Sweet, thanks Pyze... PS, to nitpick it's Phillip technically (fun fact: it's the Welsh spelling thanks to the nurse who wrote my birth certificate being Welsh - I was born very close to the England/Wales border.)

I agree re: braking - though I do like to still have them, I prefer the predictability of my legs vs. the "will it or won't it work" of rim brakes. I bought a pair of the el-cheapo pads from MEC to put on for the winter, I didn't think it was worth the bother for Koolstops with all the salt/gritty junk that's already been coating the bike.

I've just mopped my drivetrain down, leaving the chain in some cleaner for a bit to try and get all the nasties out.

I don't think I'll bother washing the rest of the bike until the weekend, might actually take it in the bathtub for the first time - it's bloody filthy.

A deal maker with my ladyfriend.. I asked "Would you be pissed off if I brought my bike into the shower if we lived together?". She said "No" with the caveat "so long as you clean any mess you make" - she definitely wins for that She also asked me if I would (literally) sleep with my bike... I answered "well, if it wasn't so dirty... maybe" which might not have been the right answer