This weekly column features news stories and event announcements from around the American Redoubt region. (Idaho, Montana, eastern Oregon, eastern Washington, and Wyoming.) Much of the region is also more commonly known as The Inland Northwest. We also mention companies of interest to preppers and survivalists that are located in the American Redoubt region. Today, we focus on custom bicycle makers in the American Redoubt. (See the Idaho, Montana, Eastern Oregon, Eastern Washington, and Wyoming sections.) But first, a bit about the crossover from podcasting to broadcasting.
Region-Wide
A number of conservative podcasts are now being aired by AM and FM radio stations in the American Redoubt. These are primarily news talk and Christian broadcasters. Some of these podcasters are far from the liberal/statist “mainstream”, with folks like Ben Shapiro, Alex Jones, Dennis Prager, and Matt Shea. Notably, some of the AM stations can be heard over long distances, at night. These stations include:
AM
- 580 AM (KIDO) Boise
- 630 AM (KTW) Spokane
- 810 AM (KTBI) Wenatchee/Moses Lake
- 930 AM KYAK) Yakima
- 1050 AM (KFIO) Spokane
- 1120 AM (KPNW) Eugene/Springfield
- 1340 AM (KPRK) Livingston
- 1450 AM (KMMS) Bozeman
- 1600 AM (KOHI) St. Helens
FM
- 93.9 FM (KTAC) Moses Lake
- 101.3 FM (KGDN) Tri-Cities/Walla Walla
- 106.5 FM (KSPO) Spokane
Idaho
Alliance Bicycles in Hailey, Idaho builds great bikes, starting with their own titanium frames.
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Kelson Bikes in Rexburg, Idaho builds custom bikes with steel, carbon fiber, or titanium frames.
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Vibe Cycles in Boise specializes in building custom Fat Bikes.
Montana
If you are looking for a custom mountain bike or road bike, then visit Sklar Bikes, in Bozeman, Montana.
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Boedie Cycles, in Whitefish, Montana sells production bikes but also builds custom bikes, to order.
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Strong Frames, in Bozeman, is known for their custom titanium frame bikes.
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David Kirk road bikes are some of the best, custom built in Bozeman.
Eastern Oregon
Argonaut Cycles, in Bend, in known fro the carbon fiber bikes.
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Crow’s Feet Commons in Bend does custom bike builds. They also brew a mean cup of coffee.
Eastern Washington
Elephant Bikes in Spokane makes great steel frame road bikes and mountain bikes.
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Bicycle Barn in Walla Walla does custom bike fitting and sells bike components.
Wyoming
The Pedal House in Laramie, Wyoming does custom builds and powder coating.
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Bicycle Station in Cheyenne sells production bikes but also sells bike components including Shimano mid-frame electric motors, for your own builds.
Send Your News Tips
Please send your American Redoubt region news tips and event announcements to JWR. You can do so either via e-mail or via our Contact form.
Ben Shapiro is a blasphemer.
Due to personal finances I spent a lot of time on a bicycle commuting to my day job.
I also rode recreationally on the weekends many times traveling 100 or more miles in a day.
A few of my takeaways and opinions.
Skinny tire road bikes are much more efficient when traveling long distances on good roads. Road bikes can be a little more complicated to maintain. Like the difference between a sports car and a pickup truck. Tighter tolerances and smaller spaces.
Fat tire mountain bike style bicycles are what many people use for commuting on roads where hazards can pop up unexpectedly. Adjusting tire pressures, fixing flats and getting out of harms way by quickly jumping onto the road shoulder are all easier with fat tires.
We have 2 mountain bikes that are maintained like any other piece of equipment. We have found that our local bicycle shop is very helpful in providing do it yourself tips and recommending critical spare parts. Some even give classes.
Our local bicycle shops are like local gun shops, very important community resources.
Here in Eastern Oregon the one bike shop just shut it’s doors due to the high cost of parts, and low demand, good bike tires if you can find them within a 75 mile radius are now $80 EACH (the goathead-proof ones)!
The problem with bicycles is that there are essentially two options available today: 1 is the cheap bikes that are poorly made and don’t hold up to normal use. 2. Ultra-expensive bicycles that are well made but surprisingly still have a lot of mechanical problems. When I was a kid in the 50’s I had a single speed Schwinn bike. I had it for years. Never got a flat, never had a problem. It wasn’t as good as a English three speed going up a hill but it got fewer flats and was safer at speed and the chain never came off. Bicycles today are either over engineered and over priced or cheap junk.
Re: bicycles
In Denmark where I have lived twice, where bicyclists travel in packs to work and to home, often dominate vehicle traffic on the main routes. Some bikes are high tech, but many are old fashion low tech, and built like tanks. If you rent one there, it will be an old fashion bike with fenders and a basket or two. And they still do deliveries with a flat bed attached ahead of the cyclists, who deliver cases of beer. And these bikes can do that for decades. You can still buy those, but they are expensive. I was in the moped repair business, and now I own bikes and bike trailers.
Mopeds can attain up to 125 miles/gallon under the right conditions. They are reliable, most of the time. The toughest and easiest to work on moped I know of, is the Puch Maxi. With only a government mandated, detuned 49cc motor, and a 250 pound driver, that used and abused, rusty, 20 year old Puch Maxi hauled a trailer with another moped in the trailer, and pull it up grades. It also had a flat tire, and did that for many kilometers. Oh yes, it was dark and raining too.
The Puch Maxi is a work horse, and parts are available. If you see one, buy it. The fastest Puch I owned was had an illegal high performance 49cc motor that could attain 100khp (60mph) on the flat. It had disc brakes. The problem was cops could see from a distance that it was not within regulations. The new mopeds are also very reliable, but I cannot recommend a manufacturer. Never laugh at a moped again, they have potential.
I have been off-grid for 2 years until recently I was able to use my long distance wifi antenna to get on the internet again. During a portion of that time, I used the Kaito 1102 shortwave radio, recommended by JWR to listen to Alex Jones. I used a discone antenna instead of the usual shortwave antenna recommended, that does not work for situation. I would however recommend a BOG, if a discone did not work for you. Mine is homemade, and did not cost me $100, it cost 2 bucks to make, so try the traditional shortwave antenna first before spending money. Instructions are plentiful on the net. Some are bone head simple (that is me.), and some are delux! Fanned array dipoles. Mine is able to hear the Alex Jones, and other conservative broadcasters on WWCR, and Austrilia too, so it is good enough.
Here is a demonstration on a YouTube video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjjE94LSZRI
To greatly improve your Am radio reception, run a long wire, 75 feet or as long as you got, broadside, or perpendicular to the azimuth of the target station and horizontally. If the station is to the north, the antenna should run south to west. Attach it directly to the radio’s antenna. If the antenna is internal, coil up about 25 feet into a 3 inch in diameter roll with a 2 inch center hole, tape into a donut shape and place it on the backside of the radio. The radio’s antenna may then receive the signal through induction. The long wire can also be stung up inside, but outside is best. Radio waves bounce around, so move the antenna around a bit to see if reception improves. There are different way of doing this. Look up on You Tube for other instructions that might work better for you.
Anon, in my community, we have several shops that take donated bicycles, fix them beautifully, and sell them for low prices. Some are extremely high quality. I know folks who got great bargains.
I wonder if any of these custom builders make cargo bikes (Earth Cycle and Worksman Bikes, for example) which would be the most useful IMO after SHTF. That and bike trailers. My trailer has hauled tools, food, and people.
Carry on
“I’m so happy with my Schwinn bicycle
I’m so glad I got a Schwinn bicycle
Boy I like…..my Schwinn bike!
Schwinn is the finest bike!”
African Buffalo Bike:
https://www.bicycling.com/bikes-gear/a20034900/the-buffalo-bicycle/
https://worldbicyclerelief.org/en/bike/
Rear Rack designed to carry 200 lbs.
Don Williams, I visited the link you offered. What a great piece of equipment. This bicycle supports the lives of people who are experiencing, on a daily basis, much of what we consider “collapse”.
My mens’ circle collects money for causes we consider important. I will be requesting that we make a donation to help move this work forward when we meet on Sunday.
Carry on
1) Looks like a good charity , Marine. Here is an article from a few years ago giving the technical specs For how they make the bike so rugged: 16 gauge steel frame/fork, 18 gauge steel rim, 13 gauge spokes
Etc
https://www.velonews.com/2009/06/bikes-and-tech/tech-feature-world-bicycle-project-zambia-bike_93508#photos
Note that basic carbon steel –versus the hitech alloys found in the USA bikes – can be welded/repaired with basic welding equipment – or even on a blacksmith’s forge. So much for Yuppies sneering at the Huffy bikes.
2) Here is a more recent article explaining some mods they(WBR) made to the Buffalo bike and reasons –e.g, in hilly country, A front hand brake is good to help control the bike going downhill if it is heavily loaded.
https://singletrackworld.com/2017/06/bike-check-buffalo-bike/
3) Wiki explains the major benefits the WBR found that the bike can give to people in Africa and elsewhere When the local transportation system is lacking.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Bicycle_Relief
4) The military had similar findings and DARPA and the Marines developed/procured the Montague folding bike:
https://militarybikes.com/
Montague used to have a chart on their web site showing range and cargo capacity of various transport methods – showed that a soldier with 50 lb pack could cover 25 miles per day whereas an infantry bicyclist could cover 75 miles a day with a 75 lb cargo. Horses do very poorly if you include the feed and water they need to carry – or even just the feed.
5) The folding Montague is expensive but would be a good land transport method for a cruising sailboat,trawler,etc.
Wow, great research and resources, brother. I so appreciate the depth of what you have offered.
Carry on