Pushbikes.

Somebody passing by this 50mm Gun emplacement on Gold Beach hopped off his bike for a closer look..

 

Somebody please tell this Commando that bike will be worth 2 grand one day!

 

A good idea never dies

Montague makes a modern version of the folding para bike built to military specifications:

The Paratrooper - Montague

More recently they've come out with a limited quantity motorized version based on the Montague para bike that was originally funded by DARPA.

TidalForce M-750 x2.0 electric fold-up bike

 

Well whoever bought it obviously had second thoughts. it's been relisted due to non-payment!

BSA PARATROOPERS PARATROOPER BRITISH FOLDING BICYCLE AIRBORNE PARABIKE WW2 BIKE | eBay

The bike has sold again after being relisted and for his troubles the seller made an extra hundred quid this time around. Fair play to him.

BSA PARATROOPERS PARATROOPER BRITISH FOLDING BICYCLE AIRBORNE PARABIKE WW2 BIKE | eBay

 

Hi all, a bit of a mixed post here, bicycle yes, military no, history yes, an 1869 machine, the date of which we failed to mention on the entry form, when in 1980 my friend who owns it and myself entered it in the first European attempt to find the worlds fastest human powered machine, however for the technically minded forum members reading the short description from E-M magazine will illustrate the designers clever thinking. my friend acquired this machine from Needham Market and restored it long before the history of it and the magazine came to light, it is the only one ever built, and had not been properly ridden until we entered it for this, we achieved about 12 MPH over the timed section,after a 650 metre run up, however we were knackered after the run up, and the last timed 200 metres just about finished us off having said that we did not come last in the results, because those who crashed out, put us up the list . Although your machine could be transported by lorry back to the start, we were the only machine to ride from Madeira drive, up the ramp and back along the top road back to the start. We went for a laugh, and gave many people a good laugh. Good day out.
I have added some old video from TV program, including two we beat.-------- close the road.
We are in the 4th picture not the second

SPEED CHALLENGE. 1980 BRIGHTON - YouTube

 

Lofty,

What an ingenious machine for its time, though not one I would like to ride on a cobblestone road ... It's great you were able to capture the 1980 TV coverage of the event.

You had me smiling ...

 

Marvellous blog. Straight onto the bookmarks bar!

 

Lovely example of a BSA Para Bike on eBay at the moment.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Parabike-BSA-Parabike-British-Airborne-Forces-/190822117223?pt=UK_Collectables_Militaria_LE&hash=item2c6de26f67

 

A British parabike fitted with a Cyclemaster motor.

1944 BSA Airborne Motorised Folding Paratrooper Cyclemaster - Oldbike.eu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qDbUlwiat4

So maybe the British can make the claim to the first motorized parabike?