# Does anyone have info on Bauer?



## carrotsnax (Jan 27, 2019)

Hey Guys,

I am realllllly outside of my realm of knowledge with this Bauer bicycle I inhereted. 

It belonged to a very good friend that was stationed in Germany in the late 70’s. He found on a curb on trash day as a frame and added the wheels and I guess maybe the bars too. 

Has beautiful lugs, and a neat spoke/wheels lock, on the rear triangle. Also there are two nipples on the left side of the seat post for a bicycle pump. 

The bike has been fitted with alloy wheels with a built in generator front hub and an Early twin stick internally geared 5 speed sturmey archer hub. 

I apologize this is the only photo I currently have of the bike right now. It was a bit of an emotional day pulling the bike from its resting place. Any information or possible build date would be appreciated.


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## morton (Jan 27, 2019)

Don't know the make but tell us about the gearing?  Downtube shifter on right for 3 speed internal (Sachs?) and shifter on left for derailuer shifting?  How many total speeds?


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## bulldog1935 (Jan 27, 2019)

beauty bike

here's a track bike with company history - http://www.tindonkey.com/2010/12/herd-of-tin-donkeys-1960s-bauer-track.html 
out of business in '68


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## carrotsnax (Jan 28, 2019)

The hub is a sturmey archer internally geared 5 speed. There is one cable on each side of the hub, and from my understanding this hub is just like a 3 speed unit, but has 2 more sets of planetary gears inside to make it a 5 speed. Or maybe it’s a 2x3 set up so maybe it’s a 6 speed? I’m not totally sure. The bike has sat for a while and the hub needs to be serviced.  So the bike is pre 68, that’s cool. Also this bike doesn’t have the 50th year badge on it, it is an earlier badge. I’ll get some detailed pics this weekend. Thanks for the help!


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## dweenk (Jan 29, 2019)

There should be a date on the hub shell. The first digit(s) are the year, the second digit(s) are the month.


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## Oilit (Jan 30, 2019)

That's interesting! I didn't know anybody used the Sturmey-Archer 5 speed hub except Raleigh. But considering how many companies used the 3 speed, there had to be more.


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## carrotsnax (Feb 1, 2019)

Where would the date be in the hub?

My friend added the wheels, so I am unsure of what the original drivetrain may have been. I am unsure of what all is original or not on this bike. 

My friend found it on trash day on a curb in front of a house in Germany in the late 70’s. Asked the homeowner if he could have the bike and the guy looked at him crazy and said yes. To my understanding the bike had no wheels, and may have been missing other parts that he later added. My friend then opening and operated a bicycle shop for 25 years once he came back to the states.


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## carrotsnax (Feb 2, 2019)

Here are the photos I promised!


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## bulldog1935 (Feb 2, 2019)

Weimann dual-pivot brakes
Nice effort on the lugwork. 
Looks like they also sold the frame built with a Huret 5-sp rear  - though could be an English shifter boss:  Cyclo


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## Eatontkd (Feb 2, 2019)

carrotsnax said:


> Here are the photos I promised!




Wow! diggin the lug work.


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## carrotsnax (Feb 3, 2019)

Thanks gents, the lugs are rather unique looking. It was good getting a chance to look the bike over.


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## Oilit (Feb 23, 2019)

carrotsnax said:


> Where would the date be in the hub?
> 
> My friend added the wheels, so I am unsure of what the original drivetrain may have been. I am unsure of what all is original or not on this bike.
> 
> My friend found it on trash day on a curb in front of a house in Germany in the late 70’s. Asked the homeowner if he could have the bike and the guy looked at him crazy and said yes. To my understanding the bike had no wheels, and may have been missing other parts that he later added. My friend then opening and operated a bicycle shop for 25 years once he came back to the states.



From your pictures, you may already have figured this out, but the date on the hub is June 1979 ("79   6"). The 5 speed hubs are a lot less common than the 3 speeds. And from the picture of the shift levers, it looks like the original mounting bosses are just below, so it's safe to say the wheels aren't original.


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## mongeese (Feb 23, 2019)

Original wheels would be Altenberger I believe.


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## juvela (Feb 23, 2019)

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The World Championship of Cycling was won on a Bauer machine in 1952.  Thereafter for many years all Bauer cycles bore a transfer proclaiming "WELTMEISTER 1952."

Company was based in Starkenburg, Germany (DBR).  IIRC production ceased in the mid--1960's.  They were one of the few German producers who offered first quality lighweight sports cycles.

Lugs almost look like they could be one of the patterns from Dusika (Austria).

German catalogue page of 1959 --






The lugset on this distaffer of 1950 looks to bear a close familial relation to that of our subject machine -

https://www.steel-vintage.com/bauer-ladies-roadbike-1950s-detail

Fork crown appears to be wearing a cap of stamped aluminum sheet.  Is that correct?

The Pletscher is curious in that it appears to have been produced for mounting to a small wheeled machine and has adaptors added to make its deck come out parallel to the ground on a cycle with full sized wheels.

Finish - should you wish to explore the bicycle's livery original one spot which offers a good liklihood of clues is the steerer.  There may be yet some colour there from the factory spray application.  Another place to examine in this regard is the interior of the bottom bracket shell.

Readers might be able to write more if they could see some images of the complete bicycle.  Very few of the fittings appear to be original which makes model and date identification more difficult.

In case you think of searching on the Altenburger name it is spelt with a u rather than with an e.  The company is best known for caliper brake products but produced other componentry as well.  Even derailleurs.  In the late 1940's they joined forces with two other component makers to offer a road ensemble which enjoyed but a brief production life.


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