Four Bees: Bundesgrenzschutz Truppenfahrrad / Dienstfahrrad, BGS Bicycle Revisited

It has been quite some time since my restored Bundesgrenzschutz Truppenfahrrad has appeared on this blog. I refer to it often, but to many, it may still be a mystery........... so, here is a quick, mid-week refresher!

I won't repeat all of the history and story on the bike, but I will give you a few links to some of my past blog entries that featured it:

http://sharky-fourbees.blogspot.com/2010/03/bgs-biycle-number-helmet.html

http://sharky-fourbees.blogspot.com/2010/03/bgs-bike-is-one-step-closer-to-done.html

http://sharky-fourbees.blogspot.com/2010/03/ammo-can-for-bgs-bike.html

http://sharky-fourbees.blogspot.com/2010/02/bundesgrenzschutz-bikemore-info.html

http://sharky-fourbees.blogspot.com/2010/02/1948-bundeswehr-german-army-bike.html

The bicycle restoration was based on one of the only known photographs of a Bundesgrenzschutz bicycle in actual use. I have been searching for several years now, and I have only found this one photo from the 1960's, and a second photos that may be a BGS bicycle in use in the 1950's.

Many expert collectors and even most of the old BGS veterans that I have contacted, did not know that BGS bicycles ever existed! The bicycles were assigned to each unit for use around the base. They were maintained by the units armorer. My bicycle caries the number plate of one of the BGS training academies.

During my search for the original documentation and proof that these bicycles existed, I came across a collector in Florida that had an original Bundeswehr Army bicycle that had been used on a German training base in Canada (in the photos above). The bicycle was original German issue from 1960. The bicycle was a newer version of the bicycle that I have........... the most interesting thing was that the rear rack was identical to mine and the original saddle on my bike is dated 1960! The saddle and rear rack on my bicycle both appear to have been added about 1960 to my bicycle. Here are a couple of photos. The original saddle (with restored leather) is in the first photo and is pictured on top of the new saddle that I have installed on the bike at this time: