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Csepel Robusta from Hungary-Torrington Components

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Pirate of the Plains

Finally riding a big boys bike
This wknd I found an ad for an old bike that's headbadge says it's a Robusta by Csepel A Hungarian Co that was active before 1900 it looks like. They bought some portion of their components from Puch Steyr Daimler or something close.
I was able to find very little english language information about this company other than this article that I Found that a somehow connected with the Budapest tourism office. According to behead badge and this article that bike was made post 1950 after a sale and move of the factory. The only thing that makes me unsure is that that seat looks to be much older and the almost art deco looking stem seems older as well. Were they using old components given to them during the sale or or is just a frankenbike?

I would welcome any opinions or knowledge about the company or about the bike or components pictured from Somebody who's wheelhouse is prewar, Torrington or Puch because mine certainly is not.


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In my uneducated opinion the seat is in keeping with the bicycles age.
If you look at the clamp it is probably stamped and not cast or forged.
 
Huh I always thought they stopped using the saddles that look like rideable scaffolding sometime in the 30s or certainly by the war, but like I said not my wheelhouse

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I believe this is a Robusta from the 1950's - 1960's. Its odd seat is actually original, but the handlebars and other parts are changed. I ride a similar Robusta which is a 28" wheel rod-brake roadster like a Raleigh DL-1. A connection to Steyr-Puch of Austria makes sense geographically but the bikes are very different. I also have a 1964 Steyr-Puch Waffenrad with more continental specifications: 28" wheels with a spoon brake/coaster brake combination. Neither bike had any American parts, and I doubt either were officially imported to the US. But if we now know of at least two, maybe they were. Puch did export 26" 3-speeds to the US re-labeled by Sears.

The saddle is a stretched leather top on a frame with 3 coil springs, similar to a TOC design, but with a "Robusta" badge in sloped modern script. I had to switch seats when the leather gave out.

These Robustas were very traditional bikes but with a newer style paint scheme. I repainted mine, but found a photo online of the original metallic teal. The paint on the pictured bike may be the same but faded. The bike was probably neat in its original configuration, but as it is may have little interest here beyond its retro seat and 28" parts--if that's the size it is.

Can you post a photo of the head badge? Mine is missing and I've never seen one!

Paul Rubenson


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The frame of the bike for sale looks the same as mine, but the sprocket is different. But it is similar to those on a few other German and Austrian bikes I have from that period. Are the wheels 28" or 26"? The rear wheel seems to fill the fender properly. Maybe there were models in 28" and 26", and with different brakes. Are there any signs of previous rod-brake hardware? If the bike was converted from rod brakes, that would explain changing the handlebars.

If you buy the bike for the seat and parts, I might be interested in that head badge! PM me.

Thanks, Paul
 
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