Bug Out Bike - Mt, Hybrid or Road?

Any thoughts here on configuring the best bug out bike?

(or bugging in, as has been noted before, bikes would be priceless in some urban disaster scenarios in which roads are blocked by fallen trees or fuel is scarce.)

Do you start with a road bike? Mountain? Hybrid?

Frame preference? Steel?

I only have mountain bikes. Terrific for where I ride but the knobby tires would be slower on miles of pavement.

Pull a trailer? Panniers? Basket? Backpack?

Not THE answer, but here is one guys idea. Sycip Custom Bicycle Messenger Bike.

I like my bike for this app: Cro-Moly frame & fork, road bike derailleurs (Shimano whatever), mountain bike headset and tires that can do well on pavement because you'll mostly ride pavement, but not so narrow like dedicated road bike tires. I like the Slickasaurus, but there are other tires that also fit the job description -- wide enough but easy rolling.

When I first rode my bike in Alexandria, VA I got on those cobblestones on Prince Street near Union and that sold me on the wide slicks. Dedicated road tires don't do well with ruts, train tracks and other road hazards. Wider tires are much more forgiving IMO.

I wouldn't mind a Moulton Pylon but with the Rohloff Speedhub 14-speed Internal-Gears and a Brooks Ti Saddle and some upgraded pedals for a BOBike.

I won't even drive on those streets.

Dang.

Just learn to ride your bike over the cobblestones like these old timers on their racing bicycles.

That is so interesting, Izzy. I'd never heard of that before. I Googled and that attack commenced one hour and twenty minutes before Pearl Harbor.

http://www.militaryhistoryonline.com/wwii/articles/singapore.aspx

"...the Japanese had issued their soldiers thousands of bicycles. Western Malaya had good hard surfaced roads, and the Japanese soldiers rode down them, as much as twenty hours at a stretch. The Japanese had sold many bicycles in Malaya before the war, so they were able to find parts and repairs in most towns and villages. When they could no longer repair the tires, they rode on the rims...."


http://www.ibiblio.net/hyperwar/PTO/RisingSun/BicycleBlitz/index.html#III

"...bicycles rather than horses as a means of troop and light material transportation. This decision allowed the foot soldiers to travel farther, faster, and with less fatigue. Due to the vast number of rivers on the Malay peninsula, and the British propensity to destroy the more than 250 bridges they crossed during their retreat, bicycles allowed the infantry (to continue) their advance, wading across the rivers carrying their bicycles on their shoulders,or crossing on log bridges held up on the shoulders of engineers standing in the stream.

The British could not escape the troops on bicycles."

Another tire you may want to check is the Continental Travel Contact Tire -- semi-slick, good reviews w/ 5 star rating at REI (that's good BTW).

Those certainly would be a nicer ride on pavement.

We do bikejoring in snow, on the Mall and the C&O so need the knobbies for that. I suppose they'd eventually wear down on pavement.

Interesting to see the 72 year old British Sturmey-Archer 3-speed hub gear design is still in use even today and still working after 90,000 miles use.

I would avoid the extremes in both road and mountain bike designs.

The extreme in road bikes are designed to be ridden tucked in and their tires are extremely thin to cut wind and rolling resistance on a hard-smooth surface. Gearing tends to be focused on speed with only a limited low end. Extreme mountain bikes are quite acrobatic and rugged but they can be a pain to ride any distance and quite cramped and their gearing is mostly low-end for acceleration and climbing. Mountain bikes are often so short that it is impossible to mount accessories like cargo racks and panniers without interfering with petal motion and/or steering. Neither style are known for their comfort or ability to carry cargo.

What you need, IMHO, is a hybrid/touring bike. Something that can be ridden in a fairly upright posture for situational awareness. Wheel size should be fairly large. Tires should have enough width so they don't sink into soft ground. With both enough tread to get traction in mud and sand and but narrow enough with high enough air pressure to be acceptably efficient on pavement. A stiff ridge down the center to allow it to be smooth on hard surfaces is good.

Touring bikes typically have provisions and frame length for panniers, front and back if need be, and racks for bulky objects. The frame on a touring bike will be a bit longer to accommodate these while allowing you to ride and petal without your feet running into the panniers and/or racks or steering being an issue.

Moderation in design, raggedness, simplicity, but with fair efficiency is what I would go for. I would also avoid a bike that looks too nice or is obviously expensive. Having other decide they want it more than you do is not good. An ugly and distinctive paint job might help.

I would start with a simple chrome-moly steel frame. Cheap simple, tough and reliable. I would invest in the crank, gears, derailer and brakes. Heresy to racers I would invest in a good stand, one that works on soft ground. I have had luck with a 'frame-stand', a tiny and light unit that flips down and locks the front wheel making the bike much more stable.

For snow the Continental Town and Country Tire got good review.

I prefer a steel touring frame with wider (37mm) tires, equipped with front and rear panniers and at least three water bottle cages. I can ride a bike like this carrying about 50 pounds of gear anywhere between 50 and 100 miles on pleasure tours. Properly motivated, I could certainly do more. Being kind of elderly, I have come to appreciate low gearing.

This kind of bike will give a stable ride and will be able to venture onto dirt roads and even very easy single track.

Besides, keeping the bike and body ready for bug out (or in) use is a lot of fun!

While this kind of bike is what I would consider optimum, almost any bike you are comfortable with will serve quite well.

Huh, sure has an enthusiastic customer review.

Thanks.

Ours are hybrid, Giant Cypress DX



Put a handlebar bag on the handlebars and on he back of the seat.


Second bottle carrier on back


My dash is more high tech than a lot of cars.


In the handlebar bags I carry some food such as breakfast bars and such small first aid kit, a small toolkit with tire patches, pump, etc, paper maps, spare batteries (AA) for the camera and gps, diapers and wipes and pull ups.

I wouldn't mind a dedicated Tourer or Audax Frame myself in high quality low alloy steel tubing but the prices for reasonable quality cycle framesets and parts are extortionate. I have just looked up an old mass produced classic called the Dawes Galaxy Ultra in 853 tubing and nearly fell off my chair. The frameset was £600 or $1000. We are talking a factory frame not bespoke.

http://www.dawescycles.com/p-32-ultra-galaxy-frameset.aspx

The titanium in 3AL/2.5V version was £2000 or $3,300

Even the parts such as gear train and brakes parts are eye watering expensive.

The Dawes Super Galaxy was £1500 or $2500 for middle of the road quality parts.

I think I might just get the old Nivacrom MTB frame from the loft and braze some addition bits on so it will take Panniers and mudguards then just get it resprayed.

If I was to build up a bike for serious long distance riding, I'd start with Surly's Long Haul Trucker frame and build up from there. The LHT comes as a complete bike too with the Slickasaurus tires mentioned previously and lots of attachment points.

You can special order through REI if my contact there is correct.

For snow, forget that other tire, check out the Endomorph. I'm in SOCAL, what do I know about riding in snow

Russ is right, the LHT is an outstanding touring bike for the price. If I didn't have a custom already, I would have one of those.

Greg

I've found a box in the loft, which I had long forgotten about and it contained a pair of Sachs New Success Cartridge Bearing Freehubs (front and rear in 32 hole drilling) and will take an (old fashioned?) 7 speed HG90 Hyperglide cassette 13-30. Any recommendation of which wheel rims to get as I have an old pair of Mavic 230 SBPs, but these rims only have single eyelets and would much prefer double eyelets with a black anodised or ceramic side wall suitable for touring loads. I can easily get DT DB SS Swiss spokes and lace up the wheels myself. I'm still a bit out of the loop when it comes to recommendations for cycle parts especially over the constantly changing groupset mentality the large manufacturers always seem to inflict on their customers.

Whats parts are recommended i.e. are Shimano, Campagnolo still the leaders in the field as I've noticed some other parts manufacturers such as SRAM and Face Race etc. All the current MTB dérailleur gear train kit all appears to be extremely ugly compared to 10-15 years ago for example and most appear to be either rather pointless 9 or 10 speed gearing systems requiring less reliable narrower chains.

Oh man they even to have something called an external bearing bottom bracket, i.e. a fix to a solution that didn't need a fix.

A few years ago I retooled my bike for touring and my local bike shop built a wonderful set of wheels using Sun CR18 rims, 700 size (I believe they are also available in 26" size as well). Mine were spoked 36 in front, and 40 in the rear, basically a tandem build. I didn't have to do anything to them for the last 30,000 miles, until a car hit the front wheel, requiring a modest realignment. I'd be a little cautious about using 32 spoke wheels.

Hm,m - Wasn't I the guy yelling and screaming about the virtues of light weight equipment in another post? I guess it just depends...

Dagny -- just back from REI. Not only can you order Surly bikes, but you can also order Surly frames. If you have the skills you can build up the bike with parts you like so it's exactly what you want or the techs at REI can build it for you. I took the REI comprehensive bike course so feel fairly comfortable saying I'd let them build it up. I'll probably get the complete LHT bike and then replace parts that don't work for me. (FWIW -- the tech I spoke with rides a Surly Cross Check)

Another bike I like for the all purpose bug-out bike you asked about is the Surly Karate Monkey. They had one in the REI bike shop in the build process. Rather than the single speed Surly sells this one had a 3 speed hub and 9 gear cassette. The KM looks like a really well built Cro-Moly MB frame (over-built?), with reinforcing at high stress points. The frame and fork are sized to accept (really) wide tires for snow. With the right tires for whatever conditions you face, the KM could do anything; however, what I said earlier about the LHT stands, it's a better long distance road bike. $.02

Great info, Russ, thanks! Was tinkering with my bike trailers last night (Burley Nomad and Croozer Dog) and organizing bike stuff and then was inspired to research a bit on the 'net. Found this bike forum below and a highly-praised panniers retailer.

Bicycle touring is a new realm to me and the cargo capacity using front and rear panniers, handlebar bags and seat bags is phenomenal.

http://www.thetouringstore.com/

http://www.bikeforums.net/


Go whole hog with a Surly Big Dummy:

http://surlybikes.com/bikes/big_dummy_complete/

The Big Dummy was a natural. It’s designed to carry a lot of stuff easily, and that’s just what it does. It was designed in conjunction with Xtracycle, whose modular plug-ins make it easy to carry groceries, garden supplies, tools, and just about anything else you’d normally carry with a car. It’s got an upper limit of 400 pounds (180kg) total rider and cargo weight, which is more than you’ll probably need, but not so much it’s impossible to pedal. It does ride a bit different than normal bikes, due in large part to its long wheelbase, but a couple of trips to the store is all it should take to convince you that this bike is not only exceptionally useful, but fun too. We include Xtracycle's V-Rack bags and snapdeck, but you'll find more options for attachments, like Wideloader platforms, on Xtracycle's website, http://www.xtracycle.com.

Colors: Military Green, Black
MSRP:$2450


Had two very happy pups racing on the Mall this past weekend. Four miles alternately sprinting and trotting with a few lengthy breaks.

Do NOT buy one of these folding bikes (like this Dahon Curve). You'll find they are lightweight, strong, carry a lot of weight, go pretty much as fast as a full-sized bike, are more responsive, and fold-up in a few seconds to fit behind your pickup truck seat for use in an emergency, or even just for fun.

My Curve comes with a fitting above the front wheel in this foto that you can use to attach (in about one second) many load carrying accessories from Klickfix. I normally attach their wire basket, but had it off in this pic.

Oh, and the seat post is heavier than necessary because it contains a built-in bicycle pump. Sorry for the convenience.

Ahh.. the folding onces. I used to have one, but i think it is much harder to cycle on and not as comfortable. Besides i would pull and push everything crooked. But than again i'm pretty strong leg wise. I even have problems with the rear end of stationair bikes jumping because i pull to hard...

Small tires are not good either, ride rougher and not very usefull off smooth pavement.

This is my BOBike. I have a detatchable rear shelf that locks on and can carry my 65 lbs. BOB (yes I know that is a heavy BOB). I have riden 20 mile with it and my BOB in 90 minutes. That is a little longer then it takes me to ride that far without the BOB - but lets face it - it was heavy. BUT I covered 20 miles in 90 minutes. I doubt all but a few could walk or even run that distance with our without a BOB but not likely in that time frame. I have the DW's bike set up the same way but she was not carrying nearly as much as I was (50 lbs).

Just my 2 cents

I have two Hummer folding mountain bikes. I really like them. I primarily ride on pavement, but I like how they fold up quickly and are easy to adjust. I keep one stowed away in each vehicle.

http://www.homegymcentral.com/hummer_tactical_mountain_bike.html

Fortunately, they come in black too. I would also suggest upgrading to a gel seat. The stock seat on these is a butt-killer.

An inexpensive city bike Note the comfy seat and upright handlebars;

a city bike

What is up with the chain on that one Teacher?

I tend to fix up about 3 or 4 bikes a year for city riding.
I usually spend less than $20 on them and sometimes give them to friends and relatives to ride.
My biggest problem is finding large enough frames to be comfortable, but there are tons of 20" bikes around and they usually have 26 x 1.5 wheels.
The second biggest problem is getting inexpensive racks for carrying stuff.
The third thing is fenders.

The joy of cheap looking older bikes is they can have the best of parts in them and people(thieves,vandals) still don't mess with them much.

Darn good pace. If you were running at that pace, you would be setting a new world record in the marathon, even without the BOB. This is a perfect illustration of the value of a bike in this situation.

Several orders of magnitude faster than being on foot.

Impressive.

Some keys to bike comfort that I'm fond of linked to below.

What do you all recommend for cold and wet weather riding?

padded bike underwear
http://www.rei.com/product/765678

For the fellas
http://www.rei.com/product/763566

Sugoi Zap Helmet Cover
http://www.rei.com/product/756396

Sugoi Subzero Skull Cap
http://www.rei.com/product/725336

Sugoi MidZero Balaclava
http://www.rei.com/product/659704

Smartwool neck gaiter
http://www.rei.com/product/738922

And, of course, good gloves. We're just back from bikejoring in DC's wet snow. Started out with my winter bike gloves but halfway through switched to ski gloves. Bulky but toasty and dry. Have to find better waterproof and warm bike gloves.

The Sugoig Zap Helmet Cover kept by head dry and fit my Bell helmet like a glove. The skull cap kept my head warm. Marmot parka kept me dry and warm as always. That thing has paid for itself several times over. Gore-tex low-cut boots and Smartwool snowboarding socks kept my lower legs warm. Unfortunately my waterproof pants are in the teardrop trailer in the mountains so my legs got damp but we were constantly on the move and it wasn't until after I got out of the car at home that I felt chilled.

Here's a bikejoring pic from Thanksgiving week

I find my Trek mountain/hybrid to be extremely uncomfortable to ride for a long time. The front end is way too low for comfort, even with raised handlebars. I'm going to see if I can find a very long stem or handlebars that come up a lot farther (sissy bars?).

Where do you find racks for your bike that can handle 65 lbs? I have trouble finding a rack that can hold anything bigger than a basketball...

The Surly Rack can handle 80# per the NiceRack_Rear.pdf.

I think it's been covered, my experience as an amateur cycling enthusiast as a teen.

Heavy back packs are bad, high centering on a bike in not what you want.

The saddle bags are great, the lower your gear can ride, the better, polar opposite of hiking.

You want your bike to act like a top, that's to say while moving the heavy parts lower mean greater stability, which means less reflex muscles get used, which means more raw power for a greater period of time. I'd equate it to track running vs. cross country running.

Even if you have to walk your bike, it removes the burden, bikes are priceless in this regard.

I think I might have seen a pull behind for a bike at one time also, let me see if I can dig it up.

Similar to this.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/...s=baby-products

http://www.bicycletrailers.com/BOB-Ibex....100481DRYSAK000

usual disclaimer. not mine, don't sell it, don't own it, looks nifty.

There are a lot of plans online for homebuilt bike trailers, spare parts, conduit or pipe, etc.
With the kid seats on the back of ours we can't carry any saddle bags.

The Blast-family's Bug Out Bike:

We still need panniers and other cargo racks but we do have a trailer that can be hooked behind it.

-Blast

Adorable!

Now that I'm a bit older, and narrower in the saddle, I prefer beach cruiser style bikes to traditional road bikes and mountain bikes. Traditional bikes tend to hit my pelvic bones or isches wrong.

And my favorite (so far) is the Townie by Electra. I sit more naturally, it has a wider seat to help with long distance soreness, it's affordable and uses easily found replacement parts. I have smooth tires with Mr. Tuffy as opposed to Slime for puncture resistance.

You feel it on the hills if trying to push, and the flat foot position means the seat is farther back so it takes an adjustment to get used to standing in the pedals and staying as balanced as on a traditional stance bike.

But my wife and I could routinely do 20 miles with no soreness or pain.

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.

All I can say it that if you've really ridden the cobbles in the Euro classics, then I am in awe.

Folks, this guy knows of what he speaks. I was an amature triathlete and avid recreational cyclist for many years. Covering 100 miles on a road bike (on the road) is trivial if you have the fitness and form. I tried to ride 100 miles on a mountain bike once (aso on the road), and it is not an experience I ever hope to repeat. I've ridden my road bike in ice, snow, dirt, and mud, and as long as you're careful you'll have no trouble. If I were to bug out by bike I'd want a sturdy touring or cyclocross bike, not a mountain bike

As complicated as a geared bike can be, I personally would never go with a fixie - I'd never get up the hills with any amount of gear, and brakes are too important (to me) for safety. I know many that disagree.

I personally would use my bike in many bug out situations, primarily because I have commuted and toured since 1970. I still typically ride 20 miles plus every day. A bike is a viable option for me, but what about my wife and daughter , who do not ride?

It is certainly useful to talk about different kinds of bikes, but the most important element in practical bike use is the motive power - the rider spinning the cranks. There are those challenged by a three mile ride, while others can knock out a century with no probs.

If you include a bike, any bike, in your disaster plans for heaven's sake, get it out and ride. While you are at it, learn how to fix flats and deal with other basic problems.

If I have to bug out on my bike, it should be just another fully loaded touring day, probably with a few novel distractions. While I am a bike fan, I still retain other options - cars and trucks have desirable aspects, too.

I doubt that many would disagree. How many fixies do you see doing self supported touring, the most comparable situation to bugging out? I am sure that somewhere there is someone who carries a 60 pound load for 95 miles every day on a fixie, but that dude is pretty unusual.

I am with you on gears. I have had one derailleur problem, ever. If I had been required to treat it while on the road, I would have concerted my bike to a single gear - until I reached the nearest bike shop.

A good mountain bike is not heavy and cumbersome, it is possible to build a sub 20lb mountain bike. Speed on the bicycle is about the amount of transmitted power to the rear wheel and the aerodynamic drag and rolling resistance. Bicycle weight has very little do with it. Even folks like Gianni Bugno would ride a 23lb Tour bicycle preferring reliability over lightweight frame, wheels and components.



Fixies are OK if riding on the flat, but not really any good for any hilly or undulating terrain. Even professional riders and elite amateurs have lost Olympic titles because they overgeared their bicycles and failed to take into account proper gearing for the terrain. Cycling efficiency and power drops away at lower cadences, which is why time trailists will keep 90-100+ rpm (something a trained cyclist does with ease whereas the inexperienced cyclist will barely maintain 60 rpm cadence). Hour riders like Graeme Obree will be over at around 100-110 rpm even though they are pushing a huge 110+ inch gear. Start to get to any hill such as a 1 in 10 or steeper then the normal 65-70 inch gear on a fixie is geared way to high to be efficient. There is no way for example you would get from the town centre of Dundee to the top of the Dundee Law with a 70 inch geared fixie (about 2 miles and I've seen tour riders virtually collapse with exhaustion trying to get to the top on a 42x17 or 19. Add 60lbs of touring gear and most would struggle to push it up on foot.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBxPMU-l-v8



Getting a sub 4 hour 100 mile in a time trail is elite riding not just competent cycling and is definitely not accomplished with ease. Of course it becomes much easier riding as a group in a peloton. The difference in speed would be an additional 5-7 mph riding in a large peloton for the same effort.



There is nothing wrong with the wheels on a good quality bicycle, throwing them away is just throwing money away. Manufacturers will use the same components as a custom builder the only difference is one is laced and tensioned on a machine an the other is done by hand (some builders will even use the proper spoke tension measurement tool and some will use just their skill of knowing what tension is just right). All that is needed is to retention the spokes to the correct amount and ensure that the rim is centered correctly and the rim is true. Just make sure that good quality components are used in first place when purchasing off the peg wheels that come with the bicycle.

Saying that I actually have a had a difficult time finding a mountain rim that actually uses stainless steel double eyelets as most of the mountain rims seem to use single eyelets. These seem to be the only ones.

http://www.dotbike.com/ProductsP6968.asp...tm_campaign=PMP

Of course spoke choice is critical, which is why I only ever use DT Swiss Single and Double butted Stainless Steel spokes.

As I said in other posts, the bike I have is a hybrid of sorts and would probably be referred to as a Cross bike, but when I bought it they called it a mountain bike.

The frame looks like a typical Cro-Moly road bike frame, except it's designed to take 2" knobbie tires and it has MB handlebar, shifters and brakes. When I bought it knobbies were on the rims but I immediately switched to 2" City Slicks (world of difference on pavement) and now have 1.5" Slickasaurus tires which ride a little better than the older slicks.

I like this configuration; it might not be as fast as a road bike, but it's comfortable and the bike can handle some abuse. As long as you don't need to be set for road racing, go with comfortable and tough.

Very instructive, Pure Survival, thanks.

I use my mountain bikes for bikejoring but if at some point I want to invest in a dedicated bug out bike I'll be going back over this thread very carefully.

Meanwhile, any bike beats going on foot.

Anyone else have experience with bike trailers? I have a cargo (Burley Nomad) and dog trailer (Croozer). There are many more child trailers available that could be found used and make great gear haulers.

This thread has gotten me researching bike touring -- there's a treasure trove of information to be found in that realm.

Dagny,

The Burley Nomad is one of the best cargo haulers out there, especially if you like 2 wheelers. The BOB is a good trailer, but many people are uncomfortable with the single wheel trailers. It's all personal preference, they will both haul a ton of gear.

I am more of a pannier person, but I have a Burley Solo that I haul my daughters in. My 6 year old has upgraded to the Burley Piccolo trail-a-bike. So I pull her and my wife pulls my 2 year old in the trailer.

Bike touring is a blast, and is pretty much all the cycling I do now. I started out riding MTBs, then switched to roadie and have evolved into touring. I built up both of my tourers from frame, one as an "off road" tourer for trails and one more road focused. I should probably bring one of them to work and leave it at the office. Not sure what my office mate would stay about that...

If you want to tap into a ton of touring wisdom and can handle an email list, sign up for the Phred list. You will learn everything you ever wanted to know about touring from people who have literally ridden around the world.

Greg

Thanks for the info, Greg.

What bike frames are you riding now?

Dagny,

I know I sort of bashed mountain bikes in my earlier post, but. . .

The most fun I have ever had on two wheels was when two friends and I loaded up our camping gear on the back of some mountain bikes and spent three days on the Continental Divide Trail in Montana high country.

Very little single track - mostly gravel forest service roads. We camped by the side of the road, got chased by irate cattle, worried about bears, and rode the bikes across at least one stream we had to ford sans bridge.

All in all, an experience I cannot recommend more highly. I'm sure more traditional road touring is a blast too!

Wow, Jesselp - that sounds like a sensational experience.

I'd be happy in Montana on any bike.

The off road tourer is an older (90's era) Trek 930 frame.



This is an older pic and I have changed out the seat and seatpost for a Brooks Champion Flyer instead. I built the wheels myself and run Conti Travel Contacts on them. The Trek now has fenders as well.

My road tourer is a Hollands (custom). In this pic I don't have any of the racks on it, but I used the same type of Tubus racks that I used on the Trek.



It also now has a Champion Flyer on it instead of the B17 that is pictured. The gearing on the Hollands is custom, and very low.

I use Ortlieb panniers for both and a handlebar bag on the road tourer. I love the Scott AT4 bars on the Trek, but I do lose the handlebar bag.

At the moment I just wish it wasn't 10 degrees outside so I could take one of them for a ride.

Greg

There are many motors, both electric and gasoline powered that one can attach to their bicycle to extend the range/increase speed. These might be viable for folks with less than perfect physical condition.
Does anyone have any experience with any of those?
I worked for UPS last year and had a trailer and a bike which I used to deliver my packages. I could haul up to 300 lbs over the hills on my route and still have some semblance of control. I would seriously consider a trailer as well as one of those gasoline powered motors to assist in long, steep ascents if they actually have the oomph to go. The gas ones appear to be fairly economical, you could cover a lot of territory with a two gallon gas can.

There are many motors, both electric and gasoline powered that one can attach to their bicycle to extend the range/increase speed. These might be viable for folks with less than perfect physical condition.
Does anyone have any experience with any of those?
I worked for UPS last year and had a trailer and a bike which I used to deliver my packages. I could haul up to 300 lbs over the hills on my route and still have some semblance of control. I would seriously consider a trailer as well as one of those gasoline powered motors to assist in long, steep ascents if they actually have the oomph to go. The gas ones appear to be fairly economical, you could cover a lot of territory with a two gallon gas can.

The ones I have seen look like garbage - I wouldn't trust them. Several don't increase top speed beyond what a typical cyclist can attain (20MPH or so). They might be useful in some kind of limited situation, but most look like just one more thing to malfunction, adding weight and bulk.

A lot depends upon the circumstances and the distance you need to cover.

If you need a motor on a bike, just get a Scooter like Honda's Metropolitan. Adding a motor to a bicycle looks like half a thought.

If you want a motor on something, just get one of those razor scooters.

There has been a lot said about bikes since I posted, some of it personal opinion. I will only comment on the facts.

Mountain bikes are heavy and cumbersome. Ok if you are willing to spend some good money you can buy a sub 20lb cross country bike but on the whole they are heavy. The geometry of a mountain bike is set for better handling, control and stability and not efficiency over long distance. 26” wheels, short cranks and upright cycling position all sap the efficiency.

Why are wheels so important? Wheels are the major moving part of a bike. The heaver the wheels the more energy is used to turn them. Machine tied wheels sag and flex a bit. Hand built wheels can be tied a lot stiffer giving much better rolling resistance. And again, anyone that spends a small fortune on a bike is nuts to buy it off the shelf without specking it. That includes, at least having the wheels rebuilt.

A point about fixies and single speed bikes. I said they are for the hard core but saying that there is a growing interest in fixie/ss touring. Fixies still hold some of the TT records (you will have to look them up as I can not remember them of the top of my head) and they are actually very efficient at hill climbing as you have a 100% of traction all the time. SS is far better to use down hill.

This is all relative as using a bike for bug out we need to take a different approach. A similar approach to cycle touring but not being frightened to jump of the loaded bike and push it over rough ground and up steep hills. If we were to seriously consider using a bike for bug out we almost have to take the Far East’s view of the bicycle, as a jack of all trades, go anywhere pack horse.

Greg your Holland is sweet. Made even sweeter by the Brooks saddle.

Edit: the Selle Italia Flite makes the other bike.

That mountain bike in your pic (assuming it's yours) would be fine.

I would suggest that you look at getting a set of heavy duty handmade wheels built up (by someone like universalcycles.com - I have no relationship with them other than being a satisfied customer). The wheels will make or break the bike, esp when you load it down with 50-80 pounds of packs.

Next get a set of good kevlar lined tires, such as specialized armadillos. I've commuted through city streets on those for over two years with only one flat.

Get some good weight-rated racks and panniers.

One alternative I just saw mentioned above is a trailer for your bike - that would allow you to just dump your BOB into a trailer instead of dealing with panniers.

Bike lights -- what's your all's choice?

I'm particularly curious as to whether generator lights are made anymore. I had one on my ten-speed Nishiki when I was a kid. [addendum: Googled and answered my own question - yes they are still made ]

For the past few years, I've used Niterider Trail Rat 2.0

10w halogen, heavy NiMH battery. Plenty of light for the sissy city riding/bikejoring I do. Fine for commuting.

http://www.ems.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3660787


Today I used a gift card to order a Planet Bike Blaze 2-Watt LED Runs on two AA batteries.

http://www.rei.com/product/797836


And the SureFire Saint Minimus LED Headlamp which I will carry hiking and biking. 100 lumens max. CR123A lithium battery. Have been looking at this headlamp for awhile. Love my Surefire flashlights.

http://www.rei.com/product/796823

Dealextreme does a SSC P7 LED Bike Light Set

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.25149

Or I would use something like a Cree MC-E drop in on a cheap P60 compatible flashlight with a good flashlight handlebar mount and some 18650 Lithium ion cells and charger.

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.21037

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.16179

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.13004

I ride with a PT EOS, bike version. I actually have two - one on my helmet (or head when hiking) and one mounted on the handlebar. The one on the bike provides maximum illumination for my forward path, while I can direct the helmet mounted EOS wherever I want. This provides plenty of light for urban cycling,but I don't think it has the lumens for nocturnal single track.

Prefer the EOS because it takes AAA batteries, any style.

The newest thing in wheel generators might be the Copenhagen Wheel. So far it is mostly hype, but it might offer something worthwhile. I haven't yet found even elementary specifications for it, including weight....

I know how much the people here enjoy Altoids kits, so I wanted to add this.

Altoids toolkit

I have even made a couple versions of my own.

That is impressive, rbruce, thanks for the link.

Bikes are an exercise in efficiency.

Thanks Dagny. I was going to take pictures of both my Altoids tool kits (one for my mountain bike, one for my road bike), but when I opened them up they were both filled with rust. I had them sealed with electrical tape but moisture must have gotten into them anyways. I think I am going to re-pack them into Witz cases, or something similar. I'm just bummed that I can't really share my kits with you all.

-Robert

Ya my wife loves her townie. She rides that then gets on her mountain bike and complains the entire time. I cant ride hers cause it is set up (definitely) for her. But she swears by its comfort. On a separare note - we ended up on a dirt road and she said it was very hard to ride on that, but so far that is the only complaint she has had with it.

I found it at a bargain bin at my local bike store. It snaps into place and the supports attach onto my rear bike frame. The best way to describe it is it looks like an "A" coming off of the back of my bike. It is basically a gusset based design. I will try to snap a picture of it, but I can never figure out how to load it onto this forum.

I'd fix the chain and add front and back panniers...