Swiss Model 1905 Bicycles

[Chief_919]

The Swiss Model MO-05 (Model of 1905) Bicycles were made from 1905 to 1993 virtually unchanged, and stayed in Swiss Army service until 2001 when the Bicycle Infantry was disbanded.

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The bikes are heavy at over 50 pounds, but ride really smoothly. They feature a really neat rear drum brake made like a car.

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If you get lucky to find one that was left unmolested from when it left the service usually the tools are still in the bag and all the military plates are present.





They even have a generator that runs off the front tire and powers the headlight and taillight.

 

[mkcoen]

One of our local MVPA members has several of these. He has tons of accesories as well including a trailer for hauling mortar or artillery shells (I believe). They do weigh much more than I'd care to take for a very long ride especially through the Swiss Alps.

 

[Chief_919]

Are my pictures not showing for everybody, or just me?

 

[mkcoen]

Are my pictures not showing for everybody, or just me?

Not seeing anything.

 

[FrankUSMC]

Chief, not seeing anything also.
One of the few, Frank USMC RET

 

[Chief_919]

 

[Chief_919]

Hope the pictures are working now. Here are some more of the bikes in service:



If anyone ever sees one of these trailers on the market please let me know.

 

[Warthog]

So I guess we now need a Bicycle forum to go along with the Railroad forum.

 

[Chief_919]

So I guess we now need a Bicycle forum to go along with the Railroad forum.

Combine them.... And I'll ride the bike down the tracks at the GA rally.

 

[Whiterabbit]

I'd love to have one of them but I'd hate to pedal that thing up the Alps!!! It'd be fun going down the other side though!!!

 

[mkcoen]

If anyone ever sees one of these trailers on the market please let me know.

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My friend that collects these (he has 6) is in Normandy right now touring the D-Day beach sites. I'll contact him when he gets back and find out who he deals with. My understanding is he has a seller (in CO I believe) that imports a lot of these. He has a trailer for one of his bikes but I don't think it's set up for a stretcher.

 

[Another Ahab]

So I guess we now need a Bicycle forum to go along with the Railroad forum.

Sure be wheel neat if you did that.

 

[Whiterabbit]

 

[saddamsnightmare]

June 22nd, 2015.

Ride one of those through the Swiss Alps and I will bet you will have legs like the Jumping Frog of Calaveras County......

 

[firefox]

Trust me, you really don't want to ride down the other side into Italy unless they have made
some major modifications to their safety barriers since 1961.
Think carefully about this. Very well built concrete pedestals on the edge of the road
every 20 feet. Yep, that's all folks. Was riding my 15cc Moped down that side with the fuel off
trying to use the motors compression for braking, since the little rubber brake pads were fading
fast. Believe me, it is a long way down and those hair pin turns make you pucker real hard.

 

[joshuak]

About the members of the Swiss Army Bicycle Infantry: "Riders had to be quite fit, as some soldiers were expected to carry up to 70 lbs (31.8 kg) of equipment with only a single gear."

Ride one of those through the Swiss Alps and I will bet you will have legs like the Jumping Frog of Calaveras County......

If Dan'l Webster could have pedaled like that, not even buckshot could have stopped him!