Mid Century Belgian Tandem
 

I found this on ebay a couple months ago.
http://obrentharris.smugmug.com/phot...-qtjkgHM-L.jpg

The previous owner had re-chromed many parts 14 years ago then put it on his livingroom wall for 14 years.
http://obrentharris.smugmug.com/phot...-qS9zxGr-M.jpg

http://obrentharris.smugmug.com/phot...-d6LFvXd-M.jpg

I've been cleaning it up. Replaced the old mattress seats, decided to try my hand at lacquered handlebar tape, and refurbished the headlamp.
http://obrentharris.smugmug.com/phot...-9k85dMn-M.jpg

Lots of interesting details.
http://obrentharris.smugmug.com/phot...-vDvtbFP-M.jpg

http://obrentharris.smugmug.com/phot...-QKkdfqw-M.jpg

http://obrentharris.smugmug.com/phot...-qjzSpGX-M.jpg

http://obrentharris.smugmug.com/phot...-LpwHNZD-M.jpg

Rear rack part of the frame:
http://obrentharris.smugmug.com/phot...-ftKcnWw-M.jpg

If anyone has any information about Cycles Devos in Brussels I would love to know more. I assume that this bike came from the shop of the same name still selling bicycles and scooters in Brussels: The previous owner contacted them about the bike but got no response.
Brent

That's one heck of a Tandem Obrent! What a great looking and unique bike!
The seat-stays/rear integrated rack really knocks me out.

Incredible, that's a gorgeous find!

Belgium had lots of small custom bike builders.
The name DeVos translates into English as The Fox.

Digging it - this forum has the nicest tandems.

Beautiful bike, lucky you.

Quite a beauty! Do you know if the paint is original? if so, she's in exceedingly nice condition, to say the least.

Is there any way to lower the position of the stoker's bar, perhaps by turning the stem 180° so that the orientation is point downwards instead of up?

I think the stoker stem is a thoughtful way to give the stoker a comfortable upright position. Flipping it would really drop the bars quite a lot (not to mention the stoker's nose, into hostile territory.) Maybe a straight stem would be a reasonable compromise...

I totally agree with what you're saying. It is just that the amount of captain's seatpost showing is the issue and I'm guessing that it's a one piece affair making it impossible to address without buying different parts. BTW, I love the "hostile territory" reference. 'Twas a lol moment for me. :)

leave it alone- its been that way for 70 years for a reason. enjoy its unique flavor.

sweet bike

Wonderful bicycle! I went there a couple of times 15 years ago - cycles Devos in Ixelles. The shop didn't strike me as having a pedigree and they did a lousy job on my bike. Not the info you need OP, sorry. But the website says they're in business since 1910.

Connaisseurs of Belgian bikes on this forum:
http://veloretrocourse.proboards.com/index.cgi
You might try and post there, English is no problem.

From what I can tell the paint is original. The Captain's seatpost/Stoker's stem is indeed one piece, so no modification possible there. My wife actually prefers a much lower riding position for longer rides but this is our "Sunday Ride In The Park" tandem.

That seatpost is monstrously long, as is the Captain's stem. The stem is actually all the way down in the pictures. I toyed with the idea of cutting it down but decided I agreed with Puchfinland's sentiment "leave it alone- its been that way for 70 years for a reason. enjoy its unique flavor."

Thanks for all the positive comments folks!
Brent

Wow, this is probably one of a kind, and it is quite beautiful.

Very nice forum! Lots of beautiful bikes by makers whose names I've never heard (C.N.C., Auto Comptoir, A. Clevede, Archambaud, etc) and many very nice Peugeots and Gitanes that never made it to North America.
Brent

That is a way cool tandem. Good snag. Something about the pre 70s tandems appeals to me. Classic bike building at its best.

lovely bike. i especially like that titan stem and handlebar

I'd love to see pics of the derailleurs and how that double-cable lever is rigged.

Really, really great looking bike. I have never been a fan of tandems, but this one could very well change my opinion. Nice.

The most beautiful tandem I have ever seen! WOW!!

:love:

http://obrentharris.smugmug.com/phot...-ftKcnWw-M.jpg

Very beautiful and nicely detailed. I should forget about trying to go to gunsmith school and go to frame school instead.

The Titan handlebar is the first model.

Cycles Devos wasn't allways located over there.
In the seventies - heighties, you could find them in Chaussée de Wavre in Auderghem.
I used to buy stuff over there and at the time it was a Peugeot reseller (bicycles and mopeds).
Honda mopeds..

My father bought a Honda Camino over there, which got stollen when I was using it.
I also bought from them one of the 5 first mountain bikes in Belgium
It had been used for 1 hour by "Le soir" newspaper for a test of these new kind of bikes and after that was just there where they didn't know what to do with it
http://i67.servimg.com/u/f67/11/67/19/79/siting10.jpg
It was also stollen :( and I'm still searching for another one.

Your tandem is really good looking :thumb:

The rear derailer is a Cyclo Standard, most likely a 3 or 4 speed, there might have been a 5 speed version made. The cables are most likely a one piece soldered unit, with a nipple on the derailer end that can be adjusted during setup. The derailer didn't have an integral return spring, hence the two cables. The tension spring is external, runs from the derailer to a boss right behind the rear bottom bracket.

The rear fender is drilled for a skirt guard.

Wow, that is beautiful! So, how does it ride?

A couple pictures:

http://obrentharris.smugmug.com/phot...-fjxRf2g-M.jpg

http://obrentharris.smugmug.com/phot...-RmGZDvj-M.jpg

Brent