How many bikes does it take to pull a US military HumVee?

michael gill · Post by **michael gill** » Sat Jul 05, 2008 9:25 am

As we saw in the July 4 parade yesterday, eight bikes can pull a Honda CRV with ease, their main problem being the need to keep it slow so as not to run over the next parade unit.

But parades are a participatory game, and we wanted it to look easy, so we had way more than necessary. As we found out on a sunday morning, three regular guys were not sufficient to pull a Honda CRV, but four could do it without much difficulty.

Now it's time to raise the stakes and answer a much more important question: How many bikes does it take to pull a US Military HumVee?

This will require research, statistical analysis, and perhaps even beer. Consult with your bookie. When you're confident, you can place your bets.

michael gill · Post by **michael gill** » Sun Jul 13, 2008 7:00 pm

Walk and Roll T - minus - six days, and we still do not have the answer to this very important question.

Human-powered HumVee pulling trials continue in secret Monday night. That's tomorrow. Contact me if you are interested.

Meanwhile, you can take a crack at this yourself Sat. July 19, during Walk and Roll Lakewood. Bike Lakewood gives you a once in a lifetime opportunity to see if you and your family and friends, or your biking buddies, or your racing team, or whatever posse you can muster has what it takes to pull a HumVee on bicycles.

Several people--mostly bike courriers downtown--have suggested that they might be able to do this all by themselves, solo. Think you can do it? Come to Walk and Roll, and give it a shot.

John Guscott · Post by **John Guscott** » Sun Jul 13, 2008 7:21 pm

I'm guessing the answer will be higher than 8, however, what kind of humvee are we talking about? According to wikipedia, there are 17 variants. They are probably all different weights, right?

michael gill · Post by **michael gill** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 1:16 am

Excellent question, John.

This one doesn't have armor, or a great big weapon attached to the hood, or anything like that. This is the base model. As I understand, it weighs about 5,200 pounds, and gets 4 miles per gallon in the city.

More than eight you say? We still don't know the answer. Bear in mind, though, that Four was sufficient to pull my Honda. We used eight in the parade to make it look easy, and because we had to start and stop so much.

It did look easy, didn't it?

Jim O'Bryan · Post by **Jim O'Bryan** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 6:46 am

michael gill wrote: This one doesn't have armor, or a great big weapon attached to the hood, or anything like that. This is the base model. As I understand, it weighs about 5,200 pounds, and gets 4 miles per gallon in the city.

It did look easy, didn't it?

Michael

What worries me is what GWB will think. another way to cut corners in Iraq?

Rumor has it that Bill Gates had a team of 20 pulling his Bentley.

FWIW

.

michael gill · Post by **michael gill** » Tue Jul 15, 2008 10:59 am

PARTY

Well, now we know how many bikes it takes to pull a HumVee, but for reasons having to do with national security, we're not telling.

We encourage you to come out Friday Night to speculate with us during a BikeLakewood party on Walk and Roll Eve at the Lakewood Phoenix.

There will be bands. There will be bikes. There will be ample bicycle parking. There will be a HumVee to help you develop your theories. And as I understand it, the Phoenix sells beer.

You can place bets if you want. You can sign up to take a crack at pulling the HumVee yourself or with your posse the following day at Walk and Roll.

This, as the experts would say, looks like fun.

Tim Liston · Post by **Tim Liston** » Tue Jul 15, 2008 7:44 pm

To my knowledge nobody has attempted to pull a 5,200 pound humvee with bicycles. An extensive internet search reveals no similar endeavor.

Why bother to try, you ask? For the same reason Sir Edmund Hillary conquered Everest. The same reason Ferdinand Magellan circumnavigated the globe. The same reason John Glenn orbited our Earth three times in a veritable tin can.

Just because, thatâ€™s whyâ€¦.

A couple of our erstwhile SUV-pullers cannot participate on Saturday so you are invited to take their place. Hereâ€™s your chance to join the likes of Hillary, Magellan and Glenn by attempting what we believe has never been done before. If you have a bike, and the desire to make history, please let Michael Gill know you will be joining, by e-mailing mgill@freetimes.com. Or me at info@bikelakewood.org. And join us on Friday night at Phoenix Coffee in the heart of Lakewood, where our humvee adversary will be on display for all to witness, in all its steel and rubber glory.

"The storms of adversity, like those of the ocean, rouse the faculties, and excite the invention, prudence, skill and fortitude of the voyager."

dl meckes · Post by **dl meckes** » Tue Jul 15, 2008 8:30 pm

The Bikes of Destiny Ride Again!

Missy Limkemann · Post by **Missy Limkemann** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 8:11 am

well if the people pulling the vehicle are as weak as me, it will take hundreds. LOL. (i re-learning how to ride a bike.....)
I am going to say though that 9 people will be good to pull. Ok so that is my 3 year old said when I asked him. So I am going to agree with him.

michael gill · Post by **michael gill** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 12:57 pm

Nine people. Interesting.

Anybody else?

michael gill · Post by **michael gill** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 1:00 pm

by the way . . . here's a lengthier discussion of the project, from the final issue of the Free Times, out on news stands today.

http://www.freetimes.com/stories/15/63/steel-driving

John Guscott · Post by **John Guscott** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 1:02 pm

Ok, I'll go the other direction and guess 4. However, I suppose it is possible that ONE biker can do the feat, by him-or-herself. They'd probably have to be a REALLY good biker, though.

[I'm basing this on the fact some people can be capable of incredible feats... look at Jack Lalanne, who, when 62 years old, to celebrate the Bicentennial, singlehandedly towed 13 boats filled with 76 people (while handcuffed and shackled!) for 1 mile in the New York harbor.]

so, am I disqualified if I gave two guesses?

michael gill · Post by **michael gill** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 1:57 pm

Ha! Disqualified? What is "disqualified?"

We don't have any of that here.

Four, you say . . .

There are some very confident cyclists--courriers, especially--who believe
they can do it alone. I would love to see that, personally. It would make quite a good picture.

David Lay · Post by **David Lay** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 2:00 pm

I wonder if I could recruit some RAGBRAI riders to try something similar out here...

michael gill · Post by **michael gill** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 2:33 pm

They must be in high gear right about now.

Maybe you could get them to tow it all the way across Iowa.