My experience with winter riding is that you don't appreciate or even understand what a difference the encumberance of multiple layers is until you shed them. In the spring my leg speed jumps as soon as I go to shorts from tights, in the winter it drops each time I add a layer. I also feel like I'm working harder as I add layers and I have more muscle aching for the same ride. Part of it is the difference in the bikes, but I have always felt part of it was the layers of clothes.