My knee continues to ail a bit... On the bright side, the weather was cooperative today! Cool, and winds from the North West. I commenced the ride at moderate tempo, allowing for my right knee to warm up. It never subsided 100% but close enough. I was ready to rock by the end of OTR. Banducc proved to be a chore today. Up and into the wind. I just kept reminding myself that the return trip will be a treat (with the tailwind in mind). I reached SS in good time, through the tunnel in just under 1:00 hrs. Prior to that, I stopped to switch over to my smartphone as a music player. My sony walkman ran out of batteries. I flew through SS and out the front door just as quick. The return trip was what I expected. Enough of a tailwind to keep the moral up. I reached Boss Hogs in under 1:20 hours. The last climb went by fast. Again, assisted by the wind. I caught up to another cyclist that pulled over to take photos. I became his carrot. The trip down Route 202 was a blast. I put in a good sprint to OTR, topping out at over 38MPH, out of the saddle and sprinting. From there it was fun and games with the usual push over Mariposa. Concentration was great, in the zone. Ailments consisted of minor right knee soreness. Somewhat lingered on the latter half of the ride. Balance and form is good. Gear is working well. My walkman ran out of batteries, so I switched over to my smartphone. Other notes, I saw a turkey vulture that must have had a wingspan in excess of 3 feet!