I put the finishing touches on my winter bike last weekend. Road it Monday and haven't touched it since.

It was joy being on the road bike again but somehow I feel a little... cheated.

The winter bike was being used all season, it just didn't have bar tape and some other minor stuff. Still, it never got a real test and I'd invested a fair amount of time in it. Never got to put the heavy duty studs on, just the narrowish 35 mm versions.

I hear you. This is the first year I don't have to replace my chain in mid-March. I'm usually trying to get by until early April--after salt season. This year, the chain is great and I think I'll forgo that annual strip and desalinate session too.

Still, I missed some of the challenges of deep winter commuting. OTOH, I got more miles in on my Litespeed in January than I did on my commuter.

All in all, winter to remember for its wide variety of outlier elements.

Think of the bright side.. you're ready for next season!

I bought studded tires for my beater 26" MTB in November or so. Rode it once (on a Saturday morning, for fun), when the roads were covered in a thin layer of ice. Hopefully I'll get to use it next winter. 2" total of snow this year in DC.

I totally understand the disappointment factor going on there. But there will always be another winter, and too soon if you ask me. Enjoy the road bike and the incredible mid march (?!?) weather.

I'm still not done with all of my usual winter maintenance, but don't mind being able to get out and ride sooner than usual. I could have worse problems, couldn't I?

same here. finished building the perfect bad-weather commuter a couple weeks ago. and now I'm riding the road bike eveyr day

Well I rode in an inch of hailstones for you yesterday.