[CR]was early lightweight tandems..probably still is..

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From: "Norris Lockley" <Norris.Lockley@btopenworld.com>
To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
Date: Sun, 1 Feb 2004 23:39:15 -0000
Subject: [CR]was early lightweight tandems..probably still is..

It has been fascinating reading all the nitty gritty about the devlopment of tandems and the various frame configurations. I've had a few over the years, mainly twin-lats, mainly built by one of the larger production hand-builders such as orbit in the UK although I have had a couple of early 1940s curved seat tube Claud Butlers. The twin lts - all tourers were very twitchy, the Claudes very stable, and great downhill. I have also built a few tandems under The Bespoke Bicycle brand and as the name suggests these have been one offs built very much with purpose in mind - in all cases for time-trialling where rigidity and short wheelbase were of prime importance. The double marathon design was employed except for curved seat-tube models where I preferred the single marathon. Oddly I never rode one of them myself but not having received complaints I assumed that they rode well.

Having used all these tubes to stiffen the frames I often wondered how twitchy Jack Taylors open frame designs were, and how much they flexed. Clearly the Taylor Bros frames are held in very high esteem in the States and some of you have probably visited their old workshop, but I just wondered if any copies of a woderful video about the Taylors ever crossed the Atlantic. The video was made by the Open University -one of the most successful educational ventures ever set up by a Labour government - and was shown during the Engineering Studies course on TV. What an eye-opener that video was. For those of you who have not seen it I will keep my powder dry.. for the moment.

None of the emails seem have have considered the merits of Mercian or the late George Longstaff or Chas Roberts in London. Over here he enjoys a superb reputation... and what about Routens and Cazenhave and Chaplait in France?

Norris Lockley .. surveying my last three tandems .. a Rencsh twin-lat curved seat-tube, a Higgins curved seat-tube ( very unusual) and a racing Claud Butler, possibly early 50s with over size tubing. superb bronze-welding, massive head-tube, and curved seat-tube.. and just wondering why I bought them when they are all TOO BIG.. but beautiful.