Late last year, as I was looking for another tandem to put in the collection, I happened upon an ad on Seattle CL for an entire Jack Taylor tandem. I sent a message to the seller and after a couple email exchanges a phone conversation ensued, at which point I found out the seller was none other than fellow forumite Roger M. I sent him money, he sent me a bike and then the box sat in my living room for several months. I finally got motivated enough to start putting it together (slowly) a few weeks ago so we could ride it some this summer. We actually managed to take it on its maiden voyage yesterday and hoped to take it on a more extensive ride today but we were OBE, so any riding will need to wait a bit.

Since these pictures were taken yesterday, I have swapped out the way too big Panaracer Pasela (700x35) tires for Grand Bois Cerf (700x28) tires. I also have a pair of blue Bluemels Club Special fenders which I hope to soon have installed if I can locate some stays and bolts. If all goes well, she'll be ridden up on Long Island next weekend, unless my better half has other ideas on how to celebrate her retirement.

In case you're wondering about the vintage, the tandem is a 1977 and is referred to as a "lateral tube" model. Based on the build sheet, this appears to have been a custom built frame because 1) the size is smaller than most JT frames, and 2) racks were not normally included with lateral tube tandems.

I am pretty sure that, out of our four tandems, three of them are custom. I'm not sure there's anyone, at least on this forum, who has three custom tandems in their stable. Just sayin'...


Jack Taylor Tandem - Lateral Tube - 1977 - 13 by Sallad Rialb, on Flickr


Jack Taylor Tandem - Lateral Tube - 1977 - 9 by Sallad Rialb, on Flickr


Jack Taylor Tandem - Lateral Tube - 1977 - 8 by Sallad Rialb, on Flickr


Jack Taylor Tandem - Lateral Tube - 1977 - 4 by Sallad Rialb, on Flickr


Jack Taylor Tandem - Lateral Tube - 1977 - 5 by Sallad Rialb, on Flickr


Jack Taylor Tandem - Lateral Tube - 1977 - 6 by Sallad Rialb, on Flickr


Jack Taylor Tandem - Lateral Tube - 1977 - 7 by Sallad Rialb, on Flickr


Jack Taylor Tandem - Lateral Tube - 1977 - 11 by Sallad Rialb, on Flickr


Jack Taylor Tandem - Lateral Tube - 1977 - 12 by Sallad Rialb, on Flickr

Dallas,

You do have fine taste in your machines. That is lovely. I hope those Grand Bois tires are sturdy enough for tandem use. They're reported to be rather delicate, no?

Fabulous photos, too.

Cheers!

Thanks Owen. I think it's on the right track and now I just need time to get the fenders installed, swap pedals, and do some fine tuning. I'm not too worried about the Cerf tires on the tandem. We're already running GB Hetres on the Bilenky and the Norman Rapide has GB Cypres and they don't seem any more flat prone than other tires. I think the delicate nature of Grand Bois tires is a bit exaggerated.

The pictures were taken at the usual spot - the MARC train station just a short way from our home.

this one is still lurking about in MD...would make 4 JT's....just sayin'...cuz 4's a more even number is all....

Beautiful bike Dallas.
Ahh, that pinstriping!
Brent

You have some of the nicest tandems built by man...or possibly woman in the Bilenky's case. Amazing stuff Dallas.

I only have one custom tandem (although there are four of them kicking about here)and I cannot imagine having three customs. Very nice.

I could never have waited as long as you did to assemble that beauty.

Hmmm, that's a pretty one, for sure. It's a shame I'm at capacity.

Thanks Brent. Yeah, it is hard to fault the boxlining on an old JT. Even though the stripes were put on 35+ years ago and are somewhat faded, they are still beautifully done.

Thanks Aaron. We're really looking forward to getting more seat time on this machine. At this point we're pretty happy with how it rides and hope that the Cerfs provide as good a ride as many claim. Since it's a good bit lighter than the Bilenky it climbs better, though it has a very cramped stoker section. When we went into a tuck on one of the downhill sections, the better half was sort of taken aback because she had her chin in my back, something we don't have a problem with on the Bilenky. It'll just reinforce our togetherness.

Sharp bike! I think I'd always opt for the fatter tire on a tandem.

Not familiar with the is "capacity" thing you speak of?

Oh, I understand it only too well:
1. Small house with small bike storage room.
2. Inability to tolerate having a bike sitting around unridden - not enough free time to ride them all.
3. A wife with common sense who believes that we should sell the DeVos tandem (which doesn't fit us) before buying the beautiful bike you posted (which looks like it might actually fit us.)



Brent

That sure is pretty. Fortunately, it looks like it'd be way too small for us, or I'd be tempted to break the budget and help you solve your problem.

Thanks balindamood. The funny thing is that while all of these are customs, I have more or less managed to fall into them. The Davidson was picked up on eBay for a very low price from a young man that had gotten it from his father. the Bilenky was built for Jan Heine to test for Bicycle Quarterly and upon its return it got shuttled from one bicycle show to another until I bought it from Bilenky. Finally, the JT showed up on Seattle CL after I decided to abandon the build on a JT frameset I had previously purchased. I definitely consider myself fortunate to have managed to get some fine tandems over the past few years.

Believe me, I hoped to get to this MUCH sooner than I did. As they say, better late than never.

All this tandem talk has got me thinking of making a trio to MD myself for a look at JT. PG...you know your approaching hoarders status...right?

Thanks Justin. I'm with you on the tire size, but the 35mm tires are too large to accomodate the Bluemels Club Special fenders. If we find the Cerfs are too narrow, we'll likely try the Cypres.

Proper metal fenders may be the answer.

Yeah, I really like that DeVos tandem. It keeps tempting me.

I'm not going to dignify that comment with a response other than this:

It isn't like I don't have any fenders, that's for sure! I seem to remember purchasing a set of hammered Honjo fenders from someone on the forum a while back in a size that will accommodate wider tires. It's an idea, but I really do like the idea of the Bluemels. I'm planning on this being a "weight weenie" tandem of sorts.

I have fallen into most of mine as well. I had a chance to buy a 70's Taylor in immacualte condition in 2009 for a very reasonable price. Just could not scrape the $$$ together, and it went to a CR list guy. Probably the most beautiful bike I have ever seen in person. I have always had a facination with tandems, and started searching hard for another. Found a nice early Santana on Ebay about two years ago and spent proabably 25% premium over the Jack Taylor to get it delivered. Simply beautiful. Since then, they have sort of stared to fall out of the sky. Freinds of ours had an early Burley which was in the way so it showed up. Old Gitane Tandem #1 was salvaged from the dump and now the kids gleefully ride it into the lake. Gitane #2 showed up at the local co-op and I got it for a song (mostly I wanted the parts). The back is a step through and I want to turn it into some sort of pick-up truck sort of bike. Needs a new fork though, and the lake bike does not fit. A Trek T100 showed up on Craigs List and it is now my #1 kid hauler. Although my wife does not care for them, they are super convenient for hauling kiddo's around.

I am beginiing to think that tandems are kind of like rabbits and if you have one or two, you could have many without trying.

You've done it again, another beautiful tandem.

...and if you can't fine a use for those 35mm Paselas, my commuter sure could!