Ultra crazy bicycle for post-collapse world. Regular bicycle sounds like nice thing to have - what about something with engine which doesn't need regular gasoline?
gengas.nu/bilder/cykel.shtml
gengas.nuPosted Sep 16, 2011, 12:56 PM UTC
6542
gengas.nuI call it the Coppenhagen Wheel!
6
how about a regular bicycle? pretty sure it runs on whatever you've eaten in the past couple hours.
5
:) True but what if you would need to go distance of 50 miles? What about 100?
Doable - of course - but taking that in post-collapse this kind of travel may be your only option then some engine could really help. And if it's not using gasoline then what's better than that?
1
Cooking oil? Works on diesel engines with little to no modification needed.
1
Can you make cooking oil on your own? From scratch?
EDIT: and wood gas works on internal combustion engines (gasoline) also with little or no modification needed.
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Plants have them.
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youre much better off getting in good enough shape to ride a bike long distances with a large load on them. Bikes are complicated enough when human powered to make them something you dont want to depend on postciv, but they can be used for a little while. Adding an engine, no matter what it runs on, just makes it even more complicated.
5
True, but a power-assist would be a very nice thing to have.
1
until you run out of something to power it with. then its just dead weight.
1
It runs on anything flammable. Steam power is absolutely the way to go, because when it comes to burnable material/some form of water, you'll practically NEVER run out. Plus you could use it to disinfect water for drinking, which is always a bonus, or run it as a small-powered generator to run eco bulbs. That doesn't sound like much, but believe me, it's quite enough.
1
I'm not questioning the usefulness of a steam engine. I just don't think it could be applied to a bike in any practical way. How often will you have to ad fuel to the fire? to the water tank? whats your hourly consumption and how far can it get you? I just don't think it can get you too much for the amount of work needed for it.
1
I wouldn't think this would be very useful. Eventually the infrastructure it relies on will start breaking down. Roads will crack and crumble in a relatively short amount of time. In about 5 years this wonderful bike will be unusable .
3
I've always said that a good bike doesn't need roads.
2
It does need tires. Even new ones you have as spares will get brittle over time.
1
This man doesn't need tires. Although I'm working on a more palatable design myself. Maybe one that could use raw-hide stretched over wooden wheels...
1
That bike was awesome. I think in a post apocalyptic scenario we would probably find a way to manufacture tires out of something. But they won't be anywhere near as good as even the cheapest wal-mart China imports.
1
That's a pretty cool contraption but I think I'd prefer a horse.
3
Considering the work that would have to go into making fuel post-collapse, I'd say the regular bike, every time. Yes, it is quite do-able. But, consider the added work to produce the fuel compared to the work of getting a (much lighter, sans engine) bike to the place you want to go....
1
That contraption is a wood gasifier. you are looking at the entire process, from woodchips to whizzing forward. it makes its own fuel onboard.
7
True - that's wood gasifier. And considering that:
- long-distance trips would/could be much more necessary than today,
- using your own muscles has it's limits
- wood gas is usable in any today's world regular engine
Then I would go for it. Maybe building gasifier for a car is better idea, but otoh bicycle can be used in terrain in which sometimes car is not good idea.
2
Forget fuel, your tires are only going to be good for so long, then you're back to walking/learning how to make wooden spokes.
3
True enough, that. I figure we'll have enough plastic trash around that we'll learn to refashion into things like makeshift tubes and/or tires, so I'm holding out hope.
Maybe I should be saving bike parts up...
1
I know there are all sorts of people in poor countries that know how to retread old tires and make them last forever. I have no idea how that's done or what tools are needed though. Might be easier to learn than woodwork, which I know is difficult.
1
Heh man, you've reminded me that my grandpa was teaching me how to do this. I was like 8 but still remember something. And it's true that it's pretty easy.
As far as my memory is not so bad you need:
- tire with inner tube - that's what makes it easier ( I don't know if really other kind of tires for bicycle exist )
- old inner tube (for some patches)
- two small flat metal circles with some kind of clamp
- something to warm up those metal circles for up to 1/2 min. (I remember grandpa was using saltpeter)
And then you need to find hole (put pumped up tube into some water container and look for bubbles), take patch from old tube, place it on the hole (dry everything before this) and using clamp, metal circles and saltpeper squize everything together. Using match ignite fire in saltpeter.
After this leave it for about 3-5 min. Hot temperature from saltpeter makes rubber from patch and from tube glue together. That's why it shouldn't last long - then you would glue together all tube rubber making it useless.
That's all what I remember. Hope that in case of need it will be working.
And best thing is that for patches grandpa was using some even 15 years old tires.
1
I really don't think this, or any other motorized bike (with current tech) would be suitable for post-collapse life. As many people have said, collecting wood to fuel this takes a lot of energy, plus the engine is complex and once that breaks, you're fucked.
What I think would be more suitable is a hardtail aluminium XC mountain bike with a fork which can lock-out (i.e. not dampen at all when you don't want it to). They are incredibly light (any competitive cyclist can tell you that lightness is paramount), the suspension allows you to cover rough terrain and drops quickly and comfortably, and the ability to lock out the suspension means you get very high pedalling efficiency, as your effort isn't dampened by the fork. Lock out tech is used in competitive mountain biking, so should be very reliable. Plus, having a proper mountain bike means fewer flat tyres and lower maintenance.
Another note on bikes is that they should have mechanical (cable) brakes rather than hydraulic brakes. This is simply due to maintenance.
1
Well. you're saying that engine is complex and raise some advanced mountain bike.
First thing - wood gasifiers are not so difficult to do on your own, and such small engine (if made by self) also is not complex enough to really cause you trouble. And last thing - it's still bicycle which you can use just like any other in case engine is broken. And not top-level, ultra-complicated one bicycle which you won't be able to fix if anything is broken.
Of course when you actually buy things from shop then you'll have problems when they broke. That's why I think that for post-collapse scenario tools and knowledge are most important. One without other may be useful only in limited way.
1
No habla jibber-jabber.
0
I'm afraid this is very much against our rules:
No links to survival gear or specific products
-10
:/
Why is that in place? I'd say that
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this bike or any kind of similar product isn't being sold
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the article is more about the usage of wood gassifiers, which seem of value to postcollapse
7
Oh, sorry, I misunderstood what the submission was, I apologize.
2
yay :D
1
The bike is a 1940s antique that has been converted to run with a batch-loaded wood gasifier. You couldn't buy one if you wanted to.
4
not made since WW2...
3
Come on man, quit being such a cunt.
1
Wood-gassifier on a bike? At first I thought it was a Stirling engine, a boiler. Nice find.
I don't read whatever language that is (Dutch?), but the links to other gasifiers are all over the rest of the website. I really liked this one too.
Edit: fixed link/clarity
Google translate helps - a little :)