Fun/grim fact that's related to your question about terrain:
In world war 2 the Japanese army used bicycles to invade Malaysia and modern Singapore and it was highly effective. It allowed them to continuously advance faster than retreating British forces on foot and vehicle. The key point being it was more viable to put thousands of troops on bicycles than to put them all on vehicles that could go through rugged terrain and jungle.
Under normal conditions, retreating armies move faster than their pursuers because the invaders are slowed down by destroyed infrastructure such as blown-up bridges or obstructed roads. But this time, Japanese soldiers on light bicycles were able to use narrow roads, hidden paths and improvised log bridges. Even when bridges were missing, soldiers waded across the rivers carrying their bicycles on their shoulders.
The bicycles also proved to be an excellent help in the transportation of equipment. While the British soldiers carried up to 18 kilograms while marching through the jungle, their Japanese enemies could carry twice as much, benefiting from the distribution of weight onto two wheels. “Even the long-legged Englishmen could not escape our bicycles”, remembered Colonel Masanobu Tsuji.
In world war 2 the Japanese army used bicycles to invade Malaysia and modern Singapore and it was highly effective. It allowed them to continuously advance faster than retreating British forces on foot and vehicle. The key point being it was more viable to put thousands of troops on bicycles than to put them all on vehicles that could go through rugged terrain and jungle.
Under normal conditions, retreating armies move faster than their pursuers because the invaders are slowed down by destroyed infrastructure such as blown-up bridges or obstructed roads. But this time, Japanese soldiers on light bicycles were able to use narrow roads, hidden paths and improvised log bridges. Even when bridges were missing, soldiers waded across the rivers carrying their bicycles on their shoulders.
The bicycles also proved to be an excellent help in the transportation of equipment. While the British soldiers carried up to 18 kilograms while marching through the jungle, their Japanese enemies could carry twice as much, benefiting from the distribution of weight onto two wheels. “Even the long-legged Englishmen could not escape our bicycles”, remembered Colonel Masanobu Tsuji.
https://www.welovecycling.com/wide/2019/06/28/japanese-style...