Monday, December 27, 2010

The Survival Bike

Here's a cool idea! Take a rugged, lightweight mountain bike, give it front & rear racks, panniers & a trailer. The trailer has one wheel. Two handles can be easily attached to the trailer when it is removed from the bike, making it easily pullable by a single person. Or, if need be, the trailer can be pushed, like a wheelbarrow. There are modular attachments for the trailer, such as a plastic water tank, a seat, a metal fuel tank, a waterproof duffel, a tool box, battery packs, a cargo net, a solar panel, etc.

There is a simple PTO on the back of the bicycle, running up thru the rear center rack. A variety of tools or appliances can be attached to this PTO, and when the bicycle is placed on an integral stand, pedaling powers them directly, via the back wheel. A blender, a dentist's drill, a grain grinder, a food processor, a circle or band saw, a drill press, God knows what else.

There is also an optional battery pack that can be charged by the bicycle. It has an integral solar panel, but it can be attached to the bike to charge via a small pedal-powered generator. The battery can in turn charge USB devices, laptops, LEDs & cell phones. For that matter, the bicycle can be used as a stationary generator to power any batteries, or to run some electric appliances directly.

An electric motor can be attached to the bike, to assist with heavy loads or long uphills. It can be powered by multiple batteries on the trailer, if necessary.

A small gas engine can be attached to the bike, to provide long-distance propulsion. The engine comes in gasoline or propane versions. The propane version can run on small propane bottles, which screw in directly, or on a larger canister that is attached to the trailer.

A person has all these options to choose from - they can customize the bike any way they want, to create the BOV that they need.




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