Jack Taylor Tandem

[nfmisso]

Another new project - and I still have three others in the works - my wife is not thrilled.

This afternoon we picked up a Jack Taylor Tandem frame.

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Check out these links about Jack Taylor cycles, the video in the first one is great (warning 25 minutes!) Early in, it show Norman assembling a tandem frame and a bit over five minutes in, it show Jack hand striping a tandem frame.

http://tubulocity.com/?p=5660
http://www.blackbirdsf.org/taylor/

I haven't decided yet how to build it out. I am considering some crazy things, including a 1x9, with both chains on the right side, and flat bars.

[Painkiller]

Quite a project Nigel, ya do not see a lot of those. This project is gonna cost you. sweet talk the wife into getting another job I suppose!

[nfmisso]

(07-16-2012, 10:51 AM)painkiller Wrote:  Quite a project Nigel, ya do not see a lot of those. This project is gonna cost you. sweet talk the wife into getting another job I suppose!

Fortunately, I have wheels, 9 speed cassette, SRAM X.9 derailleur, shifter, and possibly a crank set that will work

[RobAR]

hey Nigel. I photo-shopped a pic of Jack welding and you (from avatar) looking all approving-like.

Wanna see it?! hehee

[nfmisso]

(07-16-2012, 08:37 PM)RobAR Wrote:  hey Nigel. I photo-shopped a pic of Jack welding and you (from avatar) looking all approving-like.

Wanna see it?! hehee

Yes

But is was Norm Taylor brazing the frame, and Jack doing the striping.

[Painkiller]

I am not sure who is doing what? But this I do know Nigel. I hacked Robar's
computer and found this pic

[nfmisso]

Some of the people on Bike Forums seem a mite jealous

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/832594-Dang-cheap-big-Jack-Taylor-tandem-frame-SF

[xerxes]

A bit more info: http://www.classiclightweights.co.uk/designs/hsjacktaylor.html

It looks like a nice fillet brazed frame and it was likely custom built for a particular customer. Probably quite a rare and special thing.

Nice find.

[Bill]

Ahahahahaha, love it!! Very nice project you got going on there too Nigel . Rare frame if I am correct??

[nfmisso]

(07-25-2012, 11:35 PM)Bill Wrote:  Ahahahahaha, love it!! Very nice project you got going on there too Nigel . Rare frame if I am correct??

Thanx

Yes, rare, Jack Taylor Cycles made less than 10,000 bicycles of all types (including trikes, trailers, etc) from 1936 to 2001. Some sources say less than 9,000.

Bob in Seattle has the rights to the artwork, and is currently working on another run of transfers - I plan to purchase enough for the tandem now, in case I ever decide on a repaint.

When it is finished, I am anticipating a very fast light tandem. The Taylor brothers were bicycle racers first, and got into making bicycles because they could not afford to purchase them.

I am leaning towards a bit different and somewhat modern interpretation for it - like my SR and GT (pictures coming soon) are and what my 310 will be, not quite what it was originally designed for, put it suits me.

The frame is very well engineered, and incredibly light. The boom tube (between the cranks) is a large oval.

[Bill]

I just read the link that was posted earlier and I find that to be an incredible story!!! Must say those fellows really did some fine work! You have a keeper there Nigel.

[Joe_W]

Oh, as the guy on bikeforum so aptly wrote: "bastard"... yeah, I would really like to own something like this... (so: "a mite jealous" does not even begin to describe it...)
Honestly: I do not grudge you your find! Good luck and have fun building, I know you deserve it!
Best wishes,
Joe

[GeorgeET]

Wow Nigel, you sure are doing a lot of building. Be nice to your wife or you will be riding the tandem by yourself. :-)
Looks like a really long frame.
At Venice Carnival here in LA I saw a vintage tandem from the 40's,Build like a tank. Lots of interesting equipment on it.Too bad I could not get a photo.

[Bill]

I really like that 3 person Tri-Tandem , asked my wife if she would ride a tandem with me and she was like, "YES!". Blew my mind. To tell the truth I am scared Nigel! . Riding Tandem 101 ??? Need your advice lol.

[nfmisso]

Hi Bill

First, get very comfortable with the tandem with no one else on board. They handle a bit differently, kinda like a bus compared to a car.

Next make sure you and your wife read this:
http://www.gtgtandems.com/tech/propmethod.html

Bill McCready is the founder and president of Santana tandems. To me, he is one of, if not the most credible source of tandem information.

Always call out bumps before you get to them, warn of turns and stopping ahead of time.

Plan on your wife trying at least 5 or 6 different saddles before she finds one she is comfortable with. It will be different than her other bike saddles- if she rides.

Peddles - for awhile my wife really liked toe clips with SKS Sylvan pedals, now she likes Diamondback Bigfoot pedals. The Sylvans were giving her aching feet.

Plan on adjust her saddle hieght and angle often at first - bring the tools along if tools are required.

Search CL and ebay for a machine in your budget.

On the bike itself:
* I prefer bars which are bit wider than my normal bikes.
* powerful brakes are critical.
* tandems are very fast downhill - so fast that you can the rims hot enough for the tire to explode - so take it easy until you get a good feeling of how hot the rims get.
* tandems are slow going uphill.
* our T50 has 28/44/54 upfront and 12-30 in the back - we have used the highest and the lowest gears, and have been in stituation where it would have been nice to have even lower gears and even higher gears.

Go with tires with puncture protection, tire liners and thorn resistant tubes (slime and similar do not work) - wives have no patience for punctures.

[Bill]

Kind expected for it to be pretty involved like a pilot-copilot type situation. So there is no room for error on the wheel set in itself. To have powerful brakes the wheels should be top line steel wheels? Heavier load I agree would make them fly DH and go like a tank uphill. Turns should be anticipated no matter what kind of bike is rode, but I do understand that these have a wider turn ratio then normal bikes.
Out of curiosity, I have not looked would a shock suspension forks change anything for the better?

[nfmisso]

(08-01-2012, 12:03 AM)Bill Wrote:  Kind expected for it to be pretty involved like a pilot-copilot type situation. So there is no room for error on the wheel set in itself. To have powerful brakes the wheels should be top line steel wheels? Heavier load I agree would make them fly DH and go like a tank uphill. Turns should be anticipated no matter what kind of bike is rode, but I do understand that these have a wider turn ratio then normal bikes.
Out of curiosity, I have not looked would a shock suspension forks change anything for the better?

Pilot/co-pilot not at all, Captain/Stoker The person in back has no control at all, and can't see in front. They have to trust the captain entirely. The captain has to earn that trust.

Alloy wheels, top quality 2.0 or 2.0/2.3 stainless steel spokes (Wheelsmith is my choice). Steel wheels are not good for rim brakes, not available is stronger/stiffer geometries - Velocity Dyad is about the best tandem rim out there, but others are good.

Front suspension - NO WAY on a road tandem. Every joint/bearing add imprecision - the longer heavier tandem magnifies imprecision.

Stoker suspension seat post - only if the stoker wants it. My wife prefers a standard non-suspension seat post.

[nfmisso]

My JT is serial #7640, built in 1980.
http://www.blackbirdsf.org/taylor/serials_1980.html

There is a JT tandem on ebay right now:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/230834305207?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649

[Bill]

:O holy cow!! Saw the price on that and had to pick up my jaw lol. Again defninitely worth fixing up Nigel!!!!

[Painkiller]

notice the brakes on the ebay tandem Nigel, thats the who invented the self energizing Canti,s. suntour bought the rights and deemed them to powerful for the front of mtbs. then only produced them for the rear. You can still get them like the ones on the ebay bike. I know of maybe 10 sets or less as of this post. they are cool and hard hitters, the bike is worthy of them and you should think about grabbing a set. I have never endoed my mtb Tandem, they just do not do that. I have the Suntour version on the rear of my Gary fisher Gemini and they are awesome