I rode to work all five days this week. It was some seriously hot afternoons. I’ve been just standing under the ceiling fan in the living room and cooling off for a while after I get home before I finally head for the shower.

I had a flat on the way home Friday. Thankfully, there was shade nearby. A piece of glass came through the tire so far it’s a wonder I didn’t slice my finger when I found it. If glass is starting to penetrate that far into the Gatorskins, it’s probably getting near time to replace them.

2011 days ridden to work: 118
2011 commuting mileage: 2874.2

Commute route

It was 82 degrees when I left for work Wednesday morning. You know it’s going to be hot when it’s 82 degrees at 4:45 am.

On the Crowley Road shoulder, just north of Risinger Road, I hit a rock just wrong and pinch flatted. It was my first flat in quite a while, and my first front flat on the SXP in over two years.

Rose pointed out to me early in the week that there’s getting to be quite a collection of spider webs from the bottom of my truck to the driveway…….LOL. It had actually only been a week since I’d driven it.

I rode to work all five days this week. I heard the weatherman say that June was the 3rd hottest June ever recorded. I believe it; it was the hottest June I’ve seen. I ended up with 826 miles in June, a good mileage month for me.

2011 days ridden to work: 109
2011 commuting mileage: 2653.7

I did 20 miles from home this morning, then did the FWBA club ride that started in Crowley. There was heat and wind and hills, everything you love in a bike ride. I ended up with 83.6 miles.

FWBA Crowley route

I rode to work all 5 days again this week. It was 100+ degrees every afternoon on the ride home. If that wasn’t tough enough, the wind really kicked up yesterday and today. With this afternoon’s gusts close to 40 mph, it was a challenge just keeping the bike right side up.

I love riding to work.

2011 days ridden to work: 99
2011 commuting mileage: 2408.7

Commute route

I joined Greg and two tandems on my Crowley Cricket Crunch permanent today. It’s a fun route, and I enjoyed the company today. We started at 6:00 am, so weren’t out in the afternoon heat too long. I rode to and from the start, and ended up with 102.7 miles.

Crowley Cricket Crunch route

I rode to work all five days this week. It was a nice break from the wind early in the week, but it started picking up again the last couple of days. The afternoon rides home were pretty hot.

2011 days ridden to work: 94
2011 commuting mileage: 2286.1

Ok, so it was only the Burleson-Crowley Connection, the small free once a week newspaper they toss onto my driveway on Tuesdays, but I still thought it was cool. The photo was taken during the Burleson Honey Tour ride.

There was no article, only the photo and caption, and I found nothing online, so here’s a scan of the front page. Click the image for a full size image.

I rode this permanent with Steve, Peggy, Shellene, Bryan, Mark M, and Sharon today. There is some great scenery on this route, and we added lots of chatter. This is always a fun group to ride with.

The heat and hills wiped me out though, and I ended up with no strength, just turning the pedals, for quite a few miles. My Garmin showed 127.3 miles and 3700 feet of climbing. It sure felt like more on a day this hot.

Red Bandana route

It won’t be a good commuting mileage week this week. I rode to work yesterday and today, but Monday was a holiday and I have doctors’ appointments on both Thursday and Friday and will be driving to work. So on Saturday I should be well rested and ready for Steve and Peggy to rake me over the coals.

2011 days ridden to work: 89
2011 commuting mileage: 2163.6

Commute route

I rode the Burleson Honey Tour today. I did the metric century (which was really only 59.4 miles). I’ve ridden all the roads before. I liked the ride and route. Traffic control was good for the closer part of the route. Alvarado and south, you were on your own.

The wind was brutal going out and the hills slowed me coming back. I ended up with a 17.3 mph average, not a great average for me for this route, a reminder that I’m still dragging around an extra five pounds. I rode to and from the start for a total of 72.6 miles. That gives me 195 miles for the week, so not a bad mileage week. I think I’ll battle the wind from the deck of my boat tomorrow, rather than on my bicycle.

Burleson Honey Tour route