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Ca. 1937 Adler Dreigang / 3-Gang German bottom bracket 3 speed

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Cool bike,looks like a fun project . Must have been a relief when everything was OK inside that gear box.
 
Relief is an understatement... Moving the shifter rotates shifter hooks in angled slots to slide the intermediate gears right or left. If you scroll down, there is an exploded view of the gearbox at:
http://www.ddrmoped.de/forum/index.php?showtopic=6710#
Other manufacturers made bottom bracket gears around the same time. Here is an interesting thread on a Wanderer two speed, which simplified the shifting by just kicking the end of the axle, like a modern Schlumpf unicycle hub:
http://www.altesrad.net/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=18766
The Facebook bike is definitely an Adler- It's good to see another one on the road!
 
A friend has a Victoria(german ) BB3 speed. These bikes can be built into a true 3 speed fixed gear.
 
That drawing is interesting,I thought working in that gear box would be a nightmare. Does not look all that complicated,I guess it all depends on if things are froze up or not.
 
adler.jpg
 
Some work in the garage has the front fender looking a lot more like a fender, although with the loss of a lot of paint:
IMG_12331_zpsrgcyjrmq.jpg

Goof-Off removed enough of the top layer of Rustoleum to show how the pinstripes ended- no fancy box lining on the fender, at least:
IMG_12321_zps2x336ubo.jpg

The black paint is just not sticking very well, and I don't think a lot of it can be saved. The gearbox is really pretty simple, and once you understand how it works, simpler than a Sturmey Archer AW. If larger and heavier. To see it in action, scroll all the way down on this page:
http://www.scheunenfun.de/datenbank_adler.htm
They made a cut-away gearbox that shows exactly how things work.
 
Funny you mention the SA AW,when I saw the drawing I said to myself it sure looks easier then tearing down an AW. This pic seems to prove it,does not look bad at all.

schnellgang-adler-getrieberad.jpg
 
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