Off-Grid Projects: Harness Pedal Power for Survival

BIG_bicycle

It’s been noted than in virtually all the post-apocalyptic scenarios depicted in movies, or novels, you rarely ever encounter anyone riding a bicycle. But it stands to reason that bicycles will end up being one of the chief modes of transportation in the event of grid failure or almost any long-term SHTF situation.

As any prepper knows, the shelf life of gasoline is short. And even if that weren’t the case, internal combustion engines can be difficult to maintain over a long period, especially if you don’t have access to the right tools, spare parts, etc. On the other hand, a well-maintained bicycle can last for decades, requiring a minimum of spare parts, tools and know-how. That’s not to even mention the low cost of purchasing one in the first place.

Bicycles have been around for centuries now, and aside from some relatively minor improvements and lots of variations on the theme, the technology is essentially the same as it was in the late 19th century, when the first chain-driven upright bikes were introduced.

The bicycle is possibly one of man’s greatest inventions, especially when one considers the facts that riding a bicycle causes essentially zero harm to the environment and is the most efficient means of human-powered transportation available. The raw materials and energy expended to manufacture a bicycle are negligible compared to its long-term potential value.

6 Reasons To Choose A Bicycle

{adinserter emp}In a SHTF situation, a bicycle could prove to be an enormously valuable tool for survival.

Aside from being a means of getting from one place to another much more quickly than on foot, bicycles have many advantages over foot power, and in some cases, even over motorized transportation.

Although, of course, a bicycle may not be as fast or capable of the long distances achievable with a motorcycle, car or truck, the relative advantages are numerous:

  • Cost – A good bicycle purchased new only costs a few hundred dollars, maximum. Used bicycles are ridiculously cheap and can often be scavenged for free.
  • Reliability – A well built and maintained bicycle is almost indestructible. Almost everything needed to repair and maintain a bike can be carried along, including spare inner tubes, tools, lube, etc.
  • Durability – A well-maintained bicycle can last almost indefinitely if care is taken to prevent rusting and corrosion of its parts. With a few spare parts and careful maintenance, a bicycle will provide service for decades.
  • Efficiency – As mentioned above, bicycles are the most efficient form of human-powered transportation and the health benefits associated with bike riding are obvious. Bicycles are also extremely efficient in terms of cargo transportation.
  • Stealth – One of the possibly less obvious, but potentially important advantages of a bicycle is its nearly silent operation. This could prove to be a life-saving quality in a SHTF situation. A bicycle can be used for covering great distances for hunting wild game as well, without calling attention to one’s presence.
  • Accessibility – Bicycles are capable of going places few other vehicles can manage. A mountain bike can be used almost anywhere – even in some of the roughest imaginable terrain.

Innovative Uses of Bicycle Power

Bicycles also have many valuable uses beyond simple transportation. Bicycle parts, particularly the pedals and drive train, can be converted into highly useful tools. Pedal power can be harnessed to perform a great number of tasks, including generating electricity, recharging batteries and powering a wide variety of tools.

If the power grid goes down or if there is no available electrical power for whatever reason, converted bicycles can be a major source of efficient human-powered energy. Let’s look at a few methods of harnessing pedal power to drive a number of devices, including water pumps, sewing machines and more

Water Pump

A bicycle can be converted to power a water pump capable of transporting 10 liters of water per minute. The pump could be made from bicycle parts, an old belt-driven water pump and other scrap materials found around this resourceful Irish couple’s off-the-grid home.

Video first seen on EMP13

This article has been written by James Armstrong for Survivopedia.

Written by

James Armstrong is a freelance writer, musician and photographer. Born in East Texas, he has traveled extensively and lived in many and varied places, both in the US and abroad. He currently resides in Europe. A self-styled philosopher and freethinker, James holds no political affiliations and encourages those he comes in contact with to think for themselves and to become free of mass media manipulation.

Latest comments

LEAVE A COMMENT

Hacklinkbetsat
betsat
betsat
holiganbet
holiganbet
holiganbet
Jojobet giriş
Jojobet giriş
Jojobet giriş
casibom giriş
casibom giriş
casibom giriş
xbet
xbet
xbet
grandpashabet
grandpashabet
grandpashabet
İzmir psikoloji
creative news
Digital marketing
radio kalasin
radinongkhai
gebze escort
casibom
casibom
grandpashabet
grandpashabet
casibom
pusulabet
casibom resmi
beylikdüzü escort
jojobet giriş
imajbet güncel giriş
beylikdüzü escort
imajbet
İstanbul Escort
Konya Escort
istanbul masöz
İstanbul Escort
Betturkey giriş
justintv
deneme bonusu veren sitelerAviator oynagates of olympus democasibom girişDemo slot oynasugar rush demoSweet bonanza demoCasinoslotBahisnowdeneme bonusu veren sitelerbetovisofansifbetKalebetbetovisdeneme bonusu veren sitelerKalebetstarzbetdeneme bonusu veren siteler 2024deneme bonusu veren siteler 2024fethiye escortfethiye escortOnwinOnwinmarsbahisFixbetStarzbetSahabetmarsbahisbankobetbankobet girişOnwinstarzbet girişGrandpashabet Güncel AdresivaycasinosahabetTipobetAnkaotel.NetAnkara Escortbetgitbetpublicbycasinoonwintipobetbetwildbetwild girişbetwoon girişbetwooncratosroyalbetcratosroyalbet girişpalacebet girişroyalbetroyalbet girişradissonbetesenyurt escorttttesenyurt escorttttesenyurt escorttttesenyurt escortbetmatikotobetGrandpashabet Güncel AdresiGrandPasha bet Güncel Giriş Linkiporno izlejojobetGrandpashabet Güncel AdresiGrandpashabet Güncel AdresiGrandPasha bet Güncel Giriş LinkiGrandpashabet Güncel AdresiGrandPasha bet Güncel Giriş Linkiromabetyeni deneme bonusu veren sitelereskorteskortOnwinmadridbetcasibomhd pornonwinonwinonwin girişOnwinSahabetOnwinStarzbetOnwin Girişdeneme bonusu veren siteler
Etimesgut evden eve nakliyatEtimesgut evden eve nakliyatantika satıcamAnkara implant fiyatlarıtuzla nakliyatetimesgut evden eve nakliyatbeykoz evden eve nakliyatmersin parça eşya taşımamersin eşya paketlemeeskişehir ofis temizliğioran evden eve nakliyatseo fiyatlarımersin evden eve nakliyatmersin evden eve nakliyateskişehir emlakmersin evden eve nakliyatkeçiören evden eve nakliyatkaliteli replika saatlerEskişehir özel ingilizce dersiEtimesgut evden eve nakliyatankara evden eve nakliyatetimesgut evden eve nakliyattuzla evden eve nakliyatMetafizikikinci el kitap alanlareskişehir uydu tamirtuzla evden eve nakliyatistanbul moloz taşımamersin asansörlü nakliyateskişehir emlakankara evden eve nakliyatankara şehirler arası nakliyatyenişehir evden eve nakliyatyenişehir evden eve nakliyatakdeniz evden eve nakliyatakdeniz evden eve nakliyatkeçiören evden eve nakliyatkeçiören evden eve nakliyateskişehir uydu servisieskişehir uydu servisituzluca evden eve nakliyatmersin evden eve nakliyattuzla asansörlü nakliyattuzla asansörlü nakliyatmersin asansörlü nakliyatmersin asansörlü nakliyatmersin evden eve nakliyatmersin evden eve nakliyattarsus evden eve nakliyattarsus evden eve nakliyatmersin evden eve nakliyatmersin evden eve nakliyatmersin eşya paketlememersin eşya paketlemesancaktepe evden eve nakliyatsancaktepe evden eve nakliyateskişehir güvenlik kamerasıeskişehir güvenlik kamerasıığdır evden eve nakliyatığdır evden eve nakliyatığdır şehir içi nakliyatığdır şehir içi nakliyatmalatya evden eve nakliyatmalatya evden eve nakliyatmersin evden eve nakliyatborsa robotu satın alkitap alanlarkitap alanlarkitap alanlarkitap alanlarkitap alanlarAntika mobilya alanlarAntika mobilya alanlarmersin eşya paketlememersin eşya paketlemeantika alım satımpursaklar evden eve nakliyateskişehir televizyon servisieskişehir televizyon servisiığdır sigortalı nakliyatığdır sigortalı nakliyatmalatya evden eve nakliyatmalatya evden eve nakliyatmalatya evden eve nakliyatMedyumbmw repair edmontonmersin ofis taşımacılığıeskişehir uydu servisieskişehir uydu servisimalatya sigortalı nakliyatmalatya sigortalı nakliyatistanbul moloz taşımaistanbul moloz taşımamersin evden eve nakliyatmersin ofis taşımacılığımersin ofis taşımacılığımersin ofis taşımamersin ofis taşımaankara asansörlü nakliyatankara asansörlü nakliyatAntika alanlarAntika alanlarAntika alanlarAntika alanlarAntika Eşya alanlarAntika Eşya alanlarantikabatman evden eve nakliyatbatman evden eve nakliyatİzmir Medyumeskişehir televizyon tamirieskişehir televizyon tamirieskişehir ev temizliğieskişehir ev temizliğicialisistanbul evden eve nakliyatistanbul evden eve nakliyatweb sitesi yapımıodunpazarı emlakEtimesgut evden eve nakliyatortodontikadıköy evden eve nakliyatmersin evden eve nakliyattekne kiralamabuy instagram auto likesbuy instagram auto likesankara evden eve nakliyatankara evden eve nakliyattarsus evden eve nakliyatığdır evden eve nakliyatistanbul moloz taşımamezitli evden eve nakliyatmezitli evden eve nakliyatmersin evden eve nakliyatgüvenilir bahis sitelerigüvenilir bahis siteleribatman nakliyatbayraklı psikologistanbul balıkesir ambardeneme bonusu veren siteler forumkarakoyun evden eve nakliyatmersin evden eve nakliyatmersin evden eve nakliyattuzla evden eve nakliyatunblocked gamesAntika alanlarAntika alanlarAntika alanlarkamagra jelmadridbetdinimi bunusu virin sitylrAt penisi bonusu veren sitelerEtimesgut evden eve nakliyatEtimesgut evden eve nakliyatyenimahalle evden eve nakliyatyenimahalle evden eve nakliyatkeçiören evden eve nakliyatkeçiören evden eve nakliyatbmw repairpolatlı evden eve nakliyatEtimesgut evden eve nakliyatEtimesgut evden eve nakliyatEtimesgut evden eve nakliyatderince evden eve nakliyatderince evden eve nakliyatcinucuz smm panelucuz smm panelkamagra jelkamagra jel메이저사이트메이저사이트buy followerstakipci satin al