Thanks, but it wasn't really trouble, as I carry enough spare clothing (neck gaiter, extra jacket, extra mittens, Gore-tex socks, etc..) to deal with a pretty broad range of temps, or to be comfortable walking if I break down. I guess I was just whining a bit, but a 20 degree temp difference is fairly unusual to me, at least without gaining or losing a bunch of elevation.

But I am also happy that it stayed below freezing. We've had two mid-winter thaw so far, and I hope that they're the last we'll see of above freezing temps until April. Ice is fun to ride on, slush is not.

Hmm, maybe those who ride speedy road bikes object to carrying more than is absolutely necessary on the principal that it makes their bikes less speedy? I don't know. I do know that carrying stuff on a bike can become a slippery slope. First you get a backpack for spare/dry/extra clothes and textbooks. Then you buy a rack, because you're tired of the sweaty/sore back from the backpack and its load, and you want a place to strap it to that isn't you. Next you try out panniers, because you've heard that loads are more stable when carried lower, plus you've already got the rack so why not. The next thing you know, you're loading 80 lbs of beer and groceries onto your bike (or even worse, touring), and those days of blissful flying along on an unladen bike are but a memory.