[Leon]

I went up to my pal's mountain cabin today, talked yesterday and he knew I was coming up I had a vacuum cleaner for him and some odds and ends. He's without his jeep because his ex broke the damn thing so he got his hands on a few bicycles to get around the hollow. There are a lot of gravel roads through it, he lives off a system of them. A very interesting food truck calls the area home, it's a pizza place inside an old cargo truck and last time we ordered was a real treat the guy knows his stuff.

I called him was like hey can I get a meat lovers we got two adults two kids up at that place at the top. He recalls says he'll have it ready soon.

Like probably 20 minutes away he calls me back hey your friend had an accident he wouldn't let me call the ambulance but he's hurt. Not good.

I get there and he looks like someone just hit him with a car. He's not talking right. Blood EVERYWHERE. His nose is messed up, facial lacerations, I'm like who did this I'm gonna just F*&^(*% shoot em.

God damn mountain bike brake cable snapped, he couldn't slow down at the bottom of the hill, hit a rut and it slung him off into the gravel. Landed on his face, bit his tongue damn near off, something is poking out on his chest my god.

I hear this argument for bikes as bug out vehicles, people are like oh yeah I'm in shape I'll pack mule a mountain bike and everything will be cool. Compared to most motorized vehicles I just can't see it. For one bicycles are built as spindly as possible, brakes are important and have ALWAYS been flawed on a bicycle. They will lock or do that crap- fail. Either way you're tasting pavement. On even a dirtbike it would have at least stopped or hopped the rut. Even if not, you have engine braking and weight on your side. Not to mention no bicycle is going to make a good pack mule. I have said it before and I'll say it again a bicycle as a bov is a bad idea. Matter of fact they are just a bad idea period.

 

[Back Pack Hack]

Um..... bicycles have TWO sets of brakes. So if ONE cable broke and he couldn't stop, that means the other brake system was already broken.

So, ............. FAIL on his part.

 

[Leon]

Um..... bicycles have TWO sets of brakes. So if ONE cable broke and he couldn't stop, that means the other brake system was already broken.

So, ............. FAIL on his part.

No I don't know about fail, you clap the brakes on the front wheel you're going over the handlebars in an emergency situation like that.

 

[Back Pack Hack]

No I don't know about fail, you clap the brakes on the front wheel you're going over the handlebars in an emergency situation like that.

It's a fail when you don't fix it.

If your friend was driving his jeep around for weeks with half the brakes broken........... then the other half fails, would you say Jeeps are not viable BOVs?

 

[Leon]

It's a fail when you don't fix it.

If your friend was driving his jeep around for weeks with half the brakes broken........... then the other half fails, would you say Jeeps are not viable BOVs?

NO I think you're jumping the gun a bit on that. That's not what I said. And you don't know the bike's condition the other brake worked. Fact is you can do much better than a bicycle in almost every way they are just dangerous

 

[Back Pack Hack]

NO I think you're jumping the gun a bit on that. That's not what I said. And you don't know the bike's condition the other brake worked. Fact is you can do much better than a bicycle in almost every way they are just dangerous

Oh. I get it. Even if something is in good mechanical shape when something fails, it's worthless then.

So when the jeeps brake system is working, then maybe the front brakes springs a leak and you careen off a cliff, then jeeps aren't usable BOVs.

 

[stowlin]

When living in the city I considered it a get home vehicle. Moving thru an urban environment it made sense since cars would likely be standing still in congestion. Out in the country though I prefer motorcycles.

 

[Leon]

Oh. I get it. Even if something is in good mechanical shape when something fails, it's worthless then.

So when the jeeps brake system is working, then maybe the front brakes springs a leak and you careen off a cliff, then jeeps aren't usable BOVs.

Again, you're putting words in my mouth that's not what I said. The line snapped when he hit the brakes, it can happen. Frankly I think you're kind of an asshole for saying that my old friend was hurt pretty badly. You're a real ray of sunshine lemme tell ya. The fact is the things are dangerous any way you cut it just look up any youtube video on the subject. Was it his fault? I think it could have happened to YOU are ME or just about anyone thrown into that situation. I never mentioned jeeps or anything remotely similar. Thus the title- helps to read. Any fool could cite numerous differences between a jeep and a bicycle slick.

 

[Notold63]

I believe your logic is faulty. One incident does not mean all bicycles suck. The Swiss army uses bicycles for their troops and the North Vietnamese put them to good use during the war there. Suggest you google it and look at the bikes they used. They were used more for carrying supplies then riding.

 

[sideKahr]

@Leon How is your friend? Sounded pretty serious.

 

[Coastie dad]

Please guys, let's not make any personal attacks such as name calling. If you have any questions, read our forum rules.
Thank you.

 

[Toefoot]

Bicycles are effective BOV

All one has to do is read about WWl and WWII and all other wars in between to include the current ME mess. Soldiers trained with bicycles, civilians used em as pack mules while fleeing. NVA counted on them for supplies. Plenty of vids, pics and books.

I keep 2 bicycles for this purpose plus the wife and I enjoy riding them and I am 54 and the wife is 62. If need be, it is my mule and not hard to make a saddle to fit it in an emergency.

Sure it is a last resort but one can not be picky in times of need.

 

[hawgrider]

Please guys, let's not make any personal attacks such as name calling. If you have any questions, read our forum rules.
Thank you.

 

[Leon]

@Leon How is your friend? Sounded pretty serious.

He's hurting I tried patching him up best I could but his tongue is damn near bitten off I do think the end is going to rot and fall off it's white, it AHG it was seriously one of the worst things I ever saw and I am not squeamish.

 

[Leon]

I believe your logic is faulty. One incident does not mean all bicycles suck. The Swiss army uses bicycles for their troops and the North Vietnamese put them to good use during the war there. Suggest you google it and look at the bikes they used. They were used more for carrying supplies then riding.

Well then we're on two forms of logic because from what I have seen without an engine, without a sturdy enough and heavy enough body, without the advances motor vehicles have on push/carry/walk forms of transport bicycles just are basically useless and almost all bicycle accidents happen regularly for the same reasons. Bicycle injuries are way more common than motorcycles. Matter of fact, everyone who has ever ridden a bicycle has a few stories to tell. I rode motorbikes from 19-24 and the only injury I ever got was touching a hot pipe with my ankle. I rode bicycles from say 8-14 and most of my chronic problems are from them. I got hurt more on bicycles than I did in karate. If my logic is flawed I would care to question your datasets and see some examples. I can promise the gap is going to close rapidly. once beyond your balance point on a bicycle you are over the handlebars or on your side sliding if not careening through the air. Motorcycles are provably more forgiving than a skinny tire scaffold underneath you that doesn't even weigh enough to handle its own kinetic forces.

 

[Back Pack Hack]

Again, you're putting words in my mouth that's not what I said. The line snapped when he hit the brakes, it can happen. Frankly I think you're kind of an asshole for saying that my old friend was hurt pretty badly. You're a real ray of sunshine lemme tell ya. The fact is the things are dangerous any way you cut it just look up any youtube video on the subject. Was it his fault? I think it could have happened to YOU are ME or just about anyone thrown into that situation. I never mentioned jeeps or anything remotely similar. Thus the title- helps to read. Any fool could cite numerous differences between a jeep and a bicycle slick.

OK, let me put it this way: You're condemming an entire mode of transportation based on ONE incident. Are you going to do the same thing for all other modes? If the ball joint of an unspecified vehicle fails and causes a crash, are all vehicles dangerous? Bicycles have been experiencing mechanical failures (just like cars & trucks) since they were first invented. Anything man-made suffers the same fate. Bicycles, cars, trucks, jeeps, guns, rocket stoves, 5-gallon food-grade bucket handles, ad infinitum ad nauseum.

As for 'never mentioned jeeps or anything remotely similar................

............ He's without his jeep because his ex broke the damn thing ...............

Please guys, let's not make any personal attacks such as name calling. If you have any questions, read our forum rules.
Thank you.

When did anyone do that?

 

[TG]

I have 4 bikes, all different types, I bike on different kinds of terrain. Fat bikes are awesome and can get through almost any terrain. Keep your bicycles in good working order at all times.

Bikes were used in both World Wars by soldiers, bikes are even used in Winter in Siberia to get over ice and snow when cars are useless.

 

[Gunn]

I have gone from Canada to Mexico on a bike 10 times. The worst that ever happened is a person got to close to us just outside of Bug Sur CA. I ALWAYS checked my equipment every day before mounting up. It takes 3 minutes to do a thorough job. I hope your friend is ok, but shouldn't he have gone to the hospital?

 

[Salt-N-Pepper]

With all due respect, as somebody who rides thousands of miles a year on a bicycle, I totally disagree with you.

Do wrecks happen? Yes. Do parts break? Occasionally (although I have never, in my 35 years as a cyclist, seen a well-maintained brake cable break... I'm sure it does occasionally happen... although in my experience you are much more likely to get a blowout).

Is one guy having a wreck because his he had a mechanical issue a legitimate reason to say that bicycles are not a valid tool in an emergency situation? Absolutely, positively not. Especially when considering that there's a good chance you would be WALKING the bicycle, using it just to carry a heavy load, treating it like a cart.

I would 10,000 times rather walk a bicycle loaded with 120 pounds than try to huck a 120 pound pack by myself.

When I was younger, I rode 7,800 miles one year. Every year since I've ridden 1,000 plus, often 4,000 or more. Occasionally, wrecks happen.

 

[Mad Trapper]

Leon,

You are giving bicycles a bad rep.

I've rode them my whole life and only time a brake failed was an old columbia with a coaster brake, loose chain, and riding over trails when chain fell off. Never ever had a cable break, but I take care of my bikes.

I have rebuilt them all from bare frames, everything old bianchis that are old school Columbus tubing/Campagnolo Tour de France quality, to newer MTBs with all shimano XTR.

If a cable breaks it is because the mechanic fubared installation or the owner neglected it.

Was can cause a good s#!tter is blowing a tire at speed. Again care of equipment comes into play, but in that case all it takes is a chunk of glass/metal