I finally rode my bike outdoors. It was not a long ride (20 miles) or a fast ride (mostly because the handling is a LOT more responsive and every little movement of my handlebars would have me veering off to one side--I will become accustomed to this after a few rides). And it was colder than any previous outdoor ride (the faster I went, the colder I felt).

It wasn't the best ride ever...but it was amazing, nonetheless. My previous bike was aluminum and buzzed me to death on our chip-sealed roads. The new bike is all carbon and it absorbs so much of the vibrations...felt like buttah. And it corners like a dream. I should be able to take corners a lot faster, now (they always felt sloppy with the old bike--going into them with any amount of speed was hairy).

We still need to tweak a few fit things, just minor stuff. On the trainer my reach always felt almost a little long, but on the road I'm finding the opposite to be true. We can move my seat back a bit, but I may be looking at a longer stem. I think the current one is only 80mm, so 90-100 may be a better fit for me.

I can't wait to ride without 10#s of clothing on! 35 degrees is still FAR from warm. But it's nice to not have ice and slop on the roads.