This is going to sound properly dense but... you are going out for a ride and it is around the 5'C mark. What do you wear?
Head, legs and hand wise I'm ok but as for my torso I'm at a loss. If I wear a thick jersey I feel like my chest is being frozen off. If I put a softshell on top I'm fine warmth wise but there is sweat literally rolling off my back by the time I get home. Is it just that my softshell is no good (cheapie one from Aldi) or are they all like that?
No, canyon are very set. You will soon get used to the 52/36! Barely any difference when you actually look at ratios.
There is a difference, especially when riding up 20%+ hills. Most non-pros don't need the extra gearing of a 52/36. Heck, some pro's even use compact crank sets.
Every Sportive I ride - Tour of the Peaks (Winnats Pass 20%), Cheshire Cat (Mow Cop 25%), Stratford Sportives (Cotswold Hills).How often are you lugging up 20% hills?
Surely that indicates you're in a build phase? Also 3.7w/kg to 2.5 is a huge drop.
Bear in mind my w/kg for an hour is 3.7 and I have never ever thought about needing a 32t cassette on a compact.
Not that bad considering mate! Well ridden, things have got a little more gusty here this afternoon, how did you find it weather wise?
I'm trying to will the rain away tomorrow morning so I can go out...!
Why did you stop in Worcester? Had enough? Traffic? Darkness?
Told you to avoid the Wrekin
EDIT: Bit of a higher average
The below is not a watts/kg comparison, but an example of my performance drop over a very similar route. I actually intended to ride the same route but didn't have the fitness to do it, so I took the flatter route back home
October 2015 : 233watts average, 163 HR average
https://www.strava.com/activities/404679191
Feb 2016 : 124 watts average, 171 HR average
https://www.strava.com/activities/490987659
That's going from riding 100 miles per week to nothing for just over 3 months. (My max HR is 195).