I sat in the shade taking in the light breeze, eating a couple of granola bars to get me to the finish, and drinking cold water from the CamelBak. I emptied the water bottle back on Ramsey Road. The sun was hot and the time in the shade energized me until the next stop at the Exxon station on FM 1960 at E. Lake Houston Parkway. I stood by the Canyon for several minutes in the shade before rolling out again. There were 3 Houston Police cruisers at the Exxon beside me with the officers talking among themselves.

Back on FM 1960 headed west I rode over Lake Houston, onto Atascocita Shores Drive, and Kings River Drive. At the Kings River Pool I stopped at the benches not too far from the pool to get some shade and drink more water. After a few minutes I was back on the Canyon for the 5 1/2 miles to the finish at 12:34 PM. 47.41 miles for the bike ride and ending July. My home weather station said 98 degrees when I walked into the house. Later it hit 102 for a few minutes. I made it before it really got hot.

Weather during the bike ride: Start 83 degrees, 77% humidity, dew point 74.7, mostly clear, wind SW 3 mph; Finish 98 degrees, 43% humidity, dew point 71.6, mostly clear, wind S 3 mph.

July bike rides close out the month 992.3 miles. My goal was 800 miles. I didn’t ride yesterday after church because of the heat but if I had July would’ve been 1000 miles. 992.3 miles is the highest month this year and back to September 2022 when I rode 1003 miles.