1) awesome bike!!! I got a Dolce earlier this summer and I LOVVVE it!

2) to the not-so-newbies out there - why is the "pie plate" such a newbie mark? I know they get yellow and yucky...but don't they actually serve a purpose like preventing a situation like ncsrbug described? This isn't the first time that I've heard that 'real' cyclists don't keep them on the bike...anyone know why? i am just curious. i want to take mine off, but am afraid that my first ride with it off, it would be just my luck, my chain would get sucked into my wheel!