As I've gotten older, I care less about whether or not keeping a spoke protector on a wheel is dorky or appropriate. Some older bikes actually look more period with one. Not all are created equal, some definitely look better. I definitely toss the fugly ones. As for the plastic models, I do tend to keep them on my black spoked wheels. I find it helps to limit scratches to the spokes during minor mishaps. But no UV-yellowed ones! They get tossed as well. My Specialized Expedition came with a big clear plastic one. And since the bike sports a Suntour 'Tech' RD, it's staying on!