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So me and Spencer (MyNewHobbyK9) found this website of this Old School BMX shop here in Germany on-line and decided today to go check it out. 
http://www.rainers-bike-shop.com/index_us.html
We hit the road at 8:00 this morning for the 1 1/2 hour trip south to Karlsruhe, Germany.  When we arrived we pulled in front of a house in a neighborhood with a sign above the driveway that said Rainer's Bike Shop (GPS in Germany is a life saver!).  We started laughing because this was not what we expected at all.  It is typical German fashion to run businesses out of a house in the middle of nowhere but we hesitated to knock on the door.  After a few minutes, a lady comes out the front door of the house and greets us in German.  I ask if this was the bike shop..... and she stated to wait a minute.  After a while an older gentleman comes out and introduces himself as Dieter. He laughed and seemed to really enjoy the fact that we where Americans.  We discussed Old school BMX small talk and our child hood BMX history etc........ His English was broken but awesome thank God cause my German is crap.  **We probably should have called first but he did not seem to mind much and ask if we where there to see the museum or buy parts.  We stated both.  He had us follow him down town about a mile away to his old BMX shop.  We about crapped our self’s when we pulled in front of the shop!  It was the original shop from the 80s, still set up exactly the way you would hope an old BMX race shop would be.  When we walked in the front door we could hardly contain ourselfs from the excitement, and did not know where to even begin. Except for a few holy sh!^ s......etc..............we where speechless!



Just inside the front door there was a row of about 25 high end completes.  All different brands with the best of the best parts on them.  The window seal had another 20 F/F sets of many rare and odd bikes in NOS and used condition.  We where like kids again and i don't get that feeling to often!















There where stacks upon stacks of Hutch, Comp ST/3 tires and bins full off NOS parts, stems, seat post, handle bars, helmets, NOS bikes in boxes, Vans shoes, brakes sets of every make and model ever made, you name it.













So we where going through all this stuff and asking prices and the old man kept saying no it is not for sale.  We where a little confused by this because of the way the store was displayed.  Then he said to write down what we wanted on paper.  After a little more confusion, we realized the shop was in fact the museum even though he still sold new German bikes there.  It was set up exactly the way you would hope it was in 1983 when it opened and a lot of the bikes where his son's (Rainer Schadowski) whom raced all through the 80s.  His son Rainer, raced all over the world including the US for Profile, Zeronine, Paterson and a few other companies.  Dieter said his son liked the odd ball companies for there quality product.
This photo is of Rainer's trophies and # plates.




So we follow Dieter back to his house and down to his basement workshop where he had a stock pile of even more NOS parts, frames, you name it that we again thought where for sale he picked out several of the parts we wrote down but everything else we ask about he said, he would not sell for another 10 years   He knew his stuff and was not messin around.  He still restores, builds bikes, and buys and sells parts out of his basement for customers.


VDC frame/fork SIC!



Deiter was one of the nicest guys you will ever meet, even when we where rummaging through and handling his NOS museum parts thinking they where for sale.  He was happy that we where excited about his stuff and more than willing to tell us about everything.   He talked to us and showed us pictures for about 3-4 hours.  Spencer bought a bunch of NOS parts and I bought some old Flite donuts for $11.00.  This was a great trip back in time and spending time with Deiter in his old shop while talking about the old days was something I will always remember. 


Check out the website and if you ever get to Germany this shop is a must to visit!
http://www.bmx-museum.com/

Duane

Last edited by Dstinson (2009-04-21 6:08am)