A little bit of well placed contact paper or clear plastic tape can defray the scuffing damage and on certain racks you would be crazy to put your wheels in if they are any good as some racks de-true wheels like nobodys business. I commute 25 miles one way on a 1900 dollar recumbent. I could ride a crappy bike, but why would I pay that kind of cash for a bike I should be riding all the time? Why let the crap bike get my bulk mileage? If I am going to be riding something 7000 miles a year I would prefer it to be my nice bike that I enjoy. That is just my personal opinion. If my commute were a lot shorter I might have a different view but with the current length I just can't see riding crap for that kind of mileage.