Just when I think I know every Porsche bicycle ...

Update to blog post below:

Mystery solved. I emailed the gentleman selling the below mentioned "Porsche bike made by Votec"on the Germany eBay site.

He said he built this racing bike himself in 1999 with decals (and I'm assuming the visible Porsche crest) from Votec. He ordered the frame in "Porsche yellow" and built the bike for a customer, who after changed his mind to buy a Trek bike (silly dude!)

So, this is not an official Porsche bike. But it is a very well designed and constructed custom Porsche bike. So, it's not a missing link or an early authentic Porsche bicycle. Still rather cool though.

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Searching eBay (both US and Germany) for future Porsche bicycles to buy, I noticed a Porsche bike I have never seen before. Translating from German to English, the seller labels this yellow bike as a "PORSCHE Rennrad 28", 58 cm - made by VOTEC NOS" but doesn't mention a model name or year manufactured.

Without much detail, I am trying to piece together what this bike is. I think the seller is accurate with the "made by Votec" comment. Even though this yellow Porsche road bike doesn't look anything like the Votec made Porsche Bike R road bike of the late 1990s, the "Porsche" lettering and Porsche crest on the steerer tube look just like the Votec made Porsche bikes in the mid to late 1990s. When Storck took over making Porsche bikes after Votec in 2000/2001, they included the Storck logo on the steerer tube instead of the Porsche crest. So I'd say this yellow Porsche road bike is definitely Votec made.

And even though this bike looks more like a Storck Porsche Bike R than a Votec Porsche Bike R, the Storck made Porsche Bike R road bike had a carbon fiber frame. This rare bike on the Germany ebay site lists an aluminum frame - like the other 1990s Votec Porsche bikes.

I am guessing this is a very early Porsche bicycle. Probably mid 1990s before the Porsche/Votec combo developed the unique frame we are all used to seeing for both the road bike (R) and mountain bikes (S, FS, FS Evo). If that's the case, this could quite possibly be the missing link between the first prototype bicycle built by the Porsche factory (Bike Spyder 9.85) in 1990 and the limited world-wide production run of the now famous Votec series.

I'll email this German eBay seller and see if I can dig up more information. And maybe even buy this rare bike!