I backed the Jeep out of the garage to drive to Pearland for the Rollin’ Pearland bike ride. Rain starting falling but I decided Pearland was about 45 miles to the south and maybe the rain would not be there. I ran into heavy rain on US59 but I continued driving. After turning onto TX 288 traffic backed up due to the freeway closure because of an accident. Slowly moving I wondered if I would make the start time. The rain slowed to a light drizzle but the sky was dark with lightening. Traffic exited onto the frontage road and then back on TX 288. A wrecker passed with a burnt and crashed Ford Mustang that looked like the car on the freeway. As I got close to Pearland the rain stopped and the streets were dry, a good sign. I parked the Jeep at the starting area at 6:30 AM with 30 minutes before the start time. I picked up my packet and went back to get the Cervelo Caledonia and me ready to ride. Glad I drove to Pearland for the ride as the weather improved.
The sky looked threatening to the east but the rain stayed away. I rolled out at 7:05 AM with the C group and the ride began. There were a few light sprinkles of rain early but as the ride progressed the sky began to clear. The route differed from last year’s due to construction. Last year I rode 43.75 miles and this year 49.29. There was one “big” climb up a railroad overpass but generally the roads were flat since this is coastal area land. I stopped at most of the rest stops more for video than necessity. At the 50 mile route turn from the 70 mile route a cyclist was stopped with a flat tire. He fixed one flat with a new tube but it flatted again. Now he was down to walking until someone picked him up. I told him I would tell someone at the next rest stop or sag that I saw which I did.
Around the 24 mile point when the route started turning back to Pearland the sky turned mostly blue but the wind increased. Riding north the headwind was strong. When I finished and checked the weather the wind was 21 mph. My legs were strong and powered me into the wind to the finish. Looking at my AXS.SRAM.com ride report I used the 35×15 gears the most: 1:47:14 (25.3 miles) versus the 35×13 gears 1:21:58 (20.1 miles). I think this allowed my legs to have the power for the wind.
Weather: Start 74 degrees, 88% humidity, dew point 70, thunderstorms in the area, wind NE 21 mph gusts 36 mph; Finish 85 degrees, 53% humidity, dew point 66, mostly cloudy and breezy, wind NE 21 mph. No 100+ temperature for this ride.
Strava shows 1 Personal record and 11 2nd fastest times. Four of those: PR on MRE TT (7:12), 2nd fastest time on Fight Club Sprint (1:12), 2nd fastest time on west CR60 (13:03), and 2nd fastest time on Kingsley Trinity Bay to Regents Bay (2:05).
