CoogansBluff

Good point. Not the same issue w/ each wheel, but each broke down nonetheless, one after maybe 9 months, just some small cracks that never actually failed, the other 18 months in, and that one could've sent me in the ditch when it failed. But didn't luckily.

DiabloScott

Sort of. My previous "best bike" became my winter bike, rain bike, and back-up bike. I also have two sets of wheels for the winter bike. It still gets ridden a lot and I like riding it a lot.

veganbikes

I have about 7 back ups or so and will have others but some are getting fixed for some minor issues or are planning to be sold. To anyone who commutes and cannot do anything without their bike having a back up is crucial. To those who are recreational riders then having a back up is fun as you can have a bike that can do something different or have different features. Maybe something with fenders and dynamo for the rainy rides or a fixed gear/single speed because those are pretty reliable and fun or maybe a gravel or touring bike or some combination of bikes.

N+1

I would have some spares at home at least for wear items so I can be ready. I may not want to or in your case be able to change them but I will have them so I can ask my local shop to install them and I know I have them so if they are out or everyone is out I have my stuff. I don't really have a lot of wheel spares personally I do handbuilt wheels for that purpose though I do have some random wheels laying about so currently I could make something work or take wheels off another bike.

rivers

If the weather is nice and my favourite bike is in the shop, I'll take my gravel/cross bike out. If it's just the wheels that are being repaired, I might nab the wheels off my TT bike for the day if I'm not commuting. If I'm off for a ride by myself, I might just take the TT bike for a spin depending on my planned route. I have a few options for road rides.

Rides4Beer

Two bikes, with multiple wheelsets than can be used on both bikes.

Psimet2001 

This is what this forum was built for - finally a thread where this advice is the only correct answer: Buy a new bike. Keep the old one.

Outrider1

N+1 here as well.

Tycho Brahe 

Running. I usually do a single minimum 5K run per week (usually longer), but will run more frequently when no bike and up to solo half marathons.

I constantly have this problem since I only have one bike and it gets ridden hard. I do not have room for another bike, what makes you think I have room to do greasy repairs? 2020 was going to be the year I make some room and get a new bike, but we all know how that went.

CoogansBluff

Good advice. Although in this case, it's something that needs replacing rather than fixing, and there's the added wait of seeing whether Specialized is willing to replace under warranty. Why that takes so long, I haven't determined. Similar deal last time, where it took 2 weeks to get an answer, which wound up being 'yes.' So now I have to decide whether to keep waiting or maybe just buy a new wheel set, and if the original is replaced, then I've got a backup.

Seattle Forrest

That's supposed to be automatic.

But you're supposed to pretend you love all your children bikes equally.

Jack Tone 

N + 1 for me, too. I haven't figured out how to sell stuff, so since the last 50 years or so I now have about 12 backup bikes.

MinnMan

I still love my entry level road bike. It has had multiple lives. After it was no longer my principal ride, it was my spare/rain bike for a long time. It also did service in swing seasons when roads were clear, but too dirty or wet for the nicer bike. At present, it's my dedicated trainer bicycle. Low end and old components, wheels, tires? On the trainer, none of that matters so long as the drive train runs smoothly.

MinnMan

If cycling is important enough to you that you'll miss your road bike if it's out of commission for a week or two, then you have to own more than one.

Yeah, I own seven bikes, including 3 road bikes. Eventually, you will too.

WonderMonkey

To the OP, I have a hybrid and a road bike. I replaced the tires on my hybrid with the same tires that I have on my road bike so I can take it the same places.

caloso

If my road bike is out of commission, I will ride my CX with road tires. Or take the trainer bike off the trainer. Or take the TT bike.

79pmooney

Yup. Though I'm not a saint. I have 3 rear wheel standards. (Four?) 130 9-speed. 126 7-speeds. 120 fix gears. (One of the 126s is set up with a slightly dished fix gear wheel. Slightly dished so upon flipping, the cog is on another chainline to use with a different chainring. Makes very different gears easy to do on a not-very-long dropout.) But every setup has two rear wheels. I don't have two fronts per bike but they are very easy to change out. All front wheels work on all my bikes. Well, maybe not the biggest tires but all wheels can take the small tires.

Madridjoe

Carbon bike and an aluminum one, with back up wheels for both. Whatever happens if the weather allows I have something to ride, nearly 11,000 miles last year.

genejockey 

I have 4 bikes ready to go all the time. I don't have a 'main bike' or a 'backup'. I ride the one I feel like riding, because each one has a different feel to it. Every time I ride one after not riding it for a while, I think, "Oh, yeah! THAT'S why I have this one!"

I didn't set out to have 4 bikes. I just didn't stop riding the one I had when I got a new one.

Well, now, that's not entirely true. I DID stop riding the Cannondale that preceded the Ritchey I bought in 1997. But even that one, I'm currently rebuilding it as a vintage bike with downtube shifters and mid-90s Shimano components, for fun and tooling around. When it's done, I'll have FIVE bikes, ready to go.

CeeDotA

Main bike is a TCR. My backup was a Defy, which I sold and bought a Revolt to replace it. If I don't want to ride the new "backup," I still have a Trinity I can ride.

bruce19

Someone here has only one bike?

downhillmaster

My backup for when my nice bike is in the shop

CoogansBluff

I actually have road-bike tires on my hybrid as well. Got them 3 years ago (a few months before buying my road bike) to help me do a metric century. So maybe I should just go back on the road with the hybrid until I get the road bike back.

CoogansBluff

As an update, Specialized is replacing the wheel. Which surprised me. Had it probably 18 months.

WonderMonkey

There you go. Obviously, it's not the same (as you know) but if you want to get on the bike it's a way to do it. I usually start my season (now) off with the hybrid and when I switch to the road bike, it feels like I can do wheelies all over the place.

Back when it was all I had, I did an Imperial Century and it was tough. If I trained more it wouldn't have been so bad, but I didn't. Towards the end it felt like I was dragging a block of cement.

robbyville

Great to hear that they are standing behind their product!

Thankfully, I’ve never had to leave my bike anywhere, not had anything break to the point where I had to wait for a replacement, and do all my own work. Previously I had an extra set of wheels which I would use if needed. However they have now been moved to my 1992 De Rosa that I refurbished recently, but now I have a back up bike if needed!