A few years ago i found this thing stuffed between a wall in my shed. Frame was sawn in half most likely due to the bottom bracket and right crank damage. Taper between the crank and bb axle had some play. At first i just welded the frame back together with no intention of riding it, but since most of the parts from this bicycle had been laying around the shed for ages, i eventually made it rideable. I was very suprised how well this thing rides and how well it compares to the modern stuff. From the frame number it was dated around 1935-36 and when finally fixing the bottom bracket and crank issue, the spindle had 36 stamped on it, so i think its a 1936. Wheels are non original, rims are early soviet era clinchers, rear hub is a 1926 april Torpedo and front hub is Union.
It has been a fantastic around town/village bike and i have even towed a soviet bicycle trailer with it. You can see the hitch on the saddle post in the last pictures. Altough the new 60-23 ratio is really not towing friendly.

Frame as found, other fork stuff is luckily not from this bike:





Frame welded back together, its thick walled oversized tubing, takes a 27.2mm seatpost. Original fork has also seem some repairs, gas welded near the fork end. Also this thing is so long.



Torpedo hub, looks crusty but internally is brand new and smooth rolling:


Completed look with the replacement crankset and bottom bracket. With the optional 60 tooth chainring that this bicycle didnt originally have. Modern crank puller has the same thread suprisingly.





Rear light is made from a GAZ 51 turnsignal and a motorcycle rear light lens.

Good job. Cool bike

That is so cool

Absolutely spot-on identical to the description given by my father of his 1930's Dürkopp, handed down to him from his father. Don't know if he had it prior to the war, or whether he bought it after the war. Doubt if it was when he was underground.

Torpedo hub, single spoon-type rod brake, and the triangular leather tool bag - all a spot-on description of what he described to me.
-Kurt

Very interesting! Would like to see the soviet trailer if possible.

Crazy! That's an awesome bike. Clearly designed for some swept back bars i imagine.

Handlebars are original, there was a option for a flipped dropped version as some of them have them.

Here is the trailer, aluminium ones are most common, there is a steel version also.

That is an incredibly cool bike and an even better job getting it back on the road without destroying its character. My hat is off, sir!

Love this. Very, very cool. Leaving the original paint intact was a great choice. Just needs a really old, weathered leather seat bag or panniers to complete the look. Or maybe a set of old ammo boxes...