JamisJockey
member
I gave this topic some thought during a 2 1/2 hour road bike ride this morning. This might be a little long, but as a cyclist, I thought I'd provide my thoughts for those so inclined to bugging out one day.
The bike:
Stay away from department stores. Go to a bike shop. You'll spend more, but you'll get better quality and someone who can help with the fit of your bike.
There are several varities of bike and variations within. A bug out bike is going to need to be rugged, have interchangeable parts, simplicity, and low gearing for pulling a load. It should have a triple front chainring, and a wide range of rear gears. The modern standard is a "9 speed", which means it has 9 cogs to choose from in the back. Multiply that by the triple front and you've got 27 possible gearing choices.
My number one choice is the Rigid Mounatin Bike.
Second choice, a front suspension Mountain bike.
Third choice, road bike or touring bike with a triple front chainring
Fourth choice, full suspension mountain bike: you loose power through suspension bob, also many fullsuspension bikes can't accomodate Pannier racks.
Go for V brakes or Cantiliver brakes. Disc brakes work great for tough downhills, but are not a universal part, and are difficult to service and maintain for the novice. Hell, you can cannibalize some brakes off a Huffy if you need to with center pull or V brakes.
Acessories:
Firstly, you need an emergency kit. That's going to include a frame pump. Carry a saddle bag (aka wedge or seat bag). In that bag, you're going to carry a set of tire levers, a spare tube, a patch kit, a roll of cloth first aid tape, and a bicycle multi-tool.
Gloves are a must. Workout or bike gloves provide padding for your hands, which puts you on the bike longer.
For training, wear a set of shorts that have a chamois. This is good for the butt, which keeps you on the bike longer.
Seat: Believe it or not, a big wide soft seat isn't always the best. These can cause numb spots by restricting blood flow. Try several seats out at the bike shop and see what works best.
A good way to take the edge off the bumps is to get a suspension seatpost.
If you're new to cycling, go for an adjustable front stem. This allows you to start in a more relaxed position, and get into a more agressive position as you get better.
Tires: Think about where your riding will be. If you're going to be on roads, light trails and such, go for a less agressive tire.
Wheels: Make sure you have quick-release skewers. You need to be able to change a flat quickly and with less tools.
Pedals: For training rides and fitness, you can't beat clipless pedals. However, for a bug out situation, you'll probably be riding in boots or shoes, so you'll want to at least have some platform pedals to put on.
Water: Put some water bottle cages on your bike! As many as it will fit. In a pinch, you can stuff extra gear into an empty water bottle and stick that in the cage.
Haulin' gear:
There are several ways to put gear on a bike. Of course, you can haul a pack, but you're going to put strain on your back. If you have an adjustable stem, you can put it up to give you a more relaxed riding position.
Panniers: These are the traveling racks you see that put bags on both sides of the wheel. You can go front, rear, or both. Often these are not compatible with suspensions!
Trailer: The best option, IMHO. A used kiddie trailer can be had cheaply, and are often good up to about 100lbs depending on model.
Why a bicycle for bugging out or SHTF transportation?
Cheap inital cost.
Doesn't need fuel.
You can go faster than by foot. Often, you can make more than twice as much speed on bike vs. on foot.
They are pretty quiet.
Think outside the box. You can use alleyways, sidewalks, pipeline and powerline right of ways, dirtroads, walking/bike paths. You can hoist a bike over a fence if you need to. You can push it.
So, you've decided to get a bike for bugging out.....
Use it! Excercise on your bike. Get fit, get used to the bikes handling and gears, and what its capable of. Learn to do basic maintence yourself.
Tips:
Pedaling a bike shouldn't be that hard. If its hard, shift into an easier gear. Go for high rpm's vs. pushing a heavy gear.
It shouldn't squeal like a wounded pig! If your bike squeals, its likely the drivetrain is dirty. Clean with simple green and a chain cleaner. Lubricate. keep clean.
The bike:
Stay away from department stores. Go to a bike shop. You'll spend more, but you'll get better quality and someone who can help with the fit of your bike.
There are several varities of bike and variations within. A bug out bike is going to need to be rugged, have interchangeable parts, simplicity, and low gearing for pulling a load. It should have a triple front chainring, and a wide range of rear gears. The modern standard is a "9 speed", which means it has 9 cogs to choose from in the back. Multiply that by the triple front and you've got 27 possible gearing choices.
My number one choice is the Rigid Mounatin Bike.
Second choice, a front suspension Mountain bike.
Third choice, road bike or touring bike with a triple front chainring
Fourth choice, full suspension mountain bike: you loose power through suspension bob, also many fullsuspension bikes can't accomodate Pannier racks.
Go for V brakes or Cantiliver brakes. Disc brakes work great for tough downhills, but are not a universal part, and are difficult to service and maintain for the novice. Hell, you can cannibalize some brakes off a Huffy if you need to with center pull or V brakes.
Acessories:
Firstly, you need an emergency kit. That's going to include a frame pump. Carry a saddle bag (aka wedge or seat bag). In that bag, you're going to carry a set of tire levers, a spare tube, a patch kit, a roll of cloth first aid tape, and a bicycle multi-tool.
Gloves are a must. Workout or bike gloves provide padding for your hands, which puts you on the bike longer.
For training, wear a set of shorts that have a chamois. This is good for the butt, which keeps you on the bike longer.
Seat: Believe it or not, a big wide soft seat isn't always the best. These can cause numb spots by restricting blood flow. Try several seats out at the bike shop and see what works best.
A good way to take the edge off the bumps is to get a suspension seatpost.
If you're new to cycling, go for an adjustable front stem. This allows you to start in a more relaxed position, and get into a more agressive position as you get better.
Tires: Think about where your riding will be. If you're going to be on roads, light trails and such, go for a less agressive tire.
Wheels: Make sure you have quick-release skewers. You need to be able to change a flat quickly and with less tools.
Pedals: For training rides and fitness, you can't beat clipless pedals. However, for a bug out situation, you'll probably be riding in boots or shoes, so you'll want to at least have some platform pedals to put on.
Water: Put some water bottle cages on your bike! As many as it will fit. In a pinch, you can stuff extra gear into an empty water bottle and stick that in the cage.
Haulin' gear:
There are several ways to put gear on a bike. Of course, you can haul a pack, but you're going to put strain on your back. If you have an adjustable stem, you can put it up to give you a more relaxed riding position.
Panniers: These are the traveling racks you see that put bags on both sides of the wheel. You can go front, rear, or both. Often these are not compatible with suspensions!
Trailer: The best option, IMHO. A used kiddie trailer can be had cheaply, and are often good up to about 100lbs depending on model.
Why a bicycle for bugging out or SHTF transportation?
Cheap inital cost.
Doesn't need fuel.
You can go faster than by foot. Often, you can make more than twice as much speed on bike vs. on foot.
They are pretty quiet.
Think outside the box. You can use alleyways, sidewalks, pipeline and powerline right of ways, dirtroads, walking/bike paths. You can hoist a bike over a fence if you need to. You can push it.
So, you've decided to get a bike for bugging out.....
Use it! Excercise on your bike. Get fit, get used to the bikes handling and gears, and what its capable of. Learn to do basic maintence yourself.
Tips:
Pedaling a bike shouldn't be that hard. If its hard, shift into an easier gear. Go for high rpm's vs. pushing a heavy gear.
It shouldn't squeal like a wounded pig! If your bike squeals, its likely the drivetrain is dirty. Clean with simple green and a chain cleaner. Lubricate. keep clean.
Still haven't replaced it with another mt bike, but plan to. I now ride a modified Trek 520 (straight bars, more hybrid instead of road bike bars), on which, even at 55, i can keep up with cars for several blocks, and even beat them at rush hour. 
