I didn’t get to ride the bike at all this week. With the rain early in the week and the hours I worked later in the week, it never worked out. So, I figured I would do a longer ride today. Rando friend Stephen Hazelton was hosting my Itasca Disasta 207k permanent this morning. It starts in Midlothian, which is about 60 miles from here, so I decided I would just drive over and join him.

It was 43 degrees with gusting north winds when I arrived in Midlothian for the 8:00 am ride start. That must have discouraged some of those who were going to do the ride. There were just 5 of us who showed up. I had doubts about whether or not I had brought enough clothes. And I was wearing shorts with leg warmers. With a high of 68 degrees forecast, I figured I would shed the leg warmers some time during the day. It only reached the low 60’s this afternoon. And with that north wind blowing, it didn’t feel close to that warm. I should have just worn tights.

But, it was a good ride, with good company. It was nice not to be toasted from 100 degree weather. But, this chilly weather definitely takes some getting used to. I hadn’t ridden a 200k since May, so knew I would be wiped out at the end, and I was. I ended up with 129.1 miles, and finished the ride in 10:08.

Itasca Disasta route.