Re: [CR]George Longstaff trike for sale on ebay

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Date: Mon, 21 Feb 2005 20:19:54 +0000 (GMT)
From: "Michael Butler" <pariscycles@yahoo.co.uk>
Subject: Re: [CR]George Longstaff trike for sale on ebay
To: CR Rendezvous <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
In-Reply-To: <001001c51845$2c4f9430$0100000a@home>


Regarding shipping tricycles to the USA here are hopefully a few helpful pointers. The older style tricycles especially with Abingdon axles dismantle very easily. The seat stays are normally bolt on and the chainstays are probably telescopic. This was how they adjusted the chain length on these machines so they are relatively straight forward to dismantle and pack for shipping. The popular makers who made tricycles with Abingdon axles are Buckley, Saxon, Merlin, Lipscombe, Claud Butler and Scott. As a rule of thumb most Abingdon axles trikes are nearly all made pre-war. When it comes to modern tricycles thats post second world war it's not so easy. Higgins, Ken Rogers, Longstaff, Swallow, Thompson, Jack Taylor, Bob Jackson, Mercian, H.R.Morris are all fully brazed or welded up. Thus making the shipping box at least the width of the trike axle. Incidentally Taylor, Jackson, Mercian and Morris all used either Higgins or Rogers made axles. The older ones of these will have an eccentric bottom bracket for adjusting the chain length handy if you want to ride fixed. There were several other makers of post was axles most notably Holdsworths and some of the tricycles that used their axles have adjustable chain stays making dismantling easy. My advice would be to get hold of a tricycle conversion set it doesn't really matter that you are driving on the wrong wheel on a OWD set, I have toured Europe extensively on a OWD trike and it didn't give me any problems. The only thing wrong about tricycle conversion sets is that the bottom bracket height is higher on a bicycle and if this gives you a riding problem when on 27" wheels try putting a 26" in the front this makes it easier to handle. Tricycles are well worth mastering and once you have tried it you are hooked for life. Finally Trevor Jarvis made a Flying Gate trike I have seen a Bates trike with Cantiflex forks, Paris Galibier with a Holdsworth axle and a beautiful pre-war Hetchins with curly chainstays on an Abingdon. This last machine had an eccentric bottom bracket.

Thats all for now. Keep those wheels spinning, in your memories if not still on the road. Be lucky Mick Butler Huntingdon UK.