This morning, with temperatures between -17 and -12 Centigrade (1.7 to 10 F), I initially thought I'd finally bitten off more than I could chew. My legs got cold in a hurry and breathing in the cold air made me very very worried indeed. Things improved when I saw a cyclist coming from the other direction, who had put on his rain gear over his winter clothes. I did not have a full rain gear set, but I routinely carry a pair of breathable rain pants in my backpack, so I put it on and found that that made things a lot easier.
Once I wasn't not freezing my bits off, I enjoyed the morning a lot. It was a clear, sunny morning, and I arrived looking all heroic with a beard full of icicles and a powerful sense of achievement.
However, I realised later that I'd forgotten to bring my extra headlight, and as I'll be going home very late, I'll probably end up taking the train home. The Winschoterdiep is still not safe for cyclists who aren't well illuminated.