A few years ago, the Dutch firm Yesterdays sold this Lexzau & Scharbau (they mistakenly called it Letzau & Scharbau). It may be the only remaining bicycle bearing the name of the German firm that was founded in 1879 by Wilhelm Lexzau and Julius
Scharbau in Hamburg.
Interesting is that the firm still exists, it's called Leschaco nowadays and offers logistic services, as Hans-Erhard Lessing found out.
I guess the bicycle wasn't really designed and built bij Lexzau & Scharbau themselves. They may have assembled it or bought it somewhere else and put their name on it. Bicycles like this were mostly bought in parts from several (British) manufacturers. The proud stamp on the spring is comparable with many other firms that only assembled, like Bingham (click for link). I think I see BSA bearings at the front hub. BSA was mostly a parts manufacturer.
I guess it was built around 1885. Not a very special bicycle, but interesting as a piece of German history.
Click the pictures for a link to Yesterdays with more pictures.
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