My bicycle

[Just Cliff]

Here is a picture of my bicycle that I bought as a prep item. It is very heavy. It is an industrial bicycle. It's a Worksman out of Chicago.
I set it up to be able to use it to go to the store when things got bad kind like gas prices now.

 

[Spikedriver]

I love the idea! I enjoy biking a lot. The only problem I have with biking to a store is, the grocery store being built in my town is going to be literally next door, so a bike isn't needed. And all the other stores are in the next town 10 miles away, and there's a mile long 5% grade up to that town and an almost mile long 4% grade on the way home. I don't think I can do that with a 21 speed road bike, let alone a bike set up to carry cargo.

 

[UrbanHunter]

In the 80s there was a time when I knew I was about to go through a major decline in income, I purchased a bicycle as a way to prepare a way to deal with the lack of income. For 2 years I was able to ride to and from work (about 5 miles each way) without buying gas and it was a blessing. The positive things about a bike are you save gas for the important trips and you get plenty of exercise. The bad things about a bike is you are exposed to the weather (hot, cold, wet) and you can be exposed to poor car drivers (who crowd you off the road or worse).

I like the baskets and utility that @Just Cliff 's bike has, but I would miss the flexibility of having the multiple speeds of a mountain bike. Makes me think I should pull out my old mountain bike, do some maintenance and look into buying some baskets to make it a viable utility machine...

 

[Amish Heart]

I have a green beachcomber like that, and also a three wheeler one. They are handy, but I found that they are not so much fun on dirt roads.

 

[Weedygarden]

It is a great idea! Thank you, Cliff for this thread! You have a solid bike.

Here, it would have to be secured, out of sight, because they are a form of currency, stolen by homeless, exchanged with a drug dealer, taken to Mexico where they are sold. There are tool kits for breaking into all kinds of locks, and a bike that is locked up within anyone's view will be stolen sooner or later. Neighbor left his garage door open and his $8,000 bike disappeared.

I have thought that there are some things that could cause all of us to be afoot or to have to use alternative transportation. I have a baskets like you have, purchased at yard sales.
I have 2 bicycles, old one speeds, and daughter has 3, one being a tandem. All are here, in my garage.

Spare tires? There are some alternative tires out there. I don't know about the tires on your bike, but I believe there are alternatives to tube tires. They may not be as comfortable to travel a great distance, such as trying to cover 100 miles a day, but solid tires could go on for much longer than tube tires.

Tools and parts for bike maintenance to be kept in a bag/backpack when you travel on a bike? If you have tube tires, you need an air pump, tire repair kit, spare tubes and outer tires. Spare chains? What tools and other parts would be wise to have?

 

[Just Cliff]

I do have a mountain bike but it's a bit tall for "working" on.
This bike has 2 speeds. Way back when Schwinn made a bike with a 2 speed rear end. I still have mine, a 2 speed Schwinn Typhoon. Worksman has copied it (patent ran out I imagine). You can be peddling, back peddle a little changing gears, and keep going.

 

[ClemKadiddlehopper]

We bought electric bikes last summer. The electric part is for getting up the hills. In theory, at least. We just got lucky and were able to get a third one lightly used, so now we have parts for repairs.

We are too far from town to use them to go there unless the situation is desperate. We can can get some recreating done without burning gas though.

 

[Just Cliff]

Weedygarden: I do have all the needs including tools. When I was young I was a Schwinn bicycle mechanic. I still have all my specialty tools.
If you need cone wrenches or anything else, Park Tool Company sells everything you will need to do some good maintenance on your bikes. They are not expensive but, make working on bike much easier.

 

[Weedygarden]

Weedygarden: I do have all the needs including tools. When I was young I was a Schwinn bicycle mechanic. I still have all my specialty tools.
If you need cone wrenches or anything else, Park Tool Company sells everything you will need to do some good maintenance on your bikes. They are not expensive but, make working on bike much easier.

Thank you. It looks like there are many specialized tools for bicycle maintenance. Tools

Now I need some videos to watch about bicycle maintenance. Are there any books out there that are good for bicycle repairs?

 

[Weedygarden]

Weedygarden: I do have all the needs including tools. When I was young I was a Schwinn bicycle mechanic. I still have all my specialty tools.
If you need cone wrenches or anything else, Park Tool Company sells everything you will need to do some good maintenance on your bikes. They are not expensive but, make working on bike much easier.

You may not be looking for work, but being able to maintain bikes when that is the only transportation out there, outside of walking, may make you invaluable to many people.

What is the shelf life of tire tubes and tires that are not on a bike yet?

 

[montanabill]

I used to be the assembly guy at a wal mart years ago. fixed a lot of bikes that were in bad shape right out of the box. I have ridden bikes for many years and built cheap bikes and ridden quite a bit.
I buy some tubes every year and try to stick to 26 inch bikes so the tubes and tires are the same. The tubes will get old and crack but keep them sealed up in a sip.lock should help.
I buy cable kits at wal mart and other tools, cheap and available right now. This reference from amazon gives some tool kits and the big blue book, a repair manual for bikes. I also stock chains and a chain breaker.
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=bicycle+...bicycle+repair+tools,aps,197&ref=nb_sb_noss_1

 

[Tootsie]

Pull behind carts are very handy for carrying tools or gas jugs, or even a couple of little kids. I’ll look tomorrow to see if I can spot a brand name. I don’t think they’re homemade, as there are so many around. I believe they are a quick hitch kind of thing, too.

 

[Spikedriver]

Pull behind carts are very handy for carrying tools or gas jugs, or even a couple of little kids. I’ll look tomorrow to see if I can spot a brand name. I don’t think they’re homemade, as there are so many around. I believe they are a quick hitch kind of thing, too.

My ex had one. My sister had one too, it would fit two small children and a couple bags of groceries. Pretty handy, but they're not all that durable. Be prepared to repair the fabric shell.

 

[Caribou]

That is one fine sturdy bike. The Cong supplied a war using sturdy bikes. Whether as a freighter on a bugout or for a trip to the store you have a good machine.

 

[Fireman13]

Are there any books out there that are good for bicycle repairs?

There are lots of good bike repair books out there. I often find older ones at the local book swap. You can also find free online, downloadable books, too. I attempted to attach one I downloaded, but it is too large. Here's the link to the site I got it from. (Free Bicycle Books Download | PDFDrive)

 

[Weedygarden]

T

There are lots of good bike repair books out there. I often find older ones at the local book swap. You can also find free online, downloadable books, too. I attempted to attach one I downloaded, but it is too large. Here's the link to the site I got it from. (Free Bicycle Books Download | PDFDrive)

Thank you!

 

[hiwall]

I have a cheap mountain bike which is still "like new" so last year I bought an electric bike which I rode a lot and now waiting for warmer weather to start riding again..
My two sons each had mountain bikes but now both have "downhill bikes" which are much heavier duty bikes. And very expensive though each got theirs used pretty cheap. They have massive tires on them.

 

[AZRanger]

Howdy all..
I'm coming in late on this thread.
I'm considering a " shtf bicycle" but really have no idea what's out there.
I live in an area with mainly dirt roads. I'd like something to get away from the urban areas ( again mostly on dirt roads or trails ) and still carry some kind of load.
I'd like something durable, more than a single speed and with alternative tires
( no inner tubes)..
I may also need another bike for less cataclysmic cases. Such as a go to the store bike ( still a few miles of dirt road before pavement ). But also durable, multi speed, alternative tires and capable of carrying a few groceries etc..
Also, I'm on a limited budget..

Any recommendations from gurus out there?

 

[Spikedriver]

So, for the first scenario you're probably looking at either a hybrid of some kind, a gravel bike, or a mountain bike. I have a hybrid. It is not good for speed on paved roads, nor is it good for rough terrain. But it has wider tires than a road bike, with a flatter tread than a mountain bike. This makes it suitable for dirt roads and smooth dirt trails The handlebars are adjustable for an upright riding position if you wish. This makes it slower, but more ergonomic for my bad back.

For your second scenario, there is a lot of overlap from the first scenario. The hybrid might work well, a gravel bike would be great, and a mountain bike would serve well also, but could be more tiring on longer distances due to the large wide tires having greater resistance on the road.

Avoid Walmart bikes. You're really looking for a bike that's going to be at least $500 brand new. These will have much better quality hardware that the Walmart bikes. I would definitely check the used bike market - there were lots of bikes purchased during the pandemic that are now gathering dust in people's garages. You might get a $700 bike for half price if you're lucky.

A last consideration is a 3 wheel recumbent with dirt tires. These can carry a bit more weight and are very comfortable. The twin wheels up front steer the bike and you can put fairly heavy cargo racks or baskets on either side of the single rear wheel. However they are very pricey. You're looking at $2500 to get into the game with a new one. They are also a bit harder to ride on soft dirt due to having 3 wheels contact the ground instead of two. However I have seen senior citizens ride them on gravel roads so it is possible, if the bike is equipped with dirt tires instead of skinny road tires.

Hope this helped!

 

[joel]

Here is a picture of my bicycle that I bought as a prep item. It is very heavy. It is an industrial bicycle. It's a Worksman out of Chicago.
I set it up to be able to use it to go to the store when things got bad kind like gas prices now.
View attachment 81899

Not to be a party pooper, but where is the shotgun scabbard for those late even trips.

 

[Wingnut]

Haha, Joel, you funneh... a saddle gun for the cruiser. Reminds me of the cruiser in my metal shed, it's an SE Racing 'Rip Style' Cruiser which is quite sturdy & functional. I keep it for the very same reason the OP bought his: if things get bad or something happens to my other vehicles, I can always ride the bike down to the nearby Dollar General (a mile away, out on the highway). Beats walkin' & schleppin' groceries by hand, lol.

 

[joel]

When we spend a week in Managua, Nicaragua, the markets had wagons made from old truck bodies with truck tires, but pulled by one ,sometimes two horses.Some of the horses ribs showed from hundreds of feet away & we were in a moving cab.
I wondered then, if we would turn junk cars into wagons with no gas to fill the tanks. Bikes & wagons, horses, mules, hounds, oxen will be the way to move around.

 

[joel]

Haha, Joel, you funneh... a saddle gun for the cruiser. Reminds me of the cruiser in my metal shed, it's an SE Racing 'Rip Style' Cruiser which is quite sturdy & functional. I keep it for the very same reason the OP bought his: if things get bad or something happens to my other vehicles, I can always ride the bike down to the nearby Dollar General (a mile away, out on the highway). Beats walkin' & schleppin' groceries by hand, lol.

Just built a Dollar store, about one half mile from my front door, Kroger & lowes are a mile or so away.
I see people walking with bags of food sometimes, so I am lucky to have two trucks that are working.

 

[Wingnut]

When I was young, and after my pop split, we were dirt poor and had no vehicle... we kids rode our Schwinn paperbikes with similar baskets to the store to resupply, but the store was only several blocks away. Still, loading the baskets sure beat schleppin' the groceries by hand...

 

[montanabill]

My vision of the immediate future with food and other shortages does not include going to any of the major stores to buy "things". They all get there goods trucked in from some other place. There won't be any trucking going on for the discount stores.
Maybe use your bikes to attend a barter fair or head to a good fishing spot or to gather wild edibles.
I prefer the best older major brand mountain bikes I can find at used stores and especially yard and estate sales. Suspension ion the front is nice but rear suspension soaks up energy from pedaling. I normally pay from 5 to 50 dollars for a bike. I also buy really cheap bikes if they have good tires and tubes, the tubes and tires can cost $35 a wheel for the cheapest new ones.
for flat proofing the tires use heavy duty tubes and if you have puncture weeds use the liners for inside the tires that wal mart sells. You can use "Slime" the supposed puncture sealer that goes inside the tubes which might work sometimes. I always carry a small pump and a spare tube and simple patch kit on longer rides.
Rig up your baskets and ways to carry things now while all that stuff is available for pennies. Trailers, kid seats can all be found cheap.
Here are a couple of tandem bikes I have made. The red one is a 24 inch and hauled driftwood out of the back country on many occasions. The purple one is a 20 inch I made for a family and is like a pedal powered ATV. Both bikes have multiple gears. They can haul a lot and are stable on gravel, mud and ice. They nice part about having two people on board is they can both pedal, one person can steer and the other can use the coach gun.

 

[Weedygarden]

Here is a picture of my bicycle that I bought as a prep item. It is very heavy. It is an industrial bicycle. It's a Worksman out of Chicago.
I set it up to be able to use it to go to the store when things got bad kind like gas prices now.
View attachment 81899

I just learned that the basket that you have on the back of your bike is called a newsboy basket because it was used by boys delivering newspapers. I happen to have a basket like that.

 

[Heartbroken]

I had a big front basket for my bike when I was a kid. No idea what became of that over the years. This is my new bike that I just got last year. I wasn't doing it for preps, just to get moving. I have a 10 hour a day desk job and a bad hip, so bought the e-bike so I could motor home if I got a ways out and my hip started to hurt. It's a very heavy bike so it does take a lot of energy to pedal it when not using the battery. Not sure how things might be in a SHTF situation, but as long as there is power for recharging the battery, I'm good.
I do have a small bag to put on the luggage rack and I carry basic tools, an air pump, my water and a snack. If I needed to haul more I could rig up some saddle bags and also have a back pack so I could carry quite a bit if need be. For now it's just for excercise and recreation but it has proven itself useful already, as I can put it in the back of my truck and then cycle home after dropping the truck at the mechanic's. Then I cycle back to town to pick up the truck when it's done. A lot easier than trying to schedule a ride with a friend.

 

[FarmOR]

I bought an electric mtn bike also. Going on three years now. Still love it. Use it to get around the farm and occasionally visit my closest neighbors who are one to two miles away.

It's saved me a lot of gas money leaving the four wheeler parked more often. I made a bike messenger bag for toting bulky items. A six pack and finger snacks fits well when I have invite for football night party!

 

[Supervisor42]

I bought an electric mtn bike also. Going on three years now. Still love it. Use it to get around the farm and occasionally visit my closest neighbors who are one to two miles away.

It's saved me a lot of gas money leaving the four wheeler parked more often. I made a bike messenger bag for toting bulky items. A six pack and finger snacks fits well when I have invite for football night party!

We have 2 really nice 12-speed bikes, DW rides one of them a lot.
I did my time pedaling bikes when I was growing up and I ain't gonna pedal no more. Couldn't wait to graduate and I think turning wrenches putting together junk motorcycle parts after I turned 14 was what got me into being a 'mechanic'.
If everything goes to crap, I will probably be the only person you see with a propane-powered motorcycle. I converted floor-scrubbers from gas to LP so I know how. There is 150 years of NG here so there will always be propane available.
Maybe I will make it a LP/electric hybrid......but I ain't pedaling nomore.
Kinda like this:

 

[Peanut]

Saw these today at a big box store. Something called E-bikes. The first thing I noticed was the $2000 price tag. They must have some kind of electric motor built into the frame or hubs.

The frame is probably carbon fiber, very light but sturdy... Tires were motorcycle size but the rims were light. For a few more $$ you can buy the cart to go with it.

Have no intention of buying one, just found them curious.