Well, the first ride of the year is over, a brisk (ha!) 10 miler just to shake down the Cirrus 7 (which, thanks to the list, we now know was made by Tom Teesdale of Iowa in the early 80's). The temp was a balmy 10 deg. farenheit or -12 centigrade. Fortunately the wind was only 16 kph, or else I don't think even my boasting of riding on New Years would have got me outside. Road shoulders crusty with sand and salt from snow removal, but thankfully no ice.
The bike rides great, very stable and predictable as befits a touring rig. Feels a bit unsettled rocking back and forth when climbing out of the saddle, probably due to the long wheelbase. But the bottom bracket is very stout, an improvement over my Trek 720 and remarkable for a bike with 18 inch chainstays. Couldn't get the front derailer to rub. Saddle feels cushy, but it's hard to evaluate frame comfort when you're wearing shorts and two pairs of tights.
No frost bite, and hands warm thanks to new winter gloves from Midwest Cyclery (thanks, Jeremy!) Only 2,990 miles to go!
Tom Adams, in Balmy Kansas City