Increment the three to a four, and my feelings echo wolfchild's, despite the fact we have different tastes in bikes and accessories.

All four of my bikes go to work, although only two would be recognized a falling into the broad "commuter" category.

As for my primary commuter, when the time comes to replace it, I'll be specifying essentially the same thing, only in titanium so I don't have to worry about paint. The only significant upgrade it's gotten was a new wheelset, and I added a dyno hub while I was at it, but that didn't drive the purchase. I knew when I bought it that the wheels where the weakest link.

Heading into our sixth winter, I still sometimes wonder why I own the other bikes. It's matched so well to me as a cyclist and my desired outcomes.

Part of it, I think, is that when I was shopping, I had a clear idea of my capabilities, the results I wanted in a bike, and the equipment it would take to achieve that. I'm not marketing-driven, but results-driven.

I did my shopping not by asking "is this a good commuter bike" but with a list of nine bullet points and asking "what do you have that matches these specifications". I stopped shopping when my bullet points aligned with the bike's bullet points. The test ride was superfluous.

There were many here and in real life who questioned my sanity in spending $1700 (before accessories) on a commuter bike, but the past six years have borne out the wisdom of my decision. Instead of always being on the upgrade cycle, I'm on the bicycle. It's still my favorite ride.