Paratroopers
Made from lightweight, aircraft-quality aluminum and foldable without tools, the Hummer mountain bike had designs to allow paratroopers to jump with the bike, drop it from the aircraft, then have it unfolded and ready for operations on the ground within minutes.
Montague Contract
The Montague Corporation, formed in 1987, was developing foldable, high-performance bicycles from its start. In 2002, Montague teamed with General Motors to produce a foldable mountain bike that would fit in the back of the commercial Hummer H2. The bike was a modified version of the military mountain bike.
DARPA
Before the 2002 pairing, Montague won a two-year contract with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. Montague was to work with the Marines on the TENS (Tactical Electric No Signature) folding-bike project. Montague designed a bike that was foldable faster and had a higher load-bearing capacity.
Hummer Tactical Bike
In April of 2003, Hummer announced the line of Hummer Tactical Mountain Bikes for commercial sale. Made in Massachusetts, the Hummer Tactical Bike capitalizes on the military technology--much like its big brother, the H2 SUV.
A Bike with a SUV
In 2004, Hummer/GM announced a special-edition Hummer H2 SUV in "Victory Red" includes a matching Hummer Tactical Mountain Bike in the same color. GM/Hummer put the bike in the luxury-package option for the SUV.
Article Written By Eric Cedric
A former Alaskan of 20 years, Eric Cedric now resides in California. He's published in "Outside" and "Backpacker" and has written a book on life in small-town Alaska, "North by Southeast." Cedric was a professional mountain guide and backcountry expedition leader for 18 years. He worked in Russia, Iceland, Greece, Turkey and Belize. Cedric attended Syracuse University and is a private pilot.
