Rumors of the sun going super nova were clearly exaggerated. Those rumors seemed almost plausible since we’ve had a ton of rain and cloud cover over the past several weeks.

The sun returned and it was time to get those wheels moving!

I did two fun rides this weekend and it was great to get some solid “saddle time.”

Ride #1 – 26 miles – Helotes “211″ Loop (Ride Map & Details)
Marco joined me Saturday morning to tackle the hills of Highway 211. This is a familiar route that is always a little challenging. We were wheels down at 0815 in the morning and made some good time on this route. It seems like I always have a session of cursing (in my mind) that my Felt F75 is a double rather than a triple chain ring. On some of the larger hills, I envy those two to three extra gears that Marco has access to! By the way, if you drive a gigantic gravel truck and drive down FM 471, please move over a little when you pass by a cyclist on the shoulder. It’s safer for everyone involved and is just, plain, courteous.

Ride #2 – 9.5 miles – Hollywood Park (Ride Map & Details)
Grabbed the mountain bike Sunday afternoon and joined my Dad for a fun ride in Hollywood Park. I planned on this being a sort of “recovery” ride from my more intense ride on Saturday morning. Turns out, Dad’s almost daily bike rides have resulted in him being faster and more capable on the hills we so often frequent together. I was very impressed. Way to go Dad! Keep it up. You continue to be an inspiration to me.