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Vietnam war: reinforced bikes to carry artillery?



 
 
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  #1  
Old July 14th 18, 10:29 PM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
Emanuel Berg[_2_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,035
Default Vietnam war: reinforced bikes to carry artillery?

Recently I've read a couple of book about the
Vietnam war(s) and more than once I've read
that the Vietnamese for transport during their
anti-colonial and independence struggle used
"reinforced bikes" ("förstärkta" in Swedish
which is either "reinforced" or "amplified",
I think).

On such bikes they would carry all but
everything, including big guns, like artillery,
to bombard the French and the Americans.

I wonder what they mean exactly by
"reinforced"? Was that something the guerillas
did provisionally in their cave workshops or
did the reinforcement happen in factories in
China or someplace else?

And how do you reinforce a bike to carry an
anti-aircraft gun? Put on an extra top tube and
give it a 40-spoke rear wheel?

And do you actually ride this bike, or more
likely probably you just walk by its side with
support wheels, pushing it forward until dead
tired when the next guy takes by?

--
underground experts united
http://user.it.uu.se/~embe8573
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  #2  
Old July 15th 18, 02:24 AM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
John B. Slocomb
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 144
Default Vietnam war: reinforced bikes to carry artillery?

On Sat, 14 Jul 2018 23:29:49 +0200, Emanuel Berg
wrote:

Recently I've read a couple of book about the
Vietnam war(s) and more than once I've read
that the Vietnamese for transport during their
anti-colonial and independence struggle used
"reinforced bikes" ("förstärkta" in Swedish
which is either "reinforced" or "amplified",
I think).

On such bikes they would carry all but
everything, including big guns, like artillery,
to bombard the French and the Americans.

I wonder what they mean exactly by
"reinforced"? Was that something the guerillas
did provisionally in their cave workshops or
did the reinforcement happen in factories in
China or someplace else?

And how do you reinforce a bike to carry an
anti-aircraft gun? Put on an extra top tube and
give it a 40-spoke rear wheel?

And do you actually ride this bike, or more
likely probably you just walk by its side with
support wheels, pushing it forward until dead
tired when the next guy takes by?


The Viet forces used a number of sources of transportation and
bicycles were one of them. (they also used human carriers) and from
the d I've seen these were nothing but common ordinary bicycles.
Perhaps not the ones that your familiar with, these were usually
double top tube, with much heavier spoked wheels, and were common in
the rural areas of most SEA countries. I've seen an Indonesian farmer
load two 100 kg. sacks of rice on one and set out pushing on the 10
mile trip bck to the village. Look for examples of the still made
Chinese Flying Pigion model.

  #3  
Old July 15th 18, 05:50 AM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
Jeff Liebermann
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 4,018
Default Vietnam war: reinforced bikes to carry artillery?

On Sat, 14 Jul 2018 18:24:03 -0700, John B. Slocomb
wrote:

I've seen an Indonesian farmer
load two 100 kg. sacks of rice on one and set out pushing on the 10
mile trip bck to the village.


My guess is about 350 kg he
http://www.learnbydestroying.com/jeffl/pics/bicycles/oddities/slides/bricks.html
More or the same:
http://www.learnbydestroying.com/jeffl/pics/bicycles/oddities/index.html



--
Jeff Liebermann
150 Felker St #D
http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558
  #4  
Old July 15th 18, 11:02 AM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
John B. Slocomb
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 144
Default Vietnam war: reinforced bikes to carry artillery?

On Sat, 14 Jul 2018 21:50:10 -0700, Jeff Liebermann
wrote:

On Sat, 14 Jul 2018 18:24:03 -0700, John B. Slocomb
wrote:

I've seen an Indonesian farmer
load two 100 kg. sacks of rice on one and set out pushing on the 10
mile trip bck to the village.


My guess is about 350 kg he
http://www.learnbydestroying.com/jeffl/pics/bicycles/oddities/slides/bricks.html
More or the same:
http://www.learnbydestroying.com/jeffl/pics/bicycles/oddities/index.html


While these photos of overloaded bicycles may well generate a certain
amount of wonder no one seems to have stopped to think... well how
would I do it.... if all I had was a bicycle :-?


  #5  
Old July 15th 18, 04:12 PM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
AMuzi
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 13,447
Default Vietnam war: reinforced bikes to carry artillery?

On 7/14/2018 4:29 PM, Emanuel Berg wrote:
Recently I've read a couple of book about the
Vietnam war(s) and more than once I've read
that the Vietnamese for transport during their
anti-colonial and independence struggle used
"reinforced bikes" ("förstärkta" in Swedish
which is either "reinforced" or "amplified",
I think).

On such bikes they would carry all but
everything, including big guns, like artillery,
to bombard the French and the Americans.

I wonder what they mean exactly by
"reinforced"? Was that something the guerillas
did provisionally in their cave workshops or
did the reinforcement happen in factories in
China or someplace else?

And how do you reinforce a bike to carry an
anti-aircraft gun? Put on an extra top tube and
give it a 40-spoke rear wheel?

And do you actually ride this bike, or more
likely probably you just walk by its side with
support wheels, pushing it forward until dead
tired when the next guy takes by?


please see:

https://www.alibris.com/Bicycles-in-...rt=p&matches=9

like this:
https://blog.e-bikerig.com/wp-conten...ietnam-war.jpg

One does not ride it but rather use it as a narrow track
wheelbarrow.

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org/
Open every day since 1 April, 1971


  #6  
Old July 15th 18, 04:22 PM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
Emanuel Berg[_2_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,035
Default Vietnam war: reinforced bikes to carry artillery?

AMuzi wrote:

like this:
https://blog.e-bikerig.com/wp-conten...ietnam-war.jpg


Sweet!

--
underground experts united
http://user.it.uu.se/~embe8573
  #7  
Old July 15th 18, 05:19 PM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
Jeff Liebermann
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 4,018
Default Vietnam war: reinforced bikes to carry artillery?

On Sun, 15 Jul 2018 03:02:00 -0700, John B. Slocomb
wrote:

On Sat, 14 Jul 2018 21:50:10 -0700, Jeff Liebermann
wrote:

On Sat, 14 Jul 2018 18:24:03 -0700, John B. Slocomb
wrote:

I've seen an Indonesian farmer
load two 100 kg. sacks of rice on one and set out pushing on the 10
mile trip bck to the village.


My guess is about 350 kg he
http://www.learnbydestroying.com/jeffl/pics/bicycles/oddities/slides/bricks.html
More or the same:
http://www.learnbydestroying.com/jeffl/pics/bicycles/oddities/index.html


While these photos of overloaded bicycles may well generate a certain
amount of wonder no one seems to have stopped to think... well how
would I do it.... if all I had was a bicycle :-?


Speaking only for myself, rather badly. I'm in the computah repair
biz (this week). In the past, I've tried several times to do service
calls on my bicycle. Each time, I ran into problems. It wasn't
payload capacity, traffic, roads, or infrastructure as is commonly
discussed in this newsgroups. The major problems were security and
bus transportation policies.

When I arrived at a customers location, I had to make the choice of
carrying the bicycle loaded with my tools and parts into the building,
or locking it outside to a nearby bike rack or street sign. Inside
the building was a problem due to lack of space and having to climb
stairs. My bicycle did not fit in most elevators. Most medical
office buildings do not bicycles inside. The outside bike rack was a
problem because I had to remove everything that might possibly be
stolen and then put it all back when I leave.

For longer distances, buses looked like a good alternative. Santa
Cruz has bike racks on most buses and an official policy document:
https://www.scmtd.com/images/department/legal/policies/bikes_on_buses_2009
The problem was 5.01(a).
Remove any water bottles, pumps or loose items (bags, backpacks,
etc.) that might fall off the bicycle while in transit. Remove
any items that may interfere with the Bus Operators vision;
There was quite a bit of variability as to how the driver interpreted
this clause. One driver insisted that I remove literally everything
on bolted on. Others were more lenient. However, I never new what
needed to be removed until the bus arrived. I ended up having to
carry an empty pannier bag to hold all the junk I had to detach.

Some bus drivers also didn't like me carrying "cargo". In order to
field strip the bicycle, I would end up carrying at least 2 panniers
(one for the junk), 1 brief case (tools and papers), and cardboard box
with spare parts, boards, and cables. The volume was sufficient to
occupy an extra seat. If the bus was crowded, the would complain,
even if I offered to pay double for the extra seat.

For the rest of my activities, such as groceries, it won't work. I
live 1 mile from the main highway up a steep paved road. It's easier
for me to walk up the hill than to ride. Carrying even one bag of
groceries would be too much for me. Since I'm getting older and am
somewhat out of shape, far too much for me.

These are not excuses not to try using my bicycle instead of my car.
I've tried several times to make it work, and failed every time. After
I retire, I plan to try again. However, no matter what I try, it's
obvious that I can't switch to 100% bicycling, and will need to retain
the car for those situations where a bicycle just doesn't work.

--
Jeff Liebermann
150 Felker St #D
http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558
  #8  
Old July 15th 18, 08:53 PM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
Frank Krygowski[_4_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 10,538
Default Vietnam war: reinforced bikes to carry artillery?

On 7/15/2018 12:19 PM, Jeff Liebermann wrote:
On Sun, 15 Jul 2018 03:02:00 -0700, John B. Slocomb
wrote:

On Sat, 14 Jul 2018 21:50:10 -0700, Jeff Liebermann
wrote:

On Sat, 14 Jul 2018 18:24:03 -0700, John B. Slocomb
wrote:

I've seen an Indonesian farmer
load two 100 kg. sacks of rice on one and set out pushing on the 10
mile trip bck to the village.

My guess is about 350 kg he
http://www.learnbydestroying.com/jeffl/pics/bicycles/oddities/slides/bricks.html
More or the same:
http://www.learnbydestroying.com/jeffl/pics/bicycles/oddities/index.html


While these photos of overloaded bicycles may well generate a certain
amount of wonder no one seems to have stopped to think... well how
would I do it.... if all I had was a bicycle :-?


Speaking only for myself, rather badly. I'm in the computah repair
biz (this week). In the past, I've tried several times to do service
calls on my bicycle. Each time, I ran into problems. It wasn't
payload capacity, traffic, roads, or infrastructure as is commonly
discussed in this newsgroups. The major problems were security and
bus transportation policies.

When I arrived at a customers location, I had to make the choice of
carrying the bicycle loaded with my tools and parts into the building,
or locking it outside to a nearby bike rack or street sign. Inside
the building was a problem due to lack of space and having to climb
stairs. My bicycle did not fit in most elevators. Most medical
office buildings do not bicycles inside. The outside bike rack was a
problem because I had to remove everything that might possibly be
stolen and then put it all back when I leave.

For longer distances, buses looked like a good alternative. Santa
Cruz has bike racks on most buses and an official policy document:
https://www.scmtd.com/images/department/legal/policies/bikes_on_buses_2009
The problem was 5.01(a).
Remove any water bottles, pumps or loose items (bags, backpacks,
etc.) that might fall off the bicycle while in transit. Remove
any items that may interfere with the Bus Operators vision;
There was quite a bit of variability as to how the driver interpreted
this clause. One driver insisted that I remove literally everything
on bolted on. Others were more lenient. However, I never new what
needed to be removed until the bus arrived. I ended up having to
carry an empty pannier bag to hold all the junk I had to detach.

Some bus drivers also didn't like me carrying "cargo". In order to
field strip the bicycle, I would end up carrying at least 2 panniers
(one for the junk), 1 brief case (tools and papers), and cardboard box
with spare parts, boards, and cables. The volume was sufficient to
occupy an extra seat. If the bus was crowded, the would complain,
even if I offered to pay double for the extra seat.

For the rest of my activities, such as groceries, it won't work. I
live 1 mile from the main highway up a steep paved road. It's easier
for me to walk up the hill than to ride. Carrying even one bag of
groceries would be too much for me. Since I'm getting older and am
somewhat out of shape, far too much for me.

These are not excuses not to try using my bicycle instead of my car.
I've tried several times to make it work, and failed every time. After
I retire, I plan to try again. However, no matter what I try, it's
obvious that I can't switch to 100% bicycling, and will need to retain
the car for those situations where a bicycle just doesn't work.


I doubt anyone posting here is really car-free. I'm certainly not. And
oddly enough, I drive more miles now than I did before I retired. Other
life factors changed and caused this, whether I liked it or not.

But for me, the big key event was over 35 years ago, when I moved to
this area. I made bike access a priority when house searching, just as I
had with my previous house in another state. It paid off nicely for me,
and still does.

I could now reduce my car mileage quite a bit by moving to a completely
different community. But at my age, that's not likely to happen. We
really like it here.

--
- Frank Krygowski
  #9  
Old July 15th 18, 09:00 PM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
Emanuel Berg[_2_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,035
Default Vietnam war: reinforced bikes to carry artillery?

Frank Krygowski wrote:

I doubt anyone posting here is really
car-free.


100% if you get an exception for public busses
once in a while.

--
underground experts united
http://user.it.uu.se/~embe8573
  #10  
Old July 16th 18, 04:23 AM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
Joy Beeson
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,638
Default Vietnam war: reinforced bikes to carry artillery?

On Sun, 15 Jul 2018 15:53:11 -0400, Frank Krygowski
wrote:

I doubt anyone posting here is really car-free.


I was car-free until I was thirty or forty. One day I decided that I
would not count the number of sixteen-dollar hours it took to get my
driver's license.

I'm bidding to become car-free again. I can pedal, but I can't sit
quietly for any length of time. I can still drive in town -- if I
haven't spent the morning in a waiting room -- but I fear that I'll
never get around to shopping in Fort Wayne.

--
Joy Beeson
joy beeson at comcast dot net
http://wlweather.net/PAGEJOY/


---
This email has been checked for viruses by AVG.
https://www.avg.com

 




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