On Aug 17, 7:07 am, Bob Schwartz <
[email protected]>
wrote:
> Wooden bikes were common during WW2 when the military
> had first dibs on all metal stocks. There were some
> very beautiful and interesting designs. [...]
> On a tangent, there were also a number of interesting
> bikes produced for military use. They had features for
> carrying firearms and other gear. The Brits made a
> folder for use by paratroopers.
I saw the British paratrooper folder at the Musee du Velo, unique en
France, in Cormatin. That sucker weighed about 20 kg. Pivoted around
the seat tube, I think.
Also, although there was a steel shortage during WWII, rubber was in
even shorter supply (gas rationing in the US? That wasn't because of a
shortage of gas--it was to reduce driving and the need for rubber) so
bicycle tires were hard to get. I saw an example of a bike using wound
springs in place of rubber tires.