# Bicycles / Bicycles



## Kursac

I guess everyone herd about the old woman that out rode the Tsunami on her bicycle. I guess nobody can count out the value of a bicycle in just about any situation one could imagine.

I am personally a bicycle rider myself. I have several of them for different uses from commuting to trail riding. I have done century rides of 130 miles in 1 day and I commute to work 23 miles each direction while training. I could easily live without my vehicles if I had too.

This is my Trek hybrid touring bike


















My mountain bike









My Road bike / commuter


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## Asatrur

I agree. We have a vehicle usage plan which goes something like this
Drive truck and DS MC with gear and bikes loaded in trailer
If need be, we switch to bikes and trailers for the bikes
Worst case, we walk.


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## Kursac

I am all ready in a great location and have no plans of leaving here unless I have no choice. If I thought there would be any problem with fuel supplies I would not use my vehicles. To be honest the best place to hoard fuel is in the vehicles. My Z71 holds 35 gallons, My Class B holds 20 gallons, The bug holds 17 gallons, Generator holds 5 gallons, Lawn tractor holds 4 gallons, and another 20 gallons in cans. That all get cycled on a regular basis.

Now as for diesel, my tractor hold 8 gallons, 20 gallons in cans, 10 gallons in my salamander and 300 in my heating oil tank. That's just what I have available now that I can keep cycling. The best place to hide stuff is right where it belongs.

I also use my bicycles all the time so it is not unusual for people to see me using them for anything you can think of


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## Meerkat

We are seniors and hubby is disabled,but he can ride a pedal fowrd bike for short distances.We both have pedal forward bikes that take strain off back and knees.
It would have to be very serious to leave on bikes though.


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## KKTipton

*Trikes*

Here is something that just got invented:

N55 Spaceframe Vehicles










It's a trike, just like any currently made, but it's a complete DIY frame. They gave the plans out free on that page.

Trikes are a great idea. I knew a couple with good trikes, she had bad MS. It was her main way of exercising and mobility.

These are ultra simple and have enclosed chain area. Can be electric powered too. It's great these guys decided to build and share with the world. It brings trikes to anybody who wants to build. No welding, all bolt together. When there are gas shortages, you will be glad you have one with a trailer. What about auto part shortages too? At any moment a small part can be out of stock, rendering your large automobile useless. *nobody* thinks of that.

Watch the Youtube videos.


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## ReconCraftTheta

If you're able to, and in my opinion the terrain is on your side (as to prevent fatigue), bikes are more then valuable. Good day, packed well, you can really go anywhere you're standard car would.


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## SnakeDoc

I need bags for my rockhopper, but I can see using a mountain bike in my area as a means of transport. Winter use would be hard. We routinely ride 50 60 miles on a Saturday. We have a "Rails to trails" that runs through the area na would allow us to bug out to the woods should that be called for.


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## Calista

Meerkat said:


> We are seniors and hubby is disabled,but he can ride a pedal fowrd bike for short distances.We both have pedal forward bikes that take strain off back and knees.
> It would have to be very serious to leave on bikes though.


Oldsters here, too, with newly creaky and protesting joints and muscles, so hubby and I are uncertain about what we'd like to purchase to ride around in our sunset years.

Are the "pedal forward bikes" you spoke of like the Electra Townie? I like the internal hubs and no more than three speeds, with the main intended usage cruising around for exercise and running some errands on flat terrain. I've also heard the single-speed Kona Africa Bike come highly recommended for durability.

I can't see us using bikes as BOVs at our age but I DO like the idea we could evade a few zombies if necessary.


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## Meerkat

Calista said:


> Oldsters here, too, with newly creaky and protesting joints and muscles, so hubby and I are uncertain about what we'd like to purchase to ride around in our sunset years.
> 
> Are the "pedal forward bikes" you spoke of like the Electra Townie? I like the internal hubs and no more than three speeds, with the main intended usage cruising around for exercise and running some errands on flat terrain. I've also heard the single-speed Kona Africa Bike come highly recommended for durability.
> 
> I can't see us using bikes as BOVs at our age but I DO like the idea we could evade a few zombies if necessary.


 Yes the bikes are Electra Townies.I ordered a bigger seat for more comfort though. Like you we would only use them if we had no choice other than walking.
So far mine has held up to 5 years of dirt road riding.Riding it actually helped my knees.I stopped for awhile doing other work like pens and gardens.And got a Bakers Cyst. it does'nt affect it nearly as much as walking.They are pricey,but worth it.


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## DKRinAK

*Hate to necro a thread, but....*



Kursac said:


> I guess everyone herd about the old woman that out rode the Tsunami on her bicycle. I guess nobody can count out the value of a bicycle in just about any situation one could imagine.
> 
> I am personally a bicycle rider myself. I have several of them for different uses from commuting to trail riding. I have done century rides of 130 miles in 1 day and I commute to work 23 miles each direction while training. I could easily live without my vehicles if I had too.
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> This is my Trek hybrid touring bike
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> My mountain bike
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> My Road bike / commuter


Looks like you have a set of trek or butterfly bars. I'm thinking of re-fitting my sport comfort style bike with a set.

What problems did you have - if any?

Thx


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## sailaway

Bicycles are part of my B. O. options and I am considdering a small bike trailer to pull behind. I don't think my panier bags are big enough.

I also have the security chief to deal with, don't know how to move him, put him in the trailer or let him run beside.


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## kappydell

my bikes are the older, very sturdy models, one has 3 wheels. i am currently looking for a child carrier at the local resale shops that I can convery to a cargo carrier. i have directions to make a bike trailer, but conversion would be easier and cheaper for me to accomplish, as my know how is in wood working, not metal work.


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## Jason

I just bought a Schwinn Clairmont touring bicycle. It was $165 off the shelf at Walmart. It's a 7 speed with a huge, padded seat and the wide handlebars. It has big, wide tires that aren't knobby but have a good tread pattern and it has a shelf above the rear fenders for hauling stuff. The only things I want to add to it right now are a light kit and pedals with straps that let you power the bike on your upstrokes instead of just your downstrokes.


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## gypsysue

I have a Trek hybrid mountain/road bike and a Trek touring cycle. Panniers, front and back, for both. Also bought one of the trailers you pull kids in, and when I assembled it I left off the "kid" part of it, and made a nylon floor for it. My husband did the same with canvas. We drilled new holes in the tubing so we could make it narrower, yet still push this little knob back through the hole and pull it back out to it's original width if we need to. I have to removed the nylon floor to do that. 

You can load and pull a lot of weight on them, but you can feel it on the uphills, more than the weight in just panniers. Dirt and gravel roads... forget it. They're work to pull.

I think the two-wheeled trailers have more friction than the one-wheeled trailers (BOB ibex and other trailers) made specifically for gear, just because you have twice as many wheels on the trailer. If you have the money, get one of the one-wheel cargo trailers. If not, the "child-style" trailers are better than nothing.


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