20170702 cycling

the ridge at wiregrass

Monday
77° humidity 91% wind 2 S
Headwind at every turn?! It wasn't strong but it never let up. 
7.45 miles
12.59 mph

splash pad at union park

Tuesday
78° humidity 89% wind 2 SSW
With the wind change, I went a different route. I went up BBD to Chancey. I rode back down to SR56 east to MPB. I rode in Union Park and even explored the new roads though it really isn't open to ride. No one bothered me. 
My feet started hurt after 50 minutes. 
17.4 miles
12.6+ mph (I forgot to hit pause once)

hot air balloon over wiregrass

Wednesday
72° humidity 96% wind 5 NE
One loop. Cooler and steamy pond. 
Hot air balloon. No cows. 
9.05
12.53 mph

Thursday
75° humidity 95% wind 5 ENE
Hazy. Had to take off my glasses. 
Legs were tired. I just kept pedaling. 
9.02 miles
12.53 mph

union park

Friday
76° humidity 97% wind 4 ESE
Muggy and windy. Not much energy to ride. 
12.53 miles
12.35 mph

Saturday
78° humidity 92% wind 4 SE
Muggy and windy. 
Short ride. Distracted or tired
7.49 miles
12.29 mph

union park

Sunday
80° humidity 89% wind 3 SE
Hot, humid and windy. 
I didn't feel like riding so I took it easy. 
I rode through Union Park even in the new area. There were no construction workers. Other people were walking
13.2 miles
12.36 mph

This week 76.1
This year 1572

20170625 cycling

Monday
74° humidity 98% wind 7 ESE
Overcast and windy. Late start = short ride. 
6.22 miles
12.16 mph

Tuesday
73° humidity 100% wind 8 ESE
Dark so I chose a route with street lights. I am kind of glad I went early since it is already windy. 
6.07 miles
11.95 mph

the grasses grew back quickly

Wednesday
77° humidity 91% wind 10 SE
Very windy in the wake of Cindy. 
Very little energy, too. 
Headwind along Mansfield. 
12.79 miles
12.12 mph

hazy morning

Thursday
75° humidity 97% wind 6 SE
Too humid and windy. 
I keep looking for the alligator but I haven't seen him again. 
9.13 miles
12.44 mph

cows in the pasture south of SR56 

Friday
75° humidity 89% wind 5 SE
Tired and didn't feel like fighting the wind. Also distracted thinking about work. I missed my turn at Mansfield and almost missed the sidewalk.
Headwind along Mansfield
9.03 miles
12.61 mph

the clouds are getting more dramatic as summer begins

Saturday
78° humidity 91% wind 3 SE
Too humid but less windy. 
9.02 miles
12.8 mph

no trespassing on the SR56 extension

Sunday
82° humidity 79% wind 3 SE
Muggy.
Short ride.
7.5 miles
12.3 mph
This week 59.7
This year 1496

20170618 cycling

Grey skies.

Monday
75° humidity 93% wind 5 NE
Hazy, windy and a few drops of rain. I am scheduled to work late so I got in a longer ride. 
Gas crew blocking most of path at The Beach House. I only had to slow down and not stop. 
12.39 miles
12.8 mph

The car on the right drove on the MUP all the way to Hueland Pond then turn onto the closed road!

Tuesday
77° humidity 93% wind 3 ENE
Hazy and windy. 
Gas crew blocking path at The Ridge.
A few sprinkles. 
12.45 miles
12.80 mph

mount wesley chapel is demising as the road construction continues.

Wednesday
73° humidity 96% wind 5 E
Another grey day with moisture, too. I had to take off my glasses. 
Near hit with VW coming out of The Ridge. He stopped just as I braked. 
The erosion control at The Beach House is lying across the MUP. They don't bother to put it back. There are 2x2 spikes along the fabric. Assholes. 
9.03 miles
12.92 mph

more posts for the wall to hide the residents at the ridge

Thursday
71° humidity 97% wind 3 SE
Mostly cloudy with some patches of blue peeking through. I saw an alligator in the pond on Beardsley. That it the first time I saw one there. 
8:43 miles
12.97 mph

the just don't seem to understand that no motor vehicles means them, too

Friday
73° humidity 95% wind 5 SSE
The sun came back!
A lot of construction work to make up for the rainy week. 
Crew blocking SR56 at The Ridge. 
Slight pain behind my right knee. 
14.35 miles
12.34 mph

blue skies are back!

Saturday
73° humidity 94% wind 4 SSE
Sunny. My ankle hurt and it took awhile to warm up my legs. 
12.44 miles
12.53 mph

the cows were missing for a couple of days. i don't know if they moves them to another pasture or they were just grazing in the copse of trees.

Sunday
78° humidity 92% wind 5 SE
I didn't want to ride. I wanted to go back to bed. I started out easy and stayed that way. Too warm
Cows were back in the corner pasture
7.43 miles
11.70 mph
This week 76.5 miles
This year 1436 miles 

20170611 cycling

It was rainy this week. I didn't get as much riding in as I would have liked. But I made sure I rode everyday.

Monday
Drizzle
76° humidity 86% wind 7S
No way to avoid the wind. Oh well, just a quick ride. My knees and feet were aching from a busy day at work.
6.04 miles
12.04 mph

looking west along state road 56

Tuesday
74° humidity 94% wind 6 mph
Overcast and windy. 
Short loop. 
7.42 miles
12.35 mph

Wednesday
78° humidity 88% wind 10 SSW
Light rain to start. I could feel the water from the tire hit my back. Ten minutes in, it got heavy and I was soaked before I could even turn around. I kept going. 
Turning left from MPB to SR56, a car was too close to the curb. I tried to squeeze by but lost control and crashed into the medium. Thankfully it is just grass. I got up, walked across to the path and went on. No one rolls down a window to ask if I was OK. I gave the driver a dirty look. 
Rode through The Ridge. One area was covered in muddy water. I pedaled slowly and the water was over my shoes on the downstroke!
7.42 miles
11.86 mph

the sun came out in the morning but it was rainy the rest of the day

Thursday
76° humidity 94% wind 5-7 S
The sun was out and the glare against the wet roads was blinding. 
Lots of dead frogs. 
Not much energy so I kept at an easy pace. 
12.46
12.04 mph

not sure why the school buses were out. i saw two and assume they must be out to test drive the summer school routes.

Friday
72° humidity 94% wind 7 NE
Less humid, it felt cooler. Roads were mostly dry. Little strength in my legs. It took a while to warm up and get up to speed. 
Didn't push. Couldn't push
Ponds have water again. 
Tailwinds on SR56 means headwind along Mansfield. 
12.45 miles
12.05 mph

they don't usually leave the cattle in one pasture for so long. these cows have been here at least a week.

Saturday
74° humidity 94% wind 5 SE
Not much energy today and a late start. 
7.48 miles
12.59 mph

magnolia bloom at the ridge

Sunday
78° humidity 92% wind 4 SE
Overcast, windy and few sprinkles. 
7.42 miles
12.20 mph
This week 60.7 miles
This year 1360 miles

20170604 cycling

looking south from sr56 & wiregrass ranch boulevard

Monday
70° humidity 94% wind 2 NW
Quiet roads. I rode up to Chancey to WRB. I tried to push it
9.48 miles
13.01 mph

Tuesday
75° humidity 94% wind 1 ENE
Grey and muggy. 
Decided to cut it short since rain was coming. A few drops when I was less than a mile from home. 
9.01 miles
13.2 mph

Wednesday
77° humidity 84% wind 4 SSE
Late start because I slept in. I didn't want to cut my ride short because of swimming. Headwind along Mansfield and my feet were cramping. 
As I rode passed the clubhouse on my way home, I remembered that the pool doesn't open until noon on Wednesday.  No need to rush but only a half mile to get home. 
12.38 miles
12.63 mph
This month 495 km (307 miles)
This year 1263 miles

i wish our village had a public pond

Thursday
75° humidity 90% wind 2 SE
Wanted a different route. I rode west on CLR and turned around near BBD. Then I rode through the villages. It isn't a long enough ride for 30 minutes so I went through Morningside too. 
6.68 miles
12.77 mph

Friday
75° humidity 89% wind 3 SE
Late again. I can't seem to get out by 7 when the boys are home. Or I am just being lazy. 
Overcast and gloomy. 
7.50 miles
12.92 mph

Saturday
76° humidity 88% wind 5 E
Wind didn't feel strong. It was hot and muggy. I rode pretty hard despite drinking last night. 
12.42 miles
13.01 mph

i look forward to trying out a new route

Sunday
76° humidity 94% wind 4SE
Drizzle. I had to take my glasses off after a mile. Rain was very light, not annoying. It kept the ride cool. Also, no many people on the paths. 
9.04 miles
12.52 mph
66 miles this week
1299 miles this year

20170528 cycling

Monday
75% humidity 91% wind 9 SE
Not feeling like riding. Thankfully, wind not as strong as reported.
I saw trucks on path west of The Ridge and turned in to cut my ride short.
7.42 miles
12.54 mph

extending the natural gas line

Tuesday
76° humidity 90% wind 7-11 SSE
Overcast and windy. 
I changed the iPhone case for my bike mount. The old one was falling apart. I had one small Scosche case. My iPhone 6s just fits. I need to find a better solution. 
The wind was annoying. I didn't have the energy to push hard. 
I wasn't paying attention and didn't see the MUP closed until after I passed The Ridge. I turned around and cut my ride short. 
10.93 miles
12.27 mph

cloudy and windy

Wednesday
79° humidity 87% wind 8-10 SSE
Grey and windy. 
Couldn't quite get the wind behind me. 
Bluetooth devices stopped showing in Wahoo App. 
MUP may have been clear but construction vehicles still parked down there. I rode through The Ridge. 
10.84 miles
12.47 mph

my bag is fading

Thursday
Late. 
74° humidity 81% wind 8 W
Another grey and windy day. 
Construction crew blocking MUP at Hueland Pond and SR56. 
8.12 miles
13.68 mph

i am going to miss the cows when they finally go away

Friday
67° humidity 86% wind 2 NE
Beautiful day. Light breeze, sunny and not as hot. 
My legs felt good and I rode fairly hard throughout. 
Construction crews blocking part of MUP with truck and an open door. Jerks. 
12.47 miles
13.3 mph

selfishness 

Saturday
57° humidity 91% wind 1 E
Sunny and cool. 
Short ride. 
I had to ride through the neighborhood to get to 30 minutes. 
7.15 miles
12.9 mph

how long before they change the sign?

Sunday
74° humidity 94% wind 1 NW
Too warm. Quiet roads. Short loop. 
7.10 miles
12.94 mph

This week 64 miles
This year 1232 miles 

20170521 cycling

Monday
69° humidity 93% wind 5 NE
Overcast and windy. Just one loop and no stops. 
9.1 miles
12.99 mph

the grasses have grown in again at union park

Tuesday
71° humidity 92% wind 3+ NE
The wind didn't seem too bad until I turned onto Beardsley. The Verizon flag was fluttering so the wind must be stronger than reported.
It got really strong when I turned east onto Oldwoods.
It helped me on SR56
Headwind along Mansfield was bad.
12.41 miles
12.91 mph

marigolds

Wednesday
74° humidity 91% wind 7 E
Windy and my legs had no power. 
Both feet cramping after 55 minutes. 
13.71 miles
12.43 mph

construction crew extending the gas line along SR56 

Thursday
75° humidity 85% wind 8 ENE
Windy. I rode to Union Park.
They are blocking most of the bike path just west of The Ridge entrance.
14.74 miles
12.45 mph

union park splash pad

Friday
77° humidity 87% wind 8 ENE
Another windy ride. MUP clear on SR56. Headwind along Mansfield was bad. 
12.52 miles
12.97 mph

not a very exciting ride

Saturday
I wanted to keep my streak of riding my bike. I rode Andy's bike around the parking lot at ESPN.  It took over two laps to equal a mile. 

Sunday
Too hot to make it a real riding. 
I rode around the neighborhood after dinner. 

This week. 65 miles. 
This year 1168 miles. 

20170514 cycling

pond along the south side of SR56 

Monday
59° humidity 92% wind 1 NW
Not feeling like riding. I rode the 820 so I wouldn't have to bend over much. It didn't sink in that it was chilly and I could have used a sweatshirt. 
The gears kept slipping it is time for some maintenance. 
7.11 miles
11.95 mph

construction of SR56 extension

Tuesday
63° humidity 83% wind 3NE (felt stronger)
Rode out to Union Park. 
Wind felt stronger on the way home. 
Headwind along Mansfield. 
12.43 miles
12.9 mph

fake squirrel until the real squirrels move in at union park

Wednesday
74° humidity 70% wind 2 NE - 4 NW
One app said NE wind, one said NW?? 
School bus stopping on Beardsley, I turned right onto Hillhurst to avoid stopping. The gates were open so I rode through the parking lots. The town homes are ugly. 
I rode to Union Park and the wind seemed to get stronger and always against me. 
Car blocking crosswalk at Mansfield. Turns out it was the crossing guard. Sigh. 
13.24 miles
13.28 mph

Thursday
68° humidity 87% wind 1 NW
I had to drive the boys to school so only time for a short ride. (I should have taken this as a sign to ride to work instead.)
Rode hard to Mansfield to Hueland Pond to SR56 to Mansfield. I wasn't at 30 minutes so I rode through Deer Run. I still wasn't at 30 minutes but close enough. 
6.88 miles
14.11 mph

some of the cows were curious about me, most didn't even look my way

Friday
70° humidity 88% wind 0-1 WSW-NW
Conflicting reports on wind speed and direction. I went out to BBD and north to Chancey. I rode to WRB and south to explore. There is a road that connect to SR56 through the new development east of the mall. 
It would have been a good ride to go home from there but I went east of SR56 to MPB to Beardsley. 
15.44 miles
13.48 mph

someone finally cleaned up most of the sand accumulated in the gutter

Saturday
71° humidity 93% wind 8 SE
It didn't seem that windy but the Verizon flag was flapping until I stopped to take a photo. I did notice that they cleaned out a lot of the sand at the curb by JLMS. 
7.16 miles
12.19 mph

there is some old equipment i would love to get close and photograph

Sunday
71° humidity 93% wind 1 WNW
I rode out to BBD to Estancia to WRB. 
Wind was stronger than reported. 
Beautiful day. 
9.58 miles
13.09 mph
This week 71.8
This year 1103

20170507 cycling

another full week of riding

It was a good week of riding.
According to National Bike Challenge, I am number 1 in Wesley Chapel. I may be the only registered here in the challenge.

sometimes i ride and don't see anything i was to photograph

Monday
72° humidity 91% wind 8 SE
Road south on Mansfield until dead end. Gloria had said it was opened and it is not. There was a school bus sitting there waiting for their next shift. 
Some wind. 
I swallow a fly. It flew into my mouth and I tried to spit it out but I know part of it got stuck in my throat. Gross. 
7.14 miles
11.47 mph

so many vehicles do not stop when turning right on a red light

Tuesday
73° humidity 93% wind 2 SE
Wind was light but against me at every turn. 
Wet from recent rain. 
No energy in my legs. 
Got a blade of grass in my eye from a lawnmower. I got it out but my eye is still irritated. 
11.08 miles
11.45 mph

trying some schwalbe tubes since the bontrager tubes seem to easily popped

Wednesday
71° humidity 94% wind 2-5 NE
I changed the flat on the 1220. Road tires are so hard to get off. I couldn't locate my toolkit. Did I throw it away whenI changed the last tire? There weren't many tools unit anyway. I had my new tire levers and I tried both sets. I like the thinner blue ones for getting under the bead but I like the way the bed ones can hook onto the spoke and stay put. 
I rode around Deer One to make sure the tire held. It seemed fine. I love how agile this bike is but I prefer sitting more upright. 
Some wind. This bike doesn't get slowed down as much. 
More homes under construction in Union Park. I may have to change my route. 
SR56 east of MPB under construction. It will be another year before it is opened. 
Headwind along Mansfield. 
13.74 miles
12.33 mph

skies can be pretty

Thursday
69° humidity 91% wind 7 SE
Late start, short ride. 
Happy to see the 1220 with no flats. 
Rode Mansfield to Kinnan then back to SR56. 
7.13 miles
12.85 mph

Friday
71° humidity 86% wind 9 WNW-WSW
I rode out to BBD. The wind didn't bother me. I didn't really feel it until I turned onto MPB. 
I rode to Union Park. 
It was windy the whole way home. 
I was close to 15 miles so I rode around Eagle Station and Forest Glen. 
15.27 miles
13.21 mph

water levels are dropping

Saturday
62° humidity 60% wind 8 NE
Cool and breezy. I rode out to BBD and the east of SR56. 
8.17 miles
13.06 mph

Sunday
84° humidity 48% wind 4-7 NW
I rode out to BBD to SR56. Windy and warm and sunny. 
My iPhone got hot sitting in the case
15.03 miles
12.89 mph

This week 77.4 miles
This year 1032 miles 

20170430 cycling

maybe someday i will actually ride to dade city and connect the two bike maps

Not a good week for cycling. At least I got out everyday to complete my #30days30rides challenge.

i changed my tire when i got home. i think i accidentally threw away my tool kit with the old tube and tire

Monday
68° humidity 92% wind 4 WSW
I went out to BBD. Soon after the turn, I felt my rear tire get soft then flat. Damn. I didn't have another tube nor any tools since a flat on my 820 rarely happens! I called dad via Ryan's phone and he picked up. I didn't even have to tell him, he just asked "Where are you?" I told him the fire station and walked back to there. 
2.32 miles
11.96 mph

the hardy trail is quiet and shady but i am not sure i would want to be out there alone at night

Tuesday
66° humidity 63%
Hardy Trail Dade City
I took my bike up to Dade City. I parked my car at the old county courthouse then rode my bike to Pasco High School for the start of the Special Olympics Torch Run. 
The Hardy Trail is a short paved trail that starts in downtown Dade City and runs south for about a mile before it dead ends. According to the map, I thought I could connect to Dixie to go to the high school. But there is not an official connection, only a path that walkers and cyclists have made. I rode back and walked my bike over the gap. Dixie is unpacked and sandy. I slipped quite a bit. My road bike would have never made it through. 
1.83 miles
9.28 mph

construction cones waiting to be picked up

Wednesday
68° humidity 85% wind 3 SE
I pumped up the rear tire but it still feels soft. It looks like it wobbles when I ride. I stopped to adjust the brakes but it didn't help. 
12.41 miles
11.72 mph

pond in morning side. there is a cop car sitting at the dead end. does he expect speeders or is just wasting time?

Thursday
65° humidity 94% wind 6 SE
Rear tire flat on 820! I pumped it up and it seemed to hold air. I road carefully and decided to stick close to home. That was a smart thing since I only got a mile before it was losing air again. I walked home. I didn't have another tube. 
1.01 miles
9.93 mph

spitting turtles at union park

Friday
67° humidity 93% wind 4 SE
Bus on MPB dead end. Moving north. I slowed down thinking it was going to continue. No brake! Oh I forgot to reconnect it after I changed the tire. 
Coughed from MPB to Union Park. 
11.81 miles
10.83 mph

cows in the pasture along mansfield

Saturday
72° humidity 92% wind 6 E
Late start. Too warm and windy. 
Happy to see my tire still firm. 
6.05 miles
10.85 mph

verizon flag at john long middle school

Sunday
78° humidity 89% wind 4-10 SE
Too warm too windy and no energy.
I decided to take longer and go the regular route. I didn't try to push it. It wasn't a pleasant ride but I felt good when it was over.
9 miles
9.83 mph
This week 44.4 miles
This month. 408 km
This year 954 miles