aluedecke

hWhat is this and what is it worth. I can not find anything that indicates this company ever even made bikes. Any and all help will be appreciated.

aluedecke

Any idea what it would be worth.

juvela

tansini is an old line manufacturer of motorcycles that has also make pedal cycles.

there was one organised importation into the u.s. in about 1973-74 of this model only.

as equipped, it appears to be intended as an entry level road racing machine fitted with tubular wheels, similar in concept to a peugeot pa-10 or gitane interclub.

frame geometry is traditional italian with longish chainstays and a lowish shell.

two other colour schemes were offered: white with royal blue panels and silver with salmon panels.

one retail store that carried them in the u.s. was velo-sport cyclery in berkeley california.

here is an enthusiast page describing one of their vintage motocicli:


https://www.wheelsofitaly.com/wiki/index.php?title=Tansini


according to this trademark information the firm appears to have closed in 1981:

https://www.trademarkia.com/cicli-mot...-81003210.html

T-Mar

Great sleuthing. Given the origin and era, I would probably compare it to a Bianchi Rekord 74. There are a couple of curious aspects. First, despite it being Italian, it has Huret shifters and front derailleur. I can't identify the rear, but assume it's Svelto? For an Italian bicycle of this era and level, I would have expected Campagnolo Valentino Extra. Secondly, it does not have tubulars, but appears to have 27" clinchers. While clincher retro-fits were very popular, I can't decide if it was originally designed for them. The rear brake pads falls right in the middle of the caliper ear, as if it was designed for 27", yet the front is at the top, as if it was designed for 700C tubulars. Perhaps the frame was intended for multiple models, one with tubulars and one with clinchers?

Do we know if these frames were built by Tansini or were they subcontracted? BTW, I'm not sure of the Italian trademark laws but the cancellation date may not not necessarily reflect the date of company closure. Sometimes, it's simply a case having not renewed by a deadline. Also, trademarks are often kept alive after company closures in the hope that someone else will step forward and purchase the rights. About all we can say for sure is that they closed sometime between 1976 and 1981, though I wouldn't be suprised if some of the Tansini motorcycle tifosi know the exact date!

juvela

yes indeed, rear mech is a huret svelto.

huret gears actually fairly common on entry level italian machines in this era.

they came on some base model frejus and other marques.

have on hand a chiorda built bianchi from 1978 that came stock with a huret gear ensemble. it is a "one up from the bottom" type machine.

wrt the 27" wired-on wheels. my guess would be they were changed out by shop or owner. the frame clearances on these bikes are fairly large.

it's a good eye you have there! ;^D

T-Mar

Perhaps I wasn't clear enough. I've seen lots of Italian, boom era, bottom of the line models with French derailleurs. Generally, they were Simplex Prestige on brands like Atala, Bottechia, Chiorda, Fiorelli, Garlatti, etc. However, once we get to the club racer models with tubulars, the boom era standard for Italian brands appears to have been Valentino Extra. That's what made be surprised to see Huret Svelto. I was wondering if it may have been a a change due to shortages in the Valentino Extra.

owenmyers

I would pay over a hundred by not knowing what it is. In reality there is no cash value at this point. It has the value of materials, parts, transportation, many other things.

juvela

complete agreement here, no argument. keep in mind this is a boom era machine. for manufacturers in this time componentry was "where you could locate it." most component manufacturers were backordered by many months.

as an example think about the raleigh super course mk ii of the mid-'70's. the nominal component mix shown in the catalogue was a nervar sport cotterless steel chainset and a huret challenger gear ensemble. yet some machines came thrrogh with nervar star chainsets and some with huret jubilee gear ensembles. there were even some which received both upgrades.

nickbatz

I just went for a ride yesterday on the white with blue Tansini I bought in 1972 at a bike shop on Wilshire Blvd. in Santa Monica, California for $135. It was an excellent deal in those days.

That bike went across the country with me to college in Boston and back again. One of the sounds you hear most often in Boston is *crash* - someone finished another beer. Because I got tired of phaffing with punctured tires, I replaced sew-up tires with clinchers while I was there. 41 years later it still rides silently and shifts smoothly!

Now, it's certainly a lot less forgiving and comfortable than my mountain bike, but my roughly six-mile workout ride up and down the hills around here takes five minutes less on the Tansini. The only thing is that I wish I could replace the shifters with the "modern" ones that just click into place, because you lose speed when you downshift (you have to listen to make sure the lever is in the right position and the chain doesn't rub - an indication that it'll pop into the next gear and crush your naughty bits on the seat).

Great bike.

juvela

in thinking about this thread i recalled that i have one "aging" in my basement rack. found it at a dump in the early eighties as a frame with a few of its bits still fitted. so it would have been about ten years old at the time. it is one of the white ones with the royal blue panels. size is 61cm c-t-t , marked on the seat lug.


these frames are assembled with the Agrati "AM" group of lugs, crown, shell and ends (ART. 000.8040/U). there is no mitreing of tubes where they enter shell. the seat and down are simply crimped in order to accommodate each other. have always assumed these bicycles to be built of some sort of quality plain gauge tube set such as Z50 or similar but have never seen a tubing sticker on one. the tubes are indeed seamless. build is reasonably decent but there is no finish work. the square top of the seat lug is rough. on the example here a good sized brazing holiday can be seen where the seat enters the shell.

a close examination tends to support T-Mar's suggestion of a contract build.

thanks to nickbatz for the interesting owner's report. good to hear one is still be used as a daily driver.

big chainring 

These are the kind of bikes I look for. If one popped up on CL in my size, I wouldn't think twice about spending $150-175 for one. Looks like a really nice bike. I like the Svelto derailleur. Frame has nice details. What more could you ask for in a bike.

nickbatz

Don't get me wrong - a bike you buy for the same price in 2013 dollars ($800?) is going to be a lot more comfortable. But you can't buy the coolness factor of a 41-year-old bike with all that history.

cb400bill

Here you go!

https://chicago.craigslist.org/nwc/b...788467083.html - $125.

bikemig 

I can just about hear @big chainring dropping the hammer to go out and pick this bike up. Swoosh.

T-Mar

I wish the picture had better resolution. It looks like this one has Campagnolo derailleurs, possibly 980.

juvela

-----

+1

pedali e potenza are certainly not OEM.

interesting to see these grey/silver examples with white panels.

the batch we received in my area ca. 1973-74 exhibited salmon panels on the silver individuals.

-----

nickbatz

I don't think the derailleurs are Campi, but the lugs the rear wheel attaches to (welded to the end of the frame) are, if I remember right. If I remember I'll take a look in the garage during daylight.

My friend bought a grey one like that at the same time I bought my white one.

T-Mar

I was talking specifically about the one pictured in post #13 . If they are Campagnolo 980 and OEM, then it gives support to Juvela's statement that the brand was still active in 1981.

Laura LaMonica

I bought one just like this in NJ, 1977. Used it very successfully for bike touring. I did switch out to clinchers to avoid flats, but otherwise loaded it up with panniers as it was set up, and rode from Seattle to San Francisco. Also had a great trip out Long Island, ferry hopping to RI, then Martha's Vineyard and on up to Ptown. Tailwind the whole way! Or was that my imagination? Great bike. No mechanical issues at all. I since replaced shifters and upgraded the crank set just because it was fun to work on. I think I'm gonna pump up the tires and go for a ride ..