Swedish military bicycles ( sv, militärcykel), or Swedish army bicycles, have been used in the Swedish military for over a century.

History

The first bicycles in the Swedish military were privately owned or bought for testing purposes.

Bicycle infantry Bicycle infantry are infantry soldiers who maneuver on (or, more often, between) battlefields using military bicycles. The term dates from the late 19th century, when the "safety bicycle" became popular in Europe, the United States, and Austral ...

were first introduced in 1901, when the Gotland Infantry Regiment (I 27) in

Visby Visby () is an urban area in Sweden and the seat of Gotland Municipality in Gotland County on the island of Gotland with 24,330 inhabitants . Visby is also the episcopal see for the Diocese of Visby. The Hanseatic city of Visby is arguably th ...

, replaced its

cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating as light cavalry in ...

complement with bicycle-mounted troops. By 1942, there were six bicycle infantry regiments in the

Swedish Army The Swedish Army ( sv, svenska armén) is the land force of the Swedish Armed Forces. History Svea Life Guards dates back to the year 1521, when the men of Dalarna chose 16 young able men as body guards for the insurgent nobleman Gustav Vas ...

, operating mainly m/30s and m/42s. However, there were also examples of undesignated

tandem bicycle A tandem bicycle or twin is a form of bicycle (occasionally a tricycle) designed to be ridden by more than one person. The term tandem refers to the seating arrangement (fore to aft, not side by side), not the number of riders. Patents relat ...

s for use by field

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operators and specially fitted pairs of bicycles designed for mounting a

stretcher A stretcher, gurney, litter, or pram is an medical device, apparatus used for moving patients who require medical care. A basic type (cot or litter) must be carried by two or more people. A wheeled stretcher (known as a gurney, trolley, bed or ...

between the lead's rack and the rear's steer tube. Following World War II, in 1947, the decision was made to decommission the bicycle infantry regiments. They were gradually removed from the Army between 1948 and 1952. Following this decision, the role of the bicycle shifted away from a combat one to a more utilitarian one, with special bicycle transport groups being formed. However, bicycle

rifle A rifle is a long-barreled firearm designed for accurate shooting, with a barrel that has a helical pattern of grooves (rifling) cut into the bore wall. In keeping with their focus on accuracy, rifles are typically designed to be held with b ...

battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions are ...

s (Swedish: ''cykelskyttebataljon'') continued to exist into the late 1980s.

Models

* m/1901 - A

safety bicycle A safety bicycle (or simply a safety) is a type of bicycle that became very popular beginning in the late 1880s as an alternative to the penny-farthing ("ordinary") and is now the most common type of bicycle. Early bicycles of this style were know ...

, it was the first officially designated bicycle in the Swedish army. * m/1927 - An Italian-manufactured Bianchi military bicycle bought by the Swedish military in 1930 to supplement the shortage of m/30s. This bicycle was able to be folded and carried on the soldiers back in rugged terrain. * m/30 - This bicycle was very similar to the later issued m/42, except the pump was frame-mounted, the tools were stored in a frame-mounted leather bag, the carrier was the same sans the tool box, and although equipped with a front drum brake hub, there was no provision to use it. On the civilian model, the front drum brake was actuated by a brake cable connected to a brake handle. It differed noticeably from the German m/30, a

spoon brake A bicycle brake reduces the speed of a bicycle or prevents it from moving. The three main types are: rim brakes, disc brakes, and drum brakes. Most bicycle brake systems consist of three main components: a mechanism for the rider to apply the b ...

-equipped, balloon-tired roadster, though often mistaken for it. The Swedish m/30 was built according to specs established by an agreement with several large Swedish manufacturers regarding the interchangeability of parts, with most being assembled by Nymans (Hermes). Wheel size was 26 × 1½ inch (584 mm) and was equipped with a rear coaster-brake hub. Weight: ca. 23.5 kg (52 lb.) * m/finsk - A

Nymans Nymans is an English garden to the east of the village of Handcross, and in the civil parish of Slaugham in West Sussex, England. The garden was developed, starting in the late 19th century, by three generations of the Messel family, and was bro ...

-manufactured bicycle without chainguard. The label ''finsk'' is the Swedish word for '' Finnish''. * m/42 - The most well-known Swedish military bicycle. It was produced by several large Swedish bicycle manufacturers (Rex, Husqvarna,

Monark Monark, also known as Cykelfabriken Monark AB and Monark AB, is a Swedish bicycle, moped and motorcycle manufacturer, established in Varberg, Sweden, in 1908 by the industrialist Birger Svensson. As of 2016, Monark is valued at 11.5 billion kr ...

) from the 1940s to the 1950s with a maximum of

interchangeable parts Interchangeable parts are parts ( components) that are identical for practical purposes. They are made to specifications that ensure that they are so nearly identical that they will fit into any assembly of the same type. One such part can freely r ...

. It uses a rear, one-speed Novo C

coaster brake A bicycle brake reduces the speed of a bicycle or prevents it from moving. The three main types are: rim brakes, disc brakes, and drum brakes. Most bicycle brake systems consist of three main components: a mechanism for the rider to apply the b ...

hub, and a Husqvarna-produced front drum brake (chain-operated by an integrated right-hand lever). In addition, it has a large, sturdy rack with a tool box and storage tube for a short frame pump. Weight: up to 26 kg (57 lb.) * m/104A - 28 × ½ inch (635 mm) wheels with Novo CN coaster-brake rear hub and uses the same carrier as the m/42. * m/105A - 26 × 1½ inch (584 mm) wheels with

Sachs Sachs is a German surname, meaning "man from Saxony". Sachs is a common surname among Ashkenazi Jews from Saxony, in the United States sometimes adopted in the variant Zaks, supposedly in reference to the Hebrew phrase ''Zera Kodesh Shemo'' (ZaKS), ...

Torpedo A modern torpedo is an underwater ranged weapon launched above or below the water surface, self-propelled towards a target, and with an explosive warhead designed to detonate either on contact with or in proximity to the target. Historically, su ...

rear hub and uses the same carrier as the m/42. * m/111 - Post-1971. 28 × ½ inch wheel with Sachs Torpedo rear hub. This is the rarest model, lacks the tool kit holder, and uses a carrier similar to Crescent-badged bicycles of the time.

Tools

The following tools were issued with the bicycles as pictured in this section.

Civilian use

Beginning in the 1970s, the Army began to sell its m/42s, m/104as, and m/105as as military surplus. They became very popular as cheap and low-maintenance transportation, especially among students. Responding to its popularity and finite supply, an entirely new company, Kronan, was founded in 1997 by three students in

Uppsala Uppsala (, or all ending in , ; archaically spelled ''Upsala'') is the county seat of Uppsala County and the fourth-largest city in Sweden, after Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Malmö. It had 177,074 inhabitants in 2019. Located north of the capi ...

in order to produce a modernized replica of the m/42. These come in a variety of colors, compared to the matte green and gray of the surplus models, and can even be purchased with three-speed SRAM hubs and front

brakes A brake is a mechanical device that inhibits motion by absorbing energy from a moving system. It is used for slowing or stopping a moving vehicle, wheel, axle, or to prevent its motion, most often accomplished by means of friction. Background ...

. Unlike the military surplus m/42s, these have been widely exported to other countries.

References

* * *

External links

Kronan Cykel
(Swedish)
KronanUSA

Flickr photoset of an m/42

Monark Balloon tire bicycle
{{DEFAULTSORT:Swedish Military Bicycle

Bicycle A bicycle, also called a pedal cycle, bike or cycle, is a human-powered or motor-powered assisted, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A is called a cyclist, or bicyclist. Bic ...