# Schauff racing - what the heck did I buy?!



## wullz (Apr 20, 2012)

Hello,

This is my first post, but I've referred to this forum quite a bit for advice. Thanks for the wealth of information.

Now, I have a question! I went out on a whim and dropped some dough on a new bike. It's a super sharp German bike by Schauff. 57cm aluminum frame, steel fork, Shimano 105's (except for the downtube shifters, which are 600s), ITM headset, and a saddle that's 10x better to look at than sit on - it'll be swapped out and displayed before long. I took it out for ~8mi this morning, and it's smooth as butter (especially compared with my main ride, a steel Raleigh Capri, which I love, but it's, erm... clunky). Some pictures attached.

I can't find much info on this Schauff. Plenty of Googling and checking bike forums didn't turn up much. My wife is German, and she hadn't heard of the company; I then Skype'd with the in-laws (who still live in Germany, and close to Cologne, even, which is where Schauff apparently got its start) and they came up empty as well. The guy I bought it from bought it to refurbish and turn a buck, so while he spoke very highly of the quality of the bike (particularly the welding), he could say nothing of its history.

Tantalizingly, the model name of the bike has partially rubbed off of the frame so I can't do a direct search for that (I tried some possibilities to no avail), and Schauff's website does not mention any model with a name that would match what I can make out on the bike. My wife translated a warning sticker on the top tube, which said it is intended for racing, and is not a street-legal bike (in Germany) until various safety accessories are added - so, I assume it's part of Schauff's Racing line.

If anyone has any information, I'd love to know exactly what I've got on my hands here. Year, model, perhaps anything about its history or reputation, whatever! Thanks a lot in advance!


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## Turbo_5 (Mar 31, 2012)

Sounds fun. May just have yourself a bit of a collector's piece there once it's cleaned up. Just be sure to keep all the part & pieces so it can be put back original. 

I'm a naturally interested individual in the history of items I wind up with, but there comes a point at which you just have to get out and ride/enjoy/use it!


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## paredown (Oct 18, 2006)

Probably you already found this, but I just searched Schauff Rennrad and came up with this site.
Like nice internationalists, they even have an English option:


> 68 years ago bicycle-enthusiast Hans Schauff senior brazed his first racing frame right beside the 6-days track in Cologne. This was the very first step of what was to become the world-wide known bicycle-brand SCHAUFF. The german bicycle-manufacturer is now based in Remagen 50 km south of Cologne. Equipped with high-tech production-facilities, SCHAUFF is private property of the Schauff family.
> 
> After WW II the Schauff's moved to Remagen due to the destruction of the factory in Cologne. Restarting the production near the famous "Apollinaris"-church, the company moved in 1968 to a new site close to the railway, to facilitate the transportation of the containers to the many export customers all over the world. But in 1992 a new plant had to be opened to accomodate new production ideas for the most advanced bicycles of the world.
> 
> ...


I thought it might be another one of those German 'made for dealers' bikes, but it looks as though they are actual manufacturers.


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## wullz (Apr 20, 2012)

Turbo_5: Definitely enjoying it in the meantime! It's quite a different ride than my Raleigh Capri. I took it out for ~30mi total today and I was hurting in places I hadn't hurt before afterwards - mostly because I was pitched forward more than I'm used to. Just raised the stem so we'll see how the next ride goes. I would like to clean it up a bit but I don't yet know how to clean tough stains off bikes while not distressing the actual paint at all.

Paredown: Yeah, I spun through their site to see what I could find. They definitely seem to have a name to themselves, however small. From what I can tell, a lot of their fame comes from their tandem bikes! They also have annual team bikes, it seems. I don't know much about the actual manufacturing of bikes, but the guy I bought it from was very impressed with the aluminum welding and construction otherwise.


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## adrian.grigoriu (Aug 31, 2012)

*You are lucky to have a Schauff!*



wullz said:


> Hello,
> 
> This is my first post, but I've referred to this forum quite a bit for advice. Thanks for the wealth of information.
> 
> ...


Hi! I said you were lucky! I'm from Romania and I've had this bike for years and years and has never let me down.It's sturdy, not rickety and the weldings are super though not very good looking.You have the old stable shifters that had once their pride. Mine are a bit newer.(I have handle shifters). To cut it short, I've changed the wheels, the front and rear hubs (Shimano Deore XT) which I'm proud of,the brakes,the chain and the rear derailleur (Sora)(not very expensive but still trusting). In other words, I"m thinking to change the bottom bracket too,which is still working perfectly but my mind is already set on this idea.So, be happy to own this bike! Maybe I'll post a picture of it soon.Bye now.


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## merckxman (Jan 23, 2002)

Schauff made some nice high end frames in the 70s. Some of these carried the Rudy Altig brand name.


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## RagbraiNewB (May 21, 2008)

My very first "10 speed" was a 70's bike boom lower-end Schauff with a lugged steel frame, Huret Allvit derailleurs and Weinmann brakes. I loved it but some jerks stole it out of the family garage.


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