this post was submitted on 15 Jan 2026
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Too easy a target while riding one of those bad boys.
Couldn't possibly be as dumb as after the flash-forward in The Walking Dead where the world had run out of usable gasoline, so the survivors' solution was to CUT THE ROOFS OFF OF THE CARS and draw them by horses. Like, you geniuses are going to get rid of the part that's useful for defense, but not the weight of the engine? Why not just build a fucking actual wagon?
I mean, compared to what? Being on foot? Pretty sure the bike is going to be harder to hit than a walker or runner. Also more efficient per mile, so less stopping. I'm assuming that we don't have petroleum products that are necessary to use the automobiles that still exist, oil refineries don't really run themselves.
Sure, if you’re not constantly getting off of it it to get around the obstacles.
Tire gets bent easy.
Can’t haul much weight.
Can’t duck or suddenly hide behind something.
Cant juke.
It’s dead weight when you don’t need it.
Easily stolen.
There’s no plus, unless you specifically make a scenario that they work. Like there’s no debris everywhere, or not potholes from missiles.
What?! You've never heard of mountain biking? These arguments are wild.
Mountain biking is for sport, not for traversing across country.
It also kinda only works one way… down hill… doesn’t work on flat lands, doesn’t work up hill.
Lmfao.
The arguments are valid, if you cared about thinking this through for more than half a second.
There’s a reason bikes aren’t shown in post-dysto, they are a terrible form of transportation, for the multiple of reasons I’ve stated, and much much more.
If bikes are being used, there’s a very good chance it’s not in a post-dysto stage yet. Maybe in pre stories they have a place, but in post-dysto, they just don’t work in the narrative.
In real life, yeah, there’s uses, until we get to said post-dysto state that is ourselves.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_bicycle
Only downhill?! Wild.
Yes… irl…. Not post-dysto and sci-fi like the post is actually about…
A war isn’t post-dysto mate, just a backstory, like I addressed already.
For the military bikes you also have heavy equipment to clear routes when needed as well, they have their specific use cases. They aren’t general purpose like you would need.
A mountain bike sucks for cross country, a cross country bike sucks for mountains. Bikes have limited uses, very.
I thought I had used my MTB to live my "general purpose" daily life in a very hilly area for a few years now, guess I was wrong cause that's not in your list of preapproved uses.
I would think that having a vehicle that's completely silent, easily stashed, easily maintained, faster than any zombie on any terrain except maybe up cliffs, that can easily haul 50 kg of bullshit on the rear pannier would be useful. But apparently I need something more general purpose? Like a car I can't maintain long-term that becomes fully immobile if an important part breaks and can't clear even the most basic of obstacles?
A motorcycle makes a lot of sense as well but it's very noisy, less adaptable to rough terrain, tougher to maintain, and still requires a continuous supply of gasoline which will go bad in a few years anyway. I'd probably still have one but not for daily errands because that would just be a waste.
I really hope your dystopic scenario has dedicated crews or movie magic to clear out the highways of fallen trees, rockfalls, and bramble patches because I don't know what you plan to do about those on a 4-wheeler after a couple years. I think you are vastly underestimating the civilizational work it takes to keep motor vehicles a viable form of cross-country transport.
Tell me you haven't seriously ridden a bike since you were a kid without telling me you haven't seriously ridden a bike in a long time...
That's why the pioneers never used them.