re: [CR]Vintage Assenmacher Tandem, questions on parts

(Example: Events:Cirque du Cyclisme)

Date: Tue, 27 May 2003 19:01:09 -0400
From: "HM & SS Sachs" <sachs@erols.com>
To: kctommy@msn.com, classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Subject: re: [CR]Vintage Assenmacher Tandem, questions on parts


Tom Adams wrote to ask a few questions about his Assenmacher. I'll snip a bunch of stuff to get to things I might be able to answer.

Tom: The front crank arms are 170's, instead of my prefered 175 mms. Does anyone have a set to trade? (Okay, stop laughing now). If not, is there a source for the tandem arms? Is it advisable to get a set of regular TA 175's and reverse the pedal threads via the methods used to repair stipped threads?

Harvey: I have done this without too much trouble. The "secret" alternative is to swap spindles on a pair of pedals. Works great with some flavors, lousy with others. But, be sure to mark that the threading is backwards, lest "maturity" lead you to forget.

Tom: Would any other crank arms fit a BB sized for the TA fronts? Or are TA cranks a poor choice these days for tandems, and I should just replace the whole shebang? (Harris Cyclery has Sugino Fuse sets advertised for $180 total, minus bb's.) My concern is the stiffness of the chainrings running a Tandem sized outer. The bike currently has 58-52-30 rings.

Harvey: For tandem use, there are or were heavier tandem rings. If you can't get them, I strongly recommend drilling (on the TA 6-pin "racing" circle) the outer two and using screws flush to the back, with spacers, to tie them together. I think I still have a pretty much hexagonal TA ring from a single...They will warp backwards, staying in plane!

Tom: I'm worried about replacing the 27 inch rims down the road. Does anyone have a source for 48 hole 27 inch rims?

Harvey: If the usual sources fail, there are tandem specialists (including Larry Black, Tandems East, and Tandems Ltd) who are likely to have these.

Tom: I don't know if the frame will take 700c rims, because I can't see any mechanism for vertical adjustment in the Mafac cantilevers. I'd like to leave the brakes on because they look ultra cool, but if I get stuck in the future, will it be possible to replace the Mafacs with more modern brakes that will adjust down to hit a 700c rim? Or is there some way to adjust the Mafacs vertically?

Harvey: Depending on the width of the rims and other factors, sometimes it is possible to "cheat" the Mafacs to handle the drop of an eighth inch. Or, since I'm gathering that keeping it completely stock is not your greatest concern, one option is to grab the Dremel and grind out the slots of the drop-outs (assuming verticals in back). Less than 1/8" should do it. Finally, if you find a set of AVID Tri-Aligns, grab them. I paid $20 for a pair at Cirque. The Houdini of brakes, and they work well, besides. They'll slide down and adjust more than anything else I know (Rodney Moseman showed me how). Good luck, Tom!

harvey sachs
mcLean va