After looking through this forum, I thought for sure I'd see a post about how bad for a bike Winter is. A guy at my LBS said Winter "murders" a bike. A have a Specialized Hardrock that is giving me problems in the freewheel/hub area. I think it's from riding in rain/winter conditions. I like to have 2 bikes--one for nice summer conditions, and the other (an older one) for rain and snow.

Anyway, is there a way to protect a bike from the elements of Winter that eventually kills it? If snow gets into the hub, is there a way to seal up that area? Anything else?