I was in the Marine Corp and my last duty was at Key West Naval Station on guard duty. This was 1964 to 1965. One of our assignments was one that required two men on bicycles to check security points on a small island . I enjoyed that post.
In Vietnam the NVA and Vietcong used bicycles very effectively to move men and materials down the Ho Chi Minh trail. Never underestimate the humble bicycle.
Whilst in Vietnam in 1967, a story was told about a NVA soldier who was given three Mortar rounds and told to deliver them south to kill the capital dogs. So he took off on his bicycle and road hundreds of miles to the central high grounds, taking him sixty days. Finally arriving he told to go find the mortar man and give the rounds to kill the capitalist dogs. So being a great soldier, he did just that. He gave gave it to Dong, the most loyal, and Dong fired the three mortar rounds, then standing back says good shot, then turned to the loyal ammo humper and said “ GO BACK AND GET THREE MORE ROUNDS”.
One of my favorite episodes. Had every thing but pirates! In the last 12 years "gravel bikes" have become all the rage. Amazing to see that back in 1897 the infantry bike was very close to the gravel bike of the 21st century.
"Solider, where are you going?" "The Lord only knows, we're following the Lieutenant" Quite possibly the the most honest statement ever made by an enlisted man.
As an avid cyclist, I was immediately drawn to this episode. I had never heard of this aspect of American history and that of the Buffalo Soldiers who made up the 25th. Thank you for shining a light on bicycle “history that deserves to be remembered.”
The NVA developed a cargo system for bicycles. Long handle bars and pannier racks. Loads in excess of 300 lbs pushed by 2 soldiers, were common on the Ho Chi Minh trail.
American cyclists salute these brave pioneers of two wheeled transportation. And give a heartfelt thank you to the History Guy for sharing this story with us.
As a cyclist this trip was amazing. These troops were bikepacking before it became a thing. Carrying all of that weight on old bikes and still averaged over 50 miles a day. Goes to show you that an expensive lightweight bike is not needed to complete a long journey. Huge respect to the troops who made the journey. Definitely a story that needs to be told.
"50 miles in the saddle by Major Ass Burns". Old cavalry joke, but never thought about it with bicycles before! Fun to ride a bike on the street, or a trail but breaking Trail on a bike especially one that's in the 30 kg range? Holy cow!
@@GeorgeWashingtonLaserMusket The bike, yes. But you forgot to include all the equipment that they had put on it, all the gear they had to carry and that puts it up in the 30 kilo range. When I was a youth I used to race bicycles. Remember the film breaking away? What can I say, I had a cousin who was a Marine and triathlete and I was inspired!
I spent a week in Kyoto, Japan. As dawn broke every morning, I awoke to an odd din. When I looked out my downtown hotel's window, I saw thousands of people riding to work on the main highway and surface roads. My host informed me cars are not allowed to use the roads during the morning and evening bicycle rush hours. 😎
Fun fact: The Swiss hat bicycle troops until 2003. They were seen as fast and silent mobile infantery, not in the swiss alps, but in the flatter part of the country north of those (where most of the people live). One reason was that bicyle troops could be mobile without gasoline - switzerland imports all of that.
I was given a 1993 Swiss army bike - My God - It weighs close to 70 pounds - I have much respect for anyone who rides it with gear added on - The Swiss must have legs the size of tree trunks and lungs of locomotives . It is truly like pedaling a tank - Edit - it actually weighs "only " 59 pounds , but think of the weight of equipment and gear to be carried as well
The bicycle mission seems to have been conducted with great scientific and *practical* rigor - including organic logistical and medical support. They even included non-standard sized riders - Because you can *guarantee* that the Army will *always* break their own rules and assign soldiers that don't fit the regulations. Choosing varied terrain, ground conditions, and weather only increased the validity of the test.
As a kid in the early 1970's, I knew a 94 year old man who told me about how they used to show off on their bikes when girls were around in the 1890's.
Some things never change. Men finding the fastest thing they could get their hands on, and using them to try to impress women. In a way it makes us feel primitive, that men always do the same old things, but at the same time gives a feeling of connection across generations that regardless of time or technology we are more similar than we realize. I sometimes think that, in the most basic sense, men can look at any given object and deem it of use if he can eat it, use it to impress woman, or to go faster.
@@quillmaurer6563 The man, General Gage, used to walk around the neighborhood every day for exercise. He knew my dad and saw me riding my bike which bore a resemblance to the ones, that he used to ride, so it ended up being a conversation piece. He was in fact, aware of their youthful silliness at showing off for girls and chuckled as he told me about the bicycles. Many years later, I read about the bicycle craze of the 1890's and made the connection. General Gage had gone to West Point with General Patton. I was only 10, so I didn't know too many intelligent questions to ask him about Patton (or anything else). He did say, that Patton studied very hard, but had trouble reading, so he had to study a lot longer and work much harder than most. Later, I read somewhere, that Patton had struggled with dyslexia, when he was in school. General Gage said that Patton was his roommate, but I don't know whether it was a 50 man bay, so 49 cadets were Patton's roommates, or if they had 2 to 4 man rooms back then? General Gage told me, that they used to make bathtub gin, but he didn't indicate that Patton was ever involved with that. I know, that such a thing would be pretty risky at West Point, but anytime you get a bunch of restleas 20 year old guys together, such shenanigans can happen, I suppose. General Gage was a one star general, and I think, that he was stationed stateside in World War II. I never thought to ask him about World War I. If only, I had video games back then, I wouldn't have needed to pass the time listening to older people talk about the way things used to be!
Couple years ago I gave my dad a book on the Bicycle Corp. later we went to Yellowstone and visited all the sites where they took picts, the truck broke down on the way back in Missoula so we visited the Fort.
Greetings from the Central Asian Republic of Kyrgyzstan. I have introduced my private English students to your site as a way to learn language and history. As a guy with a degree in history, you always surprise me with subjects I have never known about, such as the bicycle corp. I have a request for a program. The Thanksgiving tradition of the early 20th Century of "The Maskers". I learned about this a few years ago and think that it is a unique history that "deserves to be remembered"
One of the myths of the second World War is that gasoline was rationed because of the needs of the army. It wasn't a shortage of gas that caused its rationing. Instead, it the shortage of rubber. By rationing gas, the life of rubber tires was extended. While there were some benefits of bicycles before the age of the combustion engine, the biggest downside was logistics. Armies needed large numbers of horses to transport war material, by wagon or pack horses and mules. A bicycle's ability to support such logistical needs were very limited. The army was well practiced using horses, and since horses would still be needed to support bicycle units, there were really little need of adding such units to the military structure. I went to the University at Missoula Montana, and was quite familiar with the fort and the bicycle experiment. Thank you for the video. As always, well researched and produced.
@@AndrewAMartin You are correct of course. I keep forgetting that they were infantry. When I think of the army of the Western U.S., my brain thinks cavalry. Too many Western movies in my childhood probably. Thanks for the correction.
@thehistoryguy Thank you for this. My Great Grandmother's brother was Gen James Madison Kennedy and our family have read all the many sources of this trip and the rest of his amazing career.
Here's another bit of bicycle trivia, and appropriate to the era of this video: The Klondike Gold Rush was followed by a rush to Nome, Alaska, and more than one prospector made the journey between the two on bicycles, in winter!
Born and raised in Alaska I can attest to the impossibility of riding across the wilds of Alaska by bicycle either winter or summer. Even pushing one would be pretty impossible. You might carry one on your back but how would you carry your rifle, food, bedding, and shelter. I have ridden bicycles in winter my whole life, but riding through the wilds of Alaska is certainly impossible. Can't be done.
Yes I have read of the story. Because one makes the claim does not validate the facts. I propose you visit Alaska and I will provide my mountain bike for you to attempt the trial. I suggest Febuary. I will pay all expenses if you can ride 5 miles past the road system west at any place on the map from Anchorage to the Yukon River. Never happened. It's impossible. Even riding on the packed snow machine/dogsled trails is not possible. I know, I have tried. You can push your bike,but you cannot truly ride a bicycle across the wilds of Alaska. As a kid growing up in Fairbanks, I often attempted riding off road in the winter. I used single speed bikes, multi speed bikes you name it. As a serious athlete all my life I was never able to ride more than 1/4 mile on snow trails such as you might find 100 years ago across Alaska. Off trail in loose snow is even more laughable. Sorry. Fun story though.
@@michaelmccotter4293 You sound to me like Alaska's answer to Eddy Merckx. Jesson left Dawson in early March and turned up in Nome four weeks later. He might have met either or both an aged Wyatt Earp and a very young Jimmy Doolittle, who went along with his dad and remembered fistfights with Eskimo boys in his autobiography.
This is great. Thank you Mr. History Guy for a terrific look at the US 25th infantry bicycle corps. As an avid cyclist I'm so impressed and proud of these guys and the Lieutenant who had such remarkable foresight. 'Love to see more and more good bicycle infrastructure in all of N America. Many places in Europe, especially The Netherlands are fine examples of what can be done.
@The History Guy A really good episode on the US Army 25th Colored Infantry & the bicycle for military use. An aspect of the Vietnam War that has been overlooked is the use of bicycles by the Viet Cong to move materials over the secondary route of the Ho Chi Minh Trail. It's been said that the Viet Cong could transport hundreds of pounds of material over that mountainous jungle trail on bicycles which had pieces of bamboo strapped across the handlebars to support the weight 🤔😁😎
Bicycle riding "blowing up" in the 1890s led to a LOT of paved city streets. I'm a CAR nut, as well as a motorcyclist AND a bicyclist, but too many motorists forget what bicyclists contributed to the concept of personal transportation THEN and NOW. "Blue collar" workers did NOT have a "horse and carriage" in the "buggy" era, they had trolleys or bicycles. People forget this. 🤷♂️
Ich hauven mein fiets in The Netherlands translates to I love my bicycle. Fun fact, the British gene pool vastly expanded with the bicycle. In a 2mph world a young man can now call on potential mates in the next town covering 6mph.
In June there was a 125th anniversary commemoration in Missoula. It included members of the Missoula City Band recreating concerts given by the 25th infantry band.
Great one HG! As a cyclist, I can say that the efficiency of the bicycle is amazing. On a standard bicycle, one revolution of the crank propels you 21 feet. Even the most casual rider(on a paved surface) can achieve speeds of +/- 12-14 MPH. Walking speed is barely 3mph. And yes, mechanical maintenance and repair is critical at any time. Wheel trying, re packing of the bottom bracket, head set, and F/R hubs is time consuming, but necessary. The soldiers who participated were men of iron. Honor and respect to all veterans, now and always!
In early 1969 in the Central Highlands of Vietnam, the intelligence officer of the 1st of the 46th Infantry, 198th Light Infantry Brigade of the 23rd Infantry Division, got information that there was an NVA regiment not far from where my infantry company was working. He flew his helicopter to us and got 7 volunteers and off we went to check out the report. You might say that 8 men going to check a report that there is 1500 or 1600 enemy soldiers in a small village is not wise. You would be exactly correct. When we got to the village I was the first off the chopper on the left side and the first thing I saw was a lot of guys with AK47s and bicycles. I turned to get back on the helicopter, but it was gone. It was a very noisy afternoon for the 8 of us but we had lots of artillery and air support and after 2 1/2 hours we were able to catch another helicopter out. I don't know if it was a full regiment or not but there was a lot of NVA and a lot of bicycles loaded with very large loads.
Very cool and interesting story of the Buffalo soldiers. I often vacation in far west and south Texas. There are numerous Forts along the old San Antonio and El Paso Rd that had been manned by Buffalo Soldiers and Seminole Scouts. Ft Clark Springs at Brackettville has numerous buildings, plaques and memorials to those that served at the post. There is also one fine cold spring fed swimming pool
Given the vast distances involved and the incredible expense of mounting such a race, it just wouldn't get enough fan support for sponsors to be interested. There's only one race that US sports networks cover, and then bicycle racing gets ignored. The European teams with all the top talent have no desire to come over, because most are sponsored by companies that don't have a presence here. It just doesn't work here, unfortunately -- it's been tried with the Tour DuPont, and that was just in the Northeast and it still failed...
The movie "April 9th" is a dramatic account of a Danish Army bicycle company fighting against the German invasion of 1940. Made in 2015, the film goes to great lengths to be historically accurate in uniforms, tactics and equipment. The Danish conscripts almost look quaint riding into combat on their bicycles but they knew how serious their job was. A large part of the Danish infantry moved by either bicycles or motor cycles. If you don't mind reading subtitles (or if you understand Danish) it is a good movie to watch.
The use of bicycles by European armies in the 20th C was more widespread than people realise. The formation of Motorised Infantry units effectively ended bicycles for military use, I suspect that the difficulty of accomodating bicycles on aa all wheel drive truck ( high loading, and reason for those "baking oven" holes in truck tailgates. )
So many times when called to serve our great country, African American men and women have distinguished themselves and given us all reason to call them Brothers and Sisters. True Americans! As usual great work THG.
Hello History Guy. I love your stories and I was wondering if you have ever done a story about the U.S. Army Veterinary Corps of WW1? My grandfather’s brother was in that unit and it was very intense. Without these brave men the animals that moved the machinery and food that supported the war would have been doomed. It was a huge job treating and caring and moving the horses and mules across many miles of war torn earth. I believe that this is a part of American History that should be remembered. Thank you and God bless you Sir. 🙋♀️🙏
Your snippets of history are fascinating. The amount of research and the time composing these videos are well worth viewing in the leisure of my office chair. Thank You for opening my eyes to more of the history that makes our world fascinating.
I’m in KS. We have a buffalo soldier monument and museum at ft Leavenworth. I was last there in the late 90’s when I was young so don’t recall if this was covered. I know you occasionally do on site visits/tours. PBS Eons just did one and reminded me how much I enjoy that. Not asking you to go crazy because I know traveling gets expensive but even here in boring KS if I head briefly in any direction I’m bound to come across a local history museum with fascinating stuff and stories
Mr. Sin City, It just “dawned” on me, if you are out in Vegas, and THG comes on at 8am Eastern, do folks out your way have to start watching like at 5 or 6am? Man, that’s dedication!
Thankyou so much for putting light on this period in history! I believe in bicycles more than vehicles, this country was built around the vehicle, and they didn't seem to care about the people who either didn't want a vehicle or even be able to afford one! I think bicycles can still be used more in many different applications, and bicyclists have been fighting for their rights long before I was even born! I really enjoy your channel, I wish I knew how to make a career out of my passion on RUclips like you do! Thankyou for being you. I could sit down with a couple of drinks and talk to you all day about history, you are a wealth of knowledge.
Every Time I Think of those original bicycles I think of Butch Cassidy and Sundance kid, Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head and that velocipede they struggled with
I think credit is due Samuel L. Clemens for the idea. In Mark Twain’s “A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court” (1889) the titular time-traveler outfitted a band of knights in shining armor with bicycles who then rode them into battle.
That actually makes total sense - perhaps at one time that was seen as a military standard. Feels a lot easier now with paved trails and lighter weight multi-speed bicycles.
In my younger days I was an avid cyclist, sometimes doing as much as 75 miles in a single day. I find it most impressive that they were able to do 50 miles per day on the bicycles of that period.
Thank you for listing the Soldiers at the end. Regarding bikes in combat, the Japanese Army conquered Malaya from the back of them. They moved much faster than the British defenders anticipated and positioned the attackers across from Singapore quicker than expected.
“50 miles a day.” Interesting that this mileage figure was my standard for a bicycle ride from Singapore to Aranyapratet (Tai-Cambodia border) in 1991. Sunrise breakfast in my tent; 20km snack in a village; 20km lunch in a roadside eatery; 20km second snack (soybean milk and digestive biscuits); 20km back in my tent and ramen for supper. The bicycle ride took about 2 months with a return to Singapore by train. That was on a rigid, diamond-frame 10 speed. I now ride a dual suspension, 21-speed.
@@gyrene_asea4133 Added details: My trip around the world with a bicycle stared January 30, 1976 and ended in October, 1991. I stared with a Schwinn Le Tour and returned with a Sports Tourer. The USA part of the trip from LA to Key West was 300 days actually sitting on the bicycle. I had my 31st birthday in 1976. Nice to compare similar experiences. People without such an experience just do not understand!
Ft Davis, TX was home to the Buffalo Soldiers on the Texas Frontier. The fort has been preserved and the barracks and other buildings are available for touring.
One of the greatest experiences of my life, other than sex, was a coast to coast bicycle trip from Virginia Beach to San Francisco. It is a great way to see the real america.
@@SewolHoONCE Mine was 2016. I did a modified Adventure Cycling TransAmerica Trail combined with their Western Express route so I could go through the desert. Utah was my favorite and I took my wife early last fall to spend a week in southern Utah (St. George) and a week in Sedona. I fell in love with Utah all over again!
While I am watching this, the Tour de France is winding down in Europe. These men of the 25th Infantry would have given the cyclists of the Tour a run for their money. Thanks for this video. It is a great history lesson.
This should be made mandatory in history classes. Knowledge trumps mandates, in school policies! It would have brought understanding to Black History, and more pride in our military and our Country.
the bicycle certainly was a great achievement. it made a huge impression on modern society. an often overlooked aspect is the mobility it gave to people in rural areas enabling ppl to easily travel to neighbouring villages. which in turn led to ppl marrying outside their immediate neighborhoods and ended the "village idiot" .. the military used bicycles extensively in both world wars. you will see them being used by troops landing on D-Day for carrying their gear, a bicycle could carry the weight of soldier's kit plus radio equipment etc much better than the back of a soldier .. though not used to transport troops into combat... which had been tried by troops in Belgium and Holland in 1940.
I am an advid fan of the bicycle and have been found often in my uniform riding a bicycle to my post. Some of my fellow soldiers would yell out "bicycle infantry" as I would ride by! Hahaha!
Interesting. You say the new purpose built military bicycles were geared to 68 inches. That seems pretty high for a single speed bicycle that would be doing a lot of off road work. I would have thought 50 or 55 gear inches would be vastly preferable. Loaded up with gear these things were 59 pounds? A 59 pound bicycle in 68 gear inches? I presume these bicycles weren't used in the way we think of bicycle riding today. These were probably 1/2 bicycle 1/2 wheelbarrow. You'd only ever be able to actually ride them on flat ground and downhill. Even a modest hill would necessitate a dismount. But, even so, it will be a heck of a lot faster than walking. If you walk a bike at 4mph up a 1 mile long hill it'll take you 15 minutes, then if you mount the bike and descend at 12mph it'll take you 5 minutes. Do this all day and you'll cover far more ground than walking, even if you are walking the bicycle half the time.
Great stuff. Would love to see more bicycle history - it hasn't all been about "recreation." In fact, the most interesting history is from the time that bicycles have been primary transport - those decades prior to the adoption of the automobile. And, in some countries, the bicycle Renaissance in recent decades.
'Men, our corp will become a mounted unit'. 'Oh boy! Will I get my own horse?' 'Uh, not exactly. Well I think his name will be Schwinn, or Huffy. But he'll be fast, I hear he's an 'English Racer'.
50 miles a day on rough roads, carrying all that equipment is quite impressive.
Remember that was the average. After the miles lost to weather or hostile terrain, imagine the distances when circumstances were good!
@@colmhain You're right !
Rough roads indeed! There were no paved roads at the time.
esp. w the bicycle mechanics during that time
In a wool Army uniform, no less.
THe man that invented the better bicycle seat deserves a medal.
He deserves jewels for saving those of others!
It's still an unfinished project
@@randallmarsh1187 Selle Anatomicas are pretty close to perfect
Thanks for the tip. Will explore, for sure. Do you use it? @@MrTaxiRob
I was in the Marine Corp and my last duty was at Key West Naval Station on guard duty. This was 1964 to 1965. One of our assignments was one that required two men on bicycles to check security points on a small island . I enjoyed that post.
In Vietnam the NVA and Vietcong used bicycles very effectively to move men and materials down the Ho Chi Minh trail. Never underestimate the humble bicycle.
Whilst in Vietnam in 1967, a story was told about a NVA soldier who was given three Mortar rounds and told to deliver them south to kill the capital dogs. So he took off on his bicycle and road hundreds of miles to the central high grounds, taking him sixty days. Finally arriving he told to go find the mortar man and give the rounds to kill the capitalist dogs. So being a great soldier, he did just that. He gave gave it to Dong, the most loyal, and Dong fired the three mortar rounds, then standing back says good shot, then turned to the loyal ammo humper and said “ GO BACK AND GET THREE MORE ROUNDS”.
I really like how The History Guy includes a list of the people involved when those people deserve to be remembered, too.
The best thing is the listof names of or the soldiers of the US 25th Infantry Bicycle Corps. Bravo!
One of my favorite episodes. Had every thing but pirates! In the last 12 years "gravel bikes" have become all the rage. Amazing to see that back in 1897 the infantry bike was very close to the gravel bike of the 21st century.
I did a report about this military ride, way back in the 80's. they also rode into Yellowstone National Park. So fun stuff to read about.
"Solider, where are you going?"
"The Lord only knows, we're following the Lieutenant"
Quite possibly the the most honest statement ever made by an enlisted man.
Sounds just like some of the club rides I've been on.
And the road marches!
As an avid cyclist, I was immediately drawn to this episode. I had never heard of this aspect of American history and that of the Buffalo Soldiers who made up the 25th. Thank you for shining a light on bicycle “history that deserves to be remembered.”
they invented bikepacking
@@MrTaxiRob and the first Gravel Bikes too...
During its World War 2 invasion of Malaya the Japanese made extensive use of bicycle mounted infantry to speed their advance down the peninsula.
When the tires wore out, they rode on the rims. The sound the wheels would make on the roads made the British believe they had armor.
one history channel opines that this this military surprise bicycle ride was the end of the British Empire.
The NVA developed a cargo system for bicycles. Long handle bars and pannier racks. Loads in excess of 300 lbs pushed by 2 soldiers, were common on the Ho Chi Minh trail.
the Japanese made the world's best bicycles for decades after the war
American cyclists salute these brave pioneers of two wheeled transportation. And give a heartfelt thank you to the History Guy for sharing this story with us.
Drunk drivers have more self respect, self restrain than cyclists
@@dr.floridaman4805 was about to post the same. You saved me the trouble. Great minds, and all that......
And a thank you for sharing the names of the men who made up the 25th. Men who deserve to be remembered.
Listing their names at the end was a nice touch.
I read a book about the Buffalo Soldiers that had a chapter in said book dedicated to the 25th Infantry Bicycle Corps. Very interesting.
Perhaps "The Bicycle in Wartime" by Jim Fitzpatrick.
I yt
As a cyclist this trip was amazing. These troops were bikepacking before it became a thing. Carrying all of that weight on old bikes and still averaged over 50 miles a day. Goes to show you that an expensive lightweight bike is not needed to complete a long journey. Huge respect to the troops who made the journey. Definitely a story that needs to be told.
Now I want to watch the 1989 movie "GLORY" again.... Thanks HG
"50 miles in the saddle by Major Ass Burns". Old cavalry joke, but never thought about it with bicycles before! Fun to ride a bike on the street, or a trail but breaking Trail on a bike especially one that's in the 30 kg range? Holy cow!
@@GeorgeWashingtonLaserMusket The bike, yes. But you forgot to include all the equipment that they had put on it, all the gear they had to carry and that puts it up in the 30 kilo range.
When I was a youth I used to race bicycles. Remember the film breaking away? What can I say, I had a cousin who was a Marine and triathlete and I was inspired!
I spent a week in Kyoto, Japan. As dawn broke every morning, I awoke to an odd din. When I looked out my downtown hotel's window, I saw thousands of people riding to work on the main highway and surface roads. My host informed me cars are not allowed to use the roads during the morning and evening bicycle rush hours. 😎
In 1976 I was in Gwelin, southern China, and witnessed a morning traffic jam ( everything came to a standstill ! ) with bicycles.
Fun fact: The Swiss hat bicycle troops until 2003. They were seen as fast and silent mobile infantery, not in the swiss alps, but in the flatter part of the country north of those (where most of the people live). One reason was that bicyle troops could be mobile without gasoline - switzerland imports all of that.
And they were armed with Carl Gustav recoilless rifles. Pretty effective combination in a defensive fight.
The Norwegians are currently using ebikes to patrol their border with Russia. Everything old is new again.
@@LukeBunyip Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose.
I was given a 1993 Swiss army bike - My God - It weighs close to 70 pounds - I have much respect for anyone who rides it with gear added on - The Swiss must have legs the size of tree trunks and lungs of locomotives . It is truly like pedaling a tank - Edit - it actually weighs "only " 59 pounds , but think of the weight of equipment and gear to be carried as well
@@aaroncowles2504 Can you fix a Swiss Army bike with a Swiss Army knife?
The bicycle mission seems to have been conducted with great scientific and *practical* rigor - including organic logistical and medical support. They even included non-standard sized riders - Because you can *guarantee* that the Army will *always* break their own rules and assign soldiers that don't fit the regulations. Choosing varied terrain, ground conditions, and weather only increased the validity of the test.
If this hasn't been made into a movie, it ought be!
Sir, I have enjoyed your RUclips 15 minutes daily, for the last few years. This video on the Great Bicycle Treck, was well done "👏 " Yes, "Bravo"!
As a kid in the early 1970's, I knew a 94 year old man who told me about how they used to show off on their bikes when girls were around in the 1890's.
Some things never change. Men finding the fastest thing they could get their hands on, and using them to try to impress women. In a way it makes us feel primitive, that men always do the same old things, but at the same time gives a feeling of connection across generations that regardless of time or technology we are more similar than we realize. I sometimes think that, in the most basic sense, men can look at any given object and deem it of use if he can eat it, use it to impress woman, or to go faster.
@@quillmaurer6563 The man, General Gage, used to walk around the neighborhood every day for exercise. He knew my dad and saw me riding my bike which bore a resemblance to the ones, that he used to ride, so it ended up being a conversation piece. He was in fact, aware of their youthful silliness at showing off for girls and chuckled as he told me about the bicycles. Many years later, I read about the bicycle craze of the 1890's and made the connection.
General Gage had gone to West Point with General Patton. I was only 10, so I didn't know too many intelligent questions to ask him about Patton (or anything else). He did say, that Patton studied very hard, but had trouble reading, so he had to study a lot longer and work much harder than most. Later, I read somewhere, that Patton had struggled with dyslexia, when he was in school. General Gage said that Patton was his roommate, but I don't know whether it was a 50 man bay, so 49 cadets were Patton's roommates, or if they had 2 to 4 man rooms back then? General Gage told me, that they used to make bathtub gin, but he didn't indicate that Patton was ever involved with that. I know, that such a thing would be pretty risky at West Point, but anytime you get a bunch of restleas 20 year old guys together, such shenanigans can happen, I suppose.
General Gage was a one star general, and I think, that he was stationed stateside in World War II. I never thought to ask him about World War I.
If only, I had video games back then, I wouldn't have needed to pass the time listening to older people talk about the way things used to be!
Couple years ago I gave my dad a book on the Bicycle Corp. later we went to Yellowstone and visited all the sites where they took picts, the truck broke down on the way back in Missoula so we visited the Fort.
Greetings from the Central Asian Republic of Kyrgyzstan. I have introduced my private English students to your site as a way to learn language and history. As a guy with a degree in history, you always surprise me with subjects I have never known about, such as the bicycle corp. I have a request for a program. The Thanksgiving tradition of the early 20th Century of "The Maskers". I learned about this a few years ago and think that it is a unique history that "deserves to be remembered"
As I watch this excellent piece, I’m taking in the Tour de France on a second screen. And, later, I’ll be out on my bike for a bit of good exercise.
One of the myths of the second World War is that gasoline was rationed because of the needs of the army. It wasn't a shortage of gas that caused its rationing. Instead, it the shortage of rubber. By rationing gas, the life of rubber tires was extended.
While there were some benefits of bicycles before the age of the combustion engine, the biggest downside was logistics. Armies needed large numbers of horses to transport war material, by wagon or pack horses and mules. A bicycle's ability to support such logistical needs were very limited. The army was well practiced using horses, and since horses would still be needed to support bicycle units, there were really little need of adding such units to the military structure.
I went to the University at Missoula Montana, and was quite familiar with the fort and the bicycle experiment. Thank you for the video. As always, well researched and produced.
Used properly, bicycles wouldn't have replaced the horse, it would have replaced marching on foot. The 25th was an Infantry regiment, not cavalry...
@@AndrewAMartin You are correct of course. I keep forgetting that they were infantry. When I think of the army of the Western U.S., my brain thinks cavalry. Too many Western movies in my childhood probably. Thanks for the correction.
@thehistoryguy
Thank you for this. My Great Grandmother's brother was Gen James Madison Kennedy and our family have read all the many sources of this trip and the rest of his amazing career.
Just a comment of appreciation and to encourage the algorithm to be helpful
What a great story, and definitely one that deserves to be remembered.
Here's another bit of bicycle trivia, and appropriate to the era of this video: The Klondike Gold Rush was followed by a rush to Nome, Alaska, and more than one prospector made the journey between the two on bicycles, in winter!
Born and raised in Alaska I can attest to the impossibility of riding across the wilds of Alaska by bicycle either winter or summer. Even pushing one would be pretty impossible. You might carry one on your back but how would you carry your rifle, food, bedding, and shelter. I have ridden bicycles in winter my whole life, but riding through the wilds of Alaska is certainly impossible. Can't be done.
@@michaelmccotter4293 I guess you never heard of Edward Jesson, who did it in 1900.
Yes I have read of the story. Because one makes the claim does not validate the facts. I propose you visit Alaska and I will provide my mountain bike for you to attempt the trial. I suggest Febuary. I will pay all expenses if you can ride 5 miles past the road system west at any place on the map from Anchorage to the Yukon River. Never happened.
It's impossible. Even riding on the packed snow machine/dogsled trails is not possible. I know, I have tried. You can push your bike,but you cannot truly ride a bicycle across the wilds of Alaska. As a kid growing up in Fairbanks, I often attempted riding off road in the winter. I used single speed bikes, multi speed bikes you name it. As a serious athlete all my life I was never able to ride more than 1/4 mile on snow trails such as you might find 100 years ago across Alaska. Off trail in loose snow is even more laughable. Sorry. Fun story though.
@@michaelmccotter4293 You sound to me like Alaska's answer to Eddy Merckx. Jesson left Dawson in early March and turned up in Nome four weeks later. He might have met either or both an aged Wyatt Earp and a very young Jimmy Doolittle, who went along with his dad and remembered fistfights with Eskimo boys in his autobiography.
@@michaelmccotter4293 Damn! Not only did you respectfully disagree, but you made an honorable challenge. Well done, man!
This is great. Thank you Mr. History Guy for a terrific look at the US 25th infantry bicycle corps. As an avid cyclist I'm so impressed and proud of these guys and the Lieutenant who had such remarkable foresight. 'Love to see more and more good bicycle infrastructure in all of N America. Many places in Europe, especially The Netherlands are fine examples of what can be done.
@The History Guy A really good episode on the US Army 25th Colored Infantry & the bicycle for military use. An aspect of the Vietnam War that has been overlooked is the use of bicycles by the Viet Cong to move materials over the secondary route of the Ho Chi Minh Trail. It's been said that the Viet Cong could transport hundreds of pounds of material over that mountainous jungle trail on bicycles which had pieces of bamboo strapped across the handlebars to support the weight 🤔😁😎
Bicycle riding "blowing up" in the 1890s led to a LOT of paved city streets. I'm a CAR nut, as well as a motorcyclist AND a bicyclist, but too many motorists forget what bicyclists contributed to the concept of personal transportation THEN and NOW. "Blue collar" workers did NOT have a "horse and carriage" in the "buggy" era, they had trolleys or bicycles. People forget this. 🤷♂️
Thanks to our Author for this one ..! The movie about the Danish Bicycle infantry during WW2 is well worth a watch ..April 9th
Ich hauven mein fiets in The Netherlands translates to I love my bicycle.
Fun fact, the British gene pool vastly expanded with the bicycle. In a 2mph world a young man can now call on potential mates in the next town covering 6mph.
Whilst that is true, it was the coming of the railways to England ( and elsewhere ) that caused the demise of the village idiot.
In June there was a 125th anniversary commemoration in Missoula. It included members of the Missoula City Band recreating concerts given by the 25th infantry band.
Great one HG! As a cyclist, I can say that the efficiency of the bicycle is amazing. On a standard bicycle, one revolution of the crank propels you 21 feet. Even the most casual rider(on a paved surface) can achieve speeds of +/- 12-14 MPH.
Walking speed is barely 3mph. And yes, mechanical maintenance and repair is critical at any time. Wheel trying, re packing of the bottom bracket, head set, and F/R hubs is time consuming, but necessary.
The soldiers who participated were men of iron. Honor and respect to all veterans, now and always!
In early 1969 in the Central Highlands of Vietnam, the intelligence officer of the 1st of the 46th Infantry, 198th Light Infantry Brigade of the 23rd Infantry Division, got information that there was an NVA regiment not far from where my infantry company was working. He flew his helicopter to us and got 7 volunteers and off we went to check out the report. You might say that 8 men going to check a report that there is 1500 or 1600 enemy soldiers in a small village is not wise. You would be exactly correct. When we got to the village I was the first off the chopper on the left side and the first thing I saw was a lot of guys with AK47s and bicycles. I turned to get back on the helicopter, but it was gone. It was a very noisy afternoon for the 8 of us but we had lots of artillery and air support and after 2 1/2 hours we were able to catch another helicopter out. I don't know if it was a full regiment or not but there was a lot of NVA and a lot of bicycles loaded with very large loads.
Very cool and interesting story of the Buffalo soldiers.
I often vacation in far west and south Texas.
There are numerous Forts along the old San Antonio and El Paso Rd that had been manned by Buffalo Soldiers and Seminole Scouts.
Ft Clark Springs at Brackettville has numerous buildings, plaques and memorials to those that served at the post.
There is also one fine cold spring fed swimming pool
it does not matter what subject this channel covers it is always excellent
Great story. Amazed that there is no "Tour of the USA" bike race.
Given the vast distances involved and the incredible expense of mounting such a race, it just wouldn't get enough fan support for sponsors to be interested. There's only one race that US sports networks cover, and then bicycle racing gets ignored. The European teams with all the top talent have no desire to come over, because most are sponsored by companies that don't have a presence here. It just doesn't work here, unfortunately -- it's been tried with the Tour DuPont, and that was just in the Northeast and it still failed...
Soccer and football suck up all the interest
This has to be one of the most good-clean-fun expeditions of US military history.
LT James Moss was aware the silver star in Cuba and rose to the rank of Colonel. Well respected by the buffalo soldiers
The movie "April 9th" is a dramatic account of a Danish Army bicycle company fighting against the German invasion of 1940. Made in 2015, the film goes to great lengths to be historically accurate in uniforms, tactics and equipment. The Danish conscripts almost look quaint riding into combat on their bicycles but they knew how serious their job was. A large part of the Danish infantry moved by either bicycles or motor cycles. If you don't mind reading subtitles (or if you understand Danish) it is a good movie to watch.
The use of bicycles by European armies in the 20th C was more widespread than people realise. The formation of Motorised Infantry units effectively ended bicycles for military use, I suspect that the difficulty of accomodating bicycles on aa all wheel drive truck ( high loading, and reason for those "baking oven" holes in truck tailgates. )
So many times when called to serve our great country, African American men and women have distinguished themselves and given us all reason to call them Brothers and Sisters. True Americans!
As usual great work THG.
Thank you for your comment. Very uplifting.
Well said. Disgusted when some fellow whites dont recognize this
Very interesting video thanks for sharing with us
Well done THG; informative and entertaining as always
Hello History Guy. I love your stories and I was wondering if you have ever done a story about the U.S. Army Veterinary Corps of WW1? My grandfather’s brother was in that unit and it was very intense. Without these brave men the animals that moved the machinery and food that supported the war would have been doomed. It was a huge job treating and caring and moving the horses and mules across many miles of war torn earth. I believe that this is a part of American History that should be remembered. Thank you and God bless you Sir. 🙋♀️🙏
Your snippets of history are fascinating. The amount of research and the time composing these videos are well worth viewing in the leisure of my office chair. Thank You for opening my eyes to more of the history that makes our world fascinating.
Riding my bicycle is the only time I ever feel free, truly free and not weighted down by any cares or issues or problems, it all melts away :)
I’m in KS. We have a buffalo soldier monument and museum at ft Leavenworth. I was last there in the late 90’s when I was young so don’t recall if this was covered. I know you occasionally do on site visits/tours. PBS Eons just did one and reminded me how much I enjoy that. Not asking you to go crazy because I know traveling gets expensive but even here in boring KS if I head briefly in any direction I’m bound to come across a local history museum with fascinating stuff and stories
Now this is History to be Remembered!!
Mr. Sin City, It just “dawned” on me, if you are out in Vegas, and THG comes on at 8am Eastern, do folks out your way have to start
watching like at 5 or 6am? Man, that’s dedication!
It helps that the videos come out at the same time I get my kids up for high school. In the Summer I watch them later.
He's part of my lunchtime watching when his videos come out.
Thank you for remembering the fight of the 25th at San Juan Hill.
TY THG. The part that had me Rotfl was that officer's description of a bicycle like it was a "stealth horse"!
...and he (the officer, not THG) didn't even mention its lack of a _heat signature_ . (very stealthy!)
Thankyou so much for putting light on this period in history! I believe in bicycles more than vehicles, this country was built around the vehicle, and they didn't seem to care about the people who either didn't want a vehicle or even be able to afford one! I think bicycles can still be used more in many different applications, and bicyclists have been fighting for their rights long before I was even born! I really enjoy your channel, I wish I knew how to make a career out of my passion on RUclips like you do! Thankyou for being you. I could sit down with a couple of drinks and talk to you all day about history, you are a wealth of knowledge.
Every Time I Think of those original bicycles I think of Butch Cassidy and Sundance kid, Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head and that velocipede they struggled with
Superb! I don't know where you find this stuff, but I am glad that you do.
I think credit is due Samuel L. Clemens for the idea. In Mark Twain’s “A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court” (1889) the titular time-traveler outfitted a band of knights in shining armor with bicycles who then rode them into battle.
Except no. He was being satirical.
I delivered the Salt Lake Tribune newspaper mentioned in this video back in the not all that long ago time when that was how we received our news.
I wonder if this was the inspiration for the Cycling Merit badge requirement to ride 50 miles in 8 hours.
That actually makes total sense - perhaps at one time that was seen as a military standard. Feels a lot easier now with paved trails and lighter weight multi-speed bicycles.
Back in HS, I would have easily earned that. Rode between Buffalo and Niagara Falls several times; that's about 50 miles, round trip.
In my younger days I was an avid cyclist, sometimes doing as much as 75 miles in a single day. I find it most impressive that they were able to do 50 miles per day on the bicycles of that period.
Life was so much harder just a handful of years ago…
We really do take modern life for granted.
WOW!!! I loved learning this Buffalo soldier fact.
Fascinating story, thanks you.
Thank you for listing the Soldiers at the end. Regarding bikes in combat, the Japanese Army conquered Malaya from the back of them. They moved much faster than the British defenders anticipated and positioned the attackers across from Singapore quicker than expected.
"The lord only knows, we follow the lieutenant." is this a polite burn on the officers skill with map and compass.
The 25ths role in the taking of San Juan hill being diminished is an example of how history is oft written
Spaulding great product placement 👌
Definitely benefitted from the 25th Bicycle Corps' rides.
@@FLJBeliever1776 Most definitely. I rode 1 of those decades ago. They were an inspiration for the Beach Cruisers ⛱
“50 miles a day.” Interesting that this mileage figure was my standard for a bicycle ride from Singapore to Aranyapratet (Tai-Cambodia border) in 1991. Sunrise breakfast in my tent; 20km snack in a village; 20km lunch in a roadside eatery; 20km second snack (soybean milk and digestive biscuits); 20km back in my tent and ramen for supper. The bicycle ride took about 2 months with a return to Singapore by train. That was on a rigid, diamond-frame 10 speed. I now ride a dual suspension, 21-speed.
Sounds like an adventure. Same type, Schwinn Varsity in 1973 my brother and I did Colorado to Boston in 5wks. 14 and 16yr olds @65miles/day.
@@gyrene_asea4133 Added details: My trip around the world with a bicycle stared January 30, 1976 and ended in October, 1991. I stared with a Schwinn Le Tour and returned with a Sports Tourer. The USA part of the trip from LA to Key West was 300 days actually sitting on the bicycle. I had my 31st birthday in 1976. Nice to compare similar experiences. People without such an experience just do not understand!
@@SewolHoONCE That is quite an adventure. Rough camping bicycle journeys were fun. Smelly, but fun!
Many THANKS FOR ALL OF YOUR EXCELLENT RESEARCH ANS THE AMAZING PICTURES IN THIS VIDEO.....Thanks again to the
THG🎀🏴☠....Shoe🇺🇸
Ft Davis, TX was home to the Buffalo Soldiers on the Texas Frontier. The fort has been preserved and the barracks and other buildings are available for touring.
Always a great tidbit of History. AWESOME! Keep it coming!!!
One of the greatest experiences of my life, other than sex, was a coast to coast bicycle trip from Virginia Beach to San Francisco. It is a great way to see the real america.
My coast to coast trip by bicycle was from LA to Key West by way of Detroit and Montreal. No put down, just fact.
@@SewolHoONCE That sounds like a fun tour. Except, perhaps, for the Detroit part. Just kidding.
@@jerrymiller276 Aunts, Uncles, and cousins made Detroit fun for me! Also, this was 1977, not recently.
Long beach to Boston. One of the best months of my life.
@@SewolHoONCE Mine was 2016. I did a modified Adventure Cycling TransAmerica Trail combined with their Western Express route so I could go through the desert. Utah was my favorite and I took my wife early last fall to spend a week in southern Utah (St. George) and a week in Sedona. I fell in love with Utah all over again!
Truly history that deserves to be remembered!
Nelson A Miles a man who in later life really needed the fitness and weight loss properties of the bicycle 😆👍
Thanks, THG, for information of this piece of black history I never heard of.👍
While I am watching this, the Tour de France is winding down in Europe. These men of the 25th Infantry would have given the cyclists of the Tour a run for their money. Thanks for this video. It is a great history lesson.
as a bicycle and history guy, this is double fascinating.🍻
This should be made mandatory in history classes. Knowledge trumps mandates, in school policies! It would have brought understanding to Black History, and more pride in our military and our Country.
I agree.
the bicycle certainly was a great achievement. it made a huge impression on modern society. an often overlooked aspect is the mobility it gave to people in rural areas enabling ppl to easily travel to neighbouring villages. which in turn led to ppl marrying outside their immediate neighborhoods and ended the "village idiot" .. the military used bicycles extensively in both world wars. you will see them being used by troops landing on D-Day for carrying their gear, a bicycle could carry the weight of soldier's kit plus radio equipment etc much better than the back of a soldier .. though not used to transport troops into combat... which had been tried by troops in Belgium and Holland in 1940.
Bicycles leading to the end of the "Village Idiot" - now that sounds like a History Guy episode, how seemingly unrelated things tie together.
11:27 The Batcycle Predecessor!George Barris Motor Vehicles
Thanks for putting out a video on this great story!
I am an advid fan of the bicycle and have been found often in my uniform riding a bicycle to my post. Some of my fellow soldiers would yell out "bicycle infantry" as I would ride by! Hahaha!
The most noble transportation invention. I love all bikes.. Have 2 Honda motorcycles too.
Interesting. You say the new purpose built military bicycles were geared to 68 inches. That seems pretty high for a single speed bicycle that would be doing a lot of off road work. I would have thought 50 or 55 gear inches would be vastly preferable. Loaded up with gear these things were 59 pounds? A 59 pound bicycle in 68 gear inches? I presume these bicycles weren't used in the way we think of bicycle riding today. These were probably 1/2 bicycle 1/2 wheelbarrow. You'd only ever be able to actually ride them on flat ground and downhill. Even a modest hill would necessitate a dismount. But, even so, it will be a heck of a lot faster than walking. If you walk a bike at 4mph up a 1 mile long hill it'll take you 15 minutes, then if you mount the bike and descend at 12mph it'll take you 5 minutes. Do this all day and you'll cover far more ground than walking, even if you are walking the bicycle half the time.
Thank you somuch for including the names of the men.
thanks
I live in Missoula, MT.and there is a wonderful military museum at Ft. Missoula.
What a great piece of history! Thanks for sharing this.
Somebody ought to make a movie of this.
It was the 24th infantry regiment that followed the 1st VC up San Jaun Hill. 25th was at El Caney.
Outstanding Story. I thoroughly loved it THG. Keep up the good work
Thank you for sharing your research
Is the Elephant in the room the Vietnamese? They were known to move heavy military equipment, et-al, on their bikes through the jungle and mountains.
Fifty miles a day while weighted down with supplies is pretty damn impressive.
Great stuff. Would love to see more bicycle history - it hasn't all been about "recreation." In fact, the most interesting history is from the time that bicycles have been primary transport - those decades prior to the adoption of the automobile. And, in some countries, the bicycle Renaissance in recent decades.
excellent tribute! thank you
'Men, our corp will become a mounted unit'.
'Oh boy! Will I get my own horse?'
'Uh, not exactly. Well I think his name will be Schwinn, or Huffy. But he'll be fast, I hear he's an 'English Racer'.