Hello List ,
About that F. W. Evans tandem , on eBay at this moment ,
As Mike Dayton mentioned , the seller , and current owner , is Karl Edwards .
I don't know why Karl has not written in , to the C. R. List , with information about the original build-date .
A while back , when I bought a single-person , touring , F. W. Evans frame-set , from Hilary Stone , Karl wrote to me . He included photos of his tandem , to help me see how a "The Evans" should properly appear . Along with all of that , was this information :
1.) Karl Edwards is the second owner of that tandem .
2.) The original owners were John R. Shoemaker , and his wife .
3.) The tandem was originally built in 1961 .
4.) Frame size is , 24.5 inch - 21 inch .
5.) The photos with original owners show a little upholstered child seat , mounted on top of that rear rack . It would NOT pass modern safety standards . But it sure looks appropriate .
6.) Listed as original equipment is a "Campagnolo 5 speed derailleur" . But in the old black and white photo , with the tiny derailleur way at the back of the picture , it looks more like a Cyclo rear derailleur to me . And of course , you can very clearly see the original shift lever in the eBay photos . Perhaps they meant it had a Campagnolo 5 speed rear hub ?
7.) Listed as original equipment were "Spokes tied and soldered" .
So ! Like many builders , F. W. Evans did not change their methods as quickly as the fashions changed . Just look at Taylor Brothers / Jack Taylor for designs which didn't change as quickly as the fashions ! It's a 1961 bicycle , with a few features which reach back farther into the past . It is just as advertised , " . . . example of a late 1950's, early 1960's . . . " .
And it has had some equipment changed , to slightly more modern items . By the way , if you are worried about the substituted equipment , the original front wheel was equipped with a front drum brake , and it might still be using its original rear hub . The original pedals shown in the old black and white photos are rubber-block pedals . And currently , the seat-binder bolt , on the rear ( stoker ) seat lug , is a 1950's Schwinn item !
Raoul Delmare
Marysville Kansas
List member and friend Karl Edwards has a beautiful Evans Tandem posted on
ebay. Definitely worth a look. Here's the address: http://tinyurl.com/
Mike Dayton
Raleigh, NC