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Making the Case for Military Electric Bikes | Military.com

Submitted by Brent Hugh on Sat, 07/05/2025 - 9:47am

Headlines are quick hits from media outlets from Missouri and around the world. Follow the headline link for the full story. The source of this headline says:

The last few years have seen fairly rapid progress in the e-bike market. Power output, battery capacity and overall weight are improving significantly.

Indiana-based Recon currently builds e-bikes for law enforcement and military clients. The company’s range of tactical bikes can hit top speeds in excess of 30 mph and travel more than 75 miles on a single charge. They’re robust enough to survive hard use on rugged terrain -- and even tow a trailer loaded down with equipment. . . .

Plenty of people have noticed the tactical advantages of combining pedal power and electric motors. Several European militaries are either testing or fielding e-bikes.

In 2023, The Defense Post reported that the British army was testing high-powered electric bikes capable of achieving a top speed of 50 mph. That particular model used an electric direct-drive setup with no chain or gears, which made it nearly silent as it skirted roads in favor of terrain that would be harder for an enemy force to keep tabs on.

Link: 
Making the Case for Military Electric Bikes | Military.com
MoBikeFed comment: Interestingly, Ukraine is already using ebikes extensively in their struggle against the Russian invasion:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.rferl.org/amp/ukraine-electric-bikes-wa...

Missouri is, of course, location of one the earliest experiments with the use of bicycles in a military context, as the destination of the famous Buffalo Soldiers ride of 1897:

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-black-buffalo-soldiers-who-bi...

You can ride the historic Buffalo Soldiers route - or part of it (the full route is almost 1400 miles). Route map here:

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/2131023