After yesterday's fantastic ride, Jim Roepcke suggested that perhaps part of the reason I had a high average speed was that the air pressure was lower. Yeah, cyclist's are well known for riding their fastest in the rain. (Sorry Jim, just teasing, but it is kind of funny, isn't it? The difference in wind resistance between a high pressure day and a low pressure day is negligible, and more than maide up for by the extra weight of being soaked with rain, the increased friction from pushing through rain instead of just air, and the loss of traction between the tires and the road which results in less efficient cycling.)

Today I went for a really long ride -- much longer than anything else so far this season -- and still managed my second best average speed so far this year... and today was dry, cloudless, and higher air pressure. Nyah, so there. ;-)

Anyway, I rode from my house, to downtown Mystic, to Westerly (on Route 1), to Watch Hill, to Misquamicut (the full length of the beach), to Bradford, to Ashaway (via 216), to 184 past Art and Sarahs' house and all the way home.

Stats: 48.51 miles (78.10 km) in 153' 29" for an average speed of 18.96 mph (30.53 kph).