I managed my usual two 30 mile rides during the week last week, but when I got up at 6:00 am on Saturday morning to do my planned 60 mile ride, there was a large storm bearing down on this area, so I went back to bed. It ended up not raining for long, and the roads were dry when I finally started my ride at 10:00 am. With that late start, I settled for a 40 mile loop out to Purtis Creek State Park. So, I was ready for a few more miles on Sunday, but I got them in a very different way.

I’ve been wondering what a velomobile might be like for a winter ride, so I made a trip to Fort Worth to visit Greg Gross, an old friend. There, I did my first test ride of a velomobile ever, pedaling just under 10 miles in his Quest. It didn’t disappoint, and was a blast to ride. Greg has been unable to ride it for a while, and agreed to let me bring it home for an extended test run. We’re supposed to start getting some cooler weather soon, and I’m really looking forward to getting some miles in it. I may have trouble getting my miles again this week though, with the forecast for later in the week calling for a lot of rain.

Velomobiles are pretty unique contraptions. They are very aerodynamic enclosures, built on trikes. Their weight makes them slow to climb a hill with, but on downhills and flats, they are faster than any bicycle. As I found out yesterday, there is a learning curve to handling one. They are hot to ride in in a Texas summer, but really nice in the winter. I’m looking forward to seeing what this one will do on my usual routes.

A very different ride for me yesterday.

And it came home with me afterward.

I took off on the F5 shortly after 7:00 yesterday morning, and rode my Martin Mills Metric route. It was 69 degrees when I left home, the coolest morning in quite a while. But it was sunny and warmed up to the upper 80’s by the time I finished at 11:30. Still, with a good north breeze, it was a really nice day to be on the bike. I ended up with 60 miles. That, combined with two 30 mile rides during the week, gave me 120 miles for the week.

Tuesday’s 30 mile ride was my last ride of August. I ended up with 542 miles for the month. That’s about what I would expect for August. I’m slightly ahead of the mileage pace I need to reach my goal of 5,500 miles for the year. I’ll need those extra miles when the weather gets tougher in November and December and I’ll have trouble maintaining that pace. Now that the Hotter ‘N Hell Hundred is done, I’ll start doing slightly fewer miles. This week’s 120 miles will be more the norm than the 140 miles a week I’ve been riding.

Martin Mills Metric route.