Backup plans when bike is in the shop
#51
well hello there
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Point Loma, CA
Posts: 15,433
Bikes: Bill Holland (Road-Ti), Fuji Roubaix Pro (back-up), Bike Friday (folder), Co-Motion (tandem) & Trek 750 (hybrid)
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Having a back up bike for your back up bike, helps avoid any potential unpleasantness.
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Two wheels good. Four wheels bad.
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Two wheels good. Four wheels bad.
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#52
Full Member
A lot of people here have many bikes. I only have two (well, i also have a Rudge 3 speed), and I'm glad that when i got the bike I always ride (in 2007) I kept the previous one. For just that reason.
#53
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Highlands Ranch, CO
Posts: 1,221
Bikes: '13 Diamondback Hybrid Commuter, '17 Spec Roubaix Di2, '17 Spec Camber 29'er, '19 CDale Topstone Gravel
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One morning, just 20 minutes before I needed to roll out for the Wednesday morning road group ride, my main bike had an issue that wasn't solvable in 20 minutes, so I ran down to the pain cave and grabbed the spare road bike off the trainer (which was the main road bike a one point), and that one also decided to have an issue that wasn't solvable in the remaining 10 minutes I had left, so I was relegated to the fendered, racked, dynamoed, kickstanded, and much heavier full steel hybrid commuter with heavy puncture-resistant 38mm tires. I definitely paid the price with choice, and got dropped numerous times by the group I almost always lead. It's good to have several road worthy spare bikes, but they are not all created equal. Thankfully I didn't need to go to the full-squish mtb.
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#54
Observational Theorist
You Own More Than One Pair of Shoes Don't You?
Intensely frustrating indeed. This is part of why I own so many bikes (8 and counting). Even if you don't gon that route, having a bike up of the bike you like to ride just makes sense.
I always wanted to be able to ride whenever I feel like it and not be shutdown by circumstances beyond my control. Waiting for parts, backlog at the ship etc.
My primary road bike I got used in great condition. I have a backup road bike also bought used, from a someone who bought it and never rode it. Tires still had the little frilly nipples on them.
Main mountain bike is brand new, backup is used.
Two single speeds, both gravel capable.
I always wanted to be able to ride whenever I feel like it and not be shutdown by circumstances beyond my control. Waiting for parts, backlog at the ship etc.
My primary road bike I got used in great condition. I have a backup road bike also bought used, from a someone who bought it and never rode it. Tires still had the little frilly nipples on them.
Main mountain bike is brand new, backup is used.
Two single speeds, both gravel capable.
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#56
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Fort Wayne, IN
Posts: 464
Bikes: No. 22 Bicycle Great Divide, Lynskey R260, Salsa Colossal Ti, Litespeed T5, Lynskey Peloton, Bianchi Vigorelli, CAAD 10, Giant FastRoad CoMax 1, C-Dale Quick 1
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I have WAY too many bikes. My non-cyclist friends do not understand. Heck, neither do my cyclist friends. Soon, this bike will be one of my "backup bikes."
#57
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Fort Wayne, IN
Posts: 464
Bikes: No. 22 Bicycle Great Divide, Lynskey R260, Salsa Colossal Ti, Litespeed T5, Lynskey Peloton, Bianchi Vigorelli, CAAD 10, Giant FastRoad CoMax 1, C-Dale Quick 1
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One morning, just 20 minutes before I needed to roll out for the Wednesday morning road group ride, my main bike had an issue that wasn't solvable in 20 minutes, so I ran down to the pain cave and grabbed the spare road bike off the trainer (which was the main road bike a one point), and that one also decided to have an issue that wasn't solvable in the remaining 10 minutes I had left, so I was relegated to the fendered, racked, dynamoed, kickstanded, and much heavier full steel hybrid commuter with heavy puncture-resistant 38mm tires. I definitely paid the price with choice, and got dropped numerous times by the group I almost always lead. It's good to have several road worthy spare bikes, but they are not all created equal. Thankfully I didn't need to go to the full-squish mtb.
#58
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Jacksonville, FL
Posts: 7,010
Bikes: Trek Domane SLR 7 AXS, Trek CheckPoint SL7 AXS, Trek Emonda ALR AXS, Trek FX 5 Sport
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#59
just another gosling
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Everett, WA
Posts: 19,638
Bikes: CoMo Speedster 2003, Trek 5200, CAAD 9, Fred 2004
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Many years ago, in the parking lot before a brevet start, I was testing my front end, reefing on the bars, etc. when my one stem bolt popped. That stem was recalled the next month BTW. I jumped in my car, drove the 25 miles home, grabbed my rain bike, and made it back within the 1 hour start window. Had a great ride.
I built my rain bike real cheap except for the drive train, which was identical to Bike 1. So there you are. Yeah, 2 bikes. We don't have 2 tandems, but I do stock spare wheels for it. And the other thing is my road bike is never in the shop. There's nothing on it I can't fix. The tandem has some fancier components on it which I have serviced once a year, that's it. So do your own maintenance, build your own wheels. Among the group, the folks with the worst maintained bikes, which have the most problems and are most likely to DNF with mechanicals, are all completely shop-maintained. Not really sure why that is, just saying.
Bike 2 doesn't need to be fancy, anything which fits, has the right gearing and the same saddle will work. It's the motor that counts.
I built my rain bike real cheap except for the drive train, which was identical to Bike 1. So there you are. Yeah, 2 bikes. We don't have 2 tandems, but I do stock spare wheels for it. And the other thing is my road bike is never in the shop. There's nothing on it I can't fix. The tandem has some fancier components on it which I have serviced once a year, that's it. So do your own maintenance, build your own wheels. Among the group, the folks with the worst maintained bikes, which have the most problems and are most likely to DNF with mechanicals, are all completely shop-maintained. Not really sure why that is, just saying.
Bike 2 doesn't need to be fancy, anything which fits, has the right gearing and the same saddle will work. It's the motor that counts.
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#60
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Redmond, WA & Bangkok, Thailand
Posts: 583
Bikes: 1999 Giant ATX MTB, 2002 Lemond Zurich, 2018 Fuji Transonic 2.3, 2019 Specialized Tarmac Disc Expert
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I have a backup bike, or as I also call it, my rain bike. I feel it's essential to have something to ride just in case the main bike is down for whatever reason.
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#61
just another gosling
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Everett, WA
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Bikes: CoMo Speedster 2003, Trek 5200, CAAD 9, Fred 2004
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I guess I slighted Fred and I'm sorry. Here he is, is all his raging glory, $125 frame and whatever wheels and tires I had lying around. I made his decal myself.
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#62
Observational Theorist
#63
Method to My Madness
Join Date: Nov 2020
Location: Orange County, California
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Bikes: Trek FX 2, Cannondale Synapse x2, Cannondale CAAD4, Santa Cruz Stigmata 3
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#64
Senior Member
One of the more frustrating aspects of cycling is that a broken-down bike takes you off the road, sometimes for days or even weeks, especially if you don't know how to fix hardly anything beyond a flat tire.
Curious what people have as backups. How many of you have a second road bike? How many have a spare set of wheels? Or tires? If you have a backup bike, is it your former first-string bike that was demoted after a new purchase? Or did you buy a spare bike used?
I have another bike, but it's a hybrid that's not ideal for the road. There's a paved trail near me where I can go 40+ miles, so the answer might just be to use that as the backup. Trying to decide if I should stick with that or buy a used road bike, or spare wheels, etc.
FYI, the latest mechanical issue is a back wheel that cracked near the hub. Surprised I didn't crash. Happened mid-ride. Bike shop is checking to see if the manufacturer will warranty it. The company hasn't yet responded. Similar thing happened 1.5 years ago. Manufacturer responded several days later and sent 2 new wheels. Now, one of those has malfunctioned.
Curious what people have as backups. How many of you have a second road bike? How many have a spare set of wheels? Or tires? If you have a backup bike, is it your former first-string bike that was demoted after a new purchase? Or did you buy a spare bike used?
I have another bike, but it's a hybrid that's not ideal for the road. There's a paved trail near me where I can go 40+ miles, so the answer might just be to use that as the backup. Trying to decide if I should stick with that or buy a used road bike, or spare wheels, etc.
FYI, the latest mechanical issue is a back wheel that cracked near the hub. Surprised I didn't crash. Happened mid-ride. Bike shop is checking to see if the manufacturer will warranty it. The company hasn't yet responded. Similar thing happened 1.5 years ago. Manufacturer responded several days later and sent 2 new wheels. Now, one of those has malfunctioned.
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#65
Full Member
Thread Starter
Got the bike back today in time for the best weather I've seen in months. I was about 1 mph faster than the past several weeks, although not unusual compared to last year So, I guess the failing wheel was slowing me down. Thought I'd just lost some conditioning or that winter attire (jacket) was slowing me, or the lack of pep that comes from riding when you're cold. I also bought a new back tire, so that might've sped me up as well. Who knows. Just glad to be back on the road. And have decided to invest a little into the old hybrid and let that be the backup bike. Kinda enjoyed doing the American Tobacco Trail here in Raleigh. Good to mix things up.
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#66
Observational Theorist
Got the bike back today in time for the best weather I've seen in months. I was about 1 mph faster than the past several weeks, although not unusual compared to last year So, I guess the failing wheel was slowing me down. Thought I'd just lost some conditioning or that winter attire (jacket) was slowing me, or the lack of pep that comes from riding when you're cold. I also bought a new back tire, so that might've sped me up as well. Who knows. Just glad to be back on the road.
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#67
Full Member
Thread Starter
True. First time back on the road in 2 weeks in sunny 75-degree weather sure beats grinding day after day in 45-degree weather.
#68
Observational Theorist
Believe me I know how you feel. All my rides this year till now have averaged 1 - 1.5 hours max length in temps as low a 28. Not fun.
Suddenly yesterday we hit 70 degrees and next thing you know I'm out on a 3.5 hour ride! Haha
#69
Senior Member
If you and your bike have "an open relationship" you can rent a different bike and get a little fresh.
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#70
In Real Life
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Down under down under
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There are, naturally, spare wheels and of course spare tires.
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