I got up early, had breakfast and checked the weather. The smartphone said 37-ish degrees. I was thinking about taking a one hour nap in order to let the weather warm up. I ended up skipping the nap. I was prepared to battle the bitter cold, so I wore my winter kit. After getting into the garage to prep everything else, I took a few steps out the garage door. The temperature was nowhere near 37 degrees. More like 47 to 50. I ended up removing my jacket and toe warmers. I got out the door and I had no regrets taking off the layers, as I felt perfectly comfortable. I made my way up OTR in good time. The wind was mild if almost non-existent. When I got to the end of OTR, I removed my leg warmers and stuffed them in the extra bag that I had attached to the bike. I should also mention that I brought a third bottle attached to my fork. I made my way out to WS doing moderate tempo. Observing the wind conditions, all the way. The wind shifted to a headwind as I was nearing WS. After reaching the turn-around point, I pulled over to check the GoPro battery. It was at 50%, so I was wondering if the extra battery bank was charging it properly. I decided to continue and see where it is in about 20 to 30 minutes. (IE, the top of Highline). The return trip was enjoyable, as I had a nice tailwind. I was wondering what it was going to be like when I approach SS. I made my way to the top of Highline and checked the GoPro battery. It didn't drop in percentage charge, so I knew it was going to be ok, from here. (I forgot to bring an extra camera battery, so I was a bit taken by that). I headed up the Banducci wall. Some traffic mitigation, but I wasn't red-lining it too bad. The ascent up the Alpine Forest went smooth. I was keeping track of time. I kept the tempo steady, no red-lining it. The legs were feeling good. No issues at this point. I made my way to the Banducci summit. When I got there, I pulled over to recoup. I hydrated and ate a complete PowerBar. I checked the GoPro, it was working perfect. I observed the wind. It was tough to gauge. It still felt like a tail wind. I let traffic by and then headed downhill. After making it to the base, I headed into the valley. The wind, at this point, did a 180. I was now going into a headwind. That meant a tailwind on the way back. And that was motivating. Or, at least, good for the morale. I made my way around the back end of SS and headed downhill. Doing my tuck thing, reaching close to 40 MPH. I reached the tunnel in about 2:06 hrs. I stopped at the local park to BIO, but the bathroom was closed. I headed back. The BIO signs weren't too bad, so I figured I could hold it till I get back. I cruised through SS and headed back on Banducci. I had a tailwind or tail-cross, most of the way back, on the valley floor. I past Boss Hogs in about 2:29 hrs. So, I gave up a few minutes on that leg of the ride. Not too bad. The legs were starting to feel fatigued. The lower quads were a bit sore, making the knees hurt ever so slightly. I was able to adjust my tempo to mitigate the soreness. The last climb as steady pace. No aggressive start on the start of the climb. I reached the summit, took a few moments to recoup and got back on the power. Route 202 was mostly traffic mitigation. From there mostly fun and games. Concentration was very good. I had a few things to keep my attention occupied. Balance and form was good. Ailments, as noted, lower quad soreness and some knee soreness. Gear worked flawless. Other notes, I saw 4 or 5 cyclists today.

Edit: The purpose of this ride was to confirm my fitness for the Spooktakular ride. In terms of fitness, the body is giving me a green light. So, my chances of doing it has gone up from 50%.