Re: [CR] Taylor Tandem

Hello, Michael:

I'd admired the photos Keith took of his fantastic refinish but did not realize that it was your bike on which he was working. I saw your Taylor when it arrived at the Bike Stand in Olympia and was shocked to see the degree to which the bottom tube had rusted through. It was the worst case of bike rust I had ever seen until, perhaps, this bike, also recently tackled by Keith Anderson...

http://picasaweb.google.com/MERLARS/MatchBuiltHampstenRepairRestoration

I can only assume that the previous owner meant to deceive you, for there's simply no way that he could have missed the damage or thought it inconsequential.

I am pleased to hear that you were able to locate an appropriate tube, and dared the rescue. The end results of the project appear to be well worth the effort, time, and cost. Congratulations, and attaboy for saving a neat bike from the trash heap.

Incidentally, within a few weeks of your Taylor tandem arriving at the Bike Stand, a fellow wheeled in an incredible "time capsule" example, circa 1982, the result of his stoker having sadly passed away around the time he purchased it. I've recently moved to Texas and am not sure if that bike is still available or if Troy snatched it up!

-- Kristopher Hicks-Green Hicks-Green Consulting Austin, TX  78702  USA

kristopher@hicks-green.biz (360) 481.4592

Message: 2 Date: Sat, 1 Jan 2011 20:01:56 -0800 (PST) From: Michael Thompson <meauxtown@yahoo.com> Subject: [CR] Taylor Tandem To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org Message-ID: <264185.15919.qm@web63405.mail.re1.yahoo.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1

The Jack Taylor tandem that Keith Anderson has just painted is mine, and I'm quite pleased as to the fine work Keith has done repainting it. ? There is a long story behind this machine. I found out about this tandem and contacted the owner, we worked a cash deal and he shipped it to me. I thought this would be a nice bike to leave at the lake house and use it when we were down there. The seller failed to mention to me that the boom tube was rusted completely through. I contacted him about the problem, as you can guess, no reply. Here are the photos I received: http://www.flickr.com/photos/meauxtown/sets/72157623234325065/ ? Looked nice enough, would need some parts changed out but would make a good "rider." I'm not sure how the problem with the rust started but it did?a job on the boom tube. I started looking for the replacement tube with Reynolds, they don't make the exact tube anymore. About that time one came up for sale on ebay. I contacted the seller, he had two and would sell the the second for the same as the first auction. It went for somewhere north of two hundred dollars. The new redesign from Reynolds was less than $40.00 to my door. So with the new Reynolds tube in hand, I contacted a friend about the repair. He was up to the job, he does this type of work on the side. It took him a while, but got it all back "right." Then (another buddy out that way Troy Warnick) got it to Keith at the handmade show in Portland. ? I almost just canned this one and wrote it off as a bad deal. But I got to thinking, Norman would have repaired the bike if he were still around, and Jack would have painted it back if he were still working. So, what the heck, spend a little more dough and make it a fine tandem again, and we're close to that point now. ? Bessie and I will have fun when it's all back together and that's what Tandem riding is all about. Especially on a Jack Taylor made tandem.
?
Mike Thompson
Monroe, Louisiana