When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

A.G. Schladitz Albina, Dresden...1890's?...Just Got It

-
@New Mexico Brant Thank you! 🙂 Labor of love.

I'm trying to be so careful as to not polish off the pin striping. There isn't a lot there, but I'd still like to get a shine out of the paint without losing it.
 
OK...I'm done. With the exception of tires, this is as far as it goes. Sadly, the skirt rope needed to be removed. Every time I basically touched it the rope began to fall apart. To bad (but I did keeep it!). 😆

Ironically, I did finally find on the pedals a logo of some sort. It's in the last photo...a letter "W" (or M) inside of a Sun shield of some sort. And just enough cleaning/detailing/rust/patina to make it look good. 😉

Anyway, enjoy the barrage of photos. Knowing that the bike was made somewhere between 1918-1925 and in Germany, I'm thrilled to be its new keeper. 🙂

IMG_2094.jpeg


IMG_2095.jpeg


IMG_2097.jpeg


IMG_2098.jpeg


IMG_2099.jpeg


IMG_2100.jpeg


IMG_2103.jpeg


IMG_2104.jpeg


IMG_2106.jpeg


IMG_2107.jpeg


IMG_2109.jpeg


IMG_2110.jpeg


IMG_2112.jpeg
 
Can anyone identify the maker of the pedal in the last photo? 🤨
Yes, those are Wippermans, form Hagen, Germany - the company is still in existance today - although they dont make pedals anymore, but still chains , for bicycles and industrial appliactions.

1666566931221.png



Wippermann pedals were widely used in Europe- this design came up around 1900 and was used into the very early 30s.
Schladitz was condisered as a high-end brand ("Markenfahrrad") but produced relatively small numbers - they made many components themselves, but had no pedals of their own, so I'm certain these pedals were originally equipped with your bike.

Any by the way, Harpo : this bike is fantastic - and all parts seem to be original:
The lamp-bracket, the front brake assembly , fenders + fender brackets are all special Schladitz-design - nothing has been changed. Great :)
You also did a great job in preserving the lady - no overpolishing, just cleaning and maybe some wax (?)...

I also have a Schladitz and I like them in particular for their unique method of adjusting the main bearing /bottom bracket :
Many German bicycles had a "Glockenlager" ; direct translation="Bell Bearing" where "bell" is refering to the prolonged cup on the pedal arm which reaches a small portion over the bottom bracket.
This "Glockenlager" came up around 1900 and was a big hype - the bell-cover was supposed to hold dirt away from the ball bearing and gain "engen Tritt" (="Narrow Tread"), by bringing the balls of the bearings further to the center, inline with the chain-line.

The downside of this design is the method of attaching the crank arms to the main spindle by means of a press fitting:
A tapered pocket on the crankarm is pressed onto the tapered shank of the main spindle. This assembly is very hard to dismount, espeically after may years of corrosion.

In my eyes this is a big disadvantage and the simple, old "Safety Style Cotter Pin" was much better -
but a forged taper and smooth cups were a lot cheaper to manufacture compared to milled keyways, thread cutting in bottom brackets and cups, or all these other fancy designs.


So long story short:
Many German bikes had these Glockenlager and to adjust the bearing slack is was necessarry to remove the left pedal arm to access the cone and locknut for adjusting the spindle-play. Without a special tool you can only jam off the pedalarm with a big hammer and many times this was (is) fatal.

So Schladitz went a different way with their Glockenlager:
You can adjust the play from the outisde and secure it with a littkle screw that reaches through the pedal arm.
This ingenious method was not only used by Schladitz and Mars (Nurenberg), but I was very amazed to see it on my Pierce Full Suspension as well :)


Your Schladitz is from the early Twenties:


Fahrradsammler-de.png


source: fahradsammler.de



Here are a few photos of mine:

IMG_20190511_155222.jpg






IMG_20190511_155241.jpg






Katalog 1914.jpg


Modell AB, 1-2Zoll Tlg.jpg

IMG_20190324_173026.jpg




f5dc789b0919d261d43e9bd5960dde84.jpg



In case you need advice for servicing the bottom bracket (Removing the cranks) , just let me know - there is a very good and safe method.

You need 28" x 1 1/2 tires with beaded edges (Wulstreifen) -

1666570786577.png


Colored in red and black is no problem - you can still buy them (I stocked 5 red pairs at home, in case they run out like the white ones did last year ;) ... If you need help, just let me know.

I'll see if I can find a catalog-scan of your machine...
By the way: your Schladitz-Albina was out of the less pricy line-up - you can compare it to the Hartford-machines which Columbia offered to satisfy customers who wanted "Columbia-quality" for a lesser price.



Good night
Jochen

1666566833514.png
 
@FreedomMachinist Jochen, Good Morning!!

I can't thank you enough for all of the time and information that you've given to this! I had given up on finding any info on the bike itself, but at least had a basic date thanks to the nice person at Rotax for responding to my inquiry. I figured that was going to be the end. But now I have a wealth of info and a renewed sense of pride that I own this bicycle. 🙂

Your bikes are in incredible condition, and you're so lucky that they are men's models. What years are they? Are they both all original as well?
The saddle in the first two photos appears to have been taken good care of over its entire life.

I did a little less of my usual cleaning/detailing, and was a bit more judicial on this one. I didn't want to take a chance on removing any of the pin striping. The bike was in very good condition as I found it, and it was a fluke I saw it as the bike was only listed with a heading of "Girls Bike". 🤪 I doubt if I'll ever find another, so I'm thrilled to have it.

I've had a few older Raleigh Tourist's, having the same size tire, so I'm familiar with them. I'll try to find a whitewall.

Again, thank you so much for all you've given me. No one on here apparently had ever heard of this Marque, and I now know I have something special.

Fred
 
The quality which is obvious in some the the components shown is just astounding. Its nice to see something of that era has survived, a time before cost cutting and planned obsolescence. I have had some older European machines in the past and the thoughtfulness and care that went into their manufacture always amazes.

Then I go to work at the bike shop and the new stuff makes me sad.
 
Hello Fred.
Sorry for may late reply - I was kind of busy and havent checked the forum fro a while. I'm glad my input did help you a bit - so thank you for saying thank you :)
My Schladitz is a 1914 model, one of the last bikes before WW1 broke lose and production came to a halt.
I have only one Schalditz, the photos were taken with some time in between, with different saddles, the original one was not present when I bought the bike.

Best Regards
Jochen
 
The quality which is obvious in some the the components shown is just astounding. Its nice to see something of that era has survived, a time before cost cutting and planned obsolescence. I have had some older European machines in the past and the thoughtfulness and care that went into their manufacture always amazes.

Then I go to work at the bike shop and the new stuff makes me sad.

Yes Fritz, you are right, as an example, the old-style adjustable bearings (screw in cone against balls in cups) is just so much nicer than the modern pressed in bearings with "life-time-lubrification" , in a plastic housing - some bottom brackets even come with plastic counter screws ! Oh my god - what happend, they are in it only for the money ;)
 
Back
Top