# Got a Survival Bike?



## GPS1504 (Dec 13, 2013)

Vehicular transportation is a luxury we enjoy now, but in the event of TEOTWAWKI it will be tougher to come by. As gas supplies dwindle, we will be forced to rely on other means of transportation. It is possible that we could resort to the old days of using horses for transportation, but acquiring and caring for a horse is expensive and few of us have the property to accommodate one. That leaves us with the option of relying on our own bodies to move around.

Walking and hiking are effective ways to get around, but they are time consuming and burn a lot of energy, especially if you are carrying a load. An alternative to putting one foot in front of the other and pounding pavement is to ride a bike. When riding a bicycle, you can accomplish speeds in excess of 15 miles per hour with very little effort due to direct application of energy from pedaling going to the wheels for forward propulsion. There are also periods when you will be able to rest and simply coast, which is much easier on your body than constantly moving your feet over potentially harsh terrain.

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Speaking of harsh terrain, not all bikes can handle that, right? Maybe that was a true statement in the past but not anymore. Bicycle design has evolved to handle tough terrain and one such example of this is the fat tire bike. Some of these bikes have tires that are up to 5 inches wide which opens up a plethora of possibilities in terms of the type of ground they can cover. To put tire size into perspective, the typical road bike has tires between 1-1.5 inches and a mountain bike is usually around 2 inches. With a 5 inch wide tire it is possible to traverse sand or snow, which is more than a lot of other bikes can say.

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There is also the possibility of a cargo or freight bicycle for those of us who may have to carry or transport a load. When it comes to carrying heavy loads, a freight bike can accommodate 200lbs of cargo on an extended frame. That is weight in addition to the rider, which amounts to an easy way to move a lot of supplies. 
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In some cases, a bike with its own forward propulsion may be beneficial. Kits are available to make possible a transition from manual propulsion to electric or gas. This brings us back to the gas argument, but on the bright side a gas powered bike will use minimal gas, so a little bit of gas will get you a long way. It may make more sense to go with an electric kit, but they are much pricier than their gas counterparts. If you are particularly handy, however, it may even be possible to make your own kit.

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Whichever type of bike and propulsion means you choose, having a bike could prove beneficial. Vehicles are not going to run forever after the SHTF. The gas you have stored will only go so far, especially if generators need to be run for extended periods of time. Gas also goes bad over time. Even if your vehicles are still operational and your gas supply is healthy, setting out on a bicycle is a good way to conserve your gas supply. It is up to you whether or not you wish to warily regard the concept of survival biking or embrace it. Just be sure to get the bike of your choice before the day comes that you are forced to rely on it.


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