bug out bicycle?

[eugene]

For $150 you can get a decent used mountain bike from craigslist, i have yet to see a decent new bike that cheap

[TacAir]

Hey guys, I just sort of impulse bought a Hyper Havoc 26" mountain bike. The reviews were mostly positive though I may end up having to change out the inner tubes. But it got me thinking... Is there a decent retail store mountain bike out there for < $150?

Also, would it be better to get a simpler bike like a BMX? No gears to worry about, designed for abuse... I remember has a kid being able to blast through yards and stuff offroad without too much trouble, and it's smaller and lighter than a mountain bike. Not for long ranged stuff but for < 5 miles (and obviously hopping off and walking if I get into any real uphill stuff) seems like it's less to break.

"New" bicycles seem to fall into 2 or 3 categories. "Kmart" Big Box Store cheepies - ya, it's a bike, but - it's heavy, the components are crap and maintenance is problematic. To be fair, it is better than walking...
Mid-range bike - here they run 400 to 600 USD. Over the top/famous brand name, you are looking at 1K or more.

Rather than Craigslist... I often fly to Tucson (A college town) for long visits - a month or more. First day in town - I go to a local pawn shop and buy a basic bike - one with tires, brakes, etc - seats may or may not be present. I do have access in town to a garage and tools, so this may not work for everyone.
Last I did this, I found a nice Cannondale tour for 50 USD. Yes, it needed work. But not much. Rode it for a month - then listed it for a fast sale on a local website site - broke even and the kid who bought it got a nice ride, cheap.
Just a thought, most pawn shops will negotiate on the price of bikes, start with an offer of just over 1/2 listed price, unless it is a fixer-upper. If you're not mechanically inclined, this may not be an option.

I checking Craiglist today, I see where someone is selling 5 bikes for 150 USD , so - with luck - you can find something usable. Word of mouth, checking the bulletin boards at places you shop and so on are other possibilities if time is not an issue.


Last thought - spending some good money for a quality bicycle is an investment. If you have been riding on a low end bicycle, then hop onto a high-end bike, the difference is...amazing. Hard to describe, but with care, a quality bike can last nearly a lifetime. If you don't know what to look for, find someone who can spend the time to show you / point out what to look for.

[congochris]

For $150 you can get a decent used mountain bike from craigslist, i have yet to see a decent new bike that cheap

I actually picked up a pair of Specialized Rockhoppers for that off of craigslist here. A few years old, but the fellas wife never rode so her (now my wife's) bike looks as close to showroom new as I've ever seen a used bike. Mine probably needs a new seat. He even still had both manuals! Both are old enough that there's literally no suspension. But since I grew up riding BMX's and full rigid mountain bikes all over the German countryside growing up, it's not an issue for me.

[velojym]

If you know what you're looking for... sometimes a flea market vendor or a non-savvy pawn shop vendor will have a decent bike parked right there with their selection of Huffys, lower end Mongeese, and Pacifics... and priced in the same range. Heck, I have a bright yellow Giant in my basement I picked up for around $35, with LX components!
No, it doesn't fit, but I used parts of it for my single speed Ramp Rat, built from an old steel Bridgestone frame.
First, and most valuable thing... find a cycling friend who can help you find a good deal, and who knows a bit about bike maintenance and repair. You can ride away for FAR less than the crap-mart specials on a bike that'll last you a good, long while.
Unless, of course, you get that ol' upgrade itch...
Then the sky's the limit.


I've known lots of folks who constantly have to have the latest and greatest gear. While I'm nothing like that, I do have them to thank for the fact that you can get a really nice bike at a steep discount once it's out of "style" with the gearheads and weight weenies. I have a personal standard which only requires a good quality bike that's easy to maintain and will be there for the long haul. I've done a pretty good job of finding these, and at very nice prices. My Jake-the-Snake "road" bike has been with me through several century rides, and still looks/rides like new. Our sub $1k steel Santana tandem (which the dealer told us we'd be ready to trade in for a "faster" bike within the year) has done its job well, carrying us over many a bike path, and a couple even rides as well, and the component level is just about perfect for our tastes. My other bikes were similarly selected for utility, with just enough liveliness to enjoy the ride without spoiling it with delicate and finicky mechanisms.

[SwampRat]

I just bought this at a yard sale on a whim. Any advice?

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[TacAir]

I couldn't find cargo racks or panniers for a unicycle, but i DID FIND


A RECUMBENT UNICYCLE!!


and this - whatever... Which just proves if you have an imagination and a welder....

[SwampRat]

Nice.

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[echo2]

yard sale...



amazon.....

[catalyst]

here's mine:
$200 Craigslist.


'03 rockhopper. Its basically a stumpjumper.

Its my first "real" mountain bike, and it suits me perfectly. Was hardly used, and the shocks all work perfect. I picked up half a dozen tubes, and 4-5 folding tires.

[Cockroach]

I like the Dahon D7 mariner. Been putting a ton of urban miles on it, I like the ability to fold and bring on the ferry or subway.

[slackplan9]

I have a Montague Paratrooper I bought last year. I've had no problems with it. It is the first bike I have owned that can take all the abuse I give it. All the rest were like disposable bicycles compared to it.

[velojym]

Paratrooper has a lot of potential, but if you got the same riveted-together crankset I had on mine, you'll want to get that swapped out with a better unit sometime before TSHTF. The only other issue I've really had with mine was the too-short seatpost on the larger model, but I'm 6'4" and fall a bit outside the "normal" range.
Right now it's my bug-home bike, otherwise known as my escape pod. If stuff goes down and traffic is effectively stopped while I'm at work downtown, it's my best means to get myself and a modest ghb back to the home-20, though as things have changed, it'd get me to my wife's office not too far away, then we have to work our way out to Zoe's school to get her.

[jamoni]

So I got a Citizen folding bike in a trade, and learned something:
These things have VERY adjustable seat heights and handlebar heights, and have a very short reach. This means they can be adjusted to fit a child pretty well. So you have a bike, with gears, that can be ridden by just about anybody.

[OTTB]

I have no idea what type of bike it is, in fact it's not even mine but rather I have taken over the bike since the person it was bought for doesn't know how to ride or have any inclincation to learn BUT I have put two schwin bags on it. One on front on the handlebars that has a mini GHB and today I just put a rack on the back under the seat to add another bag to where I can put up to 20lbs of stuff. I'm leaning to putting bike repair stuff in the rear bag, like a mini pump, stuff to help fill flat tires etc: and probably some GHB stuff like some more food, maybe a gerber mini axe or somehing. Pics to follow once I get everything set up.

[katieann]

Bump and tagged, moar bike talk! Got my first non-crap non-Walmart bike in July and could put some serious miles behind me in a bug out on it. Longest single ride I've done so far was about 26 miles, but so far I've been more limited by time constraints to ride than my own power, so I look forward to increasing that.

[Neddog]

I take a bicycle everywhere (I only live a few blocks from my studio), and I keep my bug-out bag to a manageable backpack - large daypack size. The only fly in the ointment is my dog, who is too small to run on his own and usually travels in his own backpack on bicycle. For a short ways at least I can put him in front of me. My friend said she will give me a baby harness she found in her basement though, so that may help as well.

I just finished fixing up my bike, after the front wheel was recently stolen. I now have 3 locks on the bike, a U-lock for the frame and cable locks for each of the two wheels. You see bicycle frames littered all over this town because people lock up their frame with a strong U-lock and thieves just strip the bicycle of every other part and leave the frame. This city has a lot of urban sprawl and there is no such thing as a "good neighborhood" here.

I recently acquired a parts bike with great parts but a bad steering head. So I put two new(ish) Kenda tires and wheels on my bike, installed a new rear fender from another bike that had the whole front end stolen (bars, forks, and all), and did some other adjustments... This is a Triumph bicycle, made in Canada.



i have a back rack that I need to install as well, which will allow panniers to be used besides being a useful rack on its own. I haven't thought of putting it on because I know it would be immediately stolen around here, but there are two bolt holes at the top so I'm going to try and see if it is sturdy enough using just one hole so I can run a padlock through the other hole instead. If not, I'll think of something else.

Back in my days in Key West, Fl., we used big-ass side baskets. Damn, those things could haul a load!! For those who need to haul an even bigger load, consider a bicycle trailer. I might eventually get one, what with my dog and all, but I like the off-road maneuverability of a clean bicycle. Side bags are the least disruptive to your handling.

[velojym]

When riding around downtown, anytime I left my bike locked anywhere, I'd remove the front wheel, and thread my stout U-lock through it, the rear triangle, and the rear wheel.

[OTTB]

Bike with bags. Don't ask me anything about the bike itself I just sort of inherited it. The bags however are schwin bags.


http://s265.beta.photobucket.com/user/Kevin_G_/media/IMG_1695_zpsb9c4e5b4.jpg.html#/user/Kevin_G_/media/IMG_1695_zpsb9c4e5b4.jpg.html?&_suid=135069494815608065792961947595

http://s265.beta.photobucket.com/user/Kevin_G_/media/IMG_1695_zpsb9c4e5b4.jpg.html#/user/Kevin_G_/media/IMG_1693_zps611aaaad.jpg.html?&_suid=135069494815608065792961947595

[Privateer73]

If it comes down to it I know I can cover some serious miles with my Craigslist bike i figure worst case scenario the bike makes a good scout get around. It will be on the list of things loaded onto the BOV.

Check the link in my sig for the buildup thread.

[OTTB]

Just perused craigslist for bikes, great prices but nothing that really jumped out at me. Looking for a bike for trails in the area so something on the order of a mountain bike or maybe a hybird between mountain and a cruiser.

[velojym]

I occasionally see a good deal on cl, but it seems that sometimes the majority are folks who are trying to push box-mart bikes for close to new retail for them. You can get a really good deal on a good quality used bike at a real bike shop (provided there's one nearby) and they'll help to ensure that it's adjusted to fit you. That last bit is an *extremely* important factor in the success of a rider/bike relationship.
Even some of the higher quality bikes from those shops still end up gathering dust, however, and they do turn up regularly at garage sales. Look for a well known brand, and I'd say just go ahead and get a hardtail mountain bike. You can get higher pressure street or hybrid tires for it, and if/when you decide to get a little more vigorous in your dirt riding, just slap a new set of meats on and hit the trail.

[TacAir]

and


The panniers and trunk bag + the butt pack on the handle bars will hold just slightly MORE than than an ALICE large ruck. The panniers are waterproof - something the ALICE is not.


Detail of but pack on handle bars. I can get 3 days worth of eating stripped MRE + other foods in the butt pack. I made a short - 5 mile - run and everything was balanced, the load did not affect the handling

Tools, spare tubes, Zuful HP pump and such go in the trunk bag with room for water, Trangia stove and cooking gear. Sleeping bag is a patrol bag + bivy with a WY lost&found tarp tent to keep the rain out of my face & gear dry(er). No ground cloth, or pad - a couple of large trash bags - hopefully filled with duff (leaves, etc) would make a softer sleeping surface. The duff takes some time to gather, to keep sticks and such out of the bags - worked a wonder this summer for the MBO, but in a tent...

The panniers (Ortlieb) have hooks that will allow them to hang from an LC-2 frame. OK, one pannier. With the trunk bag going under the pannier, held up by the ALICE LC-2 shelf. Haven't tried it, I suppose the second panier could hang from or on the front with some 550 cord, but that would be an extreme fix... The but pack is easily attached with its straps to the top of the pannier, hanging on the 'back' (outside) of the pannier.

Another option is to use a Yukon ruck just strapped to the Blackburn rear rack over the panniers. That would allow ever more equipment to be carried and part of the pannier space could go to additional food.


Since I am (still) working on my 'throw it out the window' Yukon ruck,
I can wrap the stuff *up* as opposed to *out* to make a more compact outfit. The butt pack would still be the prime food carry, even with just a Yukon, allowing some additional modularity.

By making the Yukon more of a cube, then it could fit on any of my rack equipped bikes.


I have a Sun copy of the EZ racer recumbent, and while it is possible to load 'em up, I'd hate to have to peddle something like in the photo!

I do have and have carried a double set of panniers, and the seat is tall enough to strap a Yukon setup, I don't know if it would be any fun. The recumbent is strictly an on road bike - good I suppose for touring, but for a BOBish situation, I would go with the diamond frame rig.

Finally, I have a small Sun brand folder, now dropped from their product line - also equipped with fenders and a rack, it could also carry a decent sized set of panniers + a Yukon.

I don't know if anyone had looked at the Worksman brand bicycle, but they appear to be a real cargo/industrial rig, with very heavy duty rims....

[OTTB]

I'm not all that sure what parts of a bike are what, especially panniers. In the links I posted (dunno why the pictures didnt show up instead) I have two schwin bags, one on the back end and one on the front. I like the idea of having a dedicated food pouch and putting other supplies elsewhere. How did you mount the bag on the side? I'm trying to strike a balance between the space I have available and things I think I might need.

[velojym]

I'm not all that sure what parts of a bike are what, especially panniers. In the links I posted (dunno why the pictures didnt show up instead) I have two schwin bags, one on the back end and one on the front. I like the idea of having a dedicated food pouch and putting other supplies elsewhere. How did you mount the bag on the side? I'm trying to strike a balance between the space I have available and things I think I might need.

There'd be a rack to support the side panniers, with enough structure to keep anything from contacting the spokes (set up properly, that is). Try to find an experienced group of cyclists in your area, many of them are pretty friendly and are more than willing to help you set up a bike and get it equipped the way you want it. Call it camping, though, as there are relatively few folks in the bike clubs I've been in who would be open to prep-talk. Loads of fun if you can find a like-minded riding partner though.