Bikes, a thread reborn

[Scythe13]

Bikes as a bug out vehicle has been discussed a fair bit. However...things have changed and I'm pleased to say, they have changed for the better.

Having read back over the various bike threads, it seemed appropriate to revisit this topic. Many of the core discussion elements are the same as before e.g. if you've not ridden 10+ miles recently but could when you were a kid, stop dreaming and accept you are unlikely to be able to punch out a 10+ mile ride. You have to train and increase your fitness if you plan to bug out with bikes.

But...there is good news. Most people were speaking about steel frake bikes. However, current aluminium frame bikes are very sturdy (yes as sturdy as steel) but weigh so much less. Heck, even carbon bikes are pretty awesome and hardy now. But you can get titanium frames now too. The biggest issue with steel frame is that they are unforgiving in regards to their road feel. Your teeth will be rattling. However, switch out your forks for carbon and they'll last as long, but will be much more forgiving regarding surface vibrations.

There is a beautiful new style of bike that feels like the ideal BO Bike. Gravel bikes.

They are not quite a hybrid bike in the classic term. They are more like a road bike with a thicker frame and wider wheels. Think of original mountain bikes from the 90s, but with modern quality components and materials. But the thing that makes them best is that they are frequently used for bikepacking. Think backpacking, but where you can travel over 50 miles in a day...if you've training for it. Granted it's ultralite backpacking, at best.

Have a look at gravel bikes + bikepacking and...you're welcome.

[Joe]

Gravel bikes are the work of the devil ?
Being serious if you need off road capability would you not be better with a XC mountain bike? I tend to use a Scott Scale 740 for off road use and a Felt FR5 (modified for improved climbing) for fast road work.
Like you say technology has moved a long way, the bikes available now are significantly lighter and will munch the miles. My FR5 was about 7.8kg before it was modified and the performance over 20 miles was unbelievable. With regular training you can push out to 50 miles without too much hassle.
But the price of bikes has gone through the roof, anything under 9kg is north of 1k. But on a positive note my old Carrera road bike (300 pounds) still got me 85 miles which is pretty impressive for an old school bike.
Ps gravel bikes are good but expensive.

[Joe]

Ps bit of a typo, it should have been a laughing face in the first sentence lol.

[Scythe13]

100% with you on this Joe. My ideal for the road would be a roadbike. Big love for Specialized and Trek with affordability. Off road, a dedicated mountain bike would be ideal. But if you're mixing it up between the two, which is most likely, then a gravel bike would be the winner. It's unlikely anyone would be dumb enough to really try a fully loaded bike and try hitting the trails. It'd be painfully slow getting to the trails and once there, you'd need to be uber slow too as the bike would be so laden. What I would expect would be for people to mainly stick to paths and roads with the ocassional "Mellow" off road track that would be ideal for a gravel bike. Anything beyond that is, in my opinion, taking too high a risk at a time when accidents cannot be resolved by calling in an air ambulance.

The only time when a dedicated MTB would make sense would be when it was wet underfoot and you were off road. But if it's like that, would you risk going out over that kind of terrain? Unlikely, in my opinion.

[Joe]

It would be interesting to test a gravel bike against a XC Mountain Bike, both are aimed at high speed over less than perfect terrain. I suspect the gravel would have the edge if it was about 80% road.
Another massive point for bikes is advanced navigation using offline apps like Memory-Maps and online apps like satellite view. A few years ago all I had was a few pages cut out of a road map.

[Straight Shooter]

To bloody old for a bike , I would be pushing the bugger and hanging on for support , on the plus side it would become a BO logistics carrier ....you know Uber for old farts .

[MaryN]

Had to chuckle on this one. I've never owned or ridden a bike; not even sure if it would be an option. So the idea of a bike as a BO vehicle is a non-starter. Now, give me a horse......

[bigpaul]

a bike as some kind of patrol vehicle, a scout vehicle maybe yes.

[Scythe13]

(30 April 2022, 22:17)Joe Wrote: It would be interesting to test a gravel bike against a XC Mountain Bike, both are aimed at high speed over less than perfect terrain. I suspect the gravel would have the edge if it was about 80% road.
Another massive point for bikes is advanced navigation using offline apps like Memory-Maps and online apps like satellite view. A few years ago all I had was a few pages cut out of a road map.

Check out GCN on youtube. They cover this exactly.

[Pete Grey]

At our age we would need ebikes, but their range would not get us to SS’s small holding we would have three or four recharges on the way .