I turn my wheel around mid ride often. I have a bike that can handle any cog 12 to 24 and put on whatever cogs are appropriate for the day. If I am doing serious climbing, I'll being a cog wrench and third cog for the downhills. I've ridden 4 Cycle Oregons this way and will do it again this year. (I'll let you sit with how you feel about that.)

In the early days of the Tour de France, double sided wheels and the stop at the bottoms and tops of mountain passes was just what you did.

Ben