Bob Jackson SWB racing tandem

[Citoyen du monde]

I picked this tandem up about 30 years ago. It was my faithful campanion all through my university days. Better than having a car when you live in a city with great pathways through the parks. Did quite a few time trials too, as well as century rides. The odometer reads over 13,000 miles but because of the many miles ridden without the odometer attached, the bike probably has over 20,000 miles which I feel is quite good for a tandem. I had the frame repainted in 1984 in rastafarian colours. Fades were very popular at the time

My wife is too small to fit the stoker position, but my eldest daughter has now finally, in the last two months, grown enough to fit onto the back!

 

[TheGreenRabbit]

fantastic !

 

[Old Ned]

Very nice, I like the wild colour scheme.

Interesting use of the 'long' drive chain, more favoured 'sur le continent' than in UK. Any particular reason for doing it this way?

 

[Citoyen du monde]

Very nice, I like the wild colour scheme.

Interesting use of the 'long' drive chain, more favoured 'sur le continent' than in UK. Any particular reason for doing it this way?

It started out life with rear drive and the necessity of a Simplex push road front derailleur, as this was then the only derailleur available to me that would readily work with the curved seat tube. All other derailleurs simply had very poor cage angle and consequenly poor shifting which is simply not acceptable when you can't hear or see what you are doing first-hand. When I repainted the frame, I had a French-style front derailleur braze-on mount fitted on the rear tube and installed 46/56/66 chainrings. The short chainstays combined with the big chainrings made made for an unhappy combination. I tried out the front mount and have never turned back. I would recommend front mount for any tandem. I can now set up the tandem so that I can use each of the cogs on the back with each chainring. The short cage rear derailleur works perfectly.

 

[dutchie]

... I had the frame repainted in 1984 in rastafarian colours. Fades were very popular at the time...

Even cables are in rasta Nice bike indeed. I'd show her as BotM.

 

[Old Ned]

Very nice, I like the wild colour scheme.

Interesting use of the 'long' drive chain, more favoured 'sur le continent' than in UK. Any particular reason for doing it this way?

It started out life with rear drive and the necessity of a Simplex push road front derailleur, as this was then the only derailleur available to me that would readily work with the curved seat tube. All other derailleurs simply had very poor cage angle and consequenly poor shifting which is simply not acceptable when you can't hear or see what you are doing first-hand. When I repainted the frame, I had a French-style front derailleur braze-on mount fitted on the rear tube and installed 46/56/66 chainrings. The short chainstays combined with the big chainrings made made for an unhappy combination. I tried out the front mount and have never turned back. I would recommend front mount for any tandem. I can now set up the tandem so that I can use each of the cogs on the back with each chainring. The short cage rear derailleur works perfectly.

I suppose I should have thought a bit before posting, all quite sensible really! The curved seat tube and short stays are an obvious potential problem for multiple chainrings. I only ever used a straight through drive and single ring on mine - but it was only ever used for time trialling on.

 

[Goldie]

I love this bike! RBOTM surely...

 

[stedlocks]

~Youve got to love that bike!!

Even if tandems are not your thing, You've got to love that bike!!

 

[Citoyen du monde]

Here is a photo prior to the frame being repainted.

 

[pigman]

..... and installed 46/56/66 chainrings.

Do you really mean 66, or is that a typo. One helluva monster if it is. Bet it motors, once that's rolling