Classic & Vintage - 1980 Jack Taylor Super Touring Tandem

I was lucky enough to find this Jack Taylor tandem with a captain's position in my size (if not a tad big) made in the year of my birth just two hours drive from me. I won the auction and hit the road just after it ended. The captain's seat tube is 63cm CTC and the stoker is 59cm CTC.

This winter I will do a complete overhaul. I will probably change the bars and brake levers as well as the fenders and lights, putting the originals away for safe keeping.

I was told that this tandem originally belonged to an Englishman who brought it to the US. Years later, when he moved back to England, he decided he didn't want to incur the expense of shipping it back. I suspect he took the saddles with him as the originals were no longer with the bike.

I can't wait to get it overhauled, cleaned, polished and on the road cruising at 30mph. I've wanted a Jack Taylor since first discovering the brothers several years ago. That this one fits me and is from my birth year makes it all the more special. Too bad my wife's not 5'10" so she could ride it with me.

http://gallery.me.com/justinhughes/100545/IMG_5407/web.jpg?ver=13254553250001

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That is totally awesome!

Now it is looking for a stoker. How do you approach that task?

I have several friends who would be up to the task, Mel. My friend who rides ~18k miles a year would be a good candidate. I'm looking forward to some club rides at high speeds.

I've been waiting to see this! AMAZING bike...HUGE, but amazing.

The tubing looks pretty thin in diameter...I'm betting you'll get some flex in the rear position.

That is one beautiful tandem atmo! I have noticed that the Jack Taylor bicycles have some of the most nicely done boxlining of any out there. The lining is simple and elegant, not overwrought.

WRT the stoker's position being too tall for your wife to ride, I suggest shortened cranks. My wife is 5'4" and rides my Davidson which is 50cm c/c and the seatpost is extended by about 2 1/2 inches with a Brooks Flyer saddle. Maybe between a combination of shortened cranks, "slamming" the stoker's seatpost and using a saddle that has a lower profile like a B-17 may make the bike manageable for your wife. I'm sure you already know this but just in case you haven't thought of it before now, the stoker does not need to support the bike - stokers feet are supposed to remain on the pedals when in the saddle.

I have several friends who would be up to the task, Mel. My friend who rides ~18k miles a year would be a good candidate. I'm looking forward to some club rides at high speeds.

And with a tandem you'll definitely get some high speeds, that's for sure! Since it doesn't have a drum brake, if you can find one you might want to think about one for fast descents.

FABULOUS!! funny thing is I notice a BJ tandem somewhere this afternoon and I may have to go look at it.

The tubing looks pretty thin in diameter...I'm betting you'll get some flex in the rear position.

I believe the Taylor brothers were the only builders to which Reynolds supplied the special 531 tandem tubing. They were skilled and known for their tandems (pretty much the best during this time period) so I'm not worried about it in the least. Those BB shells are just gorgeously brazed.


And with a tandem you'll definitely get some high speeds, that's for sure! Since it doesn't have a drum brake, if you can find one you might want to think about one for fast descents.

I'll buy an Arai if one comes around, but I've spoken to several vintage tandem riders and they tell me I'll be fine without one. Note that there's a cable stop brazed on the non-drive side chain stay for the actuator cable so if I find one that's nice. My wife is 5'5". I'm not going to replace the cranks and the difference is too small for a child stoker crank, I reckon. She'd seldom ride with me anyhow.

That is quite the tallboy tandem you've acquired. I might have a J.Taylor stoker stem for you to fit on back, in the spirit of PIF, when I return home from AK. My 650b Tourist model #7590 is a bit smaller at 24/22 ST, but is nearly identical to yours minus the dynamo/integrated wiring fitments. The Reynolds butted tubing decals on mine have crumbled as well, love that Forest Green color!
I recall a lovely Campagnolo tandem Crankset w/bottom brackets of yours recently, keeping with the Specialites TA?
Just got a wheelset put together, looking forward to a bit of tandeming. I don't expect you'll have too much trouble finding a stoker. :thumb:

I'll buy an Arai if one comes around, but I've spoken to several vintage tandem riders and they tell me I'll be fine without one. My wife is 5'5". I'm not going to replace the cranks and difference is too small for a child stoker crank I reckon. She'd seldom ride with me anyhow.

Well given the stoker's seatube is 59cm and your wife is 5'5" it would be a challenge to get a good fit even with shortened cranks, I'd imagine. Yeah, just ride it with your buddies instead. Besides, you don't want to have to pedal your wife around anyway!! ;)

That is quite the tallboy tandem you've acquired. I might have a J.Taylor stoker stem for you to fit on back, in the spirit of PIF, when I return home from AK. My 650b Tourist model #7590 is a bit smaller at 24/22 ST, but is nearly identical to yours minus the dynamo/integrated wiring fitments. The Reynolds butted tubing decals on mine have crumbled as well, love that Forest Green color!
I recall a lovely Campagnolo tandem Crankset w/bottom brackets of yours recently, keeping with the Specialites TA?
Just got a wheelset put together, looking forward to a bit of tandeming. I don't expect you'll have too much trouble finding a stoker. :thumb:

Cool! I'm told many JT tandems were built around 650B wheels. A fellow here in town ordered one in the mid 70s. The Campagnolo tandem cranks weren't mine. I'll keep these cranks as is.

I've been having a hunt for differing timing rings, and have scared up pairs in 28, 32 & 35 tooth. The Grand Bois Lierres will fit for now, and some Michelin World tours would be great for eat-em-up riding. I'm still hoping to use a pair of Hetres for my lighter weight speed configuration. If you ever need to refit your frame, the brass cheesehead bolts are designated 2ba. I ordered mine from Great Britain, an you can find them in varying size. I have a few in 3/4" for the sake of fenderline adjustment. The eccentric pinch bolts are Gripfast, and similar to the ones fitted on J.Taylor stems.

Beautiful bike, and appears to be in great shape. Being built in 1980 puts you and the bike at a whopping 31 years old! I'm sure you will enjoy it for many years.

fyi you can ride a tandem solo. i've heard they are rather luxurious.

Justin,

That JT is the score of a lifetime. It looks like it was stored in a nice, dry location and the paint looks fantastic. What a nice set of parts on this baby, as well. I'm sure you're going to do a top notch restoration and I can't wait to see the final iteration.

By the way, my wife would fit stoker just fine ;).


fyi you can ride a tandem solo. i've heard they are rather luxurious.

A local friend of mine rides his Santana tandem solo all around Cambridge. Makes for some rather predictable and tired comments from passersby ("Hey buddy, you lost someone!"). And I ride my Bike Friday tandem solo after dropping my daughter off at school. For the most part they ride like long-tail bikes, but the rear end can get a bit uneasy without some weight back there. They are designed to handle and ride best with weight on both ends.

By the way, my wife would fit stoker just fine ;).


Thanks, Anton. I'm very happy to have it. PM me for my address and I'll send Tiffany your way.

http://planningforever.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/wife_swap_with_border.jpg



fyi you can ride a tandem solo. i've heard they are rather luxurious.

For the most part they ride like long-tail bikes, but the rear end can get a bit uneasy without some weight back there. They are designed to handle and ride best with weight on both ends.



I'll ride it around the block for to work out bugs, but I have plenty of bikes designed for one person I'd rather ride solo. ;)

Thanks, Anton. I'm very happy to have it. PM me for my address and I'll send Tiffany your way.


Ha, I was going to suggest a trade but held off. :)

I'm expecting I can "try before I buy"?

That paint looks like it was applied yesterday! (It wasn't, was it?) - Anyway it looks fab, Justin. Quite a score!

Thanks, Auchen. The paint really does look great. I mean, I haven't even wiped the dust off! It was obviously seldom ridden and stored properly.

Beautiful bike...I ride our tandem solo on occasion, usually because I have dropped my bride off and wanted to go somewhere else. Haven't heard too many comments, probably because we don't have much pedestrian/cycle traffic in this area.

Aaron :)

Wow, wow, wow, and WOW! Justin, what a great score! I just kept looking at the pictures and marveling at this beautiful tandem.

You need to add the British Green Brooks B-17 saddles and your dad in the stoker position.

What type of RD and FD is it running? Do you have the front fender?

Fantastic score Justin, congrats! I've always admired the box lining on Jack Taylors, super classy.

Taylors are so understated yet so distinctive and eye catching. Really remarkable bike Justin...love it.

If you ever want or have to sell it, please contact me. That is a beautiful bike and I would be pleased as punch to have it... and my g/f is 5'10".

Thanks, everyone! It's a super cool bike and I'm just really happy to have it.

Bob, it has a Rally RD and NR/Rally FD. The wheels are 48h Super Champion Competition rims laced to Phil Wood hubs. I do have the front fender, though it is cracked near the mud flap. I removed it for transport to prevent further damage. I plan to remove the other one for safe keeping as I expect replacing green Bluemels isn't too easy.

Chris, the box lining is one of the hallmarks of Taylors. There's a guy here in Louisville that ordered a 650B tandem in the mid 70s and travelled to Stockton to pick it up. He spent the day watching them build bikes and remarked that Ken applied the box lining on an entire bike in short order. He was pretty skilled at it.


If you ever want or have to sell it, please contact me. That is a beautiful bike and I would be pleased as punch to have it... and my g/f is 5'10".

Ha. Will do. Right now you're only the fourteenth person to offer a home for it so your place in the queue isn't great. ;)

That's a real beauty you have there.

I just showed it to my wife, and she said we can't have one.

We'd fight about who gets to steer. :)

Bob, it has a Rally RD and NR/Rally FD. The wheels are 48h Super Champion Competition rims laced to Phil Wood hubs. I do have the front fender, though it is cracked near the mud flap. I removed it for transport to prevent further damage. I plan to remove the other one for safe keeping as I expect replacing green Bluemels isn't too easy.
;)

I kept looking at the picture below, thinking that certainly looks like a Campagnolo FD, but the band on the clamp is wrong. It lacks the "Diamond" points in the band.

http://gallery.me.com/justinhughes/100545/IMG_5455/web.jpg?ver=13254558620001

As a comparison, the FD on my '71 Paramount.

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p71/pastorbobnlnh/Paramounts/1971%20P-13/P13May212011RecordFD.jpg

Can you provide more pictures of both the RD and FD? The FD is certainly interesting. Are the barend shifters Campagnolo or Suntour (I'm guessing Suntour)?

Here are a few more pics. The shifters are SunTour, yes.

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Pastor Bob is right: that is an anomalous front derailleur.

It was a short lived version (http://www.velobase.com/ViewComponent.aspx?ID=D6566C27-A564-4FD4-A756-6AEA9E52B615&Enum=113&AbsPos=16) that would be correct for the vintage of the JT.

http://www.campyonly.com/history/catalogs/catalog_17a_supp.pdf

Wonderful bike! My n + 2 bike is a C&V tandem (n + 1 is a folder).

Thanks for posting good pics, Justin. That beauty is in fine shape - what a score!

No worries about that frame - the Taylors had really figured out the tandem. Both Jack and Peggy, and Ken and Honor, took MANY holidays on their tandems. Last summer, my wife and I had the pleasure to visit Ken and Honor Taylor, and they happily recalled many stories of touring on the continent. They rode over all the famous high cols with loaded panniers, and have many great memories of those experiences. IIRC, much of the tandem tubing was straight gauge, by design. Should have just the right stiffness/flex as is - and doesn't need all the extra lateral stays. You'll fly with a strong stoker - FUN!

Jan Heine has a JT tandem that he speaks favorably of, and even Prince Charles seriously considered ordering one when he visited the works (his relationship with the Princess may have prevented him from actually ordering one?) Prince Charles asked Ken how long it would take to build a tandem for him. Ken jokingly replied, "For you? Six months." Ken is a jokester, but I'm not sure about HRH's sense of humour. Maybe that's why he didn't order one.

I took this pic of an old photo in their home:
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6054/5913723597_6c50fc5933_b.jpg

More photos of the visit here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/39151498@N07/sets/72157627018306343/

Cheers!
Alex

Nice find, The detail work on the frame is beautiful and it looks like the bike was stored in a nice dry place all the time.

Justin,

Thanks for the pictures of the derailleurs. I guess I've missed any posts about the narrow band FD. I have read about the four hole issue many times. I guess you will need to be careful with this FD.

Lovely! I had a ride on a friend's 1938 Hetchins tandem, both as pilot and stoker. Frightened the life out of me. Not really but it was very strange not being able to steer as the stoker.

Back to your JT, love the colour, love the box lining and love the lug-less build.

Mr. Thompson, who has the Taylor build book has informed me this bike was completed on July 14, 1980 and was marked as a 26 x 24 Super Touring tandem. This may well be the largest tandem the Taylors built.

http://gallery.me.com/justinhughes/100545/IMG_5406/web.jpg?ver=13254553140001

The eagle has landed. This tandem (at least most of it) is in my garage, waiting to be put together and ridden.

Nice find!
Need to snug up the cross-over chain a bit by adjusting the eccentric.
Those Mafac cantis are great, especially of you can find some finned Scott/Matthauser brakepads for them.
The Taylor brothers only apprentice that ever stayed with framebuilding was Colin Laing.
A renowned framebuilder in his own right here in the USA and England. Now retired and living in the Phoenix area.
Had one of Colin's custom built tandem; a combination of craftsmanship and art. Put 56,000 miles on it.
Enjoy the ride!

Nice find!
Need to snug up the cross-over chain a bit by adjusting the eccentric.
Those Mafac cantis are great, especially of you can find some finned Scott/Matthauser brakepads for them.
The Taylor brothers only apprentice that ever stayed with framebuilding was Colin ...

Well, not sure I agree with that. Chip wamsley Builds frames and apprenticed under the Taylor's. I think i know of one more but I'm blanking on names.