I have inherited my late grandfather’s bicycle that has been in my family for ages. On the back wheel hub I found a Torpedo and a number 37. The frame has a serial number and no date on it. Any idea what bike is it? Could that be a civilian version of a Truppenfahrrad? Also, any hints regarding restoration?
by Whole_Philosophy1904
2 Comments
I have a 1938 NSU that looks very similar to this bike but then, most German bikes from that era looked similar. It could also be Swiss or Czechoslovakian. The front mudguard/fender on yours as well as the head tube lugs look different. You’re correct that the 37 on the hub delineates the year. Is the handlebar wood?
I did a sympathetic restoration on mine where I basically restored all the moving parts on the bike; overhauled the hubs, headset (and I’m still looking for a crank puller with the right diameter to be able to remove the cranks and allow me to dig into the BB), re-tensioned and trued the wheels, replaced the tires/tubes/rimstrips, restored the dynamo and headlight, etc. but left the physical appearance of the bike exactly as I found it. It’s a lot of fun to ride fast on it.
Check out[Velo-Classic](https://velo-classic.de/oxid2/index.php?lang=0),
[oldbike.eu](https://www.oldbike.eu/)
> any hints regarding restoration?
Parts are going to be hard to find. Easily available parts will be tires/tubes, ball bearings, and spokes. I was going to say cotter pins for the cranks, but I’ve never seen cranks like that