Originally Posted by
chris ss
Looks like a real nice old bike. I wonder if the Classic & Vintage forum would be helpful as well, or perhaps more-so than this tandem area.
The most overarching thought that came to mind as I read your blog was, what is your objective in restoring? That may steer an awful lot of answers to many of your questions. For example, it might be "faithful to the original" restoration, achieving the best performance that the original (or appropriate period) components can achieve. Or it might be, "I want to be able to ride this bike XXX miles in a day over XXX kind of terrain with XXX stoking, and don't really care whether the bike ends up being faithful to the original equipment or period, or a mix+match with modern stuff that works." Whatever you settle on for the objective, establishing a budget up front will help a lot -- avoid the situation where you're 1/2 way done and have reached the limit of resources you want to put into it.
I know I'm not directly addressing the details, for which I apologiz(s)e but I don't have a lot of knowledge to share in that regard. Best of luck with it, hope you get many happy miles on it.
The second scenario is the correct one. I want to be able to ride something like 60 miles a day, over hilly but hopefully smooth roads, with an inexperienced stoker, and really don't care about being original at all. I want the best performance to cost ratio possible. This project is being done on behalf of my Aunt and Uncle (still the official owners), on the premise that I'll do the fixing, and they'll pay for components, meaning they save cash compared with a shop overhaul, and, when they get too old and tired (not long now, I'm afraid), I'll inherit the whole thing. Also, I have it booked for the London to Brighton every year
So, the budget is not in my hands, and I intend to send them a detailed plan, with alternate scenarios and costs etc. and then do the most expensive thing that they'll finance!