A Couple Of Questions For The Historians

[bulldog1935]

https://bsamuseum.wordpress.com/beginnings-of-war-machines/

Did military R&D, specifications and purchasing contribute to development of the bicycle in the 19th century?
Any idea of size or significance of military purchases in the total bicycle market of the times?
Thanks in advance for your efforts.

 

[Wing Your Heel]

No. There was total resistance by the military authorities to bicycles. Top brass were cavalry men. Bicycles were challenging horses as individual transportation in civilian life, so they thought that bicycles might replace horses. All military cyclists were volunteers. Two primary hobbies for blokes in the late Victorian era were cycling and playing at being soldiers. It wasn't until WW1 that bicycles were used extensively. The irony for the cavalry is that in WW1 bicycles worked alongside cavalry (as did motorcycles). But many of the (tall) cavalrymen were transferred to become crew for the new-fangled (low-roofed) tanks

 

[bulldog1935]

thanks a bunch !