Tushingham Resource Pool

[Andy T]

Hi,
Following the "introduce myself" post, here's the bike I like to talk to you ...

I was looking for a average/utility bike to go 2 times per week on a new 'proxy' site for my work. I don't want to buy a too much low/entry level bike, and I don't want to use my regular MTB (too much inconfortable with its alu frame and a wishbone) nor one of the old Sunn I own (magnet for thieves and too sporty)
During one month I missed some interesting bikes, because in Paris more and more people use it daily, and good ones sell fast. But last saturday, I was the first to contact the seller of an old, unbranded but apparently good model. Fitted with thumbshifter like my first MTB, and with a rear Deore XT shifter !

This bike was in relative good condition for its age and for the low price. But requires a complete CLA. As you can imagine for a bike stored 15 years in a garage.
Some weaknesses : a broken spoke on a rear, no grease anywhere, a mix of Shimano components including poor plastic brake levers
Many strengths : few rust, a nice old look (lugged frame !) and a better frame than expected, even if the whole is a bit heavy...

I discovered the brand after returning at home : Tushingham !
What is it ? Did they make good bicycles ?
Thanks to this site, I found here some precious information.

View attachment 567381

Ok, my new toys is 'probably a standard "B-52" first version, not the rare race version, or a prototype like the one above, but I like it !

I will firstly do a good CLA, and put it on the road again.

There are many original parts missing. Even the seat post is ITM branded, like some older french/italian bikes. Rims are two different Rigida models, etc ...
So I will certainly not restore it as it was at the 'exit of the store'. Rather with an homogeneous groupset and components from this period, if I find.

I have 2 questions please :
- Do you know if these bikes were sold in France at this time ?
- Without the Tange sticker, is there a way to know the type of tubes used ? The seat post is stamped 26.4 ...

Best Regards

Hi and welcome to the Forum,

very nice Tushingham, yet another one surfaces in a few days!

Some thoughts on your bike -

You have an early Chain-stay example, these frames were the first Tushinghams, with subsequent models having the Seat-stay mounted brakes.

Looking at the paint fade and the paint that has been protected by the decals, I would suggest you have a 'Tushingham' decaled frame and not a 'Tushingham B.52' decaled frame.

This matters not as the original brochure example did not have the 'B52' either.

My Triple Butted Tubed frame example is heavier than my P.G. (Plain Gauge) Tubed example. The frames are the same size, I have not gone to the degree of accurately measuring each tube to compare these. My other Triple Butted Frame is at the painters at the moment, and I did not weigh it prior to it going off for paint, so can't compare it to the other one.

I have seen both P.G and TB early Tushingham (Chain-stay) frames.

May I ask what your frame Serial Number is, it is located on the bottom bracket shell, with this I may be able to suggest the possible tubing it is made from.

I suspect your frame is made from Triple Butted Tubing, the reason for this is the tubing decal placement, the P.G. tubed frames had the (Purple/Pink) decal further down the seat tube above the bottom bracket, the Triple Butted decals were higher up the Seat Tube.
There is a caveat here, Tushingham decaling is not consistent, there are examples of early decals on later frames and later decals on early frames.

The serial number will help identification, I can see where its fits within the known serials and tubing decals.

And having said that, I notice Was8V has a Triple Butted decal in the location where the P.G decals were placed...

Andy

 

[Fx_1970]

Cool bike.

I'd be surprised, logical to start local i.e. UK with such a small operation without the barriers of distance, language and complexity of exporting. But they might have. Lots of English folk have moved to France, perhaps someone brought theirs or a French person took a bike back with them.

You could weigh the frame, triple butted will be lighter than the straight gauge. However finding the weight it should be might be difficult.... I didn't weigh mine before building.....you could compare to a muddy fox courier frame weight or other similar frames given they are so similar.

I suppose also that this bike has crossed the Channel in luggage of a young English man that moved to France (or take some holidays here).
I didn't find notification of Tushingham bikes in old French newspapers I have (from 1989 for the oldest).
On the contrary Muddy Fox was well established here at this time. But even if there was a link between these brands (and with some Araya bikes sold in far-east markets) we can't imagine a regular massive importation...

 

[Fx_1970]

Hi and welcome to the Forum,

very nice Tushingham, yet another one surfaces in a few days!

Some thoughts on your bike -

You have an early Chain-stay example, these frames were the first Tushinghams, with subsequent models having the Seat-stay mounted brakes.

Looking at the paint fade and the paint that has been protected by the decals, I would suggest you have a 'Tushingham' decaled frame and not a 'Tushingham B.52' decaled frame.

This matters not as the original brochure example did not have the 'B52' either.

My Triple Butted Tubed frame example is heavier than my P.G. (Plain Gauge) Tubed example. The frames are the same size, I have not gone to the degree of accurately measuring each tube to compare these. My other Triple Butted Frame is at the painters at the moment, and I did not weigh it prior to it going off for paint, so can't compare it to the other one.

I have seen both P.G and TB early Tushingham (Chain-stay) frames.

May I ask what your frame Serial Number is, it is located on the bottom bracket shell, with this I may be able to suggest the possible tubing it is made from.

I suspect your frame is made from Triple Butted Tubing, the reason for this is the tubing decal placement, the P.G. tubed frames had the (Purple/Pink) decal further down the seat tube above the bottom bracket, the Triple Butted decals were higher up the Seat Tube.
There is a caveat here, Tushingham decaling is not consistent, there are examples of early decals on later frames and later decals on early frames.

The serial number will help identification, I can see where its fits within the known serials and tubing decals.

And having said that, I notice Was8V has a Triple Butted decal in the location where the P.G decals were placed...

Andy

Hi Andy,

Thanks for your explanation.
For sure I can look for and give you the serial number. I didn't see it when I cleaned & lubricated the bike, but I will search again. It required perhaps to remove completely the cable hanger at the bottom of the bike (sorry I don't know the technical term for this part)

About the tube type, the "MTB triple butted" is a little mystery for me. As it is not listed in the 1988 Tange catalog that we can find anywhere.
In this document (probably intended for individual frame builders) , there is only one triple butted tube set : the MTB1200
Dedicated to heavy usage (1.2 / 0.9 / 1.0) Certainly not the more expensive => It could correspond and be used for a mid-range bike like the "B-52".

What do you think about that ?

There is a nice "Saracen" bike with the same decals. Also a mid-range bike regarding the market. First or Second in the Saracen range at this time. I don't remember the name of the bike, but you certainly know it (I found this information somewhere on this site).

It looks like the 'classic' Tange MTB double butted was above the triple butted version.
Perhaps I'm wrong, and in fact it doesn't matter, as the bike rides well like that, and I like it

 

[was8v]

Interesting.

So far as I'm aware, triple butted means the butt is different at each end of the tube, whereas double butted it is same profile each end and not as thin in the middle.

 

[Fx_1970]

That's also my understanding...
But depending of steel qualities and thermal treatments, a triple butted tubes set could be heavier than a double butted, and perhaps even heavier than a plain gauge (designed for light road usage for example).
I will try to find again the Tange 1200 marketing data. Could be interesting if the B-52 has been build with ...

 

[batpandy]

Tushingham B52

Hi there,

I've recently got my old bike out from the late 80's and put some new wheels and city tyres on it with the intention of doing some Tarmac miles on it... the bike in question is a Tushingham B52...

I bought it from a friend in 1990 who was upgrading - he'd resprayed it in a grey and black as it was looking a bit tatty and offered to do it before I bought it... unfortunately (looking at this forum now) I took him up on his kind offer... Luckily he retained the Tange Sticker on the frame though - it's 19.5" from BB to Seat Clamp.

Since I bought it i upgraded the 6-speed thumb-shifters to the new fangled Rapid-fire 7 Speed STI shifters, I got my local bike shop to rebuild the freewheel with a 7-speed indexed one - which never really worked that well so after a while I consigned it to the Garage and that was that.

I was thinking about putting some slick tyres on my Trek Hardtail (2008 4500 upgraded with XT Hydraullic Discs) but then picked up a nice pair of Mavic 238 Rims with a 7 Speed Hyperglide cassette... which matches the shifters on my B52 perfectly and I now have a nice retro street bike

Until I read this forum I had no idea of the significance of the bike... to me it's something to knock around on but if there is someone out there who would like it to restore (to original - it rides perfectly now) then I would sell it and buy something equally serviceable but more modern.

Pics are attached - if anyone is genuinely interested then let me know...

Hey guys, finally got round to listing this on eBay as they did a £1.00 max selling fees offer - I won't spam you with a link and I haven't taken any new pictures yet but if you search you'll find it - there's only one listed...