4.22.2011 Ride: Gainesville, TX - Denton TX

Back in Fayetteville after a great 7 days of riding.  This entry will be very short due to the hour and the fact that I didn't take many pictures today.  There was a chance of rain and the wind was supposed to pick up, so we were eager to reach our final destination.  Leaving Gainesville, we detoured through a street that was supposed to have some nice old homes.  I liked the one below in particular.

The wind wasn't too bad when we left, about 15mph, but it was supposed to get up to between 20-30mph.  I was hoping we could make it 20 miles before it really kicked in.  That wasn't to be the case.  Within an hour, it was easily reaching 20-25 but it was mostly at our side and for a time behind us.  But, at mile 22, we turned into the wind and for the next 20 miles we faced a headwind of 25-30mph.  It was grueling.  At one point, I was making a determined effort to maintain 9mph when a strong gust reared up and slowed me immediately to 6mph.  Cliff, on his slightly less wind resistant passed me and I just hung my head.  Later, he told me that it seemed as if I had pulled hard on the brakes.

I know there is such a thing as a wind chill factor, but this seemed a bit too drastic.  I couldn't resist taking a picture of this malfunctioning bank time & temp sign.  It was closer to 82 degrees.

We decided to stop for lunch in Aubrey, TX, population 1,500, even though we had only 10 miles left.  Riding in the wind had exhausted us.  Eating out this past week has really been hit or miss with a lot of misses, so we were a bit wary when we walked into Mom's on Main.  It turned out to be one of the best meals we had on our entire trip and thus earning a picture on the blog.  If you ever happen to be in the Denton, Texas area, be sure to check them out.

A detail of the building next door to Mom's.

After lunch, it seemed as if the winds had calmed down some but they were just toying with us.  They quickly whipped back up and I felt as if they were getting the best of me.  The good news was that the road we needed to turn down came up quicker than we anticipated.  

This view of the street was a most welcome sight.  It was only another mile or so more with the wind rather than against it.

A very successful trip with no one having any break downs (mechanical or emotional) or flats.  More details tomorrow.

Today's Ride:  4hrs 33mins.  42.91 miles.  72-82 degrees. 25-30mph winds.  Miles YTD:  2,241.28