[CR] Jack Taylor discussion on Classicrendezvous Digest, Vol 91, Issue 56, July 21st.

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References: <4C467E05.3020905@internode.on.net>
From: "Sam Powrie" <kabir@chariot.net.au>
Date: Fri, 23 Jul 2010 23:22:15 +0930
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Subject: [CR] Jack Taylor discussion on Classicrendezvous Digest, Vol 91, Issue 56, July 21st.


Greetings friends, I'm the fellow in Australia who has been (and I think still is) trying to sell the Jack Taylor Super Tourist that Thomas and Mark discussed a couple of days ago. I've read the rules and this post is not intended to serve any financial interest related to the current listing on ebay. But I did find it very interesting that Mark Stonich has a bike with a s/n immediately proceeding the one I'm selling. Isn't the world a small place really! This bike belonged to a dear friend of mine. Mike was a cycling 'high achiever' - at least to the extent that anyone with a successful non-cycling career and many other active interests could be. He was an national Australian competitive road racer in his younger days, an inveterate and accomplished cycle tourist, an expert on all aspects of European and Australian road racing history (especially the TdeF going back to the earliest days), a Moultoneer extraordinaire (that will mean something to any Moultoneers present) and a collector of beautiful bicycles. When he found he had advanced cancer 4 years ago he asked me to help him sell his large (60+) bike collection so it wouldn't weigh down his family if his illness eventually got the better of him. This is what I've been doing for the last 2-3 years. He had a reasonable stable of Jack Taylors too. The afore-mentioned Super Tourist frame set, bought new along with a size smaller identical one for his partner (hers still in its wooden Taylor-built factory crate - not for sale AFAIK), a yellow curved tube SS/fixed bike (sold), a Tour of Britain (sold - Mike's favourite bike), a Super Tourist tandem (still in the shed) and a Taylor single wheel trailer (bought along with the tandem I believe). He also had a 'curly' Hetchins, a restored Bates with Diatrant forks, an exquisite Healing track bike (plus many other track bikes), a 1930s or 40s Bianchi, many older Engish bikes (including a nice Robin Hood Rufford), a great yellow and chrome Olmo cafe-racer, many older Australian racing bikes for the 30s and 40s, an Ariel from the 20s or 30s (brand new wooden rims), a pile of wooden rims up to my waist, a dozen or so Moultons (including an AM Speed), several touring bikes and a highly customised red AM with a 62 tooth chain wheel that has ridden the TdeF route several times in the week before the big race (my friend's 'annual holiday'). Also 5 Penny Farthings - an original, 2 new ones built for him (one a purple metal-flake painted racer on which I think he became Australian or World Veteran PF Champion) and a reproduction Eagle. As he told me once, 'the full disaster!' Mike lost his battle suddenly last Friday before many could say goodbye to him and his funeral is tomorrow. He was my best friend although I think a great many around the world (including some on this list) will feel that about him. We may recommence moving his collection on to others in a week or so - we'll see. In his post Thomas says "seller claims never built up". All I can really tell you via the listing is what my friend has told me. This Super Tourist currently listed is genuinely as stated. Someone noted marks on the dropouts and asked about whether it genuinely had not been used. This prompted a closer look and it does seem that wheels have been mounted at some stage and maybe a rear derailleur and I've also found a small ding near the base of the right chain stay (very probably from 23 years of storage - see amended listing). But there are no ('zero', 'nada', 'zilch' etc) signs of what one would call 'use' - no front derailleur marks, no wear on the racks, an unmarked seat post clamp, no wear on the shifter bosses etc. I'm an amateur at this really, especially when it comes to historic and beautiful bikes and I may well be asking too much for the frameset - I guess we'll see. But I just wanted those discussing the listing to know something of the circumstances and that these bikes and their disposal are the real deal. So now I'll go back to lurker status and try to learn something from the wisdom shared here so freely.
Best wishes to all,
Sam Powrie,
Adelaide.