Debated about riding today because of the threat of rain and the nasty wind. However, I could not stand the thought of not riding during my fall break so I donned my wind pants, a short sleeve jersey and my wind jacket and decided to give it a try. I figured the worse thing that could happen to me would be I might get wet and I knew I would not melt. The wind was quite helpful the first 10 miles or so and I was flying. They clouds broke up and the sun came out and I took my jacket off for I was getting warm. The last 14 miles proved to be tough for I spent most of it fighting the wind. I did have a close encounter with a dog that decided to play chicken with me as I was zooming along at 20 mph. The little fellow (about 40 lbs) ran out in front of me and stopped - I missed him by millimeters. I had a great ride today, my ankles did not hurt, my legs felt strong and I enjoyed my day on the bike. A great way to pass 90 minutes and see 24 miles of beautiful fall colors.