For the last 4 years I've built up a new bike for each winter. The first of the series of designated winter bikes was a KHS flite track bike, which doubled as a polo bike. A simple fixed gear with a seat mounted fender. I had it geared really low to battle the wind and warm up my body more rapidly. I ended up selling it for some reason or another. The next year I built up a white trek 750 with a 3 speed Shimano internal gear hub. I guess the combination of building up a used hub with winter street salt and my desire to ride hard and fast wherever I went that destroyed that hub in a matter of a few months. I then built it up with a derailleur again. Once again having to deal with the mechanism freezing up with the slush inside of it. That was a swell bike that I thoroughly enjoyed. It met its demise when we were deflected of the front side panel of a white Ford 250 pickup truck. Last year I rode a early 80's stump jumper most everywhere, including 28 miles round trip three times a week across Chicago. Derailleurs froze, Cantilevers seized up, but all in all a decent bike. Its currently set up with a large cargo rack on the front. Gaining weight its even more unappealing to ride 14 miles to work and then another 14 home, probably into the wind. So it was once again time for a new winter bike.
I'd found myself missing riding fixed. I'd given it up half out of my growing interest in geared bikes and half out of my distaste for the gaudy sub culture growing around fixed geared bikes. I wanted to have those muscles I had when I used to ride fixed. I wanted the simplicity of a bicycle that won't fail under salt and slush. I wanted an excuse to build another bike. After five winters in Chicago I've reached this years conclusion. Fixed gear, Internal brake, and Generator. So far the bike is working out great, though there is no snow on the ground yet.
