"Give them some Heat" - Nolan

This morning I ventured down to Alvin, Texas with a fellow Mule "Kenny" to take part in the "Tour de Brazos"
Alvin is a city in in Brazoria County and whose claim to fame is Baseballs Hall of Famer "Nolan Ryan". One of Nolan's more famous pitches was his fast ball and fans often delighted when Nolan gave his opposition some chin music in the form of some "Heat" (Fast Ball).

Having experienced Alvin today I am not at all surprised about Mr Ryan's fastball as those fortunate to survive the full 100 mile ride of the "Tour de Baz" - HEAT was the theme for the day.

By noon the mercury had hit above 100 Degrees F and with a heat index closer to 106 Degrees we were thankful to see a Fire Engine at the halfway mark spraying a water mist into the air to cool of the riders.

The ride spent a great deal in Brazoria County including stretches where we crossed over the Brazos River (Hence the name of the ride)The first part of the ride was against a stiff onshore wind coming in from the Gulf but we made great time and got to the 50 mile marker at a great average of 20mph.
Then we went over a railway track and Kenny heard a pop on his bike and automatically started having problems changing gears. I did not look too closely at Kenny's Bike, but in hindsight it did resemble one of the wheels off "Fred Flintstones" car .
One of the spokes had snapped and the wheel was wobbling around dramatically as if the wheel had not been invented by Cavemen, and was in fact still square in shape.

We decided to pull into a a rest stop where some very creative bike mechanics patched Kenny up. The next 50 miles was reasonably uneventful except for the occasional cramping and "day dreaming" of a cool glass of lemonade.
The ride was fantastic, and the volunteers "All Stars". It was a good training ride for the Hotter than Hell 100 in August, which today saw very similar temperatures and conditions.

My Mule....Beauty and the Beast

I first set my eyes on my "Rowley" in Cairo when the geriatric hay burner was munching on some poor chap's dress socks. It soon became evident that "Rowley" was a true character. Apart from being uncomfortable in the middle and dangerous at both ends "Rowley" displayed a unique resemblance to my old school Latin Teacher - Mr Jones. They both knew when you weren't paying attention and usually took advantage of this opportunity.
Being blindsided by a blackboard duster is as equally painful as being bitten on your backside by a Mule, especially if you tie the beast up to a granite rock. "Rowley" is all about comfort and by that I mean whats comfortable for him. With his Pith Helmet and desert issue Boots he certainly isnt in the mood to sacrifice practicality to style.

"Fuji -San" has similar traits to "Rowley"!! She will gladly dump you on the asphalt if you misbehavior. Unlike "Rowley" she is blessed with great looks and is as light as a feather and does not like anything attached to her unless they are part of the riding process...... No Tassels or Bells! Panniers are strictly forbidden however like Rowley a small compass or Garmin is acceptable. She has no problem letting me take her anyway I like as long as the road is smooth and the pace is fast.