changing a flat with numb hands is a pain. and i like to blow up the tube when i get a flat and see where the leak is. i always mount the tire with the label over the stem hole so i have a ref. point for finding glass and nails. then i trace the area of the leak back to the tire to see if there is anything that might cause the new tube to go flat again. thereby saving me from a situation where i have no other options but to walk 15 miles in the rain at night in deadly temps. it seems to me that it would be very hard to diagnose a leak in the rain at night. i would rather do a 15 second wheel change like you see in the TDF. that way i maintain body heat. i am 67 so not as tough as i use to be when it comes to hypothermia why am i out there in the first place? well i still like to ride.
there are a few threads on the idea of a spare wheel idea so this is nothing new. 90 percent of the flats are on the back tire so we are playing the odds by taking only one wheel.
re-thinking this, i have decided to forgo the titanium axle idea, opting instead for a steel axle and a Ti quick release on a freehub with single Ti cog. should be light enough with the tubular rim and tire.
Last edited by cjenrick; 12-05-21 at 08:29 PM.