i do use a Bridgestone MB-2 for rain rides in the cold, it has fenders and Continental Gatorskins. Rarely do i get a flat so this is a what if type of deal.
with
a rear rack, you can mount the wheel far enuff back to where it will be out of the way. picture a wheel instead of a pannier.
we just bought a wheel exactly like the wheel that is on my MB-2. this way i avoid wheel building, tubular tires, the extra expense and labor of installing titanium parts, plus i now have a reliable backup wheel in case i break a spoke or axle.
we can mount a 650 x 23 C gatorskin on there which only weighs 275 G and use a light tube but not latex. now i do not have to build a wheel and hassle with spoke length. we already have a single cog and spacer kit for the freehub that was gathering dust after a poster wisely told me not to convert the MB-2 to a single speed as the bike is plenty light already. my rain jacket gains weight out there, at least as much as the weight savings of a titainium axle.
also, we do not have to carry a 15 mm wrench for changing a track hub although we could have installed QR on the track hub which would have been an extra hassle and more money. and i do not have to pump up a tubular every 15 minutes.
a light wheel with a tubular would be nice but we want the spare to be dependable, not like a space saver spare in the back of the car.
with the light tire and single cog, we still have a pretty light wheel. and we can ditch the stuff in the saddle pack and save weight like the tube, co2 inflator and cartridge. nobody wants to ride at night in cold temps so i go it alone on the bike path which means calling uber could be tricky. and we do not want to depend on a cell phone if possible.
thanks for the input, saved me time and money.
we have a Big Blue 1300 Lumen scuba diving light coming in next week, good for 300 feet, a magnetic switch and no USB, and a Fennix handlebar mount, so we should be ok if we keep it on low so it don;t burn up. this will replace the :water resistant: nite rider lumina micro 900 and we now have a 18650 battery which means we do not have to send in the light to get a new flat pac Li-Ion soldered into the PC board. the light was 155 dollars, comes with a charger and a 300 lumen backup light, also meant for diving. the backup takes two aa batts and will fit in the saddle pack so we in fat city.
i be re
ady spare wheel, spare light!
Last edited by cjenrick; 12-06-21 at 03:47 AM.