YETI ARC AS-LT - Downhill racing legend

My ARC AS-LT

Militarvelo - Swiss Army Bike

Perhaps it is because Switzerland is a landlocked country that they held on to their Bicycle mounted army divisions for so long... The original Swiss Army bike, or 'Militarvelo' is simple, with one riding position and a single gear. It is extremly rigid and incredibly heavy. It weighs about 23kg - more than 50lb.

More recently, the army issue bicycle was developed using mountain bike technology, and that is the example you see here. It combined the qualities of the older roadster-style bicycle with the modern handlebars, brakes, and rear derailler of a mountain bike. Of course, the most obviously unusual feature are the many fitted bags

When I first saw these bicycles, they looked like the perfect do-everything bike. A bike you could hop on anytime and take on any terrain under any weather. A bicycle that also had plenty of load capacity and a simple, rugged appearance.

Of course, being more of a bike snob then a bike historian, my immediate impulse is to hone and improve the concept. A lightweight steel mountain bike frame with rack and fender mounts would be a great starting point, fitted with high quality componentry and racks. A classic leather saddle such as a brooks would look perfect with battleship grey or black paintwork, and the racks and accessories could be painted to match.

'Fit-for-a-purpose' is the best way to describe the quality that all the best bicycles have - and these Militarvelos are a great example of the breed.

US Military Bicycles - Montague

In 1997, under a grant from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), Montague partnered with the US Marines to develop a tactical folding all terrain bicycle. Check out this comparison table comparing the bicycle to other means of military transport: 

Efficiency Chart
SYSTEM	LOAD CAPACITY	DAILY RANGE	SPEED	FUEL PER DAY
Foot-Infantry	50 pounds	25 miles	@ 3 MPH	3 lbs. MRE for rider    24 lbs. H2O for rider
Bike-Infantry	75 pounds	75 miles	@ 10 MPH	3 lbs. MRE for rider    24 lbs. H2O for rider
Horse/Rider	100 pounds	100 miles	@ 15 MPH	40 lbs. Hay    150lbs. H2o 3 lbs. MRE for rider 24 lbs. H2O for rider
Motorcycle/Rider	100 pounds	300 miles	@ 40 MPH	55 lbs. Gas    ? oil + pumping/storage Equipment 3 lbs. MRE for rider 25 lbs. H2O for rider
5-Ton Truck	10,000 pounds	300 miles	@ 40 MPH	710 lbs. Dsl.    ? oil + pumping/storage Equipment 3 lbs. MRE for rider 25 lbs. H2O for rider
AAV (APC)	10,000 pounds	240 miles	@ 30 MPH	1,234 lbs. Dsl.    ? oil + pumping/storage Equipment 3 lbs. MRE for rider 25 lbs. H2O for rider

Efficiency Chart
SYSTEM	LOAD CAPACITY	DAILY RANGE	SPEED	FUEL PER DAY
Foot-Infantry	50 pounds	25 miles	@ 3 MPH	3 lbs. MRE for rider    24 lbs. H2O for rider
Bike-Infantry	75 pounds	75 miles	@ 10 MPH	3 lbs. MRE for rider    24 lbs. H2O for rider
Horse/Rider	100 pounds	100 miles	@ 15 MPH	40 lbs. Hay    150lbs. H2o 3 lbs. MRE for rider 24 lbs. H2O for rider
Motorcycle/Rider	100 pounds	300 miles	@ 40 MPH	55 lbs. Gas    ? oil + pumping/storage Equipment 3 lbs. MRE for rider 25 lbs. H2O for rider
5-Ton Truck	10,000 pounds	300 miles	@ 40 MPH	710 lbs. Dsl.    ? oil + pumping/storage Equipment 3 lbs. MRE for rider 25 lbs. H2O for rider
AAV (APC)	10,000 pounds	240 miles	@ 30 MPH	1,234 lbs. Dsl.    ? oil + pumping/storage Equipment 3 lbs. MRE for rider 25 lbs. H2O for rider

Efficiency Chart
SYSTEM	LOAD CAPACITY	DAILY RANGE	SPEED	FUEL PER DAY
Foot-Infantry	50 pounds	25 miles	@ 3 MPH	3 lbs. MRE for rider    24 lbs. H2O for rider
Bike-Infantry	75 pounds	75 miles	@ 10 MPH	3 lbs. MRE for rider    24 lbs. H2O for rider
Horse/Rider	100 pounds	100 miles	@ 15 MPH	40 lbs. Hay    150lbs. H2o 3 lbs. MRE for rider 24 lbs. H2O for rider
Motorcycle/Rider	100 pounds	300 miles	@ 40 MPH	55 lbs. Gas    ? oil + pumping/storage Equipment 3 lbs. MRE for rider 25 lbs. H2O for rider
5-Ton Truck	10,000 pounds	300 miles	@ 40 MPH	710 lbs. Dsl.    ? oil + pumping/storage Equipment 3 lbs. MRE for rider 25 lbs. H2O for rider
AAV (APC)	10,000 pounds	240 miles	@ 30 MPH	1,234 lbs. Dsl.    ? oil + pumping/storage Equipment 3 lbs. MRE for rider 25 lbs. H2O for rider

From the Archives....Fisher CR-7 Review

From the Archives - the Fisher CR-7 Mountain Biking UK Review from 1988.

After reading this (at age 13) I went with a friend on a mountain biking holiday in the Pyrenees in 1990. I was 15 going on 16! I also developed a deep desire to sometime own a Fisher CR-7 Mountain Bike, or at least ride one. Fast forward twenty years, and I am recently the proud owner of an original frame and fork, and looking forward to getting it built up! Read on and you will understand why....

Old School Legend: 1989 Fisher CR-7 Mountain Bike

There are a few bikes out there from the early pre-suspended days of Mountain Bikes (pre-1990) that have rightly earned legendary status for their combination of ride quality, ground breaking design, and aesthetic appeal. Fewer still, were durable enough to be rideable today, twenty plus years on. This rare vintage Fisher CR-7 composite mountain bike frame (he wasn't Gary back then, just Fisher) is one such bike. It was raced by Fisher's Mountain Bike Team, praise was lavished upon it by every test rider that swung a leg over it, and it was considered the ultimate ride from one of Mountain Biking's first practitioners.

The main triangle is aluminum and the rear triangle is steel. The rear triangle bolts onto the front portion. Clever idea. This is the production version of the very rare Mantis XCR Composite frame designed by Richard Cunningham to exploit the merits of both materials. The fat aluminum tubing used for the front triangle of the frame is stiff due to the large diameter tubes, but it is impossible to use such tubes for the chainstays and seatstays without excessive crimping, so steel is used in those locations. The two materials cannot be welded so the rear triangle is bolted on using heliarced inserts in the aluminum and steel allen bolts.

The main triangle has had the black paint removed, although some remnants remain on the bottom bracket. The welds are very nice. I could find no dents or damage to the frame.

The chainstays are built from Fisher specified Tange chromoly tubing and are very rigid, allowing very positive braking, and have investment-cast fittings welded to them. Unusually for a team race bike, the CR-7 has fittings for mounting rack and fenders, making it unique among Mountain Bike legends.

Fisher built the frame with a special bottom bracket which is 15mm wider than a conventional unit, providing greater tire clearances than any other frame at the time.

Another Fisher innovation is the 'Fisher Evolution Headset' which is oversized, being 1-1/4" instead of the 1" which was the standard at the time. As contemporary testers put it - "The headset and steering column are about 25 per cent larger in diameter than conventional units. This makes an astonishing difference to the steering characteristics. The design is based on tests that showed the major stress point on bicycle frames to be around the bottom of the headtube. Fisher saw this as the obvious place to concentrate strength. This he achieved by making the whole unit bigger...Gary Fisher stuck his neck out, produced a unique headset and brought in a winner.

I'm not sure what I am going to do for a final finish - the original Fisher color scheme and graphics seen on the similar bike above, are classic looking, but I may also opt for a stealthier custom look in plain black, perhaps with an Archer logo!

1989 Fisher CR-7
Seat tube: 19" c-c, 20 1/2" c-t

Top tube: 22 1/2"

Chainstay: 16 7/8"

Head tube: 4"

Uses a 31.6mm seatpost (not included)

Rear dropout spacing is 135mm

Bottom bracket height is 12"

Standover height is 31"

Head tube takes a 1 1/4" headset

Serial number is Y98278.

The Archer Workshop - serving the classic and performance bicycle enthusiast

Introducing the Archer workshop in all it's glory. We are currently going through a major reorganization. In stock - spare parts, vintage parts, tires and accessories. Bicycles for repair and restoration.

New bicycles just arrived, including a 1970 Raleigh Sports Ladies Bicycle.

Also in are some legendary classics from the world of Mountain bikes - 1998 Spooky Metalhead, 1990 Yeti For Racing Only (FRO), 1998 Yeti DH-6 and a 1994 Yeti ARC-AS-LT. We look forward to bringing you more information about these and other project bikes in the future.