Originally Posted by Daily Commute

I'm a strong opponent of the "winter beater bike." You need a good bike in the winter even more than in nice weather. You just need to maintain it. After every messy ride, wipe down the bike. Concentrate on the drive train. Drip (don't spray) chain lube on the links. Even if you have to replace the chain, they're cheap. I just bought two for $13 each from Nashbar.