Very cold this morning with a low of 19F, slightly higher than my coldest commute of this winter. I know it's cold when my water bottle freezes, and it was frozen at the halfway point to work this morning. I was dressed just right and stayed comfortable without sweating a bit, which can be a hard balance to hit.

The cold doesn't bother me in winter as much as the extra effort it takes to ride. It is usually windy in the winter, which makes it feel colder and requires more work. That, along with the denser air, extra clothes and tighter muscles, leads to slower speeds and more exertion required. I was really beat after arriving home last night and battling strong winds most of the way. It wasn't very windy this morning, but the colder temperatures really sapped my energy. My commute times are a solid 5 minutes slower (each way) this week compared to last week, when it was about 10-20 degrees warmer most days.