Not a commute, per se, yesterday I did a 30-mile loop...although it began as a 1.5 mile errand to drop off some items to my recently moved 95-year-old mother-in-law including her Sunday paper (so I guess that makes it my paper route?).

Roughly 4 miles east, 7 north, 7 west, 7 south and 3 back east, or a 7 mile square. And the wind was blowing against me in all four directions.

I took my lightest bike, the 2006 Aluminum/Carbon Felt 85, and carried the paper and other items in my bike jacket's huge inside pockets. It was 48F, sunny and flat going east along the old Rock Island rail line...with a stiff breeze in my face.

Then I headed north on Tutt Blvd, which is just a narrow two lane street, now overwhelmed by giant apartment blocks. A very narrow bike lane was added a few years ago, but more recently a wide sidewalk was added and this was the first ride where all seven miles had a wide sidewalk...which is good because it is an 800ft climb up to Woodmen Avenue, and yesterday the wind was in my face. It had warmed to 65F and took off my jacket and was now in t-**** and golf shorts.

At Woodmen I turned west to hook up with the Cottonwood Creek Trail a mile down the road...and I mean 'down'. It's a thrilling 7 mile 800 foot drop along a fast paved trail...except yesterday there was a stiff wind. It was still quick, but just not as fast as I had expected.

Then I turned south onto the Greenway trail for a 7-ish mile slightly downhill run, usually also quick, but again, the wind.

And then it was back east on the Rock Island Trail with the wind in my face again, but mercifully a little less.

Not having taken as many longer rides recently I had been worried about stamina, but I did okay. I also worried about my butt, but it was okay. I hadn't worried about my hands, but they became a minor issue. I developed 'crampy' sensitive hands in my 40s, but switching to drop bars helped as did padding the bars with medium pipe insulation. On the felt the pipe insulation had lost its cushion after 2 years, but it wasn't and issue on my regular 6-8 mile commutes.

Overall it was 2hrs and 24min time in motion and 29.8 miles total for an average speed of about 12 mph, which is just below my current average of 12.5.

It's nice to ride without a commute bag, and on long stretches of trail without much traffic.