[QUOTE=SkiandBike;188735]
Approximately, under what circumstances do people transition from the old bike to the good bike in the spring (the snow is gone, the salt is off the roads, the roads are swept)?

(I'm confused: on one hand I hear roadies say "ride in all weather." On the other hand, I've heard keep pretty new bike indoors...)

What special maintance do I need to do for my beloved bike when exposing it to less than ideal conditions (snow, ice, dirt, salt)?
QUOTE]

Hi there.
Well, speaking only for myself....
I will ride my "good" bike all winter long, if the weather is mild and the conditions are favorable.
I tend to not ride at all when the roads are really sandy (like after a storm). I'll wait for a good rain to wash away most stuff, in addition to cheering the county street sweepers. But that's not to protect the bike(s) - it's more to protect ME from sliding out on corners.
I will tend to pick my bike based on the tires. Since my commuter has beefier tires (and is a whole lot less expensive) than my road bike, I'll tend to use that more as my sacrificial bike during less-than-ideal conditions.
If it's really icky out, I'll ride rollers.
As for cleanup - I'm currently going through some Fanstastik wipes for both bikes. That seems to work fine. Then I clean the chain and cassette and re-lube as necessary.