Thanks for the replies. Perhaps I've underestimated the scourge of road salt. I live around the corner from a DOT "barn" piled high with the stuff, so I'm aware of it; and our roads received a good bit of it over the winter -- but probably little in comparison with you folks in Canada and the Upper Midwest. Does road salt accelerate the wear on your drivetrain and other components in a way that you can't control by regular cleaning and maintenance? (As I suggested in my original post, I'm not sure I'd want to keep a bike I didn't feel motivated to do regular maintenance on.)