Changing the wheelset can drastically change a bike; even make it seem like a totally different bike. Guess you could call it a "poor man's new bike."

I commute on a Surly Crosscheck, love the bike and riding it day in and day out. By changing the wheelset and a couple of things, I can make the bike feel "new", again.

Anyone else keep a 2nd wheelset for the purpose of "changing up" a their ride?

My Crosscheck with the Alex Cross Rims with 42cm Marathon XR tires and XT Deore lightweight cassette 12-34.




Same bike with front rack removed, rear rack added and Mavic Open Pros with Rivendell Ruffy Tuffy tires and Tiagra Cassette 12-23.

I don't, but I'd like to. I'll probably do it when I have money. It's a nice, fast way to change out tires and rim types for different purposes.

I have several. Trimming the RD in after a wheel swap can be annoying sometimes though.

I have a winter wheelset with Nokkian studded tires. The extra grip is great but the ride is sluggish and my 35 minute commute becomes 40 minutes. I always look forward to the spring day when I can go back to my regular wheelset and, yes, my bike feels new again.

Ditto what he said. I have two sets of wheels and three sets of tires that I cycle through depending on the weather. I have a set of 28c Pasela TGs with Kevlar bead that I use in the summer on my light wheels. The 49C Top contacts go on when the rain starts, and if the weather is forecast to be around freezing, the studded tires on the heavier wheels go on.

I use two wheelsets of different sizes (700c and 26") on the same bike. I like having the option of going with a road or off-road setup. It helps to have disc wheels, and the same size cassette on each wheel. No adjustment is needed to the drivetrain, brakes or fenders. Just swap and go. It's great in the winter for having studded tires on the 26" wheels, and touring tires on the 700c wheels.

Here are some photos of my setup: https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...ht=surly+troll

Wow that is a great advantage of disc brakes I hadn't even considered.

Friction shifters ++

I might like to do this for my son's MTB, giving him a set of slicks for around town, but quickly swapping the knobbies back in whenever we head to unpaved trails.

My spare set of wheels also has a different bike attached to them. It's a really convenient setup...

Eight bikes. It's the poor man's nine bikes.

I've slowly been downsizing to the point where now I only have two bikes. With my current setup I am seriously considering selling off one of them, but I'm afraid to give up my backup. My primary do-it-all ride is a cyclocross bike and two wheelsets- one with road tires and one that I usually keep cross tires on for trail riding or bad weather. In the winter I'll probably switch out the road tires for something a little meatier but not as knobby as the cross tires. I have a 12-25 10 speed cassette on the cross set of wheels and an 11-28 on the road set to give me more gears for hills. The rear derailleur handles both fine (unless I try and really cross the chain) and I don't have to do any tuning when I switch. Just switch and go.

Sure I do;

They are all on different bikes!

agreed. having a additional wheelsets attached to additional bikes does offer a convenience that is hard to beat.

On my Vaya, I have one set with 700X32 commuter tires and one set with 700X40 all terrains. Comes in real handy depending on the weather and riding conditions.

On my road bike I have standard wheels and a set of aero wheels...both with 700X23