Final weekend in Florida and we moved to the guest room at my daughter's home for the final 2 days of our stay. I researched and found 2 routes that were close to my daughter's home and picked the one with the closest control which was about 30 miles north of where she lives. I checked the weather on Friday night and saw the forecast was for cloudy. I didn't see any chance for rain. I assembled my wife's bike and left it for her to ride on Saturday with the family.
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/35319971
Saturday morning, I got up very early and drove pre-dawn up to the Blackpoint Wildlife trail head near Titusville. I parked my car and started to put my bike together. A few minutes into my measured pace, I noticed the buzz of mosquitoes. This got me motivated to move faster. I put the wheel on, put the bag on the handlebar, put the water bottle into the cage, threw on my shoes and helmet and reflective vest and rode away from the buzzing pests. In all my rush, I did not grab the bag that held my rain jacket which I usually just tuck into my handlebar bag just in case.
The weather was cool and the wind was not yet a factor. I rode towards Titusville and made pretty good time. My pace was around 13.5 as I turned on to the trail that would carry me north. I didn't realize it yet, but I would be on protected trails for the next 20 or so miles. Flat as a pancake and smooth as silk. My average pace continued to increase and as I got close to my next turn, my average speed was up to around 15.3. I was thinking this might be a great day with me riding so fast and so well. That was when the first rain drops started to fall.
As I made my way towards New Smyrna, the rain fell harder and harder. The trail filled with puddles and there were several bridges which I navigated with care to ensure I would not slip and fall. I was getting drenched, but I stopped a few miles from the control and used a Roctane Gu to give me a boost. I then pushed on to the control thinking I was looking for a 7-11. With the rain still pouring, I got to the place where the control should be and found McDonald's. I navigated my bike to a place down the road thinking maybe the store was further along. I stopped and pulled out my phone to confirm the control was the McDonalds. I was so wet, I didn't want to brave that stop. Instead, I opted to head on the route.
The route continues for about 13 miles down US-1. Initially there is a bike lane that eventually turns into rough shoulder marked for bikes and eventually it just ends. While still in the improved bike lane section of US-1, I stopped at a Dollar General store where I bought fresh batteries for my rear blinky. I also bought a rain poncho. I put the poncho on and tucked it into my shorts. The hood went over my head and then my helmet held that in place. I then put my reflective vest on over that. I cleared my glasses (which I stopped and did several times). As I rolled south, there was a nice push from the wind. My average speed had dropped to about 13.5 with all my stopping and slow progress. With the wind pushing, my average increased back to 13.8.I debated riding on the sidewalk which looked a lot smoother than the bike lane, but I was not sure how far the sidewalk would go before it ended so I stayed in the bike lane.
I finally found a C-store. I put on my mask. As I entered the store, there was noone to be seen. I went and picked up a chocolate milk and some cookies. A woman came from the back of the store (unmasked) to aid in my purchase. There was plexiglass in front of the register. I went out front to eat and drink. As I did this, 2 more customers showed up without masks and one of them walked into the store with a cigarette lit in his mouth. I'm always wary of this as cigarette smoke triggers my asthma. I was glad to be outside.
I got back on the bike and headed south. I stopped a couple more times to clear my glasses. I finally got to the left turn which took me into the Merritt Island wildlife area. The rain was still falling but was lessening. In the distance, I could see the sky was lighter and I hoped for some sun to help dry me out before I reached my car. The wind had shifted and I now found myself working against a partial head wind. As I got closer to the final turn, I crossed a metal bridge with a warning sign for bikes. Just ahead of the bridge was a sign for Manatee viewing area. The bridge crossing was very tricky! My bike slipped and shifted as I rolled across the bridge. I was just trying to maintain a low speed, but the bike was hard to control. I was so glad I got across without falling. Next time (if I ever do this again), I might walk this one.
I finally made it to the turn and pedaled hard to finish the last 3 miles and record a finish time of 4 hours 57 minutes. I was glad to be done and glad that in the light of day with a breeze, there were no mosquitoes near the van. I packed up the bike and put a towel down on the front seat for me to sit on. Cars were arriving to the area where I parked to do the scenic drive that is there. I found out by listening to 2 woman talk about the fee, that a national park pass would work. We have one of those so if we do go back, maybe we will drive the scenic drive to see what there is to see.
I drove back to Rockledge and found that it had never rained there at all. My family had a very pleasant ride along the coast near Cocoa Village. There were very surprised to hear about the drenching rains I encountered all morning.
I recorded my results and exchanged some very nice emails with the president of RUSA about my ride. I even notice that the route now features a C-store control in Titusville which I think would help folks like me that start from the south end. As I write this, I am back in Austin and thinking about the upcoming Suspend Belief 400K. I hope I am ready to ride. I at least did some 100K rides while in Florida. I really appreciate all the email notes from fellow randos about the 2 routes I rode. That's what I love about rando - the friends and fellowship.
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