A picture of the early 27th Infantry RegimentIn light of the recent discovery that my M94 Swedish Mauser was used by the first bicycle infantry regiment in Sweden, here is a bit more about the bikes:
The first bicycle was introduced in 1901 in the 27th Regiment to replace the horse cavalry that had been used up to that point. Six bicycle regiments were in use through WW2, but after the war, it was decided to move away from bicycles with the exception of general transportation and special units. Bicycle Infantry units continued to operate in Sweden into the 1980's.
Here are the models of bicycles that were used:
M/1901 The first safety bicycle officially designated for bicycle troops.
M/30 A spoon braked, balloon tired bicycle.
M/Finsk A bicycle imported from Finland.
M/42 The most well known of the Swedish bikes. Featured front drum brakes
and large rear rack with tool box and pump tube. Weighed up to 52 lbs.
Here is a picture of a M/42 Swedish bicycle:
Here are a few pages from an old Swedish military bicycle manual:
Here are a few pages from an old Swedish military bicycle manual:
1 comment:
Interested to see your blog on Swedish Military bicycles. I am in Finland and have come across a number of what I believe are M/42s with the chain and lever operated front drum brake integrated with a dynamo for the lights. I am tempted to get myself at least one and do a restoration on the tyres, seat and moving parts - quite fancy the rusty patina and might leave the metal work as is. Do you know if there is any market for these and how much they might be worth?
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