Reminder: the best bug out vehicle is a bike.

The price is absurd. 3600 dollars is way too much even for an electric bicycle. You could get a passable used car for that much!

The add-ons are even worse. 170 dollars for a basket? 90 dollars for a canvas bag? 90 dollars for a kickstand?

Yuba is worse than Apple when it comes to pricing their stuff. I wouldn't touch one of these with a 10 foot pole.

Indeed. Friends of mine own a couple of horses. The cost of keeping them boarded outside of town is not cheap and they 're always wishing they could be living out there with them. For the mass majority of city dwellers owning a horse, mule, ox, goat is simply not an option. Heck it's illegal to have chickens even in this city!

a reply to: 5StarOracle


Umm...your welcome good sir/...




YouSir

originally posted by: peskyhumans
The price is absurd. 3600 dollars is way too much even for an electric bicycle. You could get a passable used car for that much!

The add-ons are even worse. 170 dollars for a basket? 90 dollars for a canvas bag? 90 dollars for a kickstand?

Yuba is worse than Apple when it comes to pricing their stuff. I wouldn't touch one of these with a 10 foot pole.

Wow! I've only ever looked at the base non electric models which last time I looked were about $1400 CDN.

What do you think about this brand? Rad Power Bikes makes a an electric cargo bike called the "Radwagon" for $1600.

www.radpowerbikes.com...

It's a heck of a lot cheaper than Yuba. It looks pretty comparable to me.

I'm still trying to figure out how one bikes in snow.

Personally, my horse can go many places a bike certainly couldn't.

Here's to hoping I can still use my diesel truck though, for most things, but if it came down to it...the horses would be fine too. We live a little in the country though, and have stables for them. Paying others to board is just expensive. Heck, we board others' horses, and it's a source of income for us, but even though we're pretty cheap, it'd still be more than I'd want to pay another for doing it.

a reply to: peskyhumans

Well I checked out the Radwagon and ....I dont know....I have some concerns. Im sure it's great...as long as everything is working. But I feel like once it starts getting a little age on it problems are going to start cropping up. I mean the best thing about a bike is the simplicity..that thing has a lot of cables and sensors and so on and I think it wouldnt take long for things to start acting up. And once things start failing ..now you just have a really heavy bike that you are trying to pedal around.

Don't get me wrong ...I love the concept. But I would want something ...simpler and more "bulletproof " so to speak. Just my opinion though. I think I will check out the mucho denero Mundo now and see if they seem to be worth the extra cash...even though I am sure I will never be able to afford one.

Interesting thread this.
As someone who has been mountain biking here in the UK since 91, i wouldn't use a cargo bike as my bug out bike, i would want something a little more nimble i think.
If you are planning to run into the wilderness then i would recommend a fat bike and trailer combo like this...

www.extrawheel.com.au...

I would use a plus bike like the Surly krampus with a trailer for my local terrain.

farm9.staticflickr.com...

I would avoid suspension systems and electric motors to be honest, these things require regular maintenance, as the SAS say "keep it simple stupid". If you don't have the fitness to pedal a Cycle for Hours at a time, a regular training ride 3 time a week will soon get you the basic fitness to do so. Lets be honest here, good physical fitness is an essential part of your bug out and survival kit.

Not a good option at all.

Bicycles are easily taken by others, easily overtaken by others, and offers no protection against the elements.

originally posted by: GodEmperor
Not a good option at all.

Bicycles are easily taken by others, easily overtaken by others, and offers no protection against the elements.

Well the reality is that the vehicle helps you to move yourself and your supplies. No matter what you have to go outside to make camp. Also, if things really go sideways, you may be lucky to find enough petrol to fill your tank a couple of times, but eventually your vehicle will join the large number of abandoned vehicles sitting on the side of the road. Unless you have researched wood gas generators and have experimented and perfected the filtration system necessary to keep the system running, you will see some fellow on a bicycle passing you, silently and with no need of any fuel besides his own sweat.

originally posted by: peskyhumans
What do you think about this brand? Rad Power Bikes makes a an electric cargo bike called the "Radwagon" for $1600.

www.radpowerbikes.com...

It's a heck of a lot cheaper than Yuba. It looks pretty comparable to me.

It does look pretty good. I've only referred to the Yuba because it caught my eye years ago when I still worked as a courier. Truth is in many city centres you can probably find a frame builder who could build you a custom frame to suit your needs. Back when I was a courier and throwing whatever parts I had together so I could work the next day, I was told folks ; "It's the cheapest form of hot rodding."

a reply to: ThickAsABrick

Ever heard of ethanol?

originally posted by: ThickAsABrick

originally posted by: peskyhumans
What do you think about this brand? Rad Power Bikes makes a an electric cargo bike called the "Radwagon" for $1600.

www.radpowerbikes.com...

It's a heck of a lot cheaper than Yuba. It looks pretty comparable to me.

It does look pretty good. I've only referred to the Yuba because it caught my eye years ago when I still worked as a courier. Truth is in many city centres you can probably find a frame builder who could build you a custom frame to suit your needs. Back when I was a courier and throwing whatever parts I had together so I could work the next day, I was told folks ; "It's the cheapest form of hot rodding."

Yuba mundo is a great recommendation. Sold mine for a recumbent bicycle and regretted it ever since. It is very possible to electrify using MAC 500 motor that comes with a suitable axle I believe. Could use foldable PowerFilm solar panels to charge up a lithium battery when the sun is shining.

I use to go on 6+ hour rides on the yuba and found granny gear was low enough to tackle even the worse hills with minimal loads. Its load carrying ability is beyond most other bikes. Have taken off road and found it surprisingly good, its longer wheelbase soaking up most bumps. Need strong tyres (Marathon Mondial HS 428 etc) not balloon tyres that flex under load in turns.

Apart from a bug out vehicle the Yuba is a great alternative to a car for someone that wants keep their hard earned money in their pocket instead of handing it back.

a reply to: peskyhumans

Looks interesting and is cheap for $1600. Main difference is load carrying capacity. The reviewer said he could feel the rads frame flex and all cargo bikes flex. He is wrong, I never ever felt the frame of my Yuba flex even with the weight of five children on it, The rad has a full load capacity of 350 pounds including rider. The Yuba has a load capacity of 440 pounds excluding rider. So rad is really not a cargo bike but should have enough capacity for most peoples needs.

The Rad comes with a lithium ion battery with 75% capacity after 800 recharge cycles which I am guessing might be good for 20 miles range.

Personally I like the yuba. So I'd get the Mundo V4 LUX for $1599. Then order a Mac500 electric mother and a 48v 20AH Lithium LIFEPO4 battery from Chinese sources both for around $800, Totalling $2,399. LifePo4 should be good for anywhere between 2000-4000 recharge cycles and larger batter should give something like a 40 mile range depending on terrain. This link is a video of Mac 500 electric motor tacking a 20 degree hill.

originally posted by: GodEmperor
a reply to: ThickAsABrick

Ever heard of ethanol?

Yes ethanol is an option, but for many people living in urban areas it isn't. It would be awesome to see a thread on how to produce it in the quantities one would want. There was a farmer back home who did this for a while when I was a kid, but he was shut down by the cops.
Except for wood gasification, it seems one needs a stable piece of property to be able to produce ethanol, or biodiesel for that matter. HHO has long been an interesting concept, but last I checked the only people who produced viable systems died under mysterious circumstances, and many other experimenters wrecked their engines. Steam power is an awesome alternative but building a boiler that won't blow up Is an important issue.
For the average person who is not a welder or a machinist, or farmer. The bicycle I feel is a go to choice. All you need is sweat!

a reply to: ThickAsABrick

Bicycle is a good option, until you have a flat tire and no spare or means to repair it.

I would not advise lubing the bicycle chain with sweat. It would also not be a very safe option, when the brakes wear out.

Let's just be real for a minute. A bicycle is a secondary option, you load it on your vehicle so that when you arrive to your BOB destination you have a means to travel short distances without using fossil fuels. Which would still be a short-term solution, seeing as how mechanical parts wear and need replaced. Best to brush up on your machinist and farming skills, in any case.