Chas. Colerich writes
I've never heard of metric sized balls being used on bikes.
I hadn't either until last year. A few years ago, some of you may remember, I bought a number of NOS Jack Taylor tandem frames and sold all but one. I was never able to come up with a combination of bearings that worked in the odd 28 mm French Bardon headsets that came in them. Sheldon Brown mentioned the headsets in his site and thought they would work with 5/32 top and 3/16 bottom. I tried that, the opposite, all 5/32, and all 3/16. Every combo would bind and rattle, both. Then a fellow from Oregon sent me an old Jack Taylor fork for repair and repaint. I asked him what size bearings it had in it. He gave me a decimal number that was between 5/32 and 3/16. Turned out to be 5 mm! I didn't know where to even look for that size so what the heck, I tried ebay. Found some that were being sold for of all things, the rattle in a jar of nail polish. But they also mentioned "for use in some sporting goods and bicycles". No mention of the grade, but I bought some anyway. Now my Jack Taylor headset works perfectly! I have extras if someone needs some. But I have also been told you can get them at most bearing supply houses too, and probably better ones. Didn't think to look there for some reason. You have to ask for balls, not bearings.
By the way, one of those Jack Taylors has come available again. It is in McCall Idaho. It is white, and 20/19 size. Has been ridden 4 times. I can put you in touch with the owner if you are interested.
Picked up TWO more Jack Taylor frames on ebay last night, road and track. They were owned by the same guy since new, so I will restore them as a matched pair.
Bob Freeman Elliott Bay Bicycles 2116 Western Ave Seattle, WA 98121 206-441-8144 http://www.elliottbaybicycles.com http://www.davidsonbicycles.com
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