Okay, I have a question for all of you experts. Here's my back story: I've been commuting about 3+ days a week since March. I've been using a 1990 Cannondale Aluminum Mountain bike with smoother tires. I had bought the bike used about 2 years ago. Anyway, the bottom bracket has gotten really loose and it needs to be replaced. Turns out, sometime before I got the bike it was crossthreaded and the bracket can't really be replaced properly. The shop says that they'll rebuild the spindle and I should be able to get a little more life out of the bike, but that it won't last forever.

I've been thinking about getting a new bike (and now I have a legitimate excuse)...in particular a Jamis Aurora or Nova. However, I don't want to start riding a new bike in the wintertime when there's going to be all kinds of salt and snow and other crap on the roads (I live in Chicago).

So, finally the question...do you think that my Cannondale will make it through the winter and wait to buy the new bike? Should I say to hell with it and buy a new bike and ride it in the crappy conditions? Or should I buy a new bike, ride it on the nicer days and use my old, dying bike on the really crappy days?

What would you do or what do you currently do?