We got rained out on Saturday. A front moved through the ride area just as we’d have been riding into the first rest stop. Since I’ve experienced the trauma of riding in the rain AND being stuck waiting for rain to end from a rest stop, I was glad to make the decision Friday night that we wouldn’t ride the following morning. Fortunately, we were vindicated as the Conoco-Phillips team actually cancelled the ride!
The front brought with it much cooler temperatures and wind. Lots of wind. We haven’t had a windy ride yet this year (nothing like last year!), so it only seemed fair that we should try to get our ride in today! I got up and walked the dogs (Riley’s feeling well enough that he made it for 2 miles today!) and when I came back to the house I announced that I was going to go riding at 1PM, once the temperatures moderated a bit. Stephen opted to come along. The kids swear that we just assumed they were joining us…but I was pretty sure I suggested or asked if they wanted to come…
We headed out shortly after 1 right into the wind. Our back up ride is Terry Hershey Park which can be used to go 15 miles or 45 miles, depending on our moods and the weather conditions. Erin had an asthma “episode” (we don’t call them attacks because they’re less scary as “episodes”) at about 8 miles out. So, I rode back home with her while Stephen and Nathan forged ahead.
Once I got Erin home, I turned back to meet Stephen and Nathan. They had made it out to the top of George Bush (the less bad one) Park and turned back toward home. One stretch on this trail is like a wind tunnel. Nathan tells me they were in their lowest gears, pedaling for all they were worth and going 9 mph. Exhausting! But, on the way back, in this same stretch, they clocked 25 mph going WITH the wind!
I didn’t get to go that fast, but I have to admit that I was happy when I saw them coming back toward me. On our way back home (my second time), I got up to 18 mph! That was quite an improvement over my trips down hill that didn’t get over 10 mph!!
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