I have been riding my new Volae recumbent lately in foul, foul conditions (salt, rain, snow, grime, etc.). I did ride my fender-ed upright for a few trips this spring, but the recumbent is so much more enjoyable. It seems a lot of the people I see out there are "saving" their good bikes for better conditions. I wash the bike off after a particularly messy ride, so I really don't think the degradation is worth giving up the luxury of riding this awesome machine. I guess what I am saying is that I am 56 years old, so I don't think so much about tomorrow as I do about today.

Yep. In my stable, I have a commuter, a rain bike, a brevet bike, a go-fast bike, an errand bike, and a trainer bike, for a grand total of one bike. I've found one I absolutely love, and I use it for everything. To borrow a line from Corbin Dallas (Bruce Willis's character in "The Fifth Element"), I'm not looking for a million bikes, just one perfect one.

Life is too short to drink bad coffee or cheap beer. Or to ride a second-rate bike.

SP
Bend, OR