Hey Star, and Flag.

I've got a BOB bike, and I've had it specifically for that. I don't have it set up like I'd like yet, but I've got it.

This is a wonderful thread, and I hope all the testosterone from the the weaponry will come take a look, and comment here.

In poor areas of the world bikes are a staple of life. As such, they usually have front, and rear racks. I've seen plenty of people carrying upwards of 100 to 200 extra pounds on a bicycle. People learn to make do when they have nothing else.

Great thread!
I like that collapsible bike, looks pretty rugged....and if it's issued to
the military, it's a good bet that it's going to be sturdy and long-lasting.

I'm a big fan of mountain biking, and I definitely think that they could
be a very wise choice when trying to decide which route to go for a
bug out vehicle. As you've stated, you can cover some serious ground
on a bike....especially a mountain bike! They will take a beating and keep
on going, and replacement parts are generally small and fairly cheap.
Easy to hide, low on the noise factor, easy to maintain, and it definitely
will keep you in shape.

The only thing that I could add to the info. you posted is that you're
probably going to want to buy a better seat for your bike....unless you've
purchased a model with a great seat, your special places are going to
take a beating after awhile. I know it seems like an insignificant point
to make, but comfort would become an issue if you plan on going 40+ miles in one day.

S&F! I've been wondering about this. Even those who have 4x4's could use one. You go as far as you can go with gas, then convert to pedal power. Thanks for the input.
I've been thinking about a bike, just for the excercise, and now I'm pretty sure I'm gonna start doing some serious shhopping.

I'd go for something not too specialised... Think about breaking something exotic and some guy says that you can have a look in the back of his garage cos he'd got a box of old bike bits... Well you may as well build your self a bike out of the parts he has because you spent thousands on something you have no chance of getting a part for...

Although I will say you will have a much easier time 'knocking up' a piece for a mountain bike than you may have for a critical component for a motorbike of some massive SUV thing.



Side note - can anyone ID that bike the special forces guy has in Black Hawk down (near the beginning when they pick him up from the dunes by copter and they pick up something to eat!)

Side side note - I have a muddy fox monarch sport frame and a box of bits to do something with - does any one have any idea if the frame is worth much??

I have numerous road and mountain bikes which include some spendy setups with all the names. But if I had to pick one to do everything in the most reliable fashion, it would be my old steel framed Specialized Stumpjumper.

The thing does everything fairly well and is a tank. It's never let me down and I've taken it on plenty of ugly runs in mud & snow.

I've seen them go cheap on e-bay. Cheap enough to have one as a spare or dedicated bob (esp if you're willing to work on it yourself).

[edit on 8/6/2009 by beezwaxes]

Thanks for the replies everyone.

I agree with all the comments here. A good seat is a must if you are planning to do any amount of mileage, i have a kevlar racing saddle on my mountain bike, the thin ones that give you a wedgie lol.

That said, if i was doing a lot of miles, it could prove sore where you don't want it to be. Plus, add a large pack on your back grinding your bits down into the saddle....doesn't bear thinking about. Maybe try it for a while to see how it feels.

As far as getting fit, a mountain bike is just as good as a road bike. When i left the forces i was doing many, many miles a day. I used to pack up a lunch and go out from 8 in the morning to the evening, travelling at just 10 mph could get you some serious distance in that time.

I agree with the "KISS" comment earlier, to much gadgetry will be hard to replace if things go wrong. As a kid i used to be able to make my own bikes up, mend anything on them that went wrong, now it can be baffling if you don't know about the latest parts.

I've not used a jump bike yet, but some of the ones i've seen the kids on nowadays are as you say, like a tank.

I've broken a few bikes in the past, even snapped two clean in half because even as a 15 stone 37yr old, i am a total kid on a bike. If i see anything resembling a lump in the ground, it's a ramp in my eyes lol.

I have also learnt, that as an adult, and a largish adult at that, i don't fall like i used to. Instead of the light tumble that used to happen, it's a "hit the deck like a sack of the brown stuff", and it's not a pretty sight lol.

So getting out there and getting used to your bike is a must. Learning your bikes capabilities is a must too. Your brain might want to take on that huge jump, but your bike with basic shocks might think twice.

I have been looking at the hybrid bikes, for road and off-road capabilities, i'm just not convinced the thinner wheels will take too much wear and tear.

Thanks again for the replies.

[edit on 7/8/09 by CX]

I remember a while back someone posted a thread about a survival bike.

Not only did they have the bike but also a small type of trailer attached to the back of it to contain all their gear. I thought it was a pretty good idea.

I'll try and find the thread now.

Edit: Okay I can't find it at first glance, it was quite a while ago now. I'm sure it can be found if your prepared to look.

[edit on 7/8/09 by Death_Kron]

Thanks DK.

I'll take a look.

CX.

The only problems I have with mountain bikes are transmission systems.
My derailleurs are always the first bit to get bunged up in a crash.
For this reason, The family and I now ride BMX style bikes. Overall you are not as fast as an MTB, but we make up for that in reliabilty. For what a spare front and rear der. set cost for my MTB, we can have a complete spare bike. Also we still have the proverbial Box of Bits to go along with it.

The newer bikes designed for BMX dirt jumping are ideal for this. They are as strong as they come, built to take a beating. My kids ride these and rarely have problems. I keep 120" of spare chain and a complete complement of tools to service everything. The entire tool kit and the spare chain probably cost $100 FRN.

My prize is a Redline Chromoly race bike that I found in a pile of bikes beside the road for garbage collection. Ka ching!!!$$$

Originally posted by hotrodturbo7
The only problems I have with mountain bikes are transmission systems.
My derailleurs are always the first bit to get bunged up in a crash.

A semi-permanent fix if you have a link-extractor tool is to remove enough sections of chain to shorten and use as a fixed rear-gear instead

Originally posted by Taikonaut

A semi-permanent fix if you have a link-extractor tool is to remove enough sections of chain to shorten and use as a fixed rear-gear instead

That's true, I have used that method to "get back to the truck" before after crashes.

I think I need to design a cheap tensioner so you can switch gears manually, but have no need for a derailleur.

You wouldn't be able to shift on the fly, but you could set up the bike for whatever conditions that presented that day, or trip, or whatever.

I have been using my Claude Butler touring bike for trips to and from work for 3 years now . Best thing i ever did . I cycle past the same old car drivers every day and think "How do you stick it". Great for de stressing and keeps the body fit and lean. as for Bug out panniers and my Bergan
give me plenty off scope for equipment and stores..
PS i can now smoke 40 a day instead of 20 .... lmao

[edit on 10-8-2009 by foxhoundone]

Bugout bikes, ey... hmmmm. *ponders*
Learning how to fix a pushbike is soooo easy. In fact, we should all have grown up riding pushbikes and learning how to fix our OWN bikes! I did a paper round as a kid all through primary school, and out of necessity, I had to fix my own bike, lest I have no income to buy junk food with, such an incentive! ^_^
In all seriousness, however, unless you are an experienced courier, you're going to find it REALLY BLOODY HARD to ride a pushbike with 20 kilograms worth of bugout equipment on your back.

The best way to equip your bike for a bugout scenario, is to do what all us povarsed paperboys used to do... 'acquire' a milk crate, get some thin rope, and just tie the thing to your handlebars (if you are using a BMX), or get yourself a rear-tyre rack that you can put a crate on either side. I could deliver papers to about 200 houses in one trip using this method (although I was constantly replacing tubes, brakes, etc., which is what taught me how to fix bikes!).

Even though they don't have gears, I prefer BMX bikes for carrying stuff, rather than mountain bikes. As for road/racing bikes, don't even bother unless you intend on shedding half your body weight to compensate for the fact that the tyres can't handle the weight of a full bugout bag (I learned this the hard way... got a pinch-puncture cos I decided to carry 30KG of shopping on the rear tyre rack and lean into corners). Mountain bikes may be designed to go long distances, but when it comes to rugged terrain they've got nothing on a good BMX.

For a true 'bugout scenario', if you live in the hills or the bush, a BMX is going to be perfect for you. If you live in a city or an apartment block in a busy town, I suggest you get a mountain bike, as they will be able to handle decent speeds, having a gearset and all, but unless you buy a hybrid with huge treads and an expensive derailleur and gear set, they're going to break the first fall you have once you get to the bushland.

Go by the K.I.S.S principle... the simpler the bike, the less maintenance it will need, and the less problems you will have in looking for parts.

You should also keep the following equipment in your bugout bag, specifically for your bike:
-a spare set of brakes
-a spare chain
-chain and gear lube/cleaner/degreaser
-puncture repair kit (or spare patch of rubber and cement/hot-glue)
-a lever to remove tyres from the rim when changing the tube
-bike pump (not a can of compressed air, you want one you can use multiple times)

Also, even though it may seem useless in the long run, you may want to look into getting one of the cheapo mileage readers for your bike... at least it'll tell you how far you've ridden, so you know if you're gonna be out of range of the fallout.