I had planned a 25 mile solo hill ride for today on my road bike, but the snow yesterday ended up being more than expected, so I took Ethel (my cross bike) out on the road. The shoulders were snow covered and though the roads had been salted they were still slushy and crusty in some parts. I stayed close to home and did two laps over a hilly route. Only 13.7 miles total, but that counts for 20 road bike miles and I managed to climb 1300 feet in that short ride.
This is my first try at riding through the winter, and this was my most wintry day yet. I think I've got the clothes figured out except I needed warmer gloves on today. Last year, my last ride for the year was on November 2, and this year I had almost 600 miles in November, so that's progress. I'm finding I don't mind the cold, but I did mind the messy road surface today. Anyway, it was better than sitting in the house on the trainer!
My route was pretty rural, but the drivers that did come along were really ignorant today. Maybe they thought I shouldn't be out on the road.