Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 1,472
Likes: 11
From: Near St. Louis, Missouri
Bikes: Giant Defy Advanced, Breezer Doppler Team, Schwinn Twinn Tandem, Windsor Tourist, 1954 JC Higgens
If you are actually racing, there's another reason to have a second set of wheels.
Most crits have a wheel pit where you place your spare wheels. If you have a flat or broke spoke early in the race, you can quickly exchange the wheel there and get a free lap.
On some road races a wheel truck will follow the pack. If you have a mechanical with a wheel, you stop the truck and exchange your wheel.