Yeah it's got low end components on it. But the thing is built solid. It has no give in the frame at all. I'm not sure that my old Dyno freestyle BMX bike was this stiff. Not sure if the guy I bought it from got it new or second hand in Germany but my gut says that it was marketed to American soldiers that were stationed there.

I debated keeping the brakes setup as it was but ultimately changed it to the American setup. Strangely I setup my green bike with the right brake as the front. I'm not sure why. When I redo that bike I'll probably switch it back.

Like! Very nicely done.

I assure you that it's a standard bike that would be mostly bought at a supermarket or department store. Think HEB in the US. That would be where most bicycles would be purchased rather than a bike shop.

Germans like durable goods and stuff that is build to last and that bike is solid.

I'd see at least 10 a day in Frankfurt which and they have nothing to do with the military.

Enjoy it, I would have simply picked up a dyno powered wheel shipped to your front door rather than deal with the hassle. Of batteries.

Cool, it's hard to find any information on them so that's interesting to me.

​​​​​​I still don't know if I'm going to physically be able to do this everyday. But if I can then a Dyno wheel may very well be in the plans. It not then a hub motor may make it feasible.
Time will tell.

Okay, it's the day after and my fingers are still numb.

While my knees are not painful, and they didn't complain at all during the ride, they are what I would call tender or raw today.

I think it's best to build into this slowly. It may turn out that I just can't do it. But I'm not going to give up until I just absolutely can't do it.

Clearly you can do it, because you've done it. Easing into it makes sense, though. I suspect your knees will get used to it. I do dead lifts almost every day, and that helps me. I'm 57 years old and now need to do weights to maintain my strength.

But you should solve the numb hands problem. Don't let that go on. Go to a bike shop and ask them to look at you on your bike. See if they have suggestions.

Thanks noglider.
A little back story on my knees. About ten years ago I saw an ortho about some severe knee pain I'd been having. He poked around a little and said I had partially torn meniscus in both. Gave me the option of getting scoped or getting cortisone shots. I declined both options at the time. I lived with it for eight years. Two years ago I'd had enough and finally got the shots. Took a couple rounds but I've been mostly pain free since then. But in the back of my mind I'm afraid that because I waited so long and never got it cleaned up that I'm only one bad move away from being back into pain again. It was pretty debilitating at times and I don't want to go back to that.

In other news I commuted into work this morning. With the seat moved back I was putting much less pressure on my arms and hands. I can now pull my hands off the bars pretty easily without having my pelvis move on the seat. It's a much more comfortable position and I had no issues with my hands at all.

Severe weather came through when it was time to leave so I chickened out and had my wife stop by and pick me up on her way home from work. I wasn't to interested in riding into this mess.


To be fair I would have had her pick my up if I wasn't on the bicycle anyway. I don't own a car, only a motorcycle so I would have been out in the elements either way.

Cool pics.

That mess is exactly what that bike is designed to ride though ... no fender and no batteries (originally). What you have is an excellent all weather commuter that won't be affected by rain/mud/snow.

Had a good ride home this afternoon. It's a lot more hectic coming home than going to work. But it wasn't at all stressful. Had to Sprint pretty hard a couple times to make some lights and beat some traffic and the 14T sprocket won't take hardly any torque without skipping. Think I'll order that 7speed freewheel this weekend.

​​​​​​Another issue is the chain got jammed in the front derailleur when I mistakingly tried to switch to the small ring when I needed the big and made a quick change. The derailleur twisted a little on the seat post and wouldn't allow me to shift down to the small ring. I'll get that sorted tonight.

You're getting the hang of it.

It was chilly this morning. Mid fifties if I remember correctly. Still in shorts and a t-shirt but any colder and I would have needed some extra layers. Beautiful weather on the ride home mid-seventies and sunny. Couldn't ask for anything better.

​​​​​​I rolled my ankle at work today so I wasn't looking forward to the ride home. It's swollen and a little tender to walk on. But it didn't bother me too much while pedaling. I think I'll take the motorcycle tomorrow anyway because I don't want to push it and delay the healing process.

More teething issues when I checked the bike out after getting home today. Noticed the headset was slightly loose and when I went to loosen the locknut saw that it had split. So it's probably not the best idea to ride it until that gets replaced anyway.

There are a couple blocks near downtown that are paved with bricks and the bike takes a beating. Plus the rest of the route is pretty rough. I'll definitely find the weakest parts of the bike in short order.

Still thinking about bar options. Right now the bar has an 8cm drop from the saddle. And while I'm not having any pain or discomfort from the bars anymore I feel like I would rather be a little more upright for better visibility. Still debating.

Taking a rest is probably a good idea, but you could also drop your seat and pedal from your heels (short term) to limit ankle movement.

The best option would have been to ride the bike as is when it was received as that's exactly what it was designed/assembled for (and to be left outside in all weather).

edit: another less direct way to say it is that, compared to the bike, the human is usually like weakest component. At least that has been my experience with German-made bicycles.

Been to Temple, TX many times myself. Thanks for posting photos, brings back a lot of memories.

The bike was essentially unrideable as I received it. The hub bearings sounded like gravel. The BB was extremely notchy and barely turning (it was full of stones and sticks.) The headset was notchy. Essentially the only thing I've done to the bike so far is maintenance. New bearings all around, new chain, new tubes and tires and new cables. Everything else is as received, just cleaned up. The saddle is only a placeholder and is intended for my green bike.

But it will be modified. I'm the type of person that just simply cannot leave things alone. Especially things with wheels. My mother asked me years ago what I would do if I had back all the money I've wasted over the years fixing up cars and trucks. My answer used to be spend it all on cars and trucks, although nowadays I'd probably spend it on a whole lot of junk bikes that I could modify. Some people don't understand it, like my mother and my wife. And that's okay. It's not for everyone. If I went out and bought a top of the line superbike today I'd have a list of things I wanted to change by tonight. It's just in my DNA to not leave well enough alone. Even if the end result is worse than what I started with it's still a learning experience.

Like this bike for instance. I learned I should have used a little threadlock on the rack and fender bolts. I also learned that I used a little too much torque on the headset locknut and not quite enough on the front derailleur. So those things will be addressed when I go through it again.

And I will go through it again. It'll never be completed. Just simply a progression. I may end up with over a thousand dollars in the thing in five years. But the money is not the point. If I was the type of person that could leave things alone I'd just go out and buy a new commuter bike, but just riding a bike is not the point either.

Many of us get that completely. Wrenching and upgrading are an ongoing process.

I ordered a new locking nut and a 14-28T, 7 speed freewheel.

I also had an idea. About a year ago I bent the handlebar on the green bike trying to hop up onto a curb. So it needed a new bar anyway. This Wald 803 handlebar is pretty much a direct replacement for the one that is on it.
So I ordered one and I'm going to try it out on the tank to see if that's the direction I want to go. Should put the grips two inches higher than the saddle. If I do end up liking it I'll buy another in black to go on the tank and put the chrome ones on the green bike. If not it'll at least give me an idea of which way I need to go.

Cool build.

I think the name is more than fitting considering how it got here.

Not many bicycles make it to the states like that.

Got the new headset locknut installed and the New freewheel came in as well.
​​​​​​

I had to adjust the shifter cables tension and the stops a little but it works perfectly. I also had to space out the fender stay bolts a little as it was making contact with the chain on the small sprocket.


Years ago I bought some saddlebags from Tractor Supply Co. They are actually meant for horses. I modified them and used them on my old motorcycle for a couple years. They've sat in the garage unused since I got new motorcycle. They are a little beat up and sun faded but they are a good size for the bicycle so I set about mounting them.

I found some plastic clasps that have little reflectors in them so I picked up two of those to replace the regular black ones I'd installed when they were on the motorcycle. I cut some webbing to size and riveted then to the bags so that the top of the bag sits on the rails of the rack. The bags had D rings on the inside that almost lined up perfectly with the rack supports that go to the dropouts. So I modified some picture hangers and riveted them so the D ring goes around the rack supports then hooks into the picture hangers to secure the bag to the rack supports so they're not just flopping around at the bottom.









I also picked up a cheap bottle cage and a mirror.

Well even though I ordered chrome bars I received black ones. Thankfully, so far I really like them. But I'll have to get chrome ones for the green bike at a later date. I was just barely able to reuse the cables so that's a plus. I really like the shifters in the new position, much less awkward than on the flat bar. I hate the gray grips but I needed something tonight and that's what Walmart had.

I am sitting much more upright which feels wonderful around the neighborhood. Tomorrow we'll see how detrimental it is to my speed out on the road.

looking good man.

Man what a difference those last changes made!

I'm super stoked about it now. Being more upright, for me, is absolutely the right choice. Being able to see all around without straining is so nice. The mirror may have paid the most dividends. I definitely was able to reduce the number of close passes by seeing cars coming and positioning myself to eliminate that possibility. I feel much more in control and in turn safer by being able to see behind me without doing a head check constantly.

The bike fit is getting very close now I think. There seems to be a balance of the weight distribution between my hands, butt and feet now. I think I may need to adjust the angle of the saddle a little but other than that it feels very good.

My average speed seemed to be on pace with my other morning commutes so I don't feel the riding position or the panniers provide any hindrance to the speed of my commute.

I'm happy!

Good work!

Yah man, mirrors are a game changer for commuting. Once in a while I run a nearby errand without my helmet, and I miss my (helmet-mounted) mirror all the time. Feel blind without being able to watch behind me