Re: [CR]JACK TAYLOR CURVED TUBE

(Example: Framebuilders:Brian Baylis)

From: "Leonard Bulger" <bulger@erim-int.com>
Subject: Re: [CR]JACK TAYLOR CURVED TUBE
To: Classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Date: Tue, 12 Nov 2002 15:44:22 -0500

I tried using a Campy Valentino on a Curve Tube and it didn't work. The derailleur was too far forward. Some derailleurs will work if the chainrings are small enough. I used a 980 with Novo Record 46 and 41 rings and it worked most of the time. I rode one Curve Tube that Holland at Velo City in San Francisco set up with a 980 and TA triple, and it worked fine. Unfortunately I don't remember what size big ring he used. Another thing to try would be to modify an old Huret with a spacer between the parallelogram and mounting clamp like Schwinn did with the curved tube Paramounts. That would improve the French content of the bike too :-) Setting up a Curve Tube is not a trivial task. It helps to have different length bottom bracket spindles and shims for the fixed cup and freewheel. There's no indentation in the chainstay, so the crank has to sit pretty far out. The chainstay is not thinned where it attatches to the dropout, so the chain will hit it if the small cog is too big or too far out. The seat tube is curved right where the derailleur clamps, and if you try to lower the derailleur, the back of the cage comes up. I gave up on using a front derailleur on mine and just run it as a five speed. Five gears are enough for a bike that really begs to be ridden out of the saddle. It looks much better that way too. If you succeed in getting the Curve Tube set up, you will return from every ride with wobbly knees, tape twisted off the bars and a smile that will last for a week.

Leonard Bulger
Ann Arbor, MI