[imagesource:freemalaysiatoday]

The weather’s gone mad, all thanks to the dirty energy we’ve been pumping into this planet.

It’s only getting worse — more frequent, more intense. From hurricanes and storms battering our coastal towns, leaving destruction and flooding in their wake, to wildfires and droughts that drag on for ages.

It’s high time we start thinking ahead, preparing for the inevitable. You never know when one of these disasters might come knocking on your doorstep. Best be ready for when it hits home.

In a recent post on the rather questionably grounded r/Preppers subreddit, one user boldly claimed that the best ride to have in a disaster scenario would be a trusty bicycle.

Now before you fling your head in annoyance at his audacity, consider the car pile-up above from the recent floods in Spain – not exactly the situation you want to find yourself in.

“In a SHTF situation [when Shit Hits The Fan], driving will likely not be feasible. Gas will run out after a month or two. Most modern vehicles have mechanisms in place to prevent the siphoning of gas, so don’t think that will work either. In addition many roads will likely be blocked or clogged with vehicles that will never move again making driving impossible,” the poster opined.

“Bikes require no fuel other than you and require far easier maintenance and repair than a car. At the same time they are far more maneuverable and can get around obstacles much easier. Bikes will be worth gold.”

And heaven knows actual gold won’t be worth anything when SHTF.

While bikes might not exactly be your go-to for outrunning flash floods, they do have a certain charm in disaster scenarios. Having a form of transport that doesn’t depend on the crumbling infrastructure — when roads are blocked or gas stations are down — makes sense. A bicycle could be a game-changer when everything else is stuck in the mud. It’s simple, reliable, and doesn’t need fuel.

Taking a less hysterical approach to bike ownership, they are solid even when the weather’s calm. They don’t churn out planet-scorching emissions like cars do. By hopping on your bike, you’re not just getting from point A to B — you’re actually doing your bit to make extreme weather a little less likely. It’s a simple way to lower your carbon footprint and help cool things down, one pedal at a time.

The absolute cherry on top is that biking is excellent exercise and good for your mental health. Granted, biking is not accessible to everyone, such as people with disabilities or the elderly, but for many people, it is a fantastic way to get around.

All in all, sounds like a win-win for me.

[source:thecooldown]