Monday, I made a game attempt to dress for the weather that had blown in with the cold front, 26degF, breezy, and admirably devoid of snow (that stuff went further South), then took the GT Karakoram out for a little spin, its Nokian W240 tires bristling with carbide studs.
I rolled out on the Minuteman, my default short ride (as opposed to the Mystic Valley Parkway, which is my default shorter ride).
The clothing choices worked, without exception, which surprised me a little. But everything stayed toasty, and none of it got sweaty. No frostbite or heat exhaustion. I rolled on home, allowing the Nokians to bite any icy puddles they came to. It was the only time the studs stopped crackling on the bare pavement. In sooth, they had slim pickings: Lexington seems to have fixed its once ubiquitous drainage problems. Better late than never, I suppose.
Back home, I was amused to discover that I had grown a 3" icicle goatee. The mask helped, I think.
Pleasant ride. Beats inertia.
rod