After getting rained out yesterday I was able to ride the “Stroker Road – Huffman” route today without any rain though with the 72% humidity I was as wet as if I was biking in the rain. The 41.94 mile ride got an earlier than normal start with my leaving home at 9:43 and returning at 1:22. The sky was overcast but that didn’t hold the brightness back nor the heat at 95 degrees. I thought the wind was not too much until I started riding south on FM2100 from Old Atascocita Road. The pedal cadence dropped down as I struggled riding into the south 6 mph wind and the 18 mph gusts.
Before that I met a group of 8 bicyclists going the opposite direction on Old Atascocita Road east of the railroad tracks. Apparently I wasn’t the only that thought today was a good day for a ride. Later I saw another biker on Ramsey Road. We exchanged waves as we passed. By then I had a tailwind to help me ride at 18+ mph and improve my average speed to 15.2 mph. Turning to the west onto Old Atascocita Road I headed to Huffman and a rest break. I drank all of my water and needed to cool down and rest up for the final 11 miles home. When I got to the Chevron station it took many paper towels to soak up some of the sweat. Standing in one place made the pavement look like a rain shower from the sweat dripping from my elbows and shorts. I rinsed out my gloves and once I sat down I wrung out my wrist bands and created a big wet spot on the concrete. The wrist bands stopped some sweat but it was so heavy that my gloves still got soaked. The dual headbands tried to hold the sweat back but it still ran down the side of my face and nose. Several paper towels helped dry my forehead to slow the flow.
I got a 44 oz Powerade with ice to cool me down while I ate a trail mix bar and whole grain bar for energy to get back home. The cold drink and the breeze blowing through the canopy area eventually cooled me down and almost dried my shorts and jersey. The gloves were on 3 paper towels to dry from the water rinsing. I stayed at the Chevron a little longer than normal while I enjoyed the wind and the cold drink. I didn’t drink all of it though, 44 oz is a lot and I got that size so I could put extra ice in it and still get enough liquid. I refilled my water bottle and headed back home.
At the west end of the FM1960 causeway over Lake Houston I waved to a casual biker on the other side of the road as he rode east and he waved back. About 2 miles later on Kings River Drive another biker passed going opposite of me. We waved.
Today I retired another pair of Bellwether Forma shorts and put a new pair of Forma shorts into service. The retired ones showed the same worn spots on the outside pad seams plus pilling from rubbing something else. That should replace all of the worn shorts for now.
My goal for July is 834 miles, 134 less than June. Last June I rode 834 miles so I chose that as my goal.
Friday’s weather will be great for biking: 93 degrees and partly cloudy sky with a low chance of rain.
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