Personal bike:1971 Jack Taylor Tourist

     This is one of my personal bikes. It is a 1971 Jack Taylor Tourist model, which I purchased as a frame, fork, and rear rack off Ebay in 2005 ish. I have always loved the Taylor brothers work and when I finally got the opportunity to own one in my size, I jumped at it. I was excited when I saw the auction because it looked to be in great original shape, and when I won the auction my excitement level increased. I started thinking of how I wanted to build it and all the adventures I would have in the coming years riding it. when it arrived, I was surprised to find it was NOS (new),  the original paint in the drop outs had never had a wheel in them!
I then was conflicted, do I preserve its original condition and keep it as an investment? Or do I build it and use it for what it was originally intended. I chose the latter.
     It took me about a year to acquire all the parts and put it together. I built it with about 75% correct-ish parts and some modern stuff too. It did not come with a front rack, so I figured I would have to get something after market or wait a long time for something appropriate. Luck was on my side though as I was able to acquire the correct front Taylor made rack and crazily enough, the serial number on the rack is one digit off the serial number of the frame!
     I put it together with an early Phil Wood rear hub with the chromed barrel. The front hub is an earlier Schmidt dynamo 6V-3W, laced to Rigida box section rims that Velo Orange sold at the time. The Grand Bois Cypres tires are nice and supple, 30mm size. T.A. Pro 5 Vis crankset with 50-39-32 gearing and modern T.A. bottom  bracket. Now that I know more about gearing I want to change the ring combo a bit. Berthet Lyotard touring pedals work well and look great. The Stronglight Competition headset came with the original purchase. The Honjo hammered fenders look like older LeFol ones, but were much more readily available. I converted the Campagnolo Nuovo Record rear derailleur to a long cage version using the Rally cage plates and Bullseye pulleys as an upgrade. Front derailleur is a standard Campagnolo Nuovo record, however it has always shifted a bit funny and I want to change it to a Huret Duopar,  the Duopar works much better from what I am told. Suntour bar-con shifters are my favorites and work great. Campagnolo seat post and Brooks Professional saddle are quite comfy. I was lucky to also score the Jack Taylor stem and GB Tourmalet bars. Classic MAFAC cantilever brakes offer plenty of stopping power, I changed the pads to modern Kool-Stops though, the levers are the drilled MAFAC competition version with nice original hoods that are nice and comfy. the front light is a Schmidt E6 and the rear tail light is a Bush & Mill LED with stand light. I chose modern lighting because it is far superior and more efficient than vintage stuff. Although it does look a bit out of place.
     The frame has lots of cool braze-ons and bits. The fillet brazing is very clean and what The Taylor brothers were primarily known for. The top tube has a tab for a Primus camping stove, the frame has internal routing for the lighting wires, a feature I really like. Bottle generator braze-on on the non drive side seat stay. The BB has a zirc grease fitting. One thing i really like is the flint catcher braze-ons. From what I understand a piece of leather is tied between the two attachments and it loosely runs on top of the tire catching any foreign objects from puncturing the tire. I have not utilized them, but it is a feature I had not seen before. Classic Mondrian style decals and intact box lining. The paint is now a bit chipped up, but still looks good in my opinion. The bike also has Campagnolo vertical rear drop outs, a bit of a rarity.
      The bike is my favorite, very versatile and comfortable. I also use a T.A. handle bar bag for day trips, and panniers for longer trips, it performs well when loaded and actually feels better when it is loaded. I have been on many solo trips with this bike and also many trips with my wife. Now that we have a family it gets ridden less and the memories of those good times and adventures are nice to think back on. I look forward to many more trips when our daughter is old enough. This bike will be paitently waiting until then.

Keeping it in the family. Rory's chrome Rochet

We like to keep bikes in the family here at Via. You may recognize this one, maybe. This bike used to belong to our esteemed colleague and good friend Joel. He moved to the west coast not too long ago and sold his chrome Rochet to our colleague Rory, who does a great job working at the front end of the shop doing sales and repair diagnosis. Joel took some bits and bobs off the bike leaving Rory with a relatively blank canvas to build upon.

It is currently set up as a three speed with Sturmey Archer alloy shell AW hub (recently overhauled of course), Campy record high flange front road hub converted to bolt on version for security reasons, and Sugino cranks with chain ring . Velocity Aerohead rims are nice and durable for city riding. The bike retains the Honjo Le Paon fenders, Velo Orange porteur front rack, Velo Orange porteur bars, and Tektro inverse levers. A new Brooks B-17 saddle rounds out the build. The overall impression is a really well put together city bike capable of most any day to day task executed with style.

Chrome bikes have a Posse

Philadelphia is the city of Chrome city bikes. Via Bicycle is now personally responsible for at least 6 chrome city bikes. 3 are owned by employees(well one previous employee) and they are set up super awesome and every bit to ogle over. Photos to come in some post in the future. One is a Carlton built, but badged Huffy from the 1960s. It is set up as a Sturmey Archer 3 speed, with Honjo fenders and Velo Orange Porteur rack and handlebars. One is my old chrome Rudge, also built up as a Sturmey Archer 3 speed, with Velo Orange handlebars, Campagnolo cranks, Mafac brakes, etc. My chrome bike is a French Rochet, currently set up as fixed gear, with Honjo Le Paon style fenders, Velo Orange Handlebars and Porteur rack. All three bikes are set up with inverse levers and to the untrained eye, all three bikes look very similar, all chrome and shiney and all that.

The bike photographed below, a chrome Raleigh, was purchased from the shop, but set up elsewhere. But we still see it as our baby, as it fits into our Chrome Bike Posse. It is set up as a 10 speed, with upright handlebars, Brooks b-72 saddle, Shimano Arabesque 600 drivetrain. It even as a little TA front rack, for good measure.