First Commute of 2010

I finally got my butt in gear and commuted to work today. This winter has been very busy for me and finding time to train during the week is not happening right now. It felt good to get out on the road riding instead of driving my truck.
Leave it up to me to find the one section of road that Mayor Funkhouser decided did not really need plowing or salting. On the way home I took the Cliff Drive route. Normally this is my favorite route home and allows me to get in some extra miles and I get to ride on roads with little or no traffic.
I was surprised that there was still snow on the road. Temps were in the low 40's, but Cliff Drive does have a lot of shade. Nothing like riding a road bike with 100 psi in the tires over 4 miles of packed snow. Several sections, more than I really cared for, were very icy and it took everything I had to stay upright. Riding the snow packed gravel roads lately really helped, but I sure needed the ole' cross bike today. The going got difficult at times, especially when the snow packed up in the brakes. I guess road bikes are not meant to be ridden in the snow. Still a great commute home.