As a cyclist a bike is my preferred method for bugging out, the pros out way the cons by miles. I have a distinct advantage though; I own a lot of different bikes. Buying a bike for bugging out would be a waste of money. You say you do a lot of mountain biking. Maybe you should think of a road type bike next. Road riding is fun, improves you cycling ability and fitness.

Looking through the thread I don’t see any posts that suggest there are any real all round cyclists on the forum. So I will make some suggestions.

Road Touring bikes come in many shapes and sizes, they are build strong are designed to carry weight for mile after mile. They often have a more relaxed riding style which is great for distance but still fast. Touring bikes have been to most places on the planet.

Cyclocross bikes are built very strong for rough ground and have plenty of mud clearance. They are as good as any cross country mountain bike. Cyclocross bikes are fast, I have ridden my cyclocross bike in races against full specked race bikes with no problems. They can be loaded up with racks and panniers like a touring bike. A cross bike is normally faster than a touring bike.

Then there is the hard core option, which happens to be my option. The Fixie, running a flipflop at the rear. The reason I say running a flipflop because if you are on good roads you can run the fix wheel for speed and control. If on hilly roads or on country tracks or paths you can flip the wheel allowing you to free wheel.

Why a fixie? Because there are no gears to go wrong and you don’t need your brakes although it is advisable to have breaks especially when you are riding using the freewheel. The chain is larger and stronger. They are good strong bikes that have nothing other than a couple of bearings to go wrong. They take skill to ride though.

When I say Fixie I don’t mean a track bike, although they are fast you won’t want to ride it anywhere with a load on your back, the only place you could put the load.

I would not use a mountain bike, they are heavy and cumbersome. The riding position is not great and even when running slicks they are slow. And, if they have suspension much of your efficiency is lost through the suspension.

This is all relative as it also has a lot to do with the rider. I could ride a penny farthing faster and for longer than many people could ride their chosen bike. The average bike rider cycles between 12 and 18 miles an hour and could manage 50 to 100 miles a day on roads. A competent cyclist can cycle between 18 to 25 miles an hour for 100 to 200 miles on the same roads with ease. It is not down to fitness but more to do with efficiency. Efficiency is gained through hours in the saddle.

As for tires I would be looking at slicks for road but if there was any chance of going off road I would be looking for an aggressive semi slick for best on road and off road performance. Slick tires have far more puncture resistance than treaded tires. Tire pressures are very important too.

One last point I want to make is replace you wheels if you have bought a new bike. They are the weakest link and are tied by machine. Although the machines are getting better they are not all the same. If I am buying a £200 or £6000 off the peg bike the wheels go straight in the bin and are replaced by hand tied wheels built by a competent wheel builder. Although lets be honest if anyone spends a grand or two on a bike they are dumb buying an of the peg bike without having it custom specked. If you can’t afford new wheels have a wheel builder strip them down and rebuild them.

I have done a lot of racing on cobles during one day classics in Europe. Riding cobbles is no different than riding rough tracks. The secret is going light. A nice fluid relaxed stile, relaxed grip, keeping a just a light contact with the saddle allowing the bike to move around under you but keeping the tension through your legs into the peddles. It is easier said than done though; it’s very tiring keeping it up over any distance.