20171112 coffeeneuring #6

wet, gloomy ride

70° humidity 80% wind 9 ENE

The roads were wet and the sky was grey but bright. The wind was annoying. I went out towards Union Park. It started sprinkling and I had to take off my glasses. By the time I got to SR56. I was completely wet. 

no place to lock my bike. i was hoping that it was early enough and wet enough that no one was willing to ride it away but me.

I rode with the wind to BBD. I cut through the parking lot to Shell. 
Even though Shell is close, I rarely go there because the gas is expensive. 
There is no bike rack, no tables nor places to sit. This is a get it and get out kind of place. 

having "big gulp" pasted to the tea urn makes it seem a little less desirable

I went in and was chilled by the AC. They have fountain drinks and coffee and iced tea. I went to grab a cup and was surprised to see it was branded 7 Eleven. I got some unsweetened tea and stood in line. But I left empty handed because their system was down and would only accept cash. I don’t carry cash. I rarely even carry my debit card. Oh well I was cold and wet and just wanted to be home. 

15.67 miles
12.35 mph

20171110 coffeeneuring #5

looking east along sr54

66° humidity 78% wind 7 NE

I went my usual route until I got to SR56 and continued north on MPB. I turned east on Chancey to Fox Ridge. 

waiting for the light to change to cross sr54 to speedway

I went north to SR54 and went west. SR54 is busy and the shoulder is full of debris. It isn’t bike friendly. 

it is all about the coffee

I crossed over at BBD then had to double back a bit to ride into Speedway. There are no bike racks, no places to sit. This is a busy location (I usually get my gas here but rarely go inside). The mart is small with the usual snacks and cold drinks. They also have coffee, tea, fountain drinks, slushees, donuts, prepackaged hot foots and the ubiquitous roller bar. 
No contactless pay. Large iced tea was 83¢.

Riding back was better because the wind was helping most of the time. 

19.19 miles
12.31 mph

20171107 coffeeneuring #4

I locked my bike up to a sign pole

Good weather to ride; 68° humidity 92% wind 1 NE

chances at bruce b downs looking towards mystic oak

I took the long way to Marathon/Dunkin Donuts. There is no bike rack, no places to sit inside. I walked into the convenience store first. They have soft drinks and frozen drinks but not much else. The DD is attached and I went into there for an iced tea. There are a few tables to sit at inside. The color scheme makes even a new store look worn. The tea was fine. They accept contactless pay. $1.09

they really need to update their look

The wind was strong so I went east on SR56 to BBD. (Though I did lose some speed when I had to slow down for a traffic light.)

waiting for the light to change

18.17 miles
12.61 mph

20171105 cycling

Monday
64° humidity 32% wind 2 NE
It was too cold to ride before work. I got out early and rode after I got home. Sun was low and I wore my sunglasses. I didn’t bring my regular ones and I could have used them half way through the ride. Lots of traffic with people going home from work. 
I had a good pace despite my ankle hurting so I didn’t want to stop. 
9.13 miles
13.43 mph

Tuesday
46° humidity 89% wind 0 NE
Cold and sunny. I wore my heavy gloves which keep my hands warm but I cannot use my phone nor my Apple Watch with them on. 
Rode without a stop. 
9.10 miles
13.25 mph
This month 603 km (374.69 miles)

Wednesday
58° humidity 90% wind 2 NE
coffeeneuring #3
Sunny but cool in the shade. 
Rode to MPB to SR56 to WRB. I heard some cows as I was going around the first roundabout and circled back. They were 3 small calves in the pen. Were they being weened? I got off my bike and walked to the fence and took some photos. They seemed curious and took a few steps towards me but didn’t come up to the fence. 
I continued onto Chancey over to Seven Oaks. I rode south to SR56 and turned east. 
Gate on SR56 I rode around the building looking for a bike rack. There was none. I locked my bike to one of the round metal tables.  
Gate is not as big as RaceTrac and Wawa, They did have coffee, cocoa (out of order), shakes and smoothies, only sweet and unsweetened tea, sodas. They had some pre-made hot sandwiches a roller bar and frozen yogurt. I know some prefer the insulated foam cups. They do have contactless payment in case you forget your wallet. $1.06
I sat outside in the shade, out of the wind. The tea was OK. 
I rode back on SR56 to Northwood Palms and rode through to CLR the east towards home. It was windy on the way home and I didn’t feel like fighting it. 
17.84 miles
13.04 mph

Thursday
58° humidity 95% wind 1 NNE
Chilly but not too cold. Steamy ponds, foggy fields. 
Felt good. 
Sun came up about half way into the ride. 
9.65 miles
13.65 mph

Friday
60° humidity 95% wind 1 NNE
Dark. Some steam from the ponds. Fog in the fields. Area of warm air after I passed a field and it felt good. 
The light was with me at SR56 and Mansfield so I went through and never stopped. 
9.04 miles
13.48 mph

Saturday
62° humidity 95% wind 1 NNE
Very sunny. Going east on Oldwoods, keeping my head down because the sun was in my eyes, I didn’t see the hauler with a load of sod sitting on the road. I nearly rode into it but veered just in time
Oldwoods extension has the first layer of pavement. There were no road blocks and no construction crews so I took it to Tonka and turned into Union Park. 
14.07 miles
13.46 mph

Sunday
64° humidity 90% wind 2 NNE
Foggy. 
I rode as far as I could on Oldwoods. They are still working on it and have only gotten to first boundary of Union Park.  
My legs didn’t feel so strong. Probably because I worked late last night. 
13.92 miles
13.10 miles
This week 82.7
This year 2958

#coffeeneuring
#cycling

20171101 coffeeneuring #3

in front of the sorting pens along wiregrass ranch boulevard.

Sunny but cool in the shade. 50º humidity 90% wind 2 NE

cows in the pen

I started out on my usual route then turned north on Wiregrass Boulevard. I wanted some more miles before I reached my destination. I heard some cows as I was going around the first roundabout and circled back. They were 3 small calves in the pen. Were they being weened? I got off my bike and walked to the fence and took some photos. They seemed curious and took a few steps towards me but didn’t come up to the fence. 

I continued to Chancey and went west to Seven Oaks. I rode south to SR56 and turned west. 
Gate is on SR56. I rode around the building looking for a bike rack. There was none. I locked my bike to one of the round metal tables.  

i have tried a boiled peanut once. it was mushy and gross.

Gate is not as big as RaceTrac and Wawa, They did have coffee, cocoa (out of order), shakes and smoothies, only sweet and unsweetened tea, sodas. They had some pre-made hot sandwiches a roller bar and frozen yogurt. They have insulated foam cups which some people prefer. They do have contactless payment in case you forget your wallet. $1.06

I sat outside in the shade, out of the wind. The tea was OK. 

I rode back on SR56 to Northwood Palms and rode through to CLR the east towards home. It was windy on the way home and I didn’t feel like fighting it. 

17.84 miles

20171029 cycling

rainbow looking west along sr56

Monday
75° humidity 89% wind 3+ SE
Still dark and a few raindrops. 
Vehicle parked next to MUP at The Ridge. He was facing me with his lights on. I couldn’t see past his vehicle and could have run into his open door that was encroaching into the path. Asshole. 
Rainbow appeared as the sun rose. 
9.19 miles
13.46 mph

overcast looking west on sr56

Tuesday
72° humidity 94% wind 1 NW
Rode out to BBD. Felt tired and didn’t get much speed despite the light wind.  Roads were wet and a few puddles to avoid. 
11.27 miles
13.01 mph

my tire is showing wear though it isn't very old

Wednesday
61° humidity 64% wind 4-6 N
Wind had a slight westerly direction so I was going to turn north on Mansfield. But the traffic lights were out at CLR and Mansfield so turning south was easier. It made riding up MPB and SR56 a little more difficult. But then there was no headwind along Mansfield. 
13.63 miles
13.32 mph

tetley choices at racetrac

Thursday
54° humidity 74% wind 2-5 NNE
I didn’t get very far before I had to turn around for my debit card.
Wind was annoying and chilly. Two days ago I was in bike shorts and t-shirt and sweating. Today I am in bike tights and long sleeved base and sweatshirt. My blood is Florida thin.
The flag at MPIII was flapping until I stopped to take a photo.
I rode out to Union Park before going west to RaceTrac. There are sidewalks but they are narrow and have barriers which make it impossible to pass anyone else. Crossed SR56 then crossed back to RaceTrac.
No bike rack but fence to lock bike up. So many choices inside. No hot foods nor drink because they were upgrading. I wouldn’t have wanted anything anyway. Many iced tea choices and from Tetley. The tea tasted good. No contactless payments. It is a good thing I went back for my debit card. Twelve ounce iced tea was $1.17.
Tables outside. I chose to sit in the sun.
I went south to CLR and then had the wind against me the whole time. Also, part of CLR has no bike lane nor any shoulder.
18.25 miles
12.44 mph

union park

Friday
57° humidity 84% wind 3+ NE
Sun was warm but the wind was chilly. 
I missed 5 miles on my Apple Watch because it didn’t start when I pressed it. I was wearing long sleeves and didn’t check. 
No work yesterday so I was well rested and it showed with my speed. 
13.76 miles
13.83 mph

Saturday
59° humidity 91% wind 1 ESE
Sun was not up, a little chilly. Not wind meant a faster ride. Felt good so no rest stop. 
9.23 miles
13.61 mph

i hate riding in the wind

Sunday
65° humidity 90% wind 10 NW
I do not like to ride in the wind but I couldn’t miss a ride. 
I went out BBD. I finally got a tailwind when I passed the mental health facility so I rode to MPB. I sailed on MPB then got slammed by the wind as I turned north on Beardsley. 
11.14 miles
12.84 mph

This week 87.4
This year 2875

20171026 coffeeneuring #2

I had to turn around for my debit card. I didn't think I would get lucky twice with being able to use Apple Pay.

The flag at MPIII was flapping until I stopped to take a photo.

The wind was annoying and chilly. Two days ago I was in bike shorts and t-shirt and sweating. Today I am in bike tights and long sleeved base and sweatshirt. My blood is Florida thin.

I rode out to Union Park before going west to RaceTrac.

There are sidewalks Along SR56 but they are narrow and have barriers which make it impossible to pass anyone else. I crossed SR56 then crossed back to RaceTrac.

There is no bike rack but a short fence to lock my bike up.

There are so many choices inside. There is a variety of iced teas, slushies, sodas, frozen yogurt and hotdogs. There was no hot foods nor hot drinks because they were upgrading. I got unsweetened ice tea. It was good. Twelve ounce iced tea was $1.17.

There are a few tables outside. I chose to sit in the sun.

I went south to CLR and then had the wind against me the whole time. Part of CLR has no bike lane nor any shoulder but that portion was short.

18.25 miles
12.44 mph

20171022 cycling

bruce b downs looking east to ironwood blvd

This was a good week for mileage. I was on “vacation” from work but mostly stayed home. Andy & I went to Orlando overnight and I rode after I came home. I put off starting the coffeeneuring challenge until Friday.

this pond was drained for weeks so they could reshape it. how long will it take to fill it back up?

Monday
75° humidity 96% wind 1 NE
Hazy and little wind. I stopped at the drained pond in Union Park. Yesterday, I didn’t see that it actually had been graded below. It still looks pretty cool. 
The fence has been repaired where the car went through along SR56. 
15.38 miles
13.58 mph

mansfield blvd

Tuesday
71° humidity 94% wind 5 NE
Cloudy and windy and wet. Rain earlier so the roads were wet. I stayed clear of most of the construction knowing the roads would be muddy. 
Headwind along Mansfield. 
13.66 miles
12.97 mph

windy at meadow pointe 3

Wednesday
80° humidity 64% wind 6+ NE
Sunny was getting low but wind was still strong. Lots of traffic. 
Loved the tailwind along SR56. Headwind along Mansfield was rough. 
8.56 miles
12.65 mph

glitchy robot at union park

Thursday
72° humidity 89% wind 5+ NE
Sunny and windy and less humid. 
I heard Deputy Robot say “Step away from the machine.” when it was not near any human or animal. 
13.92 miles
13.16 mph

meh iced tea at wawa

Friday
72° humidity 92% wind 5+ NE
Coffeeneuring #1
I rode to Union Park then west on SR56 to Wawa. I had never been before. They have a small bike rack and tables outside. The iced beverages are separated from the hot beverages. I chose iced tea. I walked around looking at items and to hide the fact I wasn’t sure where to check out. 
The tea wasn’t very good but it was only $1.07 and I could use Apple Pay. 
The two miles home were tough because the wind was against me again. 
16.02 miles
13.01 mph

i hate the wind

Saturday
73° humidity 93% wind 8+ ENE
I should have gone out earlier before the wind picked up. The gusts nearly stopped me in my tracks. 
The tailwind along SR56 was nice but the headwind along Mansfield was brutal. 
13.86 miles
13.04 mph

half mile path done, waiting for the rest of it to be paved

Sunday
75° humidity 89% wind 4 E
Sunny and windy. Felt stronger than reported. 
Checked my mileage before I turned onto the SR56 extension MUP. It is just over a half mile paved. 
Headwind along Mansfield
10.30 miles
13.09 mph

This week 91.5
This year 2789

#cycling

20171020 coffeeneuring #1

This is my third coffeeneuring challenge. The first year, I tried visiting coffee shops and found they just don't work for my rides. Most of my rides are for fitness and I tend to think of them as a chore to get done. I just can't spend the time to sit and enjoy a cup of coffee, or tea in my case. Last year I tried smoothies. The smoothies were OK but expensive and filling and not so good when I still need to ride home. This year I thought about pit stops to get a quick beverage and be on my way. I thought about the spirit of coffeeneuring and how it started as stopping for coffee. Though drinking coffee is not required, I think hot coffee should be an available beverage. This meant that places like CVS and Walgreens were not allowed. However, almost every gas station has become a place to fill up your car as well as yourself. Some even have small cafés attached. I rarely go into these places and coffeeneuring is a good chance to check out these places.

if only i liked coffee. so many choices.

a decent variety of protein bars in between king sized candy bars

I have been on "vacation" this week but still managed to put my first coffeeneuring trip off until the end of the week. I decided to tack on my coffeeneuring on the back end of my regular ride. I rode out to Union Park then along SR56 to Wawa. I had never been before. They have a small bike rack and tables outside. The iced beverages are separated from the hot beverages. I chose iced tea. I walked around looking at items and to hide the fact I wasn’t sure where to check out. 
The tea wasn’t very good but it was only $1.07 and I could use Apple Pay. 
The two miles home were tough because the wind was against me again. 
16.02 miles

there are tables in sun as well as some in the shade

unsweetened tea is always an iffy beverage as it sometimes can sit for days

20171015 cycling

cows along sr56

Monday
77° humidity 95% wind 2 SE
Windy, wasn’t as strong and neither was I. More school and construction traffic but I missed the bulk of cars at JLMS. 
13.28 miles
11.55 mph

sr56 extension looking east

Tuesday
76° humidity 94% wind 3 ENE
I decided to try pumping my tires and that made all the difference. I feel like a fool for riding with low tires and wondering why I seemed to have no more speed? Sigh. 
I stopped at the SR56 construction site and saw that the base layer of pavement is down. The path is also paved and there is no barrier to it. I really want to see how far it goes. I might try this Sunday when there won’t be any workers present. 
13.30 miles
13.06 mph

sr56 at mansfield

Wednesday
73° humidity 94% wind 2 NE
Wind is more of an annoyance these days. Amazing how it doesn’t bother me when I can pedal faster. I think these weeks of struggle have made me stronger and faster. I was getting complacent. 
9.01 miles
13.53 mph

deputy metro at union park

Thursday
70° humidity 94% wind 2 NE
Chill in the air? Sun in my eyes!
I rode to Union Park. There is a rocket looking security droid by the bridge. After I rode around, I stopped and went closer. Later, I looked online for deputymetro.com and found that it is a security robot that patrols Union Park. A bit weird. 
Heart doing some weird jumps. Had to slow down at WRES because HR was too high. 
13.98 miles
12.79 mph

union park

Friday
72° humidity 92% wind 3-6 NE
Sunny and windy. The robot deputy was patrolling today. Though it just seemed to be going back and forth along Oldwoods. 
I forgot to hit resume when leaving Union Park and lost a half mile. The I forgot to hit pause when I had to stop for traffic at SR56. Sigh. 
13.51 (13.98) miles
13.03 mph 

cows along sr56

Saturday
75° humidity 94% wind 4 NE
Cloudy and windy. I didn’t need my sunglasses until Mansfield. 
Headwind along Mansfield. 
9.13 miles
13.32 mph

sr56 extension looking west toward meadow pointe blvd

Sunday
74° humidity 90% wind 4+ ENE
Wind felt stronger than 4 mph or maybe I was weaker from drinking last night. 
I rode through Union Park. There were quite a few crews working on a Sunday. The pond they were draining is empty. Kind of cool the way it looks it is not flat on the bottom. 
I rode east on the SR56 extension. The path only goes about a half mile right now. I saw two other cyclists riding in the road. 
14.57 miles
12.84 mph

This week 87.2
This year 2697