Ordonnanzfahrrad Modell 05

[Phosphorus32]

I finally scored one of the Swiss army bicycles, thus merging my long time love of bicycling with my more recent (last 9 years) obsession with collecting military firearms and militaria. This is a Swiss Model of 1905 bicycle made in 1941. It weighs in at 21 kg (46 lbs), has a single speed coaster brake rear hub and 50:19 gear ratio. 36 spoke wheels with steel rims and sew-up tires converts the pedal input into forward velocity. It has a kerosene lamp on the front that I have yet to try out. It needs a ribbon style wick and some kerosene (white gas) to fuel it. Most of these have front tire driven generator lights, in fact I've never seen one with a vintage kerosene lamp.

This beast is comfortable around town on the flats but I can't imagine the guys who had to pedal this up mountain passes or even extended hills in Switzerland. The Swiss bicycle troops definitely had some quads and glutes. I did take it out for a quick 13 km spin on Friday and it operated well with a bolt upright style for maximum situational awareness. Surprisingly, it actually wasn't a lot slower than my 21 pound gravel bike on the flat route that I rode. Nevertheless, it's more of a collector's piece than a daily rider. The front tire is dated 1968, not sure about the rear, and they both have cracking in the side walls but still hold air well.

The walnut stocked matching K31 in the pictures was made in 1944. The M18/43 helmet (the sawdust and dunkelgrau paint give it the /43 modifier) and entrenching tool (another obsession) made in 1940. So everything shown is WWII era manufacture except the relatively recent vintage GP11 ammo.

[Bob_The_Student]

OK, we need to find the matching rifle to that bike's serial number! 

Very cool, Jon!

[Phosphorus32]

OK, we need to find the matching rifle to that bike's serial number! 

Hey, how hard could it be   

Actually, with that serial number, it’d have to be a first year (1891) M1889 long rifle.

Very cool, Jon!

Thanks Bob!

[Bacarnal]

Cool find, Jon!!  Looks like a beast to peddle on ever the hills here in Kentucky, though.  Built like a tank and only weighs 14 more pounds than my Rockhopper!!
Amazon and Walmart seem to have rolls of the wick for the lamp.

[Phosphorus32]

Cool find, Jon!!  Looks like a beast to peddle on ever the hills here in Kentucky, though.  Built like a tank and only weighs 14 more pounds than my Rockhopper!!
Amazon and Walmart seem to have rolls of the wick for the lamp.

Thanks Bruce! Funny you mention your Rockhopper, as my first MTB was a late 1980s rigid fork Specialized Rockhopper. Fairly heavy but definitely serviceable and much more versatile than this single speed beast 

Thanks for the tip on the wicks I subsequently looked up and found the 0.5" version I need on Amazon.

[running-man]

Wicked cool!!!

Amazing how the general design for a bike hasn't really changed (high end bikes made from carbon fiber or beryllium excluded) in 80 years.

I *really* dig those fenders Jon.  My first bike was a pink girls 1-speed hand-me-down from my cousin with fenders, a banana seat, and a sissy bar.  I rattle can'd that sucker blue immediately (never did do anything with the top tube configuration being for a girl though I often wanted to when getting teased by the neighborhood kids.  Oh well none of them ever beat me in a race, they'd shut up really quick when their fancy Diamondback couldn't keep up to a girls bike!! ).  It served me well for at least 5 years I bet!  I remember that the gearing ratio was ridiculously high.  I could smoke *anyone* on in a race on a flat surface, but come any kind of hill and I was often standing on the pedals just trying to keep myself going forward.  I bet I went through 2 or 3 rear tires and innumerable tubes as I had the tendency to "emergency stop" unnecessarily.

I could wheelie that thing like a champ too!  Never wore a helmet, it's amazing any of us lived past 12!  Those were the days!

My first mountain bike was a specialized hard rock sport I got my first year of college.  Still ride it!  I have hundreds, if not thousands of miles on that thing.   

[Phosphorus32]

Thanks Joe!

Yup, we're still riding the safety bicycles (equal diameter wheels, diamond frames, chain drive) invented in 1885. That was only a 20 year old innovation when this M05 was designed, so relatively new techology  The wheel base on this bike is very long, attributable to those very long chainstays and the slack head tube angle. It rides so different from any of my modern bicycles.

The fenders are interesting with that wide leather flap attached to the bottom of the front fender, which addresses a common continuous stream of water on the shoes  issue found on any bicycle running in wet conditions, even with standard fenders.



My first cool bike was a purple 5 speed with a banana seat and high sissy bar from Montgomery Wards with a wide flat slick tire on the back that I wore excessively with skidding, or "laying a patch" when starting off (on sand covered asphalt). The neighborhood kool kids had the Schwinn Stingray bikes, Orange Krate, Pea Picker, etc. Commercial mountain bikes like Diamond Backs were still about two decades in the future when I was in elementary school 

I'm definitely glad you could kick butt on the kids with the cooler bikes Joe  It's always satisfying when legs and lungs win out over technology.

[BMont]

Just catching this post.  Love the old school get around rig.... aka Ordonnanzfahrrad Modell 05.  Almost pulled the trigger on one of those but just didnt have the room.  Downsizing is such a pain.
As always... nice setup!

[Phosphorus32]

Just catching this post.  Love the old school get around rig.... aka Ordonnanzfahrrad Modell 05.  Almost pulled the trigger on one of those but just didnt have the room.  Downsizing is such a pain.
As always... nice setup!

Thanks BMont! I've wanted one for years, so was glad to finally snag one. My wife and I might disagree on how much room we have for one of these but she's a good sport about indulging me 

[running-man]

Laugh, Jon I've seen my wife's expression when she looks under the bed and notices two crates of ammo that weren't there the last time she looked underneath it.  Can't imagine what it's like when bicycles start popping up in the garage out of nowhere!! 

[Greatguns]

My wife would be giving me the "if you're not going to be riding that thing for exercise then you better be putting it up for sale" look.

[Phosphorus32]

My wife picks up furniture etc. at yard sales, which sits in the garage until she decides to paint and use it somewhere in the house, or more likely sell/donate it, so we both have collecting/accumulating issues that we mutually tolerate