Bike for bugging out

Sgt. Art

Sgt. Art

Joined
May 21, 2005
Messages
828
Although my primary plan is to shelter in place should the SHTF there is always the possibility of having to bug out. The best way to BO is by motor vehicle, storage room, comfort, ability to cover more distance in less time etc... My secondary mode of transport is by bicycle. I've done all of my riding over the past few years on the hardtop. Today I took my bike to a nearby forest for some off road testing. I used my bike which has 18 gears (I still haven't figured them out yet), on the rack on the back I had a small bag with some basic items for going in the woods, on the other side was my 2 qt. GI canteen. I learned a few lessons. First off road riding is not as easy as I recall from when I was a kid. Where I was riding was dirt/sand roads sugar type sand to be exact is what we have in the NJ Pine Barrens. The weight of the bag and canteen resulted in a uneven balance which was a real issue on the sand. I'll probably switch to a Camelbak for hydration in the future. If your going to use any type of gear or method of transport test it and be able to use it effectively. I learning that without the experience and stamina that riding on the sand quickly drained my energy. Here are a few photos.

The road:

Road-1.jpg


My bke:

Bike-1.jpg


My pocket EDC - Survival Bandana, Ket Tec P32, Gossman PSK, Equipped to Survive Pocket Kits, Vic. Cadet:

EDC-1.jpg
 
I have an old American made ross 5 speed I run around town in with baskets on it I need to get new tires but could travel decent with it
Roy
 
Hey Art, I'm right around the corner from you for the time being and mountain bike quite often in the Barrens as well as at alot of the local trails.

The soil in the pines is some of the worst to bike on, it's like trying to petal on the beach.

If you had some more dirt oriented tires you may have an easier time but as you said, most of your riding is on the pavement.

I prefer a backpack while riding for exactly the reason you stated, makes the bike feel off balance and "weird". Normally a hydro pack with a little storage works out well for me.
 
That looks like a trail in Wharton or Lebanon Sgt Art...I'm an hour North of you & Shotgunner, but frequent the Barrens for the past 2 years. Spend time in Whitesbog, and surrounds...friend of mine is the Supt for Lebanon.
 
There's a lot of similar discussion (although not involving bugging out) in the touring forum on bikeforums.net. Panniers and bags don't work well on a bike that isn't designed to use them. Touring bikes generally have a longer wheelbase which gives you much better stability with panniers. On a bike designed to handle these types of loads, panniers make the bike more stable than with a backpack - since they're lower, they provide a better center of gravity. Check out the Long Haul Trucker at surlybikes.com to see something that would make an ideal "bug out" bike.

On a separate note, what kind of tires are you running on your bike - might not be the right type for "all terrain, including blacktop" use.
 
ive been preparing for a bike bug out for a couple of years now. i have a large 21 speed bike that ive outfitted with a rear carrier rack , under seat bag of bike repair options, an air pump, and water bottle carrier. i also put that "green goo" in the tires to prevent any flats.

in the seat pouch i have:
2 spare chain links
1 chain link breaker
spare brake pads
tire tools
screw drivers
wrench (adjustable)
small surival kit
5" sheath knife
spare tube.

to compliment the bike i have a child carrier trailer tha i could fill with equipment & food. i live close to train tracks that would take me to the mountains to avoid traffic tie ups, - Eric
 
One thing that you might consider is using a rail bike (http://www.railbike.org/). I've not used one but it would seem to me that if you had to bug out and the trains weren't running or there was an abandoned rail line in your town you could get a fair distance easily on one of these. It would be best to use one of the models that converts a regular bike to a rail bike, so you could ride on and off the tracks.
 
The viability of a bicycle bugout vehicle varies from situation to person.

Regarding panniers, backpacks, etc, I had one of those two kid trailers for my kids that was surprisingly easy to pull, even with loads over 100 lbs. Hitching near the rear axle, the effect on handling was quite minimal.
 
I have a singlespeed Specialized that would fill the role if need be. I ride alot of trails around here, and it really takes some practice to get good at the sport. Get a camelback, and ditch the canteen.
 
idk if you know where americas keswick is...
I think its in whiting NJ.
I've ridden my bike down there before (I live in NJ too) and I liek a bhike with wide tires.
it really helps alot...

(yeah my advice is pretty sucky... I was more interested that there are knifenuts in NJ so i thought I'd post. :D )
 
Thanks for all the input. The tires are just the ones that came on the bike. I guess their general all around use. I tried riding the rails her is a photo of an abandoned rail system that goes through the park.

Railline-1.jpg
 
dont forget the tuffy liners for your tires. they make your tires virtually flat proof.
 
A better way to transport gear would be a trailer. A good one isn't cheap, but they will work a lot better than panniers and you can carry a lot more. Look at Kool Stop and B.O.B. for some good quality ones.
 
Instead of liners or goop in your tires, check out the heavy duty trekking tires made by Schwalbe or Continental - pretty much just as puncture proof, but much lighter and better riding.
 
eatingmuchface said:
idk if you know where americas keswick is...
I think its in whiting NJ.
I've ridden my bike down there before (I live in NJ too) and I liek a bhike with wide tires.
it really helps alot...

(yeah my advice is pretty sucky... I was more interested that there are knifenuts in NJ so i thought I'd post. :D )
Click to expand...

Then meet all the NJ knifenuts up at the CT camp this weekend:thumbup:
 
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