Mith, thanks for your great story. I hope you re-consider and give winter riding a try. If your roads are anything like here in Boston, then they are often clean unless we are in the midst of a snow-storm. Even then, my mountain bike can pretty much deal with snow on the road as long as there is no ice underneath it. I wouldn't ride at night in winter, though. Too hard to tell if there is ice.
How are you going to make up for all those miles that you no longer have to ride to work?
Paul