Or when the F-4 Phantoms and Skyraiders started Strafing!, -I think they'd Sure Pretty Quickly Drop their Load!

A Cart would certainly be Better, -if all one is doing is Walking a Wheeled Vehicle!

So they often used Bycycles simply because they had a lot of them! And a comparatively Simple, Cheap Vehicle, besides.

But then too so are Carts, -All of the Above! Knowing the North Viets and such like I do, -I can only suppose that they used a lot of Both.

I finally found a poor pic of some of the NVA bikes hauling goodies. If obviously works, but looks like more than I want to tackle...

It certainly does look tough. But, if you put the load as low as possible and used a pole across the handlebars and replace the seat with a pole as levers to pick it up and to make steering and controlling it easier its a pretty good idea. Even a hundred pound load would be pretty grueling on your back, or even in a simple travois. On a bike like this, you pretty much just need to keep it balanced.

Plus on a narrow trail where a two wheeled trailer would be too wide, or a rough trail that'd make riding difficult I think this would probably be easier.

It's something I've kept in the back of my head for a while; maybe I'll even cut dowels for the purpose.

The bike idea has been one of my backup plans for a while. I would load it down with about 100 lbs.

See Blast's post about the pipeline Right of Ways. They are fairly wide, road like grading and although most have "grown", you will find hiker's, hunter's, and animals have made trails along them about a man and a bike width wide.

They also cut straight across country and thus provide the shortest route between 2 points. The growth along the trail and in the trail provides cover for moving during strange times.

Additional comment: I just purchased a bicycle built for two which brings my "stable" up to 4 cross-country bicycles with 5 seats (and 1 trick bicycle).

If they couldn't be ridden to get out of a bad area then they can be loaded down with supplies to take with me/my family.

I will be getting panniers, saddlebags, seat bags, and handlebar bags after the first of the year so that they can be secondary stage vehicles for people and cargo, efficiently.

I am seriously considering a bike trailer to carry my DD1 (who is handicapped). She could ride in a "feeder seat" mounted into the trailer, facing backward and there would be room for a substantial amount of her personal medical maintenance items, as well. At the present time if such a need arose, I would have to quickly modify a shower chair to mount onto the frame in place of a bike seat.

Wildman, take a look at this site for some designs you might be able to adapt for your handicapped daughter:

http://www.cycletote.com/

Sue

Thank you Susan. These are just what I've had in mind!!!!!!

Bo

After glancing over the article I agree, This is worth printing, reading, & keeping. I have not made a cross-country ride in 33 or 34 years.

I am planning to do a section of the Natchez Trace next summer. I'll need this info for that trip!!!!

Thanks, Bo

Your Presient comments remind me of "The Magic of Leverage"! Something to Keep in Mind in the Outdoors / Survivi-Prep World, -whether Bike Based and Applied, -or NOT!

Though I haven't seen Blast's post, I'm assuming that he's talking about natural gas pipe lines. The same thing - a generally cleared easement - ususally holds true for sewer line outfalls, major overhead power lines and fiber optic cables.