[andrewmccall]

This isn't true. Many people bike on footpaths and surfaces that are completely unsuitable for motorised vehicles. Almost anywhere you can walk you could ride a bike and cross the terrain faster.

If walking turns into scrambling or climbing the bike becomes a bit of a hinderance, but they're not that heavy and the benefits across most terrain outweigh the inconvenience. In fact on a bike you could probably avoid it altogether, not losing a great deal of time just going around.

You're not likely to still be travelling long distances long enough after whatever event that the roads and paths are in such a state of disrepair. You'd be talking years for that to happen and you probably would have had to sort out some sort of place to live and grow food long before you had to worry about it.

[ljf]

As stated above, the other advantage of a bike that's often forgotten is that they are far better than a hand cart or wheel barrow for transporting stuff. If it's flat or down hit you can ride a bike carrying a huge load. If it's up hill you can drop to a low gear or just push the bike. For a few years now I've taken a bike to Glastonbury Festival - even in mud and hilly terrain I can carry everything for the 5 days on one bike, pushing where I need to freewheeling where I can. And get to site much faster than friends walking, and carrying far more.

Similarly for years I would ride a BMX to the supermarket, then load up the handlebars with shopping bags and walk it home - no struggling with heavy bags, and no need for a car or even a bus (which still leaves you struggling from the stop to your house) - I can easily do a full weeks shop for 2 on a bike. Now I have a proper shopper with panniers and baskets - even easier - but handlebars are all you really need!

For a guy that travels all sorts of roads on what is pretty much a racer check out: http://ultralightcycling.blogspot.co.uk/

[kragen]

Another advantage is that you can run machine tools off a bike. The traditional Argentine knife sharpener rides a bicycle around town blowing a sort of multitonal whistle; when you take your knives downstairs to him, he puts down a stand that lifts his rear wheel off the ground, engages a belt with the rear wheel (which is modified to enable this), and drives his grinding wheel off the belt. This is a substantial advantage over the medieval method of having your apprentices whip the lathe and pull the whip.

Really, bicycles have a lot of advantages in any kind of material shortage. I've just been a bit down on them because of the amount of work they need.

[whatusername]

Are you factoring in the Chinese central-wheel carts?

http://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2011/12/the-chinese-wheelbarr...

[ljf]

Indeed - a Chinese wheelbarrow looks to be even better for pushing, but you can't freewheel the wheelbarrow down a hill :)