The Walking Dead's comic universe is a post-apocalyptic war zone ravaged by the undead hordes, with Rick Grimes and his group doing all they can to survive one more day in a world constantly trying to end them. Full of brilliant character moments and surprising narrative twists and turns, The Walking Dead also has its fair share of plot holes, with series creator Robert Kirkman settling a plot hole about why more characters don’t utilize bicycles to travel around more often.
Utilizing different modes of transportation across The Walking Dead’s 193-issue run, Rick, Michonne, and the rest of the main crew have used cars, trucks, boats, horses, and more, contingent on factors like fuel availability, condition of the vehicles, and how safe they are from the walkers that are always nipping at their heels.
In the “Letter Hacks” column at the back of The Walking Dead Deluxe #96, a reader poses the question, “How come Rick and the crew never use bikes?” with Kirkman confirming that bikes aren't “practical,” officially closing this narrative gap in a way that makes complete sense.
The Walking Dead’s Roads Are in Such Bad Condition That Bikes Can’t Be Used
The Walking Dead Deluxe #96 - 2024 (Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard and Dave McCaig)
Expanding on the question by mentioning how bikes are “…plentiful, easy to maintain, energy efficient, have no fuel requirements, can tow supplies, can be high speed, can go off road,” The Walking Dead’s editor at the time, Sina Grace, cheekily but rightly responds to this query saying, “…the only time bicycles are acceptable in media is when youngsters have to get around town without driver's licenses.” Adding, “With the roads in the condition they’re in and zombies all around — they’re not that practical,” Kirkman makes an obvious but solid point about why bicycles just aren’t good for the zombie apocalypse.
Using the bike zombie Rick sees in The Walking Dead's first issue as an example of why riding them isn’t the best idea, the impracticality of maneuvering through miles of road scattered with everything from abandoned cars, downed power lines, broken trees, washed-out trails, and zombie bodies, ends up not being worth the effort, especially since safety would be a big concern with nothing protecting the rider should a walker attack. It’s plausible a single person might be able to navigate through a particularly congested area, but for an entire group of people transporting supplies and gear, it isn’t feasible.
The Walking Dead Comic’s Survivors Don’t Use Bikes or Motorcycles as They’re Impractical
While AMC’s The Walking Dead show clearly doesn’t have the same problem as its comic book universe — Daryl Dixon almost exclusively rides a motorcycle to travel — things aren’t that easy for Rick on the page, with the simple act of riding a pedal bike being a burdensome task, to say nothing about how tough using a motorized vehicle can be. Regardless of how Rick and his crew get from point A to point B, The Walking Dead’s world will never be an easy place to survive in, especially without quick and reliable transportation like a bicycle.
