Bicycle BOVS

[NorthernRaider]

Rebumping this thread, I have not yet seen anything solid on the forum from anyone about a spec or advice list for urban bug out bags, can you urban mob and the prepper cyclists please have a go.

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I'm no expert but we must move this transport for urban preppers forward because its clearly been neglected, but unless advised by someone like Preserve Freak I think a basic outline would be

Alloy frame
26 or 27 inch tyres preferably the puncture proof ones from the green tyre company
Plastic mudguards
LED Lights
Gel seat
For and aft luggage systems (racks n bags)
Front suspension
Possibly a folding model for storage or caching
Attached tool kit
Bow or Air rifle rack / carrier across bars or down fork leg
Flat urban colour scheme
QR wheel axle fasteners

I would appreciate a cyclist taking over this thread and pushing it forward.
Gears

[Franc]

I like my argos special, its cheap trekking cycle, £99 - as stock
http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Search/sea...USADER.htm

Full steel frame (in theory anyone with a welder can fix it)
Steel rear rack (ditto)
No suspension (less to go wrong)
Steel mudguards (on the mud they catch all the crud)
only 6 gears (less to go wrong, the chain does not flex to much, and i don’t really need the extra gears on roads, or cycle paths)
decent wheels, 26“ with strong spokes
Very good brakes, not so good saddle, but that’s replaceable.
Im going to put a front rack on it, the tool kit lives in an under seat bag,
Depending on model size of rifle, or bow, you could sling it under the main frame, attatched to the seat post, and steering post inside its own bag.
This is how it looks in the real world.
http://galbak0.tumblr.com/image/51358434557

There is still a folding model, similar price http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/pa...321377.htm also 26" wheels

[Franc]

Trailers

There are 3 basic types of trailer for cycles.

1, the kiddie trailer.
designed to hold up to 2 kids, and some light luggage, usually has 2 wheels, and a hitch that attaches to a permanent hook on the rear axle of the cycle.

These usually have a soft plastic sheet as a floor, over a metal frame, with the child seats bolted to the frame itself, with a nice cover on top of it, converting this to a cargo or animal trailer, usually requires the addition of a proper floor, and walls.

2a, the cargo trailer.
Designed to haul cargo, and can hold up to 90 kilos, sometimes less, has 2 wheels, usually a hitch that attaches to a permanent hook on the rear axle of the cycle, hauling kids, usually requires the addition of a car seat, basically this trailer is like a normal car trailer.

2b, a subset of these trailers is a basic frame, on 2 wheels, that holds a plastic tub, these often attach to the bike seat stem, and have hand holds on the trailer hook, to allow you to use it as a pushable trolley away from the bike.

both of these will require cargo nets, or canvas covers to keep the contents dry.

3, the “bob” trailer.
A single wheel trailer that usually hooks to the rear axle of the cycle, has an open frame, that can sometimes carry a plastic box, and only one wheel at the rear, great for taking smaller loads up a mountain, or through stiles on a cycle path, they can also carry a large sized rucksack, with camping kit, that can be carried by itself if you have to leave the bike and trailer behind.

You can get red or yellow etc flags, to attatch to the trailler to increase visibility, and add cheap plastic led lights if needed.

type 1 http://www.amazon.co.uk/Froggy%C2%AE-Tra...le+trailer
type 2a http://www.amazon.co.uk/KMS-Folded-Lugga...go+trailer
type 2b http://www.amazon.co.uk/Veelar-Bicycle-T...go+trailer
type 3 http://www.amazon.co.uk/Single-Wheel-Bik...go+trailer

[Mosstrooper]

I’m no expert but I know a little bit about what I’ve got!
I have a folding bike and it has very little strength to it so carrying any load except me would affect its performance, it would be handy to keep in the car or maybe a bike locker as a backup. I think it’s got 18” or 20” wheels which are ok for cycling on paths/roads but it would struggle on rough track. It has V brake system and 6 gears. I would only consider using this as an A – B option with a very light load.
Also have a 26” hard tail mountain bike with front suspension this has been upgraded to hydraulic disc brakes and pads (like a car) these provide great stopping power in all conditions. An 8 speed gearing. I have used this bike with a rear pannier rack and it is surprising how much you carry in them (2@25ltr I think), this does make the bike heavy at the rear.
I’ve also carried a 75ltr rucksack on this bike which once your used to the weight isn’t too bad but it can affect your balance.
I also have a 26” full suspension bike which I can’t attach anything to it apart from lights, and it’s the one I like to ride the most. I carry a 35ltr pack on this one which is ideal for the wild camping and great on most terrain. I’ve had this up on cross fell (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cross_Fell )
I carry a bike pump, spare inners, tyre levers, zip ties, duct tape and a bike specific multi tool (http://www.topeak.com/products/Tools/ALiEN_II ) this allows me to do any on site fixes.
All bikes have water bottle holders but I also carry a water bladder hydration system.
If I were to choose a bike specific BOV it would be a 26” aluminium bike as it’s a popular size so acquiring wheels wouldn’t be an issue. I would make it a single speed (no gearing) so there’s less to go wrong but would be a simple fix to the chain.
It would have hydraulic disk brakes on the front and rear, front suspension and possibly a rear trailer like a `bob trailer` as I would be avoiding the roads for narrow tracks.
I do actually keep a bike locked up in a city centre which has been in place for about 20 months now and only checked on it the other day, still there and working … a bit grubby though ?

[Lightspeed]

We are great fans of Bicycles as a means of transport, and our plans include them both for Bug-Out Transport and for general transport in the long term.

Here’s our experience, what we have decided on, and why:

1. Most important factor is training. Unlike a motor car, simply owning the most expensive cross country or fastest road bike is completely for nothing if we do not have the strength, stamina and skill needed to ride them fully loaded over the distances and terrain required in our BO plans.

Without training, we will not get far on a bicycle BOV

We try to do at least one 20mile ride each week throughout the year. Our standard ride is to a very nice little pub, so we have a good incentive to get out there even when the weather is bad.

2. Second priority is Fit and adjustment: All points of contact between our bodies and the bike need to be adjusted for good fit. This is to get maximum efficiency from our pedalling efforts and to ensure that we are comfortable in the saddle for extended periods of time.

3. Saddles: Even more so than the bike itself, spending a fortune on a saddle is no guarantee that it will be a good and comfortable fit. All too often the saddle that feels most comfortable when I first sit on it at the shop, turns out to be torture after a few miles actual riding. Through painful experience each of my family now has a saddle that we can ride on for many hours. The saddles on our bikes are a completely mixed bag, but all chosen first for long range comfort and then for durability.

4. Tool kit and spares: From the training and adjustment processes a simple portable toolkit for our specific bikes has been assembled. Experience has shown us that things fail on bicycles when they are needed most, and usually when we are at the furthest point away from home.

5. Standardisation: We have standardised our bikes. They all have the same wheel size, same or very similar gear systems, same accessory bolt types, same saddle post diameters, same carrier types etc. This means that less spares need be carried within the group.

6. Bike type: We use simple 7 speed 26” wheeled mountain bikes.

a. Steel frames: Because steel is more resilient and less prone to fracture than Alu, and if damaged they can be cold set ( bent back into shape without the need of welding / brazing gear)

b. 26” wheels because these are the most abundant. There is more chance of being able to scavenge replacement wheels tyres and tubes for this size than any other. Pre SHTF, cost of 26” components is lowest as well.

c. Gear changers: Wherever possible we use old Shimano brand thumb shifters. These are very simple construction, ultra reliable, and have the capability to use in both friction mode or indexed mode. In friction mode it is possible to use these shifters with alternative gearings. What this means is that although our systems use 7 speed gears, the changer will also allow the use of wheels with 5 speed 6 speed and even 8 speed gears on them. We feel this is an important capability for long term preparedness.

d. Brakes: All our BOV bikes have cantilever brakes, for standardisation. Probably if we were equipping ourselves with bikes for the first time today, we’d go with linear-pull brakes as they are now readily available, low cost, powerful and durable. They cannot be retrofitted without also changing all of the brake levers as well as the pull rate on cantilevers and linear-pull is different.

e. Suspension: No. None of our BOV bikes have any suspension, because there is less to go wrong, lighter weigh, and less pedalling energy gets absorbed in the suspension movement. On very rough terrain we sometimes miss suspension forks, but on good surfaces we find non suspension forks make for easier control of heavy loads, and greater mileages.

7. Carriers: We only use tubular steel carriers. Reason is the same as for steel frames: they are strong and resilient, and if damaged can be bent back into shape/ repaired using low tech methods.

8. Mud Guards: Our Bug out plans are mainly based on travelling on lanes and small paths. For this, standard mudguards are fitted to all of the bikes. For true cross country use, so-called Crud Catchers would be better as they have greater clearance from the tyres and are less prone to getting clogged with mud.

9. Clothing: If we are considering long distances by bicycle, cycle specific clothing makes the task more comfortable. Gloves and padded shorts are worth considering.

[Binnie]

(26 May 2013, 22:05)Mosstrooper Wrote: If I were to choose a bike specific BOV it would be a 26” aluminium bike as it’s a popular size so acquiring wheels wouldn’t be an issue. I would make it a single speed (no gearing) so there’s less to go wrong but would be a simple fix to the chain.

I see this as a major mistake, it totally limits your wheel selection!, ok you COULD just slip on a multispeed rear, and slip the chain onto the ring that it fitted onto best, but chances are it'd be walloping about and at danger of falling off.

if the worst came to the worst (most likely failure would be a broken gear cable), you could just turn the endstop screws of the derailluer and "manually" select a gear!

the derailluer's function in this case would just be an elaborate chain tensioner, but then you could use almost any back wheel as long as the chain pitch was the same!

[Lightspeed]

(27 May 2013, 07:54)Binnie Wrote:

(26 May 2013, 22:05)Mosstrooper Wrote: If I were to choose a bike specific BOV it would be a 26” aluminium bike as it’s a popular size so acquiring wheels wouldn’t be an issue. I would make it a single speed (no gearing) so there’s less to go wrong but would be a simple fix to the chain.

I see this as a major mistake, it totally limits your wheel selection!, ok you COULD just slip on a multispeed rear, and slip the chain onto the ring that it fitted onto best, but chances are it'd be walloping about and at danger of falling off.

if the worst came to the worst (most likely failure would be a broken gear cable), you could just turn the endstop screws of the derailluer and "manually" select a gear!

the derailluer's function in this case would just be an elaborate chain tensioner, but then you could use almost any back wheel as long as the chain pitch was the same!

Good idea Binnie,

I'd not previously considered your solution. In case of having to go single speed I'd planned on removing chain links to shorten it. Locking down the derailleur to a single position and using it as chain tensioner would be a simple and effective option, and a whole lot less messy. It would also allow fairly simple selection of alternate gearing to suit terrain / tiredness.

For training I ride a fixed gear bike with a flip flop hub. To get the second gear ratio I have to flip, re-tension, and realign the wheel. This again takes greater time and effort than that needed to re-align a derailleur in the way you described.

Great idea. Thanks mate.

[Mosstrooper]

The idea behind the single speed would mean ditching the rear derailleur all together and shorten the chain to suit a gear ratio to a mid - range gear, probably something close to the granny ring as I will probably be carrying weight (35ltr pack maybe).

Im not saying this will be the best idea but it would suit me as a BOV.

[Franc]

Front Carriers.

These break down into 3 basic types.

Front mounted panniers, these are cut down rear pannier racks, that use smaller sized bags. very good for camping, as they keep the weight low, over the axle, and distributed between front and back.

Front baskets, very good if your out and about, and pop into a shop for a paper, and some milk, but limited by how much weight you can carry in them about 7 kilos. Held onto the handle bars by some kind of clamp, either permanent, or quick release, they often wobble.

front basket without proper support http://www.amazon.co.uk/Model-Wire-Front..._sbs_sg_13

Unless you get a front support. http://www.amazon.co.uk/AMMACO-BICYCLE-B...sket+frame which has a useful peg to hook your light on to.

Front bags, same as baskets, but usually have a fabric strap, for carrying off the bike, more pockets, and map panel on the top. very good for carrying valuables like iPod or cameras when cycling, as you just unclip it and carry it with you. not as good for quick shop though, as you cant close the top with a few bottles of milk in it.

Front load carriers. bolted to the bike frame, usually by both axle bolts, and hooked over the handle bars. You run the control cables behind the metal load frame. You can use it as a support for a normal handle bar bag/basket, just attach a non-normal basket (older supermarkets have great metal ones) to the frame itself, or bungee strap your Bergen or 65 litre rucksack to it. or if you use proper ratcheting load straps, you can fix a slab of beer to it. great for those summer camping trips.

front load platform. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Coyote-Butchers-..._sbs_sg_29

you can get front load carriers that only hook over the handle bars, and attach to the front stem, bolted through the calliper brake hole, avoid them, for the price, you can get a version that attaches to the axle, much stronger and holds more weight.

[Scythe13]

(27 May 2013, 07:54)Binnie Wrote:

(26 May 2013, 22:05)Mosstrooper Wrote: If I were to choose a bike specific BOV it would be a 26” aluminium bike as it’s a popular size so acquiring wheels wouldn’t be an issue. I would make it a single speed (no gearing) so there’s less to go wrong but would be a simple fix to the chain.

I see this as a major mistake, it totally limits your wheel selection!

I see another MAJOR mistake with going fixed gear.

Professional cyclists get in heavy training sessions riding fixed! If you've ever ridden fixed, please tell me how you coped with hills and the alike? Also, how did you cope with doing that while loaded up? Just as easily questionable, how did you find getting started? No way you could start by riding up hill, fully loaded, and fixed, unless you were an elite Tour rider or Track rider!

My wife does triathlons (swim, cycle, run). Her brother does endurance running and cycling. They know more about bikes than 99% of people. The brother-in-law buys bits of bikes off ebay, revamps them, then sells them again for a nice profit.

They were fitting me up for a road bike a few months back, and I realised something interesting. Frames are dependent on the length of your legs. There is not a single frame that is universally recommended. Stores like Argos and Halford simply sell the most common sized frames that will be a 'reasonable' fit. Same with types of wheels.

Okay, so, with what I have learned about cycling (I did trials riding for a year as a kid, but that was more technique and less actual product knowledge) over the last year.

1. Road bikes will dominate on road, but are not the easiest things to handle. If you get a basic £500 bike, you can manoeuvre it around mostly like a normal bike. But not so with a high end bike like the wife has! Those things take a different level of control!!! I thought that was complete bollocks when she told me, but I was wrong!!!

2. As LS said, TRAINING!!! If you've never tried to ride 10 miles, but think you can do it......good luck with that. You might be able to make it, but your butt will hurt, you'll get really bad DOMS the next day, and you'll totally wish you had pushed up those hills! Get practicing. I saw someone saying a 4 minute bike ride to work, then comment that it wasn't far. Not important. At least you're doing something. Well done taking the long way back home! On a short ride, you can bust up some real speed and get the lungs working hard!

3. Real Speed.....what does this actually mean? Firstly it means you'll be moving quickly. Glasses are a requirement. Secondly it means you'll be chewing bugs (deal with it). Thirdly it means you'll be a well skilled rider, with practice of going at high speeds, and the ability and years of experience it takes to be able to skilfully manoeuvre the bike at those speeds!!! DAMN IT AIN'T EASY!!!

4. Bumps. On a road bike, these will screw you over! You'll feel each and every dimple in the road. Even a small man-hole cover can feel like you've just beasted into a rock! If you're riding with other people, point things out to them, if someone is behind you. It's good manners!

5. Learn to draft. Drafting is where you ride behind someone, enjoying the benefits of their slipstream. It's amazing the difference it makes! If you draft, you are using 30% less effort to maintain the same speed! But with drafting, remember to take it in turns. Don't be that idiot who rides at the back and is the only one that can walk at the end of the day.

6. Punctures. Deal with them. They happen quickly, so you'll just had to sort them out as of and when you can. A little washing up liquid mixed in water is a great way to make air bubbles that point out where the puncture is. Also, NEVER ride a flat tyre. You will literally cut up your tyre!

7. Break VERY EARLY when using panniers! When you have panniers, and are loaded up, you're probably going to be riding over 30 miles an hour down hill, so you're going to NEED to break much sooner than you would if you're just out for a ride. You're best off trying this out a few times to realise the difference. Your stopping, and slowing distance will probably be about 20% more, or higher! Remember, when breaking, about 70% of breaking is done by your front tyre, so don't slam it on, you could go top and tail into the road surface.

8. Reduced kit. If you're bugging out, you're probably not going to be able to bug out with your BOB! I'd HIGHLY recommend opting for something like BOP's (Bug Out Panniers). If you plan to bug out via bike, you'll need to have your BOP's fully loaded well before you actually bug out. Some panniers can be hell to fit (most are pretty good now though).

9. There is a reason it's called a road bike. Don't attempt to go up curbs, or off road!!! This will result in pain. Lots and lots of pain! Curbs might not, but they will bust up your tyres!!!

10. Cleats. These allow you to produce even more power. You can push down without slip, but also can pull up and power through the full motion of your legs. I'm not yet using them as my cycling fitness isn't the best. If you've not practiced with them extensively, then don't be an idiot and try to use them to bug out. You'll make the obvious noob mistake and won't be able to unclip...usually this happens at a set of lights. Funny if you're on a cycle tour (I'm the support driver, so I have not made this mistake....yet) but really unfunny if you're the one falling, or if the fall causes you damage...which is a real possibility.

11. Training with panniers. This is more of a how to tip. Because you'll be cycling with full panniers, you're going to need to train like that. Best way to do that, get some panniers, fill them with weights. Not bottles of water. Water isn't as heavy as weights. We all have gear that is heavier than water, so we should train for more weight than we expect to carry.

12. Work out routes well ahead of time. This is critical. It might well be faster (and much easier on the muscles) to cover 10 miles of flat or down hill riding, than it would be to do 8 of ups and downs. This all depends on how much training you've done. Speaking of which, for every route you have, practice riding them ALL. If you have 15 routes, train for all 15. I was driving back from work and a diversion sent me on a 2 mile round trip. If those 2 miles change your tired body into an exhausted body, then you only have yourself to blame.

13. Get a turbo!!! Turbo Trainers are awesome fun and a great way to add a little extra stamina. Panniers on these will make no difference, but the fun you can have is awesome. Highly recommended! Speaking of which, I think I'll get out on Trev (my bike is an old Trek loving called Trev by the wife) in the garden and do a little turbo work right now.

Speak to you all later.

Oh, actually, before I go, I'll just say one thing. Don't EVER consider getting specialist cycling shorts (I call mine wrestling trunks, and they look retarded). If you're considering getting them..........you've already made a mistake. Just get up, go out, and get some!!! I promise you this, if it hurts while you're in those those shorts, you will be in total agony without them!!! Don't consider getting them, just fork out for them.