[CR] Jack Taylor Trailers

(Example: Framebuilders:Norman Taylor)

Date: Sun, 18 Oct 2009 19:35:56 -0700
To: <meauxtown@yahoo.com>
From: "Jan Heine" <heine94@earthlink.net>
Cc: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Subject: [CR] Jack Taylor Trailers


>While visiting the Taylors in 04, I asked Norman about the trailers.
>He told me that they were the toughest cycling item that he ever
>built. In fact, the one they copied was at Norman's house while I
>was there, also took some photos of it. There are lots of hard
>bends, on these and I guess it was difficult getting all that right.
>I can't remember where I heard it, but one of the Taylors, maybe
>Ken, was visiting the Frenchman that built the trailer, he told Ken,
>"When you get some built, I would love to buy a few, I can't stand
>to build them" Now, I may stand corrected on this, but I heard it
>from them or maybe Dave Radmore, I just don't recall.

You read it in Bicycle Quarterly - Ken Taylor told Mark Lawrence in the interview about Goeland wanting to buy trailer copies from the Taylors. The Jack Taylor trailer originally was a Goeland design. (Taylors not only copied the trailer, they even used the Rebour drawing of the Goeland in their catalogue!)

I have seen two versions of the same Goeland catalogue, except in one, the trailer has been removed from Rebour drawing on the cover page. (Inside, the trailer wasn't listed in either catalogue.) Clearly, Goeland stopped making the trailers after a while...
>I bought mine my trailer just as they were closing the works. Jack
>had two NOS in the shipping box. I bought one and the other went to
>a fellow just south of the Bay area of CA. Mine is silver with box
>lines, the other was red as I recall. Then Norm built a few, not
>sure how many when he was working at Greta Lane.

Mine is one of the last ones he made. Yellow enamel, no box-lining, so clearly Jack no longer was involved.

Jan Heine
Editor
Bicycle Quarterly
2116 Western Ave.
Seattle WA 98121
http://www.vintagebicyclepress.com