Schauff

Schauff is a German bicycle manufacturer based in Remagen, founded in 1932 by Hans and Barbara Schauff in Cologne-Ehrenfeld as a racing frame factory. The company relocated to Remagen in 1940 due to World War II bomb damage, and after the war and the 1948 currency reform, it resumed bicycle production and sales, building a new factory on Bergstraße. In 1968 production moved to Remagen's industrial area, where a Deutsche Bahn rail connection supported logistics expansion; at peak times up to 700 bicycles were produced per day across three additional buildings. In late 2004, Schauff was forced to cease large-scale production and lay off remaining employees. Today, after shifting from mass production to small-series and custom manufacturing, Schauff specializes in sport and trekking bikes, city and e-bikes, tandems, and folding bikes, often as individual builds. Throughout its history, Schauff has produced a wide range of two-wheelers: track and racing bikes, sport frames, everyday bikes (some exported to the Middle East), mopeds and motorcycles with 98cc and 125cc Sachs engines, touring sport bikes under the "Vitali" brand, folding bikes supplied to Kaufhof department stores, bonanza bikes, and tandems sold worldwide. In the 1970s and 1980s, Schauff embraced trends from the US, delivering Germany's first BMX bikes and introducing Europe's first mountain bike, the "Landcruiser," in 1981. In 1982, designer Luigi Colani created a prototype women's bicycle with aerodynamic fairings for Schauff, though it never entered series production. Schauff has received the Red Dot Design Award four times, for the "Wall Street" (1992), "Wall Street Duo" tandem and "Light Rider Companero Classic" (1995), and "La Luna" city bike (1996). The company has a strong cycling sponsorship heritage, supporting riders and teams since its founding, including the Schauff Öschelbronn professional cycling team in the 1990s (later UCI ProTeam Gerolsteiner) and German national teams. In 1979 or early autumn 1980, French rider Jean-Claude Rude set a speed record of 145 km/h on a Schauff tandem, drafting behind a motorcycle on an Alsace motorway with blind rider Etienne Chapaz. Today, Schauff operates as a Rheinische Manufaktur (Rhenish manufactory), combining classic steel frame building with technological progress, and offers pedelecs, e-bikes, heavy-duty bikes like the Sumo, tandems, trekking bikes, and folding bikes like the Companero. The company remains active, participating in classic bike events and maintaining a service network for manuals, spare parts, and FAQs.

The Fahrradfabrik Schauff was founded in 1932 by Hans Schauff and Barbara Schauff in Cologne-Ehrenfeld, near the Six-Day racing track Rheinlandhalle, as a factory for racing frames. Due to bomb attacks during World War II and the resulting damage that impaired production and bicycle trade, the company moved to Remagen in 1940. After the war ended in 1945 and the currency reform of 1948, bicycle manufacturing and sales continued, accompanied by the construction of a new factory building on Bergstraße in Remagen. The factory outlet in Cologne was closed in 1949. In 1968, production shifted to the industrial area of Remagen, where a Deutsche Bahn rail connection enabled the necessary expansion of the company's logistics. Due to steadily rising demand for bicycles, production facilities were successively expanded by three buildings, in which up to 700 bicycles per day were produced during peak periods. Towards the end of 2004, Schauff was forced to cease production and lay off the remaining employees. Today, after converting from large-scale to small-series production, Schauff manufactures models individually tailored to the needs of the bicycle market. Since its founding, Schauff has been involved in cycling by equipping cyclists and cycling teams with its bikes. Over time, they achieved various successes. Schauff also supported various trends logistically, for example by providing the necessary infrastructure in the form of a BMX track. In the 1990s, Schauff was the main sponsor of the Schauff Öschelbronn professional cycling team, the later UCI ProTeam Gerolsteiner, as well as outfitter of national teams of the German Cycling Federation in various years. On a Schauff tandem, French racer Jean-Claude Rude set a new speed record of 145 kilometers per hour in 1979 or early autumn 1980. Together with blind rider Etienne Chapaz, he reached this speed on a motorway in Alsace in the slipstream of a motorcycle. In its long history, Schauff manufactured a wide variety of two-wheelers. At the beginning, these were track and racing bikes, supplemented by sport frames. During the economic miracle years, Schauff expanded its range with everyday bikes, some of which were exported to the Middle East, as well as mopeds and motorcycles powered by 98cc and 125cc Sachs engines. In addition, touring sport bikes were distributed under the "Vitali" brand. With the end of the "bicycle slump" in the 1960s, further bicycle models entered the company's product catalog. These included folding bikes, which were delivered to Kaufhof department stores, among others, as well as bonanza bikes and tandems, which were sold worldwide. In the 1970s and 1980s, Schauff added bicycles that originated from trend sports in the USA. The company delivered the first BMX bikes in Germany and introduced the first mountain bike in Europe in 1981 under the name "Landcruiser." In 1982, designer Luigi Colani designed a prototype of a women's bicycle for Schauff with aerodynamic fairings for handlebars, frame, and rear wheel. Besides the streamlined shape with the headlight integrated into the handlebar fairing, practical details such as a glove compartment and a child seat integrated into the rear wheel fairing were planned. The bicycle was to have turn signals on the left and right of the handlebars, although they were not permitted at the time and are currently (as of 2019) only permitted if a fairing covers hand signals (§ 67 paragraphs 3 and 4 StVZO). The Colani bicycle never entered series production because about half a million D-Mark would have had to be invested for the molds to produce the fairings, and the bicycles, which generally cost 150 to 200 D-Mark at the time, would have become about 80 D-Mark more expensive. However, the prototype has survived the times. Two bikes from Schauff were part of the collection of Viennese architect and designer Michael Embacher, which was auctioned at the Dorotheum in 2015. The development of the Schauff Aero took place in the Mercedes-Benz wind tunnel, and the tests resulted in a track bike whose handlebars were integrated into the fork. Fredy Schmidtke, vice world champion in 1982 in the 1000-meter time trial, rode on a similar Schauff bike or (perhaps) even the bike from the Embacher collection. The second Schauff in the Embacher collection was a Wall Street from 1993. As a result of the necessary restructuring of the company, Schauff now specializes in sport and trekking bikes as well as city and e-bikes, which are produced in very small series or available as individual custom builds. Schauff received the Red Dot Design Award from the Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen e.V. a total of four times for various models from its production. Specifically, it was awarded for the city bike "La Luna" in 1996, for the tandem "Wall Street Duo" and the "Light Rider Companero Classic" in 1995, and for the bicycle "Wall Street" in 1992, which received international attention for its design.

• 2013

  Zweirad tandems joined the Schauff family.

• 2004

  Ceased large-scale production and laid off remaining employees.

• 1996

  Won Red Dot Design Award for the "La Luna" city bike.

• 1995

  Won Red Dot Design Award for "Wall Street Duo" tandem and "Light Rider Companero Classic".

• 1992

  Won Red Dot Design Award for the "Wall Street" bicycle.

• 1982

  Luigi Colani designed a prototype women's bicycle with aerodynamic fairings for Schauff.

• 1981

  Introduced the first mountain bike in Europe, the "Landcruiser".

• 1979

  Jean-Claude Rude set a 145 km/h speed record on a Schauff tandem (or early autumn 1980).

• 1968

  Production moved to Remagen industrial area with Deutsche Bahn rail connection.

• 1949

  Cologne factory outlet closed.

• 1948

  After currency reform, bicycle manufacturing and sales continued; new factory building on Bergstraße in Remagen.

• 1940

  Relocated to Remagen due to World War II bomb damage.

• 1932

  Founded by Hans and Barbara Schauff in Cologne-Ehrenfeld as a racing frame factory.

Rhenish manufactory combining classic steel frame building with technological progress, offering small-series and custom bicycles.

• Sumo

  Heavy-duty bike.

• La Luna

  City bike with particularly low step-through, award-winning innovative design.

• Companero

  Folding bike combining robust design with perfect transport behavior.

• Wall Street

  Bicycle that received international attention for its design; Red Dot Award 1992.

• Wall Street Duo

  Tandem; Red Dot Award 1995.

• Light Rider Companero Classic

  Red Dot Award 1995.

• Landcruiser

  First mountain bike introduced in Europe in 1981.

• Schauff Aero

  Track bike developed in Mercedes-Benz wind tunnel with handlebars integrated into the fork.

1. 1Fahrräder von Schauff | Startseiteschauff.de
2. 2Schauff (Unternehmen) - Wikipediade.wikipedia.org
3. 3Schauff - Wikidatawikidata.org