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I want to buy this second-hand bike but the person selling it lives in a different city and I can't go there at the moment. However I can't explain it but I really like the bike even though I only have this picture of it. I would like to know if any of you recognize the bike. The only thing I know about it is that the bike is German.

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    It's old. Cotter crank (often a trouble spot) and that sort of center-pull caliper brake (which, while an old design is not a bad one) suggest a date prior to maybe 1975/1980. Otherwise the design is pretty standard for a lightweight steel bike and not much different from all bikes until aluminum became popular in the late 80s. The photo is not detailed enough to determine the workmanship of the frame, however.
    – Daniel R Hicks
    Commented Jun 25, 2016 at 20:09
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    In addition to Daniel's comments, the metal spoke protector is indicative of 70s or early 80s. There's nothing wrong with downtube shifters, which are based on friction, but if you're coming from an indexed bike its a bit of getting used to. The handlebars are probably not original - I expect this had drop bars from new. The brakes are not normal caliper ones, so its not a cheap budget bike originally. The rear rack is a newer style too. I'm surprised there are no mudguards/fenders and no lights. Finally, I suspect the last main rider was female, because of the seat angle. Nice Bike.
    – Criggie ♦
    Commented Jun 25, 2016 at 21:54
  • Thank you to the both of you for your detailed answers! It makes my decision a lot easier. In a few days I will receive the bike and I will return here with higher quality photos.
    – Adrian Grozea
    Commented Jun 26, 2016 at 9:17
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    Having a Japanese derailleur doesn't imply that the bike is Japanese. Indeed, today, most bikes have derailleurs made by Campagnolo, Shimano or SRAM, but that doesn't mean that most bikes are Italian, Japanese or American.
    – David Richerby
    Commented May 20, 2017 at 18:37
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    Voted to close as the OP hasn't been back with more answers to clarify.
    – RoboKaren
    Commented Jun 19, 2017 at 19:10

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OP's answer-as-a-comment:

The bike was not german, it was japanese. I found that the derailleurs were made by DNB Japan somewhere around 1960 and that the handlebar is french (Guidon Phillipe), but other than that , this bike is a mistery to me. The brakes only have a logo on them and the frame has only a number and a logo on the back. Underneath all the black paint, in the front, is a sticker but there is no way I can peel just the paint without damaging the sticker... On the pedals it says Lyotard 82 and they are in a rather good condition.

Thus, it is not identifiable.

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    A Japanese derailleur in no way implies that the bike is Japanese, just as the French handlebars and pedals don't imply that it's French.
    – David Richerby
    Commented May 20, 2017 at 18:39
  • @DavidRicherby Doesn't french pedals means it has french cranks and bottom bracket? AFAIK old french components have specific threads. sheldonbrown.com/velos.html
    – GrecKo
    Commented Aug 21, 2017 at 9:37
  • @GrecKo That's not something I know about. But the general comment still stands: the fact that a particular component was manufactured in some country doesn't imply that the whole bike was, as illustrated by the fact that this bike has components made in multiple countries. Perhaps the pedals are a bigger clue for the reasons you state since they would imply that various other components were also French. Or maybe they were made by a French company for export as components to somewhere else.
    – David Richerby
    Commented Aug 21, 2017 at 12:36
  • My point was that if it has a french bb, the frame should have french threads too. But don't quote me on that :)
    – GrecKo
    Commented Aug 21, 2017 at 12:40

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