jppe

On Ride the Rockies last month I ran into a mechanical issue on my Cervelo R3. Essentially the cable housing support on the down tube for the rear derailleur broke off. We came up with a temporary fix by running cable housing all the way from the shifter to the rear derailleur and attaching it to the frame with zip ties. I didn't realize how "fragile" the supports were......and they might be that way on most bikes. I was able to quickly get it repaired when I returned home but essentially it was just a matter of riveting the support back into place.

I'm a little gun shy using the Cervelo bike until I can get some more miles on it with the repair in place. So on a whim I boxed up my old Trek 5900 and shipped it out to Wyoming for next week's Tour de Wyoming. A few years ago it was my go to bike and I've put many, many miles on it. However I haven't put any miles on it in 3-4 years. Zero. I gave it a quick test ride and everything seemed okay but we'll see how it holds up for several hundred miles. I had ordered a new stem that was a little shorter and with a touch more rise so maybe that will help a little with ride comfort.

It's a great riding bike, maybe a couple pounds heavier than the Cervelo but with the HED Alps wheels it is a really smooth ride.

So, anyone else have a bike sitting to the side for emergencies???

GlennR

I recently upgraded from a Marine 4.6 to a Emonda SLR. For a minute I thought about keeping it as a N+1 but decided to sell it and use the funds to buy a MTB that t I can ride when I want to do something different.

In my case I did the right thing.

OldsCOOL

'86 Trek 760 Pro Series


Then on the third string is the '77 Colnago Super that is presently being restored. This will be my gentlemens racer.

BluesDawg

That's the beauty of N+1. None of my bikes have duplicate capabilities, but they do overlap so that if any one was unavailable for whatever reason, another could take its place. There might be a dropoff, but I would be able to ride.

TCR Rider

I have more than one bike but no extra bikes.

howeeee

I dont spend a lot of money on my bikes, but I have 6 0r 7 spares, sometimes more till I sell them (-:

big john

I still have my Gunnar from 2006 and it's been pressed into service twice since I got the Seven. It's heavier but the thing that bothers me is the difference in position, always takes time to get re-aquainted.

MinnMan

+1

StanSeven

I always like a spare. They are good for lots more than "emergencies." Finding a flat before you ride, rain or just bad weather conditions, winter road grit and grim, or just a change of pace.

GravelMN

I've got a Schwinn World Sport that I "upgraded" with a lot of decent parts from the same era that I had around the shop. It's in pretty good shape and a lot of fun to ride, even if it is on the heavy side. I keep it around as a Plan B / Guest bike that also serves as my trainer bike in the winter.

Biker395 

Exactly. Having two credible bikes means that if something goes wrong with one, I can use the other while I get the parts to fix the other. N+1 rocks!

MinnMan

I'm in California for two weeks. I shipped my Trek here, Fedex ground, so back in Minnesota I was without it for nearly a week (4 business days transit). I rode my Felt on a ride or two where normally I would have ridden the Trek. And I rode my KHS on another low key ride that could have been a Trek morning. Same will happen when I get back days before my Trek arrives home.

OldsCOOL

I have a red World Sport somewhere in the shop. The rims still show a polish. I have no idea how old it is.

OldsCOOL

There it is.

bykemike 

I drive 8 hours several times a year to ride in the Asheville area and always bring along a spare bike. I broke a rear wheel on one trip and, thank heaven, had a spare bike with me. If I hadn't I would have walked out of the bike shop with a new Trek Madone I couldn't afford but could put on my Visa..and it would have made sense to me at the time.

OldsCOOL

Ok I confess. Here is my REAL backup bike.....




(Not)

bikemig 

I have over 20 bikes but no "spare" bikes,

I've always had at least 2 road bikes (I do my own work but this helps if I have a major mechanical) and 2 commuters (mechanicals are a real drag when you're talking about your transportation to work).

Dave Cutter

I have a bike I call my "rain bike". Not a completely accurate term as I never deliberately go out riding in the rain. It is perfect for days like today... when rain is in the forecast but it seems like I may be able to squeeze in a short fast ride anyway. This will be the bike I take. It is also my choice on wintery days. It's a 2010 Fuji newest 3.0 (road bike) outfitted with a rack and a trunk. The rain bike was my daily rider until about a year ago.

I also keep a "vintage" or near-vintage bike or two on hand. And of course... I have a daily rider. I keep some spare parts and pieces on hand too. And for the most part I do my own repairs and maintenance.

obed7

I only have 4 bikes, so I am in the market for a spare.

OldsCOOL

I really dont have a spare bike. Get yer own.

BlazingPedals

I've got multiple bikes and I ride all of them. So if one breaks, I just take that one out of the 'active' list for a while.

JerrySTL

A few years ago I had my new Giant Defy Advanced, old Trek 5200, and an older Bianchi Boardwalk hybrid. I used the Bianchi hybrid for my annual ride across the Katy Trail and other short rides. The hybrid really didn't fit all that well and it hurt some to ride. I used the Trek as a backup bike but it wasn't getting much use. Therefore I sold both the Trek and Bianchi on Craigslist and bought a cheap Windsor Tourist that doubles for a backup road bike and my Katy Trail bike. So I'm down to just 2 bikes now.

jppe

Same here. Interesting but I've ridden hundreds of miles on the 5900 but it's been 3-4 years since.......I did some measuring and the bars were a little lower and also had a longer reach from the saddle. The way it was it felt really stretched out a lot more than my current setups. So, switched stems which should help but I'll still be about an inch lower in drop from saddle height to the bars.

It's also DuraAce and what I've been riding is Super Record 11sp or SRAM Red so I'm sure it will take a few miles for the shifting to become more instinctive.

BobbyG

Just this wet, rainy morning I went out to the shed and my new commuter/semi-tourer had a flat. I turned to my MTB based commuter which also has fenders, did a quick check, topped off the tires and AirZound air horn and was on my way.

fietsbob

No 2 are similar other than they Fit Me. One road Bike , not 2.