The Worst Case Scenario Bike

[ampan]

Survivalists have something called a "bug-out" vehicle--the basic idea is that when the government turns against you or disaster strikes or whatever it is that survivalists worry about happens, you have a bombproof 4x4 with shovels, food, extra gas, and all that good stuff. No matter how bad it gets, you'll still be able to grind through it all and make it to your compound deep in the Montana hills.

What would you build for a worst-case scenario bike? Something that would last for 20 years with zero maintenance and hard daily use. What if cost and weight were no objects, only durability and ruggedness.

What frame? What components? A singlespeed seems like a given.

[mikeeeeeee]

As little plastic as you can, and as corrosion proof of metal as you can find.

[markf]

something with as standard as parts as possible and a really beefy steel frame. i'm not so much thinking of making the bike last forever, but being easy to repair when something does finally go wrong. parts that could be scavenged off other bikes would be a plus.

[crushkilldstroy]

Originally Posted by markf

something with as standard as parts as possible and a really beefy steel frame. i'm not so much thinking of making the bike last forever, but being easy to repair when something does finally go wrong. parts that could be scavenged off other bikes would be a plus.

That's what I was thinking. Steel frame, Shimano goodies. It would suck to crack the frame on your primary mode of transportation and be eaten by zombies.

I'd probably make it something that's worth quite a bit, too. That way, if/when I have to trade it for ammo/food, I get a TON of ammo/food.

[Drevil]

This bike, equipped with rocket launchers. This might work also.

[PeT]

It seems you guys need to be introduced to Spike Bike...

http://members.aol.com/clubnbc/spike_1.htm

(A good way to spend your afternoon)

[Nat]

Not sure it'd matter, since some other wacko survivalist would blow your bike up thinking it was a liberal tool of Hillary Clinton, but the Surly Karate Monkey has got to be high on this list:

http://www.surlybikes.com/karatemonkey.html

[pisgahproductions]

The only choice: Nottingham built Raleigh 3 speed. The All Steel bike built to last for 100 years (with reasonable care.) I mean come-on, the ad text even mentions how useful it would be in a Fall-Out shelter!
Mine is a '69 with all original parts except for tires, tubes, cables, and saddle and gets weekly use. Apart from the original restoration job 6 years ago... I haven't done a single bit of maintainence on it at all.

[Nat]

Originally Posted by pisgahproductions

The only choice: Nottingham built Raleigh 3 speed. The All Steel bike built to last for 100 years (with reasonable care.) I mean come-on, the ad text even mentions how useful it would be in a Fall-Out shelter!
Mine is a '69 with all original parts except for tires, tubes, cables, and saddle and gets weekly use. Apart from the original restoration job 6 years ago... I haven't done a single bit of maintainence on it at all.

That saddlebag would be the perfect place to stash an IED!

[ink1373]

The bikes of folks who tour worldwide, particulary in poverty stricken areas, are the perfect starting point for these bikes.

Perfect for the post-2012 world. Right?

[Evel Knievel]

Absolutely without a doubt it would be a Surly 1X1. Would consider a Karate Monkey , except the 26" tires would be easier to scavenge.

[Nat]

Originally Posted by Evel Knievel

Absolutely without a doubt it would be a Surly 1X1. Would consider a Karate Monkey , except the 26" tires would be easier to scavenge.

But while you're pilfering abandoned towns, avoiding the radiation-stricken zombies, if all you could find were road wheels you could run those on the KM. You could still run 26" wheels on the KM even if it didn't fit quite right, but you couldn't run 700c wheels on the 1x1.

[Sparticus]

Originally Posted by Drevil

This bike, equipped with rocket launchers. ...

Dude better hope his rack holds that rocket securely or he's gonna find himself
with a rocket-powered suppository makin' him turn his head and cough...

--Sparty

[SSSasky]

sure you could, the rim brakes just wouldn't line up, but same goes for a KM with 26". There's plenty of clearance on a 1x1 for even a smaller 29" tire.

[grawbass]

Originally Posted by Nat

But while you're pilfering abandoned towns, avoiding the radiation-stricken zombies, if all you could find were road wheels you could run those on the KM. You could still run 26" wheels on the KM even if it didn't fit quite right, but you couldn't run 700c wheels on the 1x1.

Actually you can, the brakes posts just won't line up, but who needs to stop when you're heading for Barter Town.

[nbrennan]

yeah, i've seen full-out 29er wheels with 2.25 tires on a 1x1.

[fritzaholic]

Surly Pugsley

[DocAltie]

** Rolhoff 14-speed internal hub on an double-wall rim
** Specialized Hardrock frame w/ any steel cup, sealed bearing headset
** Old Shimano DX cranks w/ sealed bottom bracket
** Any solid 1/8 chain
** Cheap-o chick walled seatpost
** V-brakes and a steel fork

Anything else doesn't matter. Internal hub, overbuilt frame, as much sealed stuff as possible.... can't go wrong.

[longhaultrucker]

prolly this one.no gears but other than that(which is a good thing),has proven versital,fun,reliable,fun,easily serviced,fun,faithful,fun,pretty,and did i mention,fun?

[Eric Hoefer]

what about the bike that the guy made to tour Alaska with? I beleive it had a wide front fork so a rear wheel fit in it so if something happened to the rear hub you would swap wheels. Also the tubing was fitted with nozzles and filled with white gas for a camp stove.

[The Tractor]

Originally Posted by Sparticus

Dude better hope his rack holds that rocket securely or he's gonna find himself
with a rocket-powered suppository makin' him turn his head and cough...

--Sparty

When the rocket gets to the chute charge it will clean his colon out for good!!

Rob

[anthony.delorenzo]

A Rohloff-equipped version of this bike would be a nice off-the-shelf option for the post-apocalyptic world.



Regards,
Anthony

[Calvissimo]

How about a fixed-gear path racer sort of thing? Steel, so it'll last, and a fixie so that you can use it without brakes. Plus you can beat the Karate Monkeys as long as you're on the abandoned interstate highways...
Does it say something bad about my mind that I kept imagining a bike coming around the next bend when I read The Road?

[CEB]

What would you build for a worst-case scenario bike? Something that would last for 20 years with zero maintenance and hard daily use. What if cost and weight were no objects, only durability and ruggedness.


TOO MUCH TIME ON YOUR HANDS???
This is mind wandering fodder you keep to yourself while you ride!

Hit the trail!

[BikeMojo]

Originally Posted by CEB

TOO MUCH TIME ON YOUR HANDS???
This is mind wandering fodder you keep to yourself while you ride!

Hit the trail!

And here I thought that this was one of the best threads on the SS forum for quite some time.


BTW my vote would be for a 1x1 or Karate Monkey, fixed.

[austinmark]

first of all, this just about the dumbest post i've ever seen. second of all, for those of you seriously contemplating it, you're not thinking about the question. in a post-apocalyptic world, the beaches would be totally free of other surfers. get this: http://www.essentialsurf.com/items/it_623151.jpg

[ink1373]

Yeah, right! Except for Zombie Surfers!

Like I'm going to risk it. That is SUCH an unrealistic attitude about the apocalypse.

(instert sarcastic smiley here)

[sean salach]

titanium frame, fork, bar, stem, seatpost, cranks. if all is true, the belt drive system. if not, titanium ring, cog, stainless chain. dt 240s hubs. dt alpine III spokes, 32 hole to wtb dual duty rims. solid tires. brooks saddle w/ti rails, brooks grips.

run as fixed gear, no brakes. scary part is, this isn't very far off at all from my 'dream bike'.....

[rensho]

Jones SS, Phil hubs, Eno FW, Eno crank, Boone SS ring, Jones bars, Stans Flow rims.

[pacman]

The Rwandan Bike

[ampan]

You dumbass- everyone knows zombies boogieboard.

I was thinking a fixed-gear Banshee Morphine with a trail-a-bike mounted machine gun would do the trick nicely.

Also, anyone who says this thread is stupid is clearly a zombie praying that you don't come up with a way to pedal your delicious brains away from their fiendish clutches when doomsday hits us.

[elray]

Unlike this guy, I gotta assume the ideal bike would be the dumpster special. Or any of the abandoned bikes found on the post-apocolyptic streeets.... Wait - scary part is, this isn't very far off at all from all the bikes I own.

[Velobike]

Originally Posted by pacman

The Rwandan Bike

Those guys are already doing it!

Also look at Pashley. They make work bikes designed for day in, day out use with heavy loads.

[Pooh Bear]

I think my Diamant TS (built in 1975) is quite up to the task:
lugged steel frame, lugged steel fork, steel cranks with steel ring, steel hubs (cup and cone), steel stem and bar, steel seat post, steel BB (cup and cone), steel cog, singlespeed with a broad chain
rear brake is a coaster brake - not useful in offroad conditions, but in everyday use okay.

the tires are very thick walled - you can ride them without air if needed. no flats in years of town commuting.
Brooks saddle with steel rails - no questions asked.

My whole bike weighs in about 19kgs with fenders and rack. Gearing is 46:18 on 26" tires which can do a lot.

[d_m_b]

[brent878]

i would probalby run a flip flop hub, that way if something happened to the brakes you can swap out to a fixed gear. And alot of racks to carry stuff.

[brolo]

or not

[brolo]

definatly solid tire wheels so you dont get flats driving over baby zombie heads, also shaft drive so you woudlnt need any chain parts, a fixie would definatly be the ish so you wouldnt need free wheels or brakes, rigid fork, matte black ang green paint (zombies like shiney things). also on the fork rack have "holsters" for your crow bar and machete, also have a forward mounted crossbow along the handlebars and stem, no cage mounts on the down tube so you can wrap your bedroll around it. along the right seatstay you can have your quiver for your crossbow. and on the left seatstay you can place your emergency sawed off shotgun. the shotgun is a emergency weapon only becuase zombies are attracted to vibrations and sound. underneath the top tube you can place your axe for taking out stairs(we all know zombies cant climb) along the top tube you can tape all your energy goos like the pro racers. and on the outside of the rear rack you can place your camp shovel witch in fact is a pretty good decapitator also for digging storage holes for your extra gear. on the seatpost you can place a couple of flashlights with red lenses. in your saddle bag you can place your grenades and extra shotgun shells. in your rear bags you can keep your daily rations (MRE's) also a great big can of wetlube and rust inhibitor. and dont forget on the top of your rack a 32-liter cooler filled with your beer of choice. oh yea frame would have to be 4130 chromoly. not light but solid and dependable. with all this you would be able to survive about.... 45 minutes. good luck

[LIFECYCLE]

Would a steel frame like the 1x1 last 20 years of hard use? I think that a frame with solid tubes would be best and a fork to match.Fixed gear,any old components as long as they are heavy duty and built to last.Maybe solid tyres and a front caliper brake,painted matt black with about twenty coats of paint and old dynamo lights with protective rubber housings and lens mesh like rally cars.Trouble is it defeats the object of being a bicycle because you probably wouldnt be able to pedal it as it would be so heavy! Perhaps you could drill everything to save on the weight.

[ernesto_from_Wisconsin]

I accept this Pepsi Challenge.

Karate Monkey with vee brakes.

[Chiro75]

Forget the bike. Post-apocalypse I would learn how to break and saddle giant roaches and I'd ride them around the desert, hunting for drops of clean water.