Greetings friends,
I'm the fellow in Australia who has been (and I think still is)
trying to sell the Jack Taylor Super Tourist that Thomas and Mark
discussed a couple of days ago. I've read the rules and this post is
not intended to serve any financial interest related to the current
listing on ebay. But I did find it very interesting that Mark Stonich
has a bike with a s/n immediately proceeding the one I'm selling.
Isn't the world a small place really! This bike belonged to a dear
friend of mine. Mike was a cycling 'high achiever' - at least to the
extent that anyone with a successful non-cycling career and many
other active interests could be. He was an national Australian
competitive road racer in his younger days, an inveterate and
accomplished cycle tourist, an expert on all aspects of European and
Australian road racing history (especially the TdeF going back to the
earliest days), a Moultoneer extraordinaire (that will mean something
to any Moultoneers present) and a collector of beautiful bicycles.
When he found he had advanced cancer 4 years ago he asked me to help
him sell his large (60+) bike collection so it wouldn't weigh down
his family if his illness eventually got the better of him. This is
what I've been doing for the last 2-3 years. He had a reasonable
stable of Jack Taylors too. The afore-mentioned Super Tourist frame
set, bought new along with a size smaller identical one for his
partner (hers still in its wooden Taylor-built factory crate - not
for sale AFAIK), a yellow curved tube SS/fixed bike (sold), a Tour of
Britain (sold - Mike's favourite bike), a Super Tourist tandem (still
in the shed) and a Taylor single wheel trailer (bought along with the
tandem I believe). He also had a 'curly' Hetchins, a restored Bates
with Diatrant forks, an exquisite Healing track bike (plus many other
track bikes), a 1930s or 40s Bianchi, many older Engish bikes
(including a nice Robin Hood Rufford), a great yellow and chrome Olmo
cafe-racer, many older Australian racing bikes for the 30s and 40s,
an Ariel from the 20s or 30s (brand new wooden rims), a pile of
wooden rims up to my waist, a dozen or so Moultons (including an AM
Speed), several touring bikes and a highly customised red AM with a
62 tooth chain wheel that has ridden the TdeF route several times in
the week before the big race (my friend's 'annual holiday'). Also 5
Penny Farthings - an original, 2 new ones built for him (one a purple
metal-flake painted racer on which I think he became Australian or
World Veteran PF Champion) and a reproduction Eagle. As he told me
once, 'the full disaster!' Mike lost his battle suddenly last Friday
before many could say goodbye to him and his funeral is tomorrow. He
was my best friend although I think a great many around the world
(including some on this list) will feel that about him. We may
recommence moving his collection on to others in a week or so - we'll
see. In his post Thomas says "seller claims never built up". All I
can really tell you via the listing is what my friend has told me.
This Super Tourist currently listed is genuinely as stated. Someone
noted marks on the dropouts and asked about whether it genuinely had
not been used. This prompted a closer look and it does seem that
wheels have been mounted at some stage and maybe a rear derailleur
and I've also found a small ding near the base of the right chain
stay (very probably from 23 years of storage - see amended listing).
But there are no ('zero', 'nada', 'zilch' etc) signs of what one
would call 'use' - no front derailleur marks, no wear on the racks,
an unmarked seat post clamp, no wear on the shifter bosses etc. I'm
an amateur at this really, especially when it comes to historic and
beautiful bikes and I may well be asking too much for the frameset -
I guess we'll see. But I just wanted those discussing the listing to
know something of the circumstances and that these bikes and their
disposal are the real deal. So now I'll go back to lurker status and
try to learn something from the wisdom shared here so freely.
Best wishes to all,
Sam Powrie,
Adelaide.