The long history means that the Swiss military bike cannot be just any bike. Soldiers used the legendary "Ordonanzrad 05" for almost 80 years. The "05" denotes the first model year, in the last century. It had no gears, was made of steel, weighed 27 kilos, but was indestructible. Over 60,000 were built and many are still on the road today.
It was followed by the less glorious "Model 93" with seven-speed derailleur gears, also weighing over 20 kilos. It was Switzerland's last weapon bike. Then the army decided that it needed a more civilian bike - and on the way to our pin-up, the "Velo 12", it caused a minor national uproar: too expensive, too bad.
In the meantime, the debate is over, the accusations have been refuted, the 4,100 bikes have been delivered - and are also available to civilian buyers at a unit price of 2,500 euros. The most striking feature of the Swiss military bike is the shape of the frame.
The seat tube, which is vertical at first and then bends flat, ensures that the seat length changes more significantly with the height adjustment of the saddle than with conventional frames. The principle is familiar from "growing" children's bikes. With the Velo 12, it is intended to help riders between 1.60 and 1.90 metres with only one available frame height. In terms of equipment, the special features are rather sparse. After the "Model 93" was so full of special parts that it could no longer be repaired, the army ordered a bike made from standard parts. In doing so, it attached the utmost importance to low maintenance and robustness.
