Originally Posted by
Aubergine
My recollection is that they are 30 teeth. Larger rings would not help take up slack; every one tooth increase in size (times two chainrings) would mean I would have to add two links to the chain, leaving me in exactly the same position I am now.
No, remember you are dealing with arc length and circumferences. Setting up the timing chain taughtness required the aft chainring has to be held stable, I get the chain the correct length on top with the eccentric bottom bracket somewhere near high noon, then adjust the chain from there, if you have some slack, but cannot take a link out, hook it up and move the eccentric forward. I worry about crank angle timing last, after the tension is good. Everyonce in a while it goes well all at once, do not depend on it. There are schools of thought on how to set up the timing between the two cyclors. I would look at old pictures of the Herses on a tandem and go with that.