The Tonard bikes were imported into the USA albeit briefly in the early to mid 1970s. I saw a few, and remember (I think) VeloNews adverts for them. It seems like the fellow who started Witcomb USA was possibly the importer, just prior to Witcomb USA deal being struck?
I am fairly certain that they were 100% British made... Sen
Dale Brown Greensboro, North Carolina USA
-----Original Message----- From: bruce thomson <masi3v4me@yahoo.com> To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org; norris.lockley@yahoo.com Sent: Thu, 11 Sep 2008 11:49 am Subject: Re: [CR]Tonard frames
Norris:? A hit!? You scored on the description without seeing the bike!? I was going to research the lug design and didn't want to be in error on the description.? You are right the bike is 'featureless' and plain looking.?? Now I have a pedigree.? I will research for other decals or invent some others.? This bike came with Stronglight cranks and a TA bottom bracket.? Other gear was added later.? I took the bike as it st rusting outside an aerospace engineers garage because of its price (free) and its size...mine.
? Any more information would be appreciated, but now I have a starting point for my research.? Thank you so much for the information. ? ? Br uce
Bruce Thomson Spokane WA 99204
(509) 747 4314
Masi3v4me@yahoo.com????? rapidfire10ring@hotmail.com
???
Tonard frames were produced by a company of that name in the south of Engla nd, possibly on the outskirts of London. The company was owned by TONy HARDwick and was better known for building ac cessories such as pannier racks. The frames were generally well and carefully built, but were possibly a lit tle unimaginative in their design. That said they were very typical of Brit ish road racing frames of the mid-70s onwards, the fast-back seat-stay conf iguration was popular, but Tony also did a simple and neat plated wrap-over .. Lugs? were more often that not long-point windowless Prugnat , crowns w ere simple Cinelli or Bocama..and I remember that he liked to use the Campa g vertical drop-outs. The frames I came across always had very elegant shal lowly raked forks. To sum up, I suppose that the general impression was of
understated minimalistic elegance.
?
I suppose that their simplicity contrasted greatly from the typical? more
decorative Italian style of that period.
?
One possibility about this frame comes to mind. Tony was married to an Ital
ian woman, and they did import certain lines of Italian accessories. Perhap
s some Italian-built frames wetre also brought in and transferred up as TON
ARDs.
?
Perhaps the origin of this particular frame might be found in the bottom br
acket ie is it BSA or Italian threaded. Tonard was never a major name in fr
ames and I cannot imagine Tony ordering large batches of frames in order to
obtain the BSA bracket threading.
?
Norris Lockley, Settle UK=0A=0A=0A