French Cuirassier Officer 1939/40

The problem with the Tamiya German bikes (which, to be honest, aren't that much better than the bike in the picture) is that they're gentleman's bicycles, not ladies, and in the late 1930s/ early 1940s, well-brought-up ladies didn't ride such things. I don't see that the bike in the picture is too bad. You need to replace the spokes, but since the wheel rims are securely moulded to the front forks and the frame, this shouldn't be too hard, if you can lay your hands on some fine stainless steel wire. Time-consuming, maybe.

You can get etched bicycle wheels, but the problem with these is that they're for 27" bicycle wheels, while ladies bikes tend to have 26" wheels. It doesn't sound much, but it would throw the whole rim/ drop-out distances out. Other things that might need replacing include the brake rods (not cables on a non-racing/ cycletouring 1930s bike), but these can also be made esily from stretched sprue or plastic rod. It wasn't unusual to have lever brakes only on the front wheel. The rear wheel had a hub brake, applied by back-pedalling. I had one of these as a kid in Germany in the mid-1960s.

Don't add gears. North-Eastern France, away from the Vosges  region, is pretty flat, and ordinary town bikes there, even today, tend not to have them.

Cheers,

Chris.

Heh.  You could always go the way of the unlicensed back ally surgeon and start hacking away at the bike, and use the smaller wheels on the better molded bike.

Where do you get your fingures anyway?  I always like the not so common poses (one reason im a verlinden fan)

 "well you could always get a Tamiya kit with german bicyclers (soldiers) for like 6$ if you need a nicer bike."

Bang on smeagol

Got plenty of Tamiya bikes which I rather like.  Of course one can buy them in resin and metal from other manufactures as well.  My problem is that they all seem to be greater in wheel size than the Dragon one.  This one kinda reminds me of a smaller bike siutable for a smaller framed person plus it is a womans version.  I have converted a Tamiya bike to the woman version however I am still left with the wheel size.  Plus, I thought that I might add a de-Germanised Tamiya bike on the deck/ground besides the Cuirassier Officer.  This guy is about two heads taller than the female so he is quite tall for so called 1/35th - a long and lanky guy so it would be good to give him a mans bike so-to-speak, adds to the tall, dark and handsome scenario.  

well you could always get a Tamiya kit with german bicyclers (soldiers) for like 6$ if you need a nicer bike.

As far as the mini art kits go, be perpared to deal with ALOT of work, its all vacuformed.  If your gona get a street/road and not build it yourself, try the verlinden ones, there very nice

smeagol, thanks for your thoughts

Here is the girlie figure, lousy bike -Dragon -however it was the parts box and it will do.

 I will probably add this figure as it has a suitable "grumpy puss"   you know, nobody loves me, look on his face.

As for the rest, it is all a work in progress, maybe a French building from Miniart or elsewhere plus a cobblestone street and away we go.