[QUOTE=Spld cyclist;16036082]A bike shouldn't be destroyed by a single winter. That's just not true. I use a 1990s steel frame rigid fork mountain bike for winter biking with nokian studded snow tires and sks fenders. Look for a good used one. Touch up any place on the frame where the paint is gone. Plan on cleaning and lubricating the chain a few times over the winter. You may occasionally need to spray lube into the derailleur pivot points, and a cable may go bad here or there. That's about it. Internal gears aren't really necessary.

I have little emotional attachment to my winter bike, and I recommend the same. Don't spend too much, and you won't worry about a little rust here or there. If it gets messed up in a crash, parts for old mountain bikes are cheap - as are replacement bikes. [/QUOTE

+1
I wash my bike at the end of the day and bring it inside the house to dry every night. Then every weekend it gets lubed. No worries!