Bug out bike build.

In the PAW stories you often read where the hero and or heroine are stuck in the city and need transportation out of the mess.

A their solution to the problem of no transportation is a bicycle.

In all of the times that I have been on the prepper boards I have never see a bug out bicycle being build so I decided to build one. The parameters that I set for my self to go by when building one is.

The cost had to be as low as possible.
When ever possible parts had to be scrounged, already on hand or bought used.

It has to be able to carry at least three days supplies.

It has to be light enough to carry.

Able to be ridden long distances.

Concealable in the woods.

So fare this is what I have come up with. The bike has a 6061 frame and I found it in a dumpster. The seat is off an old bike. The water bottles I bought at the thrift store a wile back for a $1.00 each. The holders were on other frames I had laying around. The bike panniers are from two web gear sets that I had in hand. The frame work to hang the panniers on is made from book rack I bought at the thrift store for $2.00 some aluminum stock I bought a going out of business sale a few years ago. The box is a saws all container that I found in the trash. The nuts and bolts I had on hand. I bought the paint at W mart a few years ago on clearance. Cash outlay for the build so fare is $2.00 for the book rack since that is the only thing that I bought with doing this in mind.

I still have to make a seat cover.
Find something to make a front basket from.
Make, find or buy a trailer.
Disassemble and lube all of the bearings.
Find or buy a high pressure hand air pump.
Dig through my gear and find a cammo net for it.
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I did kind of overlook that in my post but I did think of it I have patches and glue on hand so I could put to gather a kit with what I have on hand but I should probably buy a new stitcher so I do not have to take the one out of the bike kit every time I need to patch a tube

 

Looks like a good job to me!

 

Hey hey, ho ho those reflectors gotta go.

 

I can not ride it on the street at night now if it dose not have reflectors on it and I ride a lot. One of my plans is to when I make the new seat cover is to make bags to put over the reflectors and to put tape over the ones I can not put bags over.

 

I usually keep spare tubes for the tires, bicycle tool kits, hand pump and little co2 quick fill for tires.

 

Out here the dog has a name for people on bikes "meals on wheels"

 

I would suggest the foam tire inserts.
They dont ride as smooth as tubes,but they never need air,or patching.
They use to sell them at WalMart.Not sure if they still do though.
Now you need to build a gear trailer for it.
Matt

 

Very cool. Refurbishing a bike is fun. Making something from trash always brings satisfaction.

I keep a bike with rack around for hunting. I mounted an ATV gun rack to the handlebars to carry a bow or rifle. It helped in AZ where I could cover mad distance on a hunt and do it in places that didn't allow an ATV OR much quieter than an ATV.

 

Nice bike. I think I need to do something similar. As far as that gas powered contraption, they are noisy. San Fran had a bunch of them and you could hear them coming from way off. Need a good bit of muffle to be sneaky.

 

I don't have a "bug out bike" per se, but we use our bikes from time to time to go riding with the family. Usually 15-25 mile round trips.

We sourced the trailer and the co-pilot pull along from craigslist. When the kids outgrow the co-pilot, I'm planning on making a trailer out of it.

The other trailer is nice, but it is a bit too wide for me to like it 100%. I can carry both kids, the wife's purse (13 lbs), and the diaper bag/water/snacks in it, so it is very functional. The only time I notice that it is there is when I go uphill... (That's everywhere around here.)

 

This photo was posted on another forum I thought you would like to see it, your co-pilot would be a good start in building one.

 

Do not use the foam tire inserts, they take twice as much effort to go the same distance.
Much better to use thorn resistant tubes, True Goo and Mr. Tuffy liners.
I ride year 'round, in a part of the world overrun with goat-heads and average one flat tire every 18 months.
I no longer avoid goat-heads or small pieces of glass.
There are also tires made for use in industrial plants that are tougher.
The single wheel trailers track much better.