# Tandem ID



## fat tire trader (Nov 4, 2019)

Hello,
I purchased this tandem frame locally. Does anyone know who made it?
Thanks,
Chris


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## fordmike65 (Nov 4, 2019)

@Jesse McCauley


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## bike (Nov 4, 2019)

Strange one! fork is reminiscent of Raleigh...


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## sam (Nov 4, 2019)

I've seen those cut-out threaded BBs cups on Crescents. And the low end Swedish crescents of the 70s were still using them.


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## Blue Streak (Nov 4, 2019)

Two references from the February 12, 1897 issue of _The Wheel_ describing and showing a round and hollow fork crown used on the Nile bicycle by Mason & Mason:


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## fat tire trader (Nov 4, 2019)

That's it! Thanks! Does anyone have any more info on Mason and Mason?


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## Waffenrad (Nov 4, 2019)

The cut-out in the bottom bracket often indicates a Fauber or later Fauber-compatible crankset.


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## fat tire trader (Nov 5, 2019)

Waffenrad said:


> The cut-out in the bottom bracket often indicates a Fauber or later Fauber-compatible crankset.



That's what I was thinking.  The "bike guy" that sold me the frameset told me that he had had the cranks but sold them and he did not have any pictures of them.  Parting out a Schwinn is one thing, but.....


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## MEKANIXFIX (Nov 5, 2019)

Blue Streak said:


> Two references from the February 12, 1897 issue of _The Wheel_ describing and showing a round and hollow fork crown used on the Nile bicycle by Mason & Mason:
> 
> View attachment 1090526
> 
> View attachment 1090527



Very interesting info about the company who built-in well illustrate


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## Tom1968 (Nov 5, 2019)

It's 1933 or 1934 Colton tandem rear steer ism restoring one now


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## Tom1968 (Nov 5, 2019)

fordmike65 said:


> @Jesse McCauley



I think 33 or 34. I know the frames changed to a curvy bottom bars,.  My 33 is just like to one he posted here. I learned this by members on. This site.  Hardest thing to find is the rear steer shat with the small skiptooth sproket that drives the front forks,.  Awesome bike. The seller that started parting it out didn't know what he had.


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## Tom1968 (Nov 5, 2019)

Waffenrad said:


> The cut-out in the bottom bracket often indicates a Fauber or later Fauber-compatible crankset.



The cutout is because there is an offset center that when turned moves the front crankset forward or aft so you can tighten or looking the chain .  I'll  post a hand full of pics of the parts since mine is still apart.


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## fordmike65 (Nov 5, 2019)

Tom1968 said:


> The cutout is because there is an offset center that when turned moves the front crankset forward or aft so you can tighten or looking the chain .  I'll  post a hand full of pics of the parts since mine is still apart.



He was referring to the OP's tandem. It might be better for you to start a new thread about your Colson tandem so that info doesn't get mixed up.


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## Tom1968 (Nov 5, 2019)

fat tire trader said:


> Hello,
> I purchased this tandem frame locally. Does anyone know who made it?
> Thanks,
> Chris
> ...



See my posts further down on this thread.  I know the bike well because i am resembling mine now.  Email me at thament99@gmail I'll give you my number and I'll tell you all that know.  It's a skiptooth with 2 sprokets, one to link to the front spto link to the front rear bottom bracket.  Rear bottom bracket is a one piece crank.    Front sprokets is connected pplto the  rear crankset and the rear sproket drives the back wheel.  Do google search for 1933 Colton tandem.  Several out there but a rare bird


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## Tom1968 (Nov 5, 2019)

fordmike65 said:


> He was referring to the OP's tandem. It might be better for you to start a new thread about your Colson tandem so that info doesn't get mixed up.



Good point...  sorry about that.  I was reading he wanted info on the pic he posted.  Again sorry


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## New Mexico Brant (Nov 6, 2019)

Tom1968 said:


> It's 1933 or 1934 Colton tandem rear steer




Tom, the OP's tandem is not a Colson nor from the 1930's.  Earlier posts clearly establish the fork is a Mason & Mason "Nile" from 1897.  The frame likely will prove to be from same the company as well.  A catalog, advertisment, or another existing Mason & Mason tandem would be helpful to make a proper comparison; and to be clear, Chris's frame is from the 1890's.

It seems to be raining Mason & Mason tandems as this is the second one to surface this week!  Crazy!  Chris, the below link is for the other so you can see the chain rings; there may also be another post somewhere else on the CABE for this bicycle.








						T.o.c.? Rear steer tandem | Antique Bicycles Pre-1933
					

Picked up this bike and having a hard time  pin pointing what it is.  Things I know wheels are 51 and most likely added at this time.  Fauber crankset from the early 1900.  Seats are not original as they are from Italy and Germany.   Fenders also added with grips and pedals (schwinn).  The fork...




					thecabe.com


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## fat tire trader (Nov 6, 2019)

New Mexico Brant said:


> Tom, the OP's tandem is not a Colson nor from the 1930's.  Earlier posts clearly establish the fork is a Mason & Mason "Nile" from 1897.  The frame likely will prove to be from same the company as well.  A catalog, advertisment, or another existing Mason & Mason tandem would be helpful to make a proper comparison; and to be clear, Chris's frame is from the 1890's.
> 
> It seems to be raining Mason & Mason tandems as this is the second one to surface this week!  Crazy!  Chris, the below link is for the other so you can see the chain rings; there may also be another post somewhere else on the CABE for this bicycle.
> 
> ...



Thanks Brant, 
I remember seeing that tandem, but did not connect it with the one that I just purchased.


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## Jesse McCauley (Nov 7, 2019)

I thought of the Mason fork illustration when I saw this bike but something about it threw me, I thought reminiscent of this Pacemaker but closer to the Mason now that I’m looking closer- 

Killer, now to find catalog lit!







Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Blue Streak (Nov 7, 2019)

Have been searching through period bicycle publications from Smithsonian Online Library: https://library.si.edu/books-online/subjects/bicycles for info about Mason & Mason. Found a lot and still digging. Here is an overview of what have found so far.

John Mason was an active bicycle racer in Chicago area in around 1890-92.
George Mason was involved with the Illinois Cycling Club during same time.

1893-95: Mason & Mason was a downtown Chicago dealer/retailer selling Columbia, Thistle, Stearns, Gendron, Waverley, St. Nicholas, America and Western Wheel Works small line bicycles.
1894: They began manufacturing their own bicycle. Made between 50-200 in 1894. A small business compared to Western Wheel Works who made 40,000 bicycles in 1894.
1895: First time found them using the name Soudan for their bicycle. It had diamond-shaped fork crown. Produced 300 for 1895.
1896: Now make three grades of their own bicycle. Soudan ($100 with diamond fork crown), Nile ($75 with circle fork crown) and Pyramid ($65). Projected to make 600 for 1896.
1897: Same three bicycles as 1896. Projected to make 19,000.
August 1897: Mason & Mason has financial troubles. Under funded. Assets sold.

November 1897: A new company called Soudan Manufacturing Co. opens in former Mason & Mason factory in Chicago. Managed by John and George Mason.
1898: Soudan Manufacturing made only one model (diamond and drop frame) and only sold to jobbers.
1899: Still only making one model for jobbers. Projected to make 35,000 bicycles.
Fall 1899: Moved out of Chicago to a new factory in Elkhart, Indiana. Did not sell out to American Bicycle Company Trust. Remained an independent manufacturer.
1900: Soudan Manufacturing offered three models and the optional "Nile" circle fork crown on all 1900 models. Crown looks same as the one they used on 1896-97 Nile bicycle.
February 1901: Soudan Manufacturing closes.
May 1901: Elkhart factory sold.

Did not find many images of Soudan or Nile bicycles. In reference to the tandem shown at the beginning of this thread, the circle fork crown definitely looks like Nile. From what I can conclude is that the circle fork crown was used 1896-97 and 1900. Nile tandems were only made 1896-97.

1893:


 

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1900:


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## fat tire trader (Nov 8, 2019)

Thanks! Anyone have a spare Fauber tandem crankset?


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