Yesterday, as I'd planned, I did a hard ride around one of the longer of my Arlington loops. This one was about 23 miles, and, as I indicated I was thinking, I went with just the jersey and a baselayer, rather than a jacket.
Clothing-wise, that worked out very well. It was very comfortable, and I was warm enough all the way. I went with the Assos glove tandem (bonka glove and shell), which was also a great fit for the day.
Being so comfortable, I started out riding hard, trying to get at least into second on the long segment on George Mason Dr on which I got fourth on my last hard ride. The first part of that, I was surprised to be eight full seconds behind my time the other day, but I was also feeling much better at the end. I also lost some time at the other end, but made up for it in the middle.
It was the first time I'd really set out to ride hard on a segment anywhere near that long, and it was rough. I was quite tired at the end. And I was semi-successful; I ended up tied for second, meaning that I only beat my time from the other day by a few seconds. And that's without the mechanical stop. So a bit disappointing all the way around, even if it looks better.
Overall, I only had three PRs, but I had a slew of second- and third-best segments. So I guess I'd chalk it up as being moderately successful, if a little less so than I'd hoped. There's a five-minute-ish segment covering four hills right around Ft Myer and Courthouse that I was really hoping to kill.
I felt really good, and did set a PR on the first hill, but the rest of it was second- and third-best times, ending up twelve seconds behind my record. Still, I kept on, and finished the route averaging 18.6mph over the hour and thirteen minutes. Nothing to set the world on fire, but nothing to be upset about, either.
I kept my heart rate solidly in zone four, with a good six minutes in zone five. Loving that last bit, especially.
My power-based zone distribution was not as good, although I think a significant part of that was not having as many hills (just under 900' total elevation) as my hillier hard-riding route. I got eighteen minutes at or above threshold, which isn't bad. Not as much as I hope for (I'd like to get closer to thirty), but again, not bad.
That left today as a recovery ride, with the caveat that snow was forecast to start just before I got on the bike. I was lucky not to see the snow, as I'd decided to not ride the hybrid, and got on the road only a little bit late.
It was raining, however, which was not fun, at a hair above freezing. Also, I wore my Assos jacket, thinking that it was more sealed than the North Face shell/fleece liner that I normally wear on cold recovery rides. That didn't work out well; the FuguJack is not completely sealed, it appears. I finished with damply wet arms. Not enough there to be worrisome, but it definitely didn't feel good.
Also, I went with the same gloves as yesterday. Today, it was not such a good decision; my hands were considerably chilly well before finishing. In fact, I wanted to do fifteen miles, but cut back to only twelve because of that chilliness. Given that the snow was just starting as I finished, anyway, it might have been a good thing regardless. Still, I don't like having that sort of thing forced on me.
I also might have gotten legs a little wet, somehow. I was wearing the PI AmFibs, so I'm not sure how that might have happened. I hope they haven't already lost their waterproofing; I guess we'll see, next time I wear them.
One good thing is that I mostly kept my heart rate down. I was a bit worried, over the long stretch where I couldn't see the meter, but I killed it through there. In that stretch, I kept it entirely between 114 and 123, which is basically perfect. Just after, though, I blew it on a hill where I got up to 140. Very annoying.
But I did keep it going right the rest of the way, so I think things will be fine for the group ride I'm expecting to do tomorrow.
The one thing that bothers me, a bit, is that my power was off, at that heart rate. That was only with an average right around 100, and I should be putting out more like 120W at that heart rate. I'm hoping that's just because I'm (still) not feeling well (although much better than a couple days ago).
Showing posts with label snow. Show all posts
Showing posts with label snow. Show all posts
20150320
20150306
Further challenges
I got up a little early the last two mornings. Yesterday, it was to try to get out before the snow started. The snow was supposed to start right about the time I was going to leave, so I thought I'd get out a little bit early.
When I got up, I looked and saw no snow on the ground, and thought about riding the road bike (temperature was right around freezing, to boot). But I was worried about ice on the road, and decided to play it safe.
It turns out I'd've been fine if I'd gone out on the road bike, but I was worried about finding ice the hard way again. What did surprise me was seeing a couple other cyclists going the other way; I haven't seen hardly any over the last couple of weeks. Something about the snow and cold, I imagine. And the hour doesn't help, for that matter.
The one interesting thing is that one of my mittens, in particular, got a lot of water in it (my fault; I could have certainly avoided much, if not all, of that). That necessitated finally using my boot/glove dryer that I bought a month or so ago. Glad to see that it seems to've worked well without ruining the equipment; I was a little worried. We'll see how it works if I need to use it for, say, the Assos gloves.
Today was much more challenging. That snow that I'd worried about was falling for most of the day yesterday, and it mostly hadn't been cleared. And I was staying, as much as I could, on the main roads. It was downright ugly.
And, to add insult to injury, the temperature was down around ten degrees (9-12F). So it was pretty tough. I got almost nine miles in, and was thwarted from going further by the tough time I was having keeping my heart rate down.
Essentially, to go further, I'd've needed to go up one or more very steep hills, and there's no way I'd've kept it down on those. I still got up to 141bpm as it was (target max: 125).
I'd like to say that I conquered the challenge, because I did get out and get miles in, but it's probably more fair to call it a draw, since I did a fair bit less than I really wanted to do.
Tomorrow, I'm not sure. I might be doing a group ride early, which would require the road bike. But if not, I think I'll just ride the hybrid again. I'm not sure I'll find anything except the main roads passable tomorrow (and even those might have some ice on them), so I'm leaning towards playing it safe again. But if they're doing the group ride, I'll give it a go.
When I got up, I looked and saw no snow on the ground, and thought about riding the road bike (temperature was right around freezing, to boot). But I was worried about ice on the road, and decided to play it safe.
It turns out I'd've been fine if I'd gone out on the road bike, but I was worried about finding ice the hard way again. What did surprise me was seeing a couple other cyclists going the other way; I haven't seen hardly any over the last couple of weeks. Something about the snow and cold, I imagine. And the hour doesn't help, for that matter.
The one interesting thing is that one of my mittens, in particular, got a lot of water in it (my fault; I could have certainly avoided much, if not all, of that). That necessitated finally using my boot/glove dryer that I bought a month or so ago. Glad to see that it seems to've worked well without ruining the equipment; I was a little worried. We'll see how it works if I need to use it for, say, the Assos gloves.
Today was much more challenging. That snow that I'd worried about was falling for most of the day yesterday, and it mostly hadn't been cleared. And I was staying, as much as I could, on the main roads. It was downright ugly.
And, to add insult to injury, the temperature was down around ten degrees (9-12F). So it was pretty tough. I got almost nine miles in, and was thwarted from going further by the tough time I was having keeping my heart rate down.
Essentially, to go further, I'd've needed to go up one or more very steep hills, and there's no way I'd've kept it down on those. I still got up to 141bpm as it was (target max: 125).
I'd like to say that I conquered the challenge, because I did get out and get miles in, but it's probably more fair to call it a draw, since I did a fair bit less than I really wanted to do.
Tomorrow, I'm not sure. I might be doing a group ride early, which would require the road bike. But if not, I think I'll just ride the hybrid again. I'm not sure I'll find anything except the main roads passable tomorrow (and even those might have some ice on them), so I'm leaning towards playing it safe again. But if they're doing the group ride, I'll give it a go.
20150302
Building miles
Thought things might be improving after writing the other day. But time, it has not been more present.
Riding has been interesting since my last missive, though not as much so as that update.
It started last Thursday, although that was an uneventful 15-mile ride. There was snow, but it was pretty warm, so I was able to stretch the ride out a bit longer than I'd initially planned. The only real excitement was the battery on my RFLKT+ dying before I started. Really annoying. Consecutive batteries from the same pack (and Panasonics, so not unbranded, cheap ones): one lasted over two months, while the next one lasted less than two weeks. Dunno what's going on with that.
Friday, I took off from work, so things were a bit more interesting. My plan had been a sixty-mile ride, meeting my dad for lunch halfway through. The first difficulty was when my daughter needed me to be at school in the morning, delaying my start by close to an hour. Then my dad had to take my uncle to a doctor, though, so lunch fell through. So I finally rode down to Mt Vernon (it had been on my list of destinations for quite a while, but it's too far for a morning ride and too close for a really long ride).
I did some checking on Google maps to figure out how to get there (I was unsure about a small stretch of Alexandria), and headed on my way. It gave an alternate route for the southern stretch (south of Alexandria, that is), that was a little shorter than just taking the Mt Vernon trail all the way. I decided I'd take the MV trail anyway, and set off.
My plan was just fine, and I was feeling really good, until I got a few hundred yards south of Alexandria. The trail, there, was impassible on my road bike (lots of snow and ice), so I headed onto the road and kept going. I did a mile or two like that (and I wasn't loving it), then saw the turnoff from where Google Maps directed me, and took that route.
That road, Ft Hunt Rd, ended up being pretty interesting. I think the reason I was directed there was that it was a little more direct than the Mt Vernon trail, and that it seems to've had a bike path (I say "seems to" because the bits I saw were totally covered, and because I didn't even see the covered parts until I was on the way back).
Regardless, I went that way, and I was killing it. I managed (without specifically trying) a top-10 on a five-minute segment I didn't even know about. One interesting bit about the road was that there was a really neat-looking library right after I turned on it (Martha Washington, I believe). I need to go back and take some pictures, there. I also noticed lots of churches along the way. Some of them were big, and some were pretty (and a couple were neither), and I liked seeing them.
I would have assumed, though, that having so many around would mean people would be nicer than usual. Well, if so, they certainly weren't any more willing to share the road. I got honked at a few times (I was on the road, since I didn't even see the trail), and a few people drove by (very close) at quite high speeds (for the road). One elderly lady (seventy if she was a day) even gunned her engine as she passed. Not so nice, especially since I saw, as I said, going quite fast (in fact, in Alexandria I got passed by a lady (very closely) when I was doing the speed limit. Really annoying).
Still, the road itself was nice, and I was able to navigate the last mile or so between Ft Hunt and the GW Parkway without incident. I then rode the last couple miles to Mt Vernon, going pretty hard. When I got there, I found that I'd managed 18.9mph over the twenty miles to get there. I was pretty proud of that.
I took a small break to drink a little bit and take a picture, then headed back. I took a slightly different route, taking Ft Hunt all the way back to Alexandria. It worried me a little, when I got to Rt 1, but there was a flyover that worked out just fine (without putting me on the Beltway or Rt 1, neither of which is a nice route).
I got another couple miles when I noticed I that my power meter had cut out. It seems that the battery had died (this sounds familiar), and I don't carry extra batteries with me. So I had to deal without getting feedback for the rest of the ride.
Once I established that that was probably the problem, I got going again, riding hard up to, and through, Crystal City. I got to Columbia Pike (although it was a nice day, the trails, as noted, were not in good shape, and this is the only route I know (around there) that completely avoids the trails.
And I pretty much blew up going up the big hill where the Air Force Memorial is. I kept going, but stopped trying to push hard (mostly; I did push hard up a couple more hills).
Anyway, that was about it for the interesting portion of the ride. It ended up being just under fifty miles, and I was very sore at the end.
Saturday, of course, was a recovery ride. It was pretty cold (12-16F), but it went well. Despite the sore muscles, I had no problem getting almost fifteen miles in. In fact, if not for the cold, I'd've probably done another five.
Sunday, I ended up getting up an hour earlier (not planned ahead, it just worked out that way) and riding then, thinking it'd make sure I didn't get caught up in the snow that was supposed to start pretty early (that meant I could ride the road bike). And this time, I did get those extra miles in (it was about 23F).
Other than that, the only real interesting thing was my heart rate meter giving me a bit of a scare. For the first couple minutes, it was showing 54bpm, which is lower than my resting rate (usually). I figured on a battery problem, and went to disable it, but wasn't able to do it without stopping. I decided it wasn't worth stopping for, and kept on. A minute or two later, I noticed that the data looked reasonable again. Not sure what happened.
And that snow? Well, I finished the ride about six, and the snow didn't start until nine. So starting early didn't end up accomplishing anything at all.
Which leads to this morning. I knew that I'd be riding the hybrid this morning, as the snow yesterday morning had turned into sleet and freezing rain later in the day. Then it melted, then it froze. So I knew it'd be a mess this morning. In fact, yesterday afternoon I told my wife school was going to be canceled today (it was). And then I overslept.
I thought maybe I could ride sometime in the middle of the day, until my wife told me school was, indeed, canceled. So I asked her, and then got on the bike. Not a long ride: 10.8 miles in almost exactly an hour.
I stayed entirely on roads, and they were just fine, although sidewalks and driveways were a mess (I saw one man fall down in his driveway as I was riding by. Thankfully, he was fine).
It did warm up, so tomorrow should be fine, although, with my wife home, I'm not sure how I'm going to get my chain cleaned (it needs it badly). I'll have to figure out a way. At least I'm getting laundry done (it's needed it since Friday).
Tomorrow should be a decent day for riding; clear and cold (20-ish). But shortly after my ride, the weather promises to turn foul, raining or snowing for two days straight. The day after that should be very cold, the following not quite as cold, but things should turn nice after that. We can hope.
Riding has been interesting since my last missive, though not as much so as that update.
It started last Thursday, although that was an uneventful 15-mile ride. There was snow, but it was pretty warm, so I was able to stretch the ride out a bit longer than I'd initially planned. The only real excitement was the battery on my RFLKT+ dying before I started. Really annoying. Consecutive batteries from the same pack (and Panasonics, so not unbranded, cheap ones): one lasted over two months, while the next one lasted less than two weeks. Dunno what's going on with that.
Friday, I took off from work, so things were a bit more interesting. My plan had been a sixty-mile ride, meeting my dad for lunch halfway through. The first difficulty was when my daughter needed me to be at school in the morning, delaying my start by close to an hour. Then my dad had to take my uncle to a doctor, though, so lunch fell through. So I finally rode down to Mt Vernon (it had been on my list of destinations for quite a while, but it's too far for a morning ride and too close for a really long ride).
I did some checking on Google maps to figure out how to get there (I was unsure about a small stretch of Alexandria), and headed on my way. It gave an alternate route for the southern stretch (south of Alexandria, that is), that was a little shorter than just taking the Mt Vernon trail all the way. I decided I'd take the MV trail anyway, and set off.
My plan was just fine, and I was feeling really good, until I got a few hundred yards south of Alexandria. The trail, there, was impassible on my road bike (lots of snow and ice), so I headed onto the road and kept going. I did a mile or two like that (and I wasn't loving it), then saw the turnoff from where Google Maps directed me, and took that route.
That road, Ft Hunt Rd, ended up being pretty interesting. I think the reason I was directed there was that it was a little more direct than the Mt Vernon trail, and that it seems to've had a bike path (I say "seems to" because the bits I saw were totally covered, and because I didn't even see the covered parts until I was on the way back).
Regardless, I went that way, and I was killing it. I managed (without specifically trying) a top-10 on a five-minute segment I didn't even know about. One interesting bit about the road was that there was a really neat-looking library right after I turned on it (Martha Washington, I believe). I need to go back and take some pictures, there. I also noticed lots of churches along the way. Some of them were big, and some were pretty (and a couple were neither), and I liked seeing them.
I would have assumed, though, that having so many around would mean people would be nicer than usual. Well, if so, they certainly weren't any more willing to share the road. I got honked at a few times (I was on the road, since I didn't even see the trail), and a few people drove by (very close) at quite high speeds (for the road). One elderly lady (seventy if she was a day) even gunned her engine as she passed. Not so nice, especially since I saw, as I said, going quite fast (in fact, in Alexandria I got passed by a lady (very closely) when I was doing the speed limit. Really annoying).
Still, the road itself was nice, and I was able to navigate the last mile or so between Ft Hunt and the GW Parkway without incident. I then rode the last couple miles to Mt Vernon, going pretty hard. When I got there, I found that I'd managed 18.9mph over the twenty miles to get there. I was pretty proud of that.
I took a small break to drink a little bit and take a picture, then headed back. I took a slightly different route, taking Ft Hunt all the way back to Alexandria. It worried me a little, when I got to Rt 1, but there was a flyover that worked out just fine (without putting me on the Beltway or Rt 1, neither of which is a nice route).
I got another couple miles when I noticed I that my power meter had cut out. It seems that the battery had died (this sounds familiar), and I don't carry extra batteries with me. So I had to deal without getting feedback for the rest of the ride.
Once I established that that was probably the problem, I got going again, riding hard up to, and through, Crystal City. I got to Columbia Pike (although it was a nice day, the trails, as noted, were not in good shape, and this is the only route I know (around there) that completely avoids the trails.
And I pretty much blew up going up the big hill where the Air Force Memorial is. I kept going, but stopped trying to push hard (mostly; I did push hard up a couple more hills).
Anyway, that was about it for the interesting portion of the ride. It ended up being just under fifty miles, and I was very sore at the end.
Saturday, of course, was a recovery ride. It was pretty cold (12-16F), but it went well. Despite the sore muscles, I had no problem getting almost fifteen miles in. In fact, if not for the cold, I'd've probably done another five.
Sunday, I ended up getting up an hour earlier (not planned ahead, it just worked out that way) and riding then, thinking it'd make sure I didn't get caught up in the snow that was supposed to start pretty early (that meant I could ride the road bike). And this time, I did get those extra miles in (it was about 23F).
Other than that, the only real interesting thing was my heart rate meter giving me a bit of a scare. For the first couple minutes, it was showing 54bpm, which is lower than my resting rate (usually). I figured on a battery problem, and went to disable it, but wasn't able to do it without stopping. I decided it wasn't worth stopping for, and kept on. A minute or two later, I noticed that the data looked reasonable again. Not sure what happened.
And that snow? Well, I finished the ride about six, and the snow didn't start until nine. So starting early didn't end up accomplishing anything at all.
Which leads to this morning. I knew that I'd be riding the hybrid this morning, as the snow yesterday morning had turned into sleet and freezing rain later in the day. Then it melted, then it froze. So I knew it'd be a mess this morning. In fact, yesterday afternoon I told my wife school was going to be canceled today (it was). And then I overslept.
I thought maybe I could ride sometime in the middle of the day, until my wife told me school was, indeed, canceled. So I asked her, and then got on the bike. Not a long ride: 10.8 miles in almost exactly an hour.
I stayed entirely on roads, and they were just fine, although sidewalks and driveways were a mess (I saw one man fall down in his driveway as I was riding by. Thankfully, he was fine).
It did warm up, so tomorrow should be fine, although, with my wife home, I'm not sure how I'm going to get my chain cleaned (it needs it badly). I'll have to figure out a way. At least I'm getting laundry done (it's needed it since Friday).
Tomorrow should be a decent day for riding; clear and cold (20-ish). But shortly after my ride, the weather promises to turn foul, raining or snowing for two days straight. The day after that should be very cold, the following not quite as cold, but things should turn nice after that. We can hope.
20150223
Challenges met
I haven't been writing lately for the simple reason that I've been really tired at night. Last night, I turned on the Caps game right after putting the kids to bed (I didn't, earlier, because I thought I'd missed recording it, but was pleasantly surprised to find that I had when I checked). Part of it was that they looked terrible (to be fair, some of it was that Philly looked quite good), but I couldn't even watch past the end of the first period.
In any event, there were two days I was especially worried about. One was last Wednesday, when we were scheduled to get 8-12 inches of snow. It turned out to only be four or five, which helped a lot. Regardless, it turned out that the only real challenge was getting going fast enough to get my second foot clipped on to the pedal. Once I did that, which required going the opposite direction out of my driveway from my usual, it was pretty smooth sailing. I didn't do a lot of miles (partially because it was still really cold), but the ride had very little drama. And the only drama it had came from my concern about stopping fully, and having to deal with clipping in again.
The route was, perhaps, a little interesting. I went down George Mason Dr, as usual, but then turned right on Wilson (which I occasionally do, to get to the trail at Bluemont Park). But from there, I went all the way to Seven Corners (not something I would normally do on a bike), and turned right on Rt 7 (something I generally avoid, even in a car). In any event, I took Rt 7 all the way down to Haycock, followed that over to Westmoreland, then turned up Williamsburg towards home. All in all, a good eleven miles.
One thing I did discover, before the end of the ride, was that being in a very low gear helps a lot on snow. And that's kind of interesting, because it's exactly the opposite in a car. Driving, you want to be in a higher gear so you don't over-spin the tires (sometimes I'll start the car moving in second gear, for instance).
Thursday wasn't terribly interesting. It was nine degrees, and I just rode down into Shirlington, turned around, and came home. It being that cold, I did have to speed up a bit over the last mile and a half or so, just to keep warm. But that did work out to a bit over twelve miles, so it wasn't bad.
Friday was the second challenge, when it was supposed to go below zero on my ride. And it did, although barely; the forecast had called for -4F, but it only got to -1F. I did roughly the same ride as Thursday, and again had to crank it up a little bit at the end. But I did manage to keep my heart rate within my target zone for all but three minutes, so that wasn't too bad.
What was kind of funny was, later in the day, I needed to do laundry because I was out of my warm base layers and of my liner socks. I didn't expect that to happen; quite a statement on the recent cold snap, I think. I was also close to the end of my tights, but that's a bit less weird.
Saturday the roads were clear enough that I finally got to ride my road bike again. And I was happy to do that, as I wanted to do a much harder ride. It was 10F, and I went into the hills. I actually couldn't wear my Assos jacket, because I knew that the phone would shut down from cold, within it (no jersey with pockets). But I was riding hard enough that I knew that my PI PRO Softshell jacket would be warm enough (with my heaviest base layer), and would keep the phone warm enough as well.
My average power on the ride wasn't quite as good as I was hoping (193W), but the weighted average was excellent (233W, per Strava, 255 according to Cyclemeter). I'm not sure if I set any records on my power curve, but I was close to the top for everything longer than about half a minute. And my power zone distribution wasn't too bad; 7:34 anaerobic and four minutes and change neuromuscular. I think I could have done better, but that wasn't bad.
It ended up with fourteen miles, 1440' elevation rise, and 15.1mph avg speed. Nothing to set the world on fire, but numbers I was fairly happy with.
Sunday was a bit warmer (finally), right around freezing, so I was thinking of doing a longer loop. And technically, I suppose, I did, but the roads were pretty treacherous. I actually put my platform pedals back on my hybrid, to kill two birds with one stone: warmer feet and insurance if my chain decided to give up the ghost. I'd cleaned and lubed the chain again Friday, but I saw, doing so, that it was in really terrible shape (the rust particularly worries me). I'll replace the chain soon, but I'm going to try to use the old one until the snow stops.
Anyway, the loop I did Sunday ended up being only eighteen and a half miles. I had to stay away from the trails, and some of the roads had me pretty worried as well. Also, I knew my speed was pretty bad, thanks to being on the hybrid with hiking boots. I knew I wouldn't have the clip-in problem with the boots, but the traction in parts of the ride was made worse when my feet slipped off the pedals. Definitely some mixed blessings, going to hiking boots and platforms.
But I got through it without major problems, so I'll definitely call that victory. And I did a good job keeping my heart rate down, as well, averaging 106 and keeping it under 125, except for the last hill before home (oops... should have gone around it).
So those were the challenges, and I'm proud to say that I beat them into the ground.
This morning, I went out and only did ten miles (on the hybrid again; I was worried about ice). But it was a nice ride; the first time in a couple weeks where I wasn't cold. I didn't have to ball up my fists in my mittens a single time (though I did still wear the mittens). But the route was very weird, as I again had to completely avoid the trails (I thought about changing that, but didn't like the looks of things when I got to one). I went through Falls Church again, but this time on Sycamore and Washington/Westmoreland. And I went through to Powhatan, where I took the hills (slowly; trying to keep heart rate down).
Physically, in fact, I felt great this morning. Better than I have in a while. I hope that's a harbinger of things to come.
In any event, there were two days I was especially worried about. One was last Wednesday, when we were scheduled to get 8-12 inches of snow. It turned out to only be four or five, which helped a lot. Regardless, it turned out that the only real challenge was getting going fast enough to get my second foot clipped on to the pedal. Once I did that, which required going the opposite direction out of my driveway from my usual, it was pretty smooth sailing. I didn't do a lot of miles (partially because it was still really cold), but the ride had very little drama. And the only drama it had came from my concern about stopping fully, and having to deal with clipping in again.
The route was, perhaps, a little interesting. I went down George Mason Dr, as usual, but then turned right on Wilson (which I occasionally do, to get to the trail at Bluemont Park). But from there, I went all the way to Seven Corners (not something I would normally do on a bike), and turned right on Rt 7 (something I generally avoid, even in a car). In any event, I took Rt 7 all the way down to Haycock, followed that over to Westmoreland, then turned up Williamsburg towards home. All in all, a good eleven miles.
One thing I did discover, before the end of the ride, was that being in a very low gear helps a lot on snow. And that's kind of interesting, because it's exactly the opposite in a car. Driving, you want to be in a higher gear so you don't over-spin the tires (sometimes I'll start the car moving in second gear, for instance).
Thursday wasn't terribly interesting. It was nine degrees, and I just rode down into Shirlington, turned around, and came home. It being that cold, I did have to speed up a bit over the last mile and a half or so, just to keep warm. But that did work out to a bit over twelve miles, so it wasn't bad.
Friday was the second challenge, when it was supposed to go below zero on my ride. And it did, although barely; the forecast had called for -4F, but it only got to -1F. I did roughly the same ride as Thursday, and again had to crank it up a little bit at the end. But I did manage to keep my heart rate within my target zone for all but three minutes, so that wasn't too bad.
What was kind of funny was, later in the day, I needed to do laundry because I was out of my warm base layers and of my liner socks. I didn't expect that to happen; quite a statement on the recent cold snap, I think. I was also close to the end of my tights, but that's a bit less weird.
Saturday the roads were clear enough that I finally got to ride my road bike again. And I was happy to do that, as I wanted to do a much harder ride. It was 10F, and I went into the hills. I actually couldn't wear my Assos jacket, because I knew that the phone would shut down from cold, within it (no jersey with pockets). But I was riding hard enough that I knew that my PI PRO Softshell jacket would be warm enough (with my heaviest base layer), and would keep the phone warm enough as well.
My average power on the ride wasn't quite as good as I was hoping (193W), but the weighted average was excellent (233W, per Strava, 255 according to Cyclemeter). I'm not sure if I set any records on my power curve, but I was close to the top for everything longer than about half a minute. And my power zone distribution wasn't too bad; 7:34 anaerobic and four minutes and change neuromuscular. I think I could have done better, but that wasn't bad.
It ended up with fourteen miles, 1440' elevation rise, and 15.1mph avg speed. Nothing to set the world on fire, but numbers I was fairly happy with.
Sunday was a bit warmer (finally), right around freezing, so I was thinking of doing a longer loop. And technically, I suppose, I did, but the roads were pretty treacherous. I actually put my platform pedals back on my hybrid, to kill two birds with one stone: warmer feet and insurance if my chain decided to give up the ghost. I'd cleaned and lubed the chain again Friday, but I saw, doing so, that it was in really terrible shape (the rust particularly worries me). I'll replace the chain soon, but I'm going to try to use the old one until the snow stops.
Anyway, the loop I did Sunday ended up being only eighteen and a half miles. I had to stay away from the trails, and some of the roads had me pretty worried as well. Also, I knew my speed was pretty bad, thanks to being on the hybrid with hiking boots. I knew I wouldn't have the clip-in problem with the boots, but the traction in parts of the ride was made worse when my feet slipped off the pedals. Definitely some mixed blessings, going to hiking boots and platforms.
But I got through it without major problems, so I'll definitely call that victory. And I did a good job keeping my heart rate down, as well, averaging 106 and keeping it under 125, except for the last hill before home (oops... should have gone around it).
So those were the challenges, and I'm proud to say that I beat them into the ground.
This morning, I went out and only did ten miles (on the hybrid again; I was worried about ice). But it was a nice ride; the first time in a couple weeks where I wasn't cold. I didn't have to ball up my fists in my mittens a single time (though I did still wear the mittens). But the route was very weird, as I again had to completely avoid the trails (I thought about changing that, but didn't like the looks of things when I got to one). I went through Falls Church again, but this time on Sycamore and Washington/Westmoreland. And I went through to Powhatan, where I took the hills (slowly; trying to keep heart rate down).
Physically, in fact, I felt great this morning. Better than I have in a while. I hope that's a harbinger of things to come.
20150216
Challenges coming
The last two days seemed a little bit challenging, for biking.
Sunday came in at 4F, on the heels of some light snow the night before. Since I really didn't have any idea what the snow did to the roads, I had to ride the hybrid out of caution. Oh, and on top of that temperature, there was a wind chill warning, saying that it was -20 - -25F with wind chill.
I'm not a huge believer in usage of wind chill, but that was enough wind to make me a little bit cautious. Plus, I didn't want to do a hard ride.
So I wore my amfib tights, with leg warmers under them (that was a new tactic), my under armour hood, my warmest base layer, my fleece coat and hardshell (with pit zips closed, for the first time ever), liner gloves under my heavy mittens, and liner socks with heavy socks.
All in all, I was more ready for cold than I've ever been before. The one mistake I made was that I forgot that I was going to wear my ski goggles (just for the wind), and was only reminded after I locked the door. I didn't want to wake anyone up, so I just went without.
While I wish I'd had the goggles on, it was bearable without them. My cheeks were a little chilled, but that was plenty manageable.
While my fingers weren't horribly cold, my toes did start getting cold, with the result that I shortened my (planned) 14-mile ride down to what ended up being only ten. And yeah, that wind was brutal, when I was riding into it.
But on the hybrid, that was all an hour's ride, so I was still out there a pretty good length of time.
Thankfully, the snow didn't end up being much of an issue (though I have no regrets opting for the spiked tires).
Really, though, other than the cold, it wasn't bad. There weren't any joggers, or any other bikers, and damned few cars. So long stretches of the ride were almost completely quiet, which was really nice. My one regret is that I didn't use my (off-brand, and unused) Bar-Mitts to try to keep my hands warm. I wonder if I could have gone further with them. I don't know if there's anything else I can do for my feet, however. Will have to give that some further thought.
Today was a much harder ride, which mostly went well. I did the huge hill on Walter Reed, above Shirlington, for the first time in a while. I did well, but not as well as I'd hoped. The hill up S 31st went a little bit worse, as well. Couldn't maintain my cadence all the way up. But I did have some very good stretches.
The one bit that was weird, and which I was a bit reluctant to try, was wearing the fleece and hardshell on a hard ride. As expected, I got a bit sweaty from that, but not as much as I thought likely (it was only a degree or two warmer than yesterday, but didn't have as much wind).
The next two days, things get really challenging. We're expecting 8-12 inches of snow tonight, with the temperature expected to be just below 20F when I'm riding. I don't know if riding is even feasible in that much snow, but it's a certainty that almost none is melting (and the only reason even a little is likely to is that there's so much salt on the ground).
Anyway, I'll get the hybrid out and give it the old college try. And I'll hopefully remember to try the Bar-Mitts. And hopefully there will have been at least a tiny bit of plowing by the time I try. It'll definitely be a hard ride, regardless of the plan.
And then there'll be another challenge the two days after. First, we get single-digit temperatures again, and then we get negative single digits. Not looking forward to that at all. If the Bar-Mitts do well tomorrow, I'll use them in the super-cold temps, even if it means using the hybrid on cleared roads. There's tough, and then there's stupid, and I know on which side of that line I want to be.
Sunday came in at 4F, on the heels of some light snow the night before. Since I really didn't have any idea what the snow did to the roads, I had to ride the hybrid out of caution. Oh, and on top of that temperature, there was a wind chill warning, saying that it was -20 - -25F with wind chill.
I'm not a huge believer in usage of wind chill, but that was enough wind to make me a little bit cautious. Plus, I didn't want to do a hard ride.
So I wore my amfib tights, with leg warmers under them (that was a new tactic), my under armour hood, my warmest base layer, my fleece coat and hardshell (with pit zips closed, for the first time ever), liner gloves under my heavy mittens, and liner socks with heavy socks.
All in all, I was more ready for cold than I've ever been before. The one mistake I made was that I forgot that I was going to wear my ski goggles (just for the wind), and was only reminded after I locked the door. I didn't want to wake anyone up, so I just went without.
While I wish I'd had the goggles on, it was bearable without them. My cheeks were a little chilled, but that was plenty manageable.
While my fingers weren't horribly cold, my toes did start getting cold, with the result that I shortened my (planned) 14-mile ride down to what ended up being only ten. And yeah, that wind was brutal, when I was riding into it.
But on the hybrid, that was all an hour's ride, so I was still out there a pretty good length of time.
Thankfully, the snow didn't end up being much of an issue (though I have no regrets opting for the spiked tires).
Really, though, other than the cold, it wasn't bad. There weren't any joggers, or any other bikers, and damned few cars. So long stretches of the ride were almost completely quiet, which was really nice. My one regret is that I didn't use my (off-brand, and unused) Bar-Mitts to try to keep my hands warm. I wonder if I could have gone further with them. I don't know if there's anything else I can do for my feet, however. Will have to give that some further thought.
Today was a much harder ride, which mostly went well. I did the huge hill on Walter Reed, above Shirlington, for the first time in a while. I did well, but not as well as I'd hoped. The hill up S 31st went a little bit worse, as well. Couldn't maintain my cadence all the way up. But I did have some very good stretches.
The one bit that was weird, and which I was a bit reluctant to try, was wearing the fleece and hardshell on a hard ride. As expected, I got a bit sweaty from that, but not as much as I thought likely (it was only a degree or two warmer than yesterday, but didn't have as much wind).
The next two days, things get really challenging. We're expecting 8-12 inches of snow tonight, with the temperature expected to be just below 20F when I'm riding. I don't know if riding is even feasible in that much snow, but it's a certainty that almost none is melting (and the only reason even a little is likely to is that there's so much salt on the ground).
Anyway, I'll get the hybrid out and give it the old college try. And I'll hopefully remember to try the Bar-Mitts. And hopefully there will have been at least a tiny bit of plowing by the time I try. It'll definitely be a hard ride, regardless of the plan.
And then there'll be another challenge the two days after. First, we get single-digit temperatures again, and then we get negative single digits. Not looking forward to that at all. If the Bar-Mitts do well tomorrow, I'll use them in the super-cold temps, even if it means using the hybrid on cleared roads. There's tough, and then there's stupid, and I know on which side of that line I want to be.
20150122
Get your sh!t together
This morning did not start out well. I got up on time, but immediately remembered that I hadn't charged my phone last night. I found it, put it on the charger, then got dressed to ride.
I got out the door, and immediately realized I'd also forgotten to put the lights on the bike last night, and therefore left them inside. Walked around the house, inside, walked through to get them, then got started again. Three-tenths of a mile later, I realized I'd also forgotten my helmet due to changing my mind at the last minute about which jacket I was going to use (the FuguJack I put on has an integrated hood/balaclava).
Went back to the house, walked through again, got the helmet and got out the door. When I got home, I was informed that that trip through the house had woken the little one. Ugh.
Finally got on the road, and realized that I wasn't going to have time to do my planned ride, despite it not being a recovery day. But once I was on the road, things went just fine. I ended up getting back a little earlier than I'd planned, but that might have been a good thing, given that I'd woken the little one up.
I did manage to get a little ride in, in the afternoon, as well. That wasn't bad, even with the snow that was coming down at the time. I experimented with a new route, mostly just for the hybrid, and that worked out pretty well.
I got out the door, and immediately realized I'd also forgotten to put the lights on the bike last night, and therefore left them inside. Walked around the house, inside, walked through to get them, then got started again. Three-tenths of a mile later, I realized I'd also forgotten my helmet due to changing my mind at the last minute about which jacket I was going to use (the FuguJack I put on has an integrated hood/balaclava).
Went back to the house, walked through again, got the helmet and got out the door. When I got home, I was informed that that trip through the house had woken the little one. Ugh.
Finally got on the road, and realized that I wasn't going to have time to do my planned ride, despite it not being a recovery day. But once I was on the road, things went just fine. I ended up getting back a little earlier than I'd planned, but that might have been a good thing, given that I'd woken the little one up.
I did manage to get a little ride in, in the afternoon, as well. That wasn't bad, even with the snow that was coming down at the time. I experimented with a new route, mostly just for the hybrid, and that worked out pretty well.
20150116
It was the best of times, it was...
Yeah, not the best, Wednesday morning. First, I woke up, and it sounded like the cars on the road were driving on very wet pavement.
I'd checked the weather the afternoon or evening (I forget exactly when) before, and it was promising very cold (20F) but dry. Well, it turned out to be snowing.
Then I got to my bikes. The pedals were on the road bike (I probably need to buy a second pair), plus I had forgotten to charge the phone. On my first glance, I thought it said 10%, which was probably enough for the ride. When I went to turn the computer on, I saw that the phone was actually saying 1%; not even enough to stay alive for the ride without recording for Strava. Double ugh.
I still wasn't sure about the snow, so I went out with the road bike once I'd gotten dressed. I decided, because of the salt on the roads, to take a bit of a chance with it.
But because the road conditions had me worried, I stayed on a big street, and basically went five miles down that street, then turned around and came straight back.
Aside from the worry, and the snow blowing into my eyes (especially at the beginning), it wasn't a bad ride, but I'm still glad I didn't push it any further.
Insult was added to injury, on the snow front, when I went to take my daughter to the bus, and I found the ski goggles I'd ordered eight days earlier had finally arrived (I'd ordered them via Prime, so I'm not sure what happened. Very irritating, regardless of why).
The rest of the day went pretty well, except that I forgot to set the DVR to record the Caps game (had forgotten they were playing, and I only record automatically on CSN/+). But my wife took me out for a very tasty (if extremely sinful, especially after I downed the extra-large slice of cheesecake).
That cheesecake came back to bite me a bit the next morning, when I woke up with a slightly upset stomach. But I plowed into my normal ride (on clear roads and paths, this time), and felt pretty decent by the end of it.
This morning, my legs felt a little tired (which seems to be happening a lot recently, and I still don't know why; aside from doing four minutes of intervals each of Tuesday and Wednesday, I haven't pushed it in about a week), but otherwise things went well. Although it was a bit colder than forecast (said 28F, but was mostly 25-27F, and got as low as 23F for a bit).
The one thing that I wonder about is that I saw quite a few more bikers this morning than I had in a week or more. No idea why.
One thing I have decided. I need to find a way to increase my output by a bit when I'm not paying full attention. I tend to slide back to 70-80W, and I need to keep it up at 120-ish. That'll get me done quite a bit faster without pushing me into Zone 3. I also think I need to start doing some form of exercise that will work on pulling my legs upwards. I think that'll help quite a bit when I'm looking to push hard (and maybe a little even when I'm not).
I'd checked the weather the afternoon or evening (I forget exactly when) before, and it was promising very cold (20F) but dry. Well, it turned out to be snowing.
Then I got to my bikes. The pedals were on the road bike (I probably need to buy a second pair), plus I had forgotten to charge the phone. On my first glance, I thought it said 10%, which was probably enough for the ride. When I went to turn the computer on, I saw that the phone was actually saying 1%; not even enough to stay alive for the ride without recording for Strava. Double ugh.
I still wasn't sure about the snow, so I went out with the road bike once I'd gotten dressed. I decided, because of the salt on the roads, to take a bit of a chance with it.
But because the road conditions had me worried, I stayed on a big street, and basically went five miles down that street, then turned around and came straight back.
Aside from the worry, and the snow blowing into my eyes (especially at the beginning), it wasn't a bad ride, but I'm still glad I didn't push it any further.
Insult was added to injury, on the snow front, when I went to take my daughter to the bus, and I found the ski goggles I'd ordered eight days earlier had finally arrived (I'd ordered them via Prime, so I'm not sure what happened. Very irritating, regardless of why).
The rest of the day went pretty well, except that I forgot to set the DVR to record the Caps game (had forgotten they were playing, and I only record automatically on CSN/+). But my wife took me out for a very tasty (if extremely sinful, especially after I downed the extra-large slice of cheesecake).
That cheesecake came back to bite me a bit the next morning, when I woke up with a slightly upset stomach. But I plowed into my normal ride (on clear roads and paths, this time), and felt pretty decent by the end of it.
This morning, my legs felt a little tired (which seems to be happening a lot recently, and I still don't know why; aside from doing four minutes of intervals each of Tuesday and Wednesday, I haven't pushed it in about a week), but otherwise things went well. Although it was a bit colder than forecast (said 28F, but was mostly 25-27F, and got as low as 23F for a bit).
The one thing that I wonder about is that I saw quite a few more bikers this morning than I had in a week or more. No idea why.
One thing I have decided. I need to find a way to increase my output by a bit when I'm not paying full attention. I tend to slide back to 70-80W, and I need to keep it up at 120-ish. That'll get me done quite a bit faster without pushing me into Zone 3. I also think I need to start doing some form of exercise that will work on pulling my legs upwards. I think that'll help quite a bit when I'm looking to push hard (and maybe a little even when I'm not).
20150106
Dump all the snow
Today was my first day riding on snow. And it certainly started out great, with just about no cars on the road. The only issue I had through the first half hour or so was that it was tough to look straight ahead; too much snow was getting in my eyes.
But the carbide-studded tires gave no traction issues; they worked great. In fact, later in the ride, it was interesting to feel them working. The middle of the tire was sometimes sliding, but then the bike would lean a little, the spikes would grip, and it would feel like normal traction again. And though that might sound like it, the experience wasn't scary at all. The slickness was enough to notice, but not enough to worry.
The peacefulness didn't last through the whole ride; maybe half of it. After that, too many cars were out and about to call it really peaceful. But it still didn't get nearly bad enough to be bothersome. And joggers? Only saw half a dozen or so, I think. Other bikers? Two (both at the same time, oddly. And going opposite directions, so not together), with the tracks of a third seen.
I was wishing the bike was a CX one, rather than a hybrid, however. The road configuration with wide tires would've been perfect. As it was, I raised the seat, which helped a bit, but the handlebars were still quite a bit closer than I'd've preferred. And I would've liked to've had my power meter, but that wouldn't've worked, given the crank.
I was glad it was not a recovery day; it was pretty tough going all the way. I don't think I could've kept my heart rate down. As it was, it was pretty elevated, throughout, staying mostly in the 160s and 170s, with occasional forays both above and below that range.
I should also note that I wore the FuguJack jacket again, and was pleased with it. I'd suggested that it would work, on a hard-riding day, down below the 21F for which it was billed. That seems accurate. It was 19F this morning, and I tended more towards too hot than too cold, but I wasn't bathed in sweat either. In fact, I felt dry a minute or two after taking off the jacket at home, so that's just about perfect. And that's with only a Pearl Izumi thermal base layer underneath. And the Pearl Izumi Elite AmFib tights did a great job in their first test of "very cold with snow".
My ski gloves did a great job for most of the ride, although my fingers did get (pretty suddenly) chilly over the last 5-10 minutes. It was enough to make a little trouble getting my helmet off, but didn't get to the point of being painful. I need to try them with my base-layer gloves underneath.
Still, a very nice ride, and one I'd recommend to anyone.
But the carbide-studded tires gave no traction issues; they worked great. In fact, later in the ride, it was interesting to feel them working. The middle of the tire was sometimes sliding, but then the bike would lean a little, the spikes would grip, and it would feel like normal traction again. And though that might sound like it, the experience wasn't scary at all. The slickness was enough to notice, but not enough to worry.
The peacefulness didn't last through the whole ride; maybe half of it. After that, too many cars were out and about to call it really peaceful. But it still didn't get nearly bad enough to be bothersome. And joggers? Only saw half a dozen or so, I think. Other bikers? Two (both at the same time, oddly. And going opposite directions, so not together), with the tracks of a third seen.
I was wishing the bike was a CX one, rather than a hybrid, however. The road configuration with wide tires would've been perfect. As it was, I raised the seat, which helped a bit, but the handlebars were still quite a bit closer than I'd've preferred. And I would've liked to've had my power meter, but that wouldn't've worked, given the crank.
I was glad it was not a recovery day; it was pretty tough going all the way. I don't think I could've kept my heart rate down. As it was, it was pretty elevated, throughout, staying mostly in the 160s and 170s, with occasional forays both above and below that range.
I should also note that I wore the FuguJack jacket again, and was pleased with it. I'd suggested that it would work, on a hard-riding day, down below the 21F for which it was billed. That seems accurate. It was 19F this morning, and I tended more towards too hot than too cold, but I wasn't bathed in sweat either. In fact, I felt dry a minute or two after taking off the jacket at home, so that's just about perfect. And that's with only a Pearl Izumi thermal base layer underneath. And the Pearl Izumi Elite AmFib tights did a great job in their first test of "very cold with snow".
My ski gloves did a great job for most of the ride, although my fingers did get (pretty suddenly) chilly over the last 5-10 minutes. It was enough to make a little trouble getting my helmet off, but didn't get to the point of being painful. I need to try them with my base-layer gloves underneath.
Still, a very nice ride, and one I'd recommend to anyone.
20140317
Can't afford snowplows?
My daughter's school inclement-weather schedule is driven by Fairfax County, VA, the fifth-richest in the nation, per Forbes (last year). And yet, it seems that a squirrel sneezing over the threat of snow is enough to close schools for the day.
For sure, there's been quite a bit of snow, but I question just how much closure is needed. They've had at least one (as many as four) snow days off for ten of the past eleven weeks (including today).
I remember a couple of years, growing up, when we had a lot of snow days, but nothing that even approached this. I'm glad she's only in kindergarten, so it probably isn't having as much effect as on older kids.
For sure, there's been quite a bit of snow, but I question just how much closure is needed. They've had at least one (as many as four) snow days off for ten of the past eleven weeks (including today).
I remember a couple of years, growing up, when we had a lot of snow days, but nothing that even approached this. I'm glad she's only in kindergarten, so it probably isn't having as much effect as on older kids.
20140218
Wovel followup
I talked about getting a Snow Wovel a while back, when faced with our first winter at this house. And the early returns were good.
Anyway, we've had a ton of snow lately, which had me thinking about this gadget. The extended returns are not quite as good, but still very good.
Basically, the one weakness is that the leading edge of the shovel is very thin, and, consequently, wears pretty quickly. They do sell something to reinforce that edge (look for Snap-On Wear Strip), and I was too cheap to try it. Well, get it. If you buy a replacement shovel, get the wear strip for the replacement, too.
Other than that, it's been fantastic. It still took quite a while (I didn't check, but I'd guess a couple of hours), but even the 12-16 inches we had a week or so ago wasn't too difficult to shovel. And I didn't have any back issues (I've had various concerns about that for many years).
So, I'm a little cheesed off that the wear strip isn't included, but that's the only bad thing I have to say about the wovel, overall. It's done a great job for us for a couple of years already, and I expect it to continue to do so for many more years.
Anyway, we've had a ton of snow lately, which had me thinking about this gadget. The extended returns are not quite as good, but still very good.
Basically, the one weakness is that the leading edge of the shovel is very thin, and, consequently, wears pretty quickly. They do sell something to reinforce that edge (look for Snap-On Wear Strip), and I was too cheap to try it. Well, get it. If you buy a replacement shovel, get the wear strip for the replacement, too.
Other than that, it's been fantastic. It still took quite a while (I didn't check, but I'd guess a couple of hours), but even the 12-16 inches we had a week or so ago wasn't too difficult to shovel. And I didn't have any back issues (I've had various concerns about that for many years).
So, I'm a little cheesed off that the wear strip isn't included, but that's the only bad thing I have to say about the wovel, overall. It's done a great job for us for a couple of years already, and I expect it to continue to do so for many more years.
20110127
They weevil and they wovel, but...
When we moved, we ended up with a much longer driveway than our old one. This one is 60-70' long, with a rounded area at the end (where the garage is). Back in May, I thought about getting a snow blower, figuring that was the only way to handle a driveway that long, but, while searching, ran across this nifty device (also to be found here).
I think I'd actually heard of it before (maybe a TV commercial a year or two ago?), but had forgotten. It was significantly cheaper than any of the snow blowers, took less storage space (a couple of feet of wall space, but no floor space), and didn't need any maintainance. And maybe it was about as fast (it was suggested in the reviews).
Well, it isn't as fast, at least not for our size of driveway. But the rest of it is true.
I've had mixed results with scraping the surface clean, but it does a fantastic job with dry snow. It's very fast (I can get my driveway done in an hour or so), doesn't kill my back (this is a major plus), and is environmentally friendly. If you're going downhill, it does an even better job of pushing snow along. The scoop is large, and you can really fill it, since you aren't lifting the whole mass.
You can get an wear strip for the front edge; I highly recommend it (cheaper directly from wovel.com than from amazon). Aside from the wear factor, it might help it deal with ice (with which I've had mixed results).
This thing is so good, I ended up clearing a good chunk of my street (100 yards or so) so that I can get to the top of the small (but fairly steep) hill to get out the quick way.
So, yes, I would definitely buy it again, if I had the chance to go back and do it again.
I think I'd actually heard of it before (maybe a TV commercial a year or two ago?), but had forgotten. It was significantly cheaper than any of the snow blowers, took less storage space (a couple of feet of wall space, but no floor space), and didn't need any maintainance. And maybe it was about as fast (it was suggested in the reviews).
Well, it isn't as fast, at least not for our size of driveway. But the rest of it is true.
I've had mixed results with scraping the surface clean, but it does a fantastic job with dry snow. It's very fast (I can get my driveway done in an hour or so), doesn't kill my back (this is a major plus), and is environmentally friendly. If you're going downhill, it does an even better job of pushing snow along. The scoop is large, and you can really fill it, since you aren't lifting the whole mass.
You can get an wear strip for the front edge; I highly recommend it (cheaper directly from wovel.com than from amazon). Aside from the wear factor, it might help it deal with ice (with which I've had mixed results).
This thing is so good, I ended up clearing a good chunk of my street (100 yards or so) so that I can get to the top of the small (but fairly steep) hill to get out the quick way.
So, yes, I would definitely buy it again, if I had the chance to go back and do it again.
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