If you have a good looking bike at the begining, it will look like an older good looking bike at the end. Many new models look different from bikes made in the past, and people can tell they have value even when they are dirty. Although riding them makes you think they look less desirable, keeping them covered can help alot. Try starting your trip (with a nice looking machine) using an old light weight oily dirty bike cover. The kind you find on the floor in the corner of a shop that nobody will need. Make sure it looks like a rag and then use it during your travels until your bike has some character. When it is no longer needed, and you have many stories to tell, you can dispose of it easily.
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