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Originally Posted by Kromm
I'd call bicycle infantry Mounted Rifles (p. 21). Bicycles are different from beasts, but the net effect is the same: You can carry more and move faster, but you need more logistic support. Comparing MR to ordinary Riflemen:
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† Looking at the cost differences between Mounted Rifles and Riflemen, we're talking about (100K - 60K)/10 = $4,000 per man to raise and (20K - 12K)/10 = $800 per man to maintain. Interestingly, the Swiss phased out such units in part because of the high cost of the bikes, which are being sold for $1,000 as surplus.
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Interesting. Horses are also extremely expensive (at least nowadays when there are a whole lot fewer of them), and require large amounts of fodder to be militarily useful. I'd think that bicycles would require a lot less logistical support, since they don't eat anything and are mostly field-maintainable (a truck full of tools, parts, and spare tires will sustain a whole lot of bikes for a long time).
I'd reflect this as keeping or only slightly increasing the Raise cost while reducing the Maintain cost for Mounted Riflemen (Bicycle).