What brand and period of time is this bakfiets?

[mstoss]

Hi folks,

(I hope it is ok to post in English, I can read your answers in Dutch though)

Together with a friend I bought a beautiful bakfiets recently. It was sold as being of the Gazelle brand, 1950ies. It turned out, that the previous owner seemed to know nothing about the history of this bakfiets in reality. The rear wheel drum brake is branded as being a Gazelle brake - which was his only clue to the brand. He had bought it from somebody in the Köln area, not too far from the Netherlands, so it might very well be a Gazelle bakfiets. With its single main frame tube it reminds me of this bakfiets:

http://www.transportfiets.net/2013/06/2 ... pannerden/

What is described as lamp fittings on that bike, looks different on ours and we have a wooden steering. We found two numbers, one on the saddle itself (Primus/Holland, no. 8904) and one on the frame close beneath the saddle (no. 3078).

We hope, somebody can confirm the Gazelle origin and the dating or point us to some other manufacturer/date. Any information is very much appreciated.

All the best
Michael and Gerhard

[maartenB]

Nice bicycle, but not many people here are expert on 'bakfiets'.
I am not anyway. But I can see that the framenumber is longer than four digits. So scrape off the paint and reveal the complete number!

[mstoss]

But I can see that the framenumber is longer than four digits. So scrape off the paint and reveal the complete number!

Thank you so much and WOW... you are right! I'll do as you said!

Yours,
Michael

[Jeroen Zuiderwijk]

Hello Michael and Gerhard,

It's a beautiful bakfiets that you've got there. If it were a Gazelle bakfiets, it should be easily dateable by frame number (which should have more digits, perhaps hidden under the paint). However, for other similar one that you provided a link to they seem to question that it is a Gazelle. The frame number on that one would place it in the 1937, and it's not a frame that you see in use by Gazelle at that time (see http://www.transportfiets.net/2011/11/0 ... e-in-1938/).

Also on both yours and that one, there is no typical Gazelle crackset present. You could also check the crank axle, and bearings. Gazelle used unique measurements on transport bicycles, which I assume they would have applied on bakfietsen too. For Gazelle IIRC it should be 45.4mm diameter for the crank housing/cups (normally 45.0mm), 18mm diameter axle (normally in the 17.0-17.5mm range for Thompson style axles), bearing balls 9/32"(other brands 1/4" or 5/16"). So that would be an additional check whether it's a Gazelle or not.

[Jeroen Zuiderwijk]

P.s. I've seen Gazelle wheels more often on bakfietsen that weren't Gazelles. I'm guessing those just were easily available as replacements. My own bakfiets has a Gazelle rear wheel (currently in need of replacement again), and it's more likely a Maxwell or something like that.

[mstoss]

Thank you very much, Jeroen!

The bottom bracket/crank set combo needs some adjustment on our bakfiets anyway - so this could be an opportunity to check the measurements. The frame number might very well have more digits, like you and Maarten pointed out, we'll check that as well.

At first we supposed, that the load carrying part of the bakfiets would not be significant, since that part might be modified according to the specific needs of the customer. The one we found is quite similar though, maybe this is a sign for the setup to be of a more common type by some specific manufacturer.

Good observation with the Gazelle back wheel/drum bracket. The brake lever mechanism seems to be fitted to the frame in a somehow awkward manner - could point to being of later date/sign of replacement.

Yours,
Michael and Gerhard

[Jeroen Zuiderwijk]

It's a funny detail that your bakfiets comes with a bicycle stand, at the back Perhaps handy though when you have a flat tire, as you don't just flip over a bakfiets in that case.

[mstoss]

It's a funny detail that your bakfiets comes with a bicycle stand, at the back Perhaps handy though when you have a flat tire, as you don't just flip over a bakfiets in that case.

hehe... no, the reason is, that the previous owner sold some stuff from the main hold. The bicycle stand belongs to the rack, where he needed to place an additional basket with bread. We will probably remove it.

[mstoss]

The frame number looks like there could have been some digits hidden under the paint - but actually there are none!

So I guess, this is strong evidence, that it is NOT a Gazelle bike at least?

Yours,
Michael

[Jeroen Zuiderwijk]

Very unlikely in that case.