Bob, I think youv'e done the frame justice and given it a new lease of life.......there will always be this thing about should it have remained original or not, but in this case I think you did the right thing........though I'm not so sure about your intention of writing 'Colin Lewis' etc on it?......
Would this Colin Lewis be the same Colin Lewis as in the ex pro [Holdsworth Campagnolo, amongst other teams] former TDF rider and all round hard man who can still give some of the younger riders a tough time here in the South West of England?.....I always thought this Colin Lewis was a Devon man, not a Teesider?......[or have I heard he's actually a Welshman?]
cheers Kevin Sayles
Bridgwater Somerset UK
>
>
> Sorry Simon, but Hogwash! The clashing colors and clumsy luglining that
> were on it when I got it were not at all original, so why would anyone
> feel compelled to keep them? Colin Lewis raced this bike for many years
> and did a very basic and poor quality rattle-can repaint on only part of
> it, probably in the 70s or 80s, perhaps to preserve it from rusting. If
> you will look at the original sales invoice in my flickr page you will see
> that it was indeed lime green when new. The Mauve head tube and seat
> panel may have been original, but I just couldn't visualize that
> combination, so red it is. Had Colin not raced this bike and beat the
> crap out of it for many years, and kept it indoors where the clear coat
> would not have cracked, faded, and peeled, it would certainly have never
> needed repainting. But how sad that would have been, for this fine bike
> to have never seen the pavement. So I have returned it to its former
> glory and original beauty, to honor the bike's career wit
> h Colin, and the workmanship of my friends Jack, Ken, and Norm Taylor.
> When I feel confident I can replicate it, I will add Colin's name and club
> to the frame as he did. And it will not be a wall hanger for me either.
> All my bikes are restored to be ridden.
>
> Here is another point of view, from fellow Taylor owner Brian Young:
>
> Good Lord Bob! That restore is absolutely stunning! What a wonderful color
> choice!!! Did you do the paint and chrome work on that? Outstanding!
> Truly.
>
>
> Message: 3
> ate: Fri, 18 Jun 2010 09:05:57 -0700 (PDT)
> rom: simon bird <simonandonandon@yahoo.com>
> ubject: [CR] jack taylor fans
> o: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
> essage-ID: <150436.75607.qm@web57504.mail.re1.yahoo.com>
> ontent-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
> I'm surprised and a bit sad that this bike has been repainted.
> absolutely love that paintjob. Clashing colours and clumsy luglining and
> all.
> have a picture of it (in original paint) in a 'random bike images' folder
> that
> lifted from -who knows where, an ebay auction? It pops up occasionally
> when my
> omputer goes into sleep mode and starts in on its slideshow thing.
> Each to their own I suppose.
> All the best
> imon Bird
> ondon England
>
> regards
>
>
> Bob Freeman
> Elliott Bay Bicycles
> 2116 Western Ave
> Seattle, WA 98121
> 206-441-8144
> http://www.elliottbaybicycles.com
> http://www.davidsonbicycles.com