Many good quotes and suggestions so far, but this one hits home. :-) The ol' '92 Cannondale T600 is nearing 110k miles. As stuff has worn out, I've upgraded buying "last year's cutting edge technology" at clearance prices. It's currently a 3x10 with Ultegra/XTR/Chris King-level components. And an 8 ounce titanium rear rack and stainless steel bottle cages.

The commute of the last 11 years: 23 morning miles, and a minimum of 27 afternoon miles to get my half century and avoid some ugly afternoon traffic on the shorter route.

Winter: That used to be my time off until a co-worker gave me grief for driving after a 6" snow fall in Nov 3-4 years after starting the biking. I of course had to "show him." A couple of winters on a Schwinn "The Tank" Varsity to save on the new '92 C'dale, and I opted for a '95 C'dale H600 hybrid. It hit 20k miles this past winter. It's gone through the same number of components as the touring bike with only a fifth the miles. Welcome to Minnesota winters and salt and sand and indifference to constant cleaning...

In summary, if there are actually any "youngsters" reading this thread: Don't get hung up on logistics. Just get out there and start pedaling and adjust as needed. That was how we did it before the internet and all the available "you need to..." advice. Have fun. :-)