Originally Posted by donnamb
I know, ILTB, but remember these 3 things:
1) I'm a
girl. I like to see my bike pretty and shiny sometimes.
2) I take that pretty bike into offices not my own when I have to go to meetings. I do not want any of my sister office managers frowning at me bringing a dirty bike into their space. I'm the only one who rides to meetings at our agency, and I want to pave a smooth path for others.
3) When there's snow and ice, they "sand" the roads here. The sand is actually this coarse gravelly stuff that even affected the shifting of my Nexus 8. At the very least, it is a good idea around here to do a thorough cleaning of the drivetrain after they sweep the gravel up. I did check the chain to see if it was ready for replacement before I cleaned, but it's still in really good shape. I'm on my bike every day, but not the kind of high mileage that you do. Most of the places I need to go are close together. I suspect I'll be getting a lot of life out of my chains unless I start working someplace farther away.
Well the first two items do not apply to me. I leave my bike outside at work and for shopping, and in my garage at home.
The road crews use sand and God knows what else for the roads here, but it does beat riding on ice. if I ignore it it will go away eventually or when I change the chain, whichever comes first.
Tell the truth. When did you ever see a prettier bike than this?