Pedalcycling into war - might (e)Bikes be back?

[Firn]

Firn,

Having visited Shanghai in 2017 and noticed the profusion of e-bikes and e-scooters (avoiding the pollution from engines), I wonder if the PLA will adopt e-bikes for their mountain region forces.

Obviously I have no idea but some basic thoughts:

1) Overall China is by far, far, far the biggest producer and consumer of ebikes and e-scooters. Almost all is focused on city transport. Mainland China is the production hub for most bike parts..

2) Europe and arguably the German speaking mountain areas in specific are by far the number one users of electric mountain bikes. The eMtb engine leader Bosch and the likely best selling eMtb trade markes are from southern Germany.

3) Much depends on the specific circumstances. China covers a huge area and all sorts of border areas from wet jungle hills to the dry highlands of Tibet and the Steppes. For example in the vast West normal motorbikes should be more suited.

4) Actually I'm curious if a European nation will try them out for mountain/light infantry units. With enough purchase power and an increasingly large amount of eMbt around somebody within the military should get ideas. Overall our road network is dense but even in my area there are many suited trails which can not be used by ATVs. A problem with all military bikes should be night riding without those big LEDs.

I now found an article about the first German forest guard? using an electric fatbike without suspension + trailer.

It is especially used for various controls and checks, the area you can cover increases, you are quicker and have to schlepp less. When the wetter is bad or cold the car is prefered.

Firn

[Firn]

Attached, a Slovenian soldier on a modern eMtb with full suspension, from an article by a Slovenian Officer in the Austrian Truppendienst about the NATO Mountain Warfare Center of Excellence


If one compares between the old and the new it's fairly obvious that former units put much thought into how best to pack a bike for war, trying to get as much weight as possible on the bike.

Modern eMtb can be very sleek but lack considerable space compared to the old warhorses...

Personally I had great fun to go out cycling for training or hunting, especially in Summer. In the latter case it's mostly about getting into the hunting area or to reach spotting points. Transporting roe and chamoix is duable over fireroads riding, or paths by walking the bike with some electric support but obviously recovery by 4x4 is more comfortable.

For most military contexts a light electric motorbike from Zero or KTM would make more sense, more so if battery density does increase rapidly. A friend of mine loves his Zero which is really easy to drive if you respect the torque..

Firn