Cyclist Yeomanry
Cyclist Yeomanry is an article published in the magazine Cycling on 16 february 1910.
Cyclist Yeomanry
In view of the shortage of horses for military purposes, and also of the increasing cost of our Army and Navy, a timely suggestion has been made in the columns of the "Daily Express" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who advocates the development of military cycling by substituting regiments of cyclist riflemen for the Yeomanry cavalry. As he points out, a considerable economy would be effected, as a horse is much more costly than a, bicycle, besides being subject to fatigue and disease. The radius of action would be increased, owing to the greater mobility of cyclist regiments; the firing line would not be depleted by the withdrawal of a fourth of the men to hold the horses; and, in scouting, a bicycle would he more easily concealed and its rider less liable to detection than in the case of a cavalryman. With regard to cross-country work, Sir Arthur reminds his readers that a cyclist who knows the country is almost invariably up at the finish of a fox hunt, thus proving that even on the most favourable ground a horse is no more effective than a bicycle. Indeed, for some kinds of cross-country work, the bicycle would have a decided advantage, for it can be lifted over obstacles that might prove insuperable barriers to a horse. To these powerful arguments in favour of military cycling, we might add that, from the point of view of the rider himself, there are many advantages to be gained by joining a cyclist regiment. The life in camp and field is healthy and interesting, the duties are far from irksome, and there is the solid satisfaction of knowing that the cyclist is taking his part in the defence of his country.
