Hi all,
I'm new to CR, even if I've been here before. This time I aim to keep things informal, considering that I'm happy with what little I have, if other people like it great, if they don't, too bad for them.
Now reached a point where the collection is just fine, no need for anything else, 'cept maybe a early Herse and a Penny farthing. Reached the point where it's more hassle to find and work on bikes than it's worth. Not loss of interest, just that I've got enough to be content with. A few wrecks like a 1940 Caminargent to finish, and that's it, a small private museum, and move on to some other hobby or activity. Just enjoy what I have. The general knowledge is aquired, more bikes than I can ride, more knowledge would be obsessive trivia, and there are enough knowledgeable people out there already anyway.
Anyway, the last one in and the fourth from last on the "preserve" agenda is a racer from a firm called Tendil. Apparantly this guy Tendil set up in 1919 as a sort of small wholesaler, started building frames, moved around 1930 to Nice, and ended up selling 1000 bikes a month in 1950. Had a small pro team in 51. In 42, a Tendil-Terot team had some good riders, Brambilla won a stage on the Giro.
This particular bike has a three digit serial number, topped by 42 stamped. Also those mysterious AG letters stamped into the frame by hand (uneven spacing and depth), letters which are on a "mystery" red and black beaut of a racer I found a couple of years back. Which is alike enough to this one to say without doubt that it is a Tendil racer too. Guessing that AG was the framebuilder. Not restored in any way apart from a complete strip down, rust neutralization, mild polish here and there, and a load of liberal coats of oil well rubbed in: a "museum piece".
Anyway, the bike is here, just click on the photos to enlarge http://vieuxvelos.canalblog.com/
Nick March, Agen 47000, Aquitaine, France
(probably posting from time to time)