What can bikes do during an emergency?

In Your Bike – the coolest part of your disaster kit, a San Francisco bicyclist reports on bicycle usefulness after natural disasters, including recently in Japan: “Having a bike available as a secondary or even main form of transport will get you more places. Weeks later, more bikes are still in evidence on the roads in Tokyo. The same bike that served you well in any evacuation will do well in the aftermath, too. Sturdy tires, racks, panniers and other bags, and a solid repair kit will keep you going where you need to go at the best speeds of anyone in the affected area. The best news of all is how easy it is. No heavy training plan. No long list of preparedness items to stuck up on. Just a bike with a little attention to detail will do – and give you a great tool when disaster strikes.”