My daily bike is a (formerly white, now red) 42cm Wabi Classic. I dropped it off to get powdercoated a week and a half ago. A combination of incompatible work schedules and an annual rush for motorists to get their rims repainted for spring time means I can't pick it up until Monday or Tuesday. My backup / winter bike is a disc equipped All City Nature Boy. It takes fenders and wide tires but, I hate the disc brakes (not interested in a debate about it, it's just how I feel).


I ride the Wabi rain or shine, as long as there isn't snow or ice on the ground. I don't ride the Nature Boy in rain because the stopping power of disc brakes has yet to persuade me to overlook the ungodly noises they make when wet. That being said, I love the Wabi(#1) so much that I'm considering buying another(#2). I'd build #2 up, check it over, and then re-box it until it's needed as I don't have space on the rack. Why? Because I want my backup bike to be as enjoyable to ride in all non-icy/snow conditions and I don't get that with the Nature Boy. The NB is great as a winter grinder but if I had a second Wabi(#2) for the times I didn't have #1, I'd chose #2 over the Nature Boy in a heartbeat.


My mother (who is not a cyclist) thinks I'm insane and that it's a waste of money. As fellow cyclists, is having a ready to build replica of the bike you love a waste of money and space? I'm thinking ahead for when #1 finally fails, whether from use, or from getting into more car accidents, etc. I probably won't ever be in the situation of not having #1 for two weeks again but who knows . . .