Originally Posted by
old and new
Bikes played a very small part in the South Pacific Theater. The Japanese soldiers used them on roads in relatively tame places , not what we would consider off-road
see
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycle_infantry
"In its 1937 invasion of China, Japan employed some 50,000 bicycle troops. Early in World War II their southern campaign through Malaya en route to capturing Singapore in 1941 was largely dependent on bicycle-riding soldiers. In both efforts bicycles allowed quiet and flexible transport of thousands of troops who were then able to surprise and confuse the defenders. Bicycles also made few demands on the Japanese war machine, needing neither trucks, nor ships to transport them, nor precious petroleum. Using bicycles, the Japanese troops were able to move faster than the withdrawing Allied Forces, often successfully cutting off their retreat. The speed of Japanese advance have also caught Allied Forces defending the main roads by surprise while attacking them from the rear."
Also Vietnamese; British/Canadian Troops circa D-Day: