Awesome Shop Bike: Bob Jackson racing trike

      This is a bike / trike that I am surprised never made it to the blog yet. I was reminded of it because earlier in the week a similar trike came to my attention offered for sale on central NJ Craigslist. My size even! Here is a link to the listing. Bob jackson trike craigslist

      The above photo is of the one for sale (no affiliation to us).

  

     Ours is roughly from 1974 and the shop has owned it for close to 15 years. It is left hand drive, set up for British roads. Below is an explanation of the difficulties one can encounter riding such a set-up on American roads / tracks.

   A single-sided drive trike -- especially a British single-sided driven by the left rear wheel -- presents problems, (or let's say potential challenges) to an American riding it on the right-hand side of the road. A left-side driven trike, in Britain, would tend to push one up out of the shoulder of the road surface toward the crown of the road -- a good thing -- compensating as it were for gravity and road surface. However, the opposite is the case if ridden on the right-hand side of the road, where the machine would tend to pitch one down the camber of the road into the margin, so that, to stay out of the shoulder, one would be constantly correcting against the mechanical impulse of being driven doward. With a one-wheel drive you're correcting anyway, but if you're also correcting for having a "wrong-side" drive, it's much more pronounced. 

     While I am not an expert on all the details of trike differentials, a differential will help compensate for the difference between the two rolling rates of the the rear wheels whilst turning and so provide better tracking around the bends. As you no doubt know, turning at speed on a trike is a tricky business to begin with! (taken from an email on the CR list regarding British trikes in the USA)

 Ours is built from Columbus tubing, of note is the dual front brake set up and the unusual front brake cable hanger that mounts to the stem clamp. another detail at the back end is the use of Bottom bracket cups for the rear axles and the indented chain stays (as if a single rear wheel would be used !?). Very cool / rare piece that needs to be ridden more. Enjoy the photos!

    

For Sale: Bob jackson road frame and fork 60CM

     This is a bike we obtained over the summer. It was complete and quite dirty. I took it apart and cleaned it up a bit. it is built with Reynolds 531 tubing I assume, there is no decal to tell me, but it feels like a 531 frame. There are no eyelets for fenders on the drop-outs (Campagnolo). I estimate its production to be in the 1970's. It has a lot of scratches in the paint and it is a bit sun faded in areas, but the decals (original) are all intact. The measurements are as follows:

• 60 CM CTC seat tube
• 57CM CTC top tube
• 32 1/2" stand over (without head set or air in tires)
• 120mm rear spacing.
• 100mm front spacing.
• requires 27.2 seat post
• 26.4 fork crown race
• English BB threading 1.370 X 24 TPI

     The frame details are mid level production. The head lugs are nicely filed and contoured, the BB shell has long  tangs on the seat tube and down tube. Also the fork has long tangs. The crown is semi sloping with slotted shoulders. Very nice.  Full wrapping seat stays on the seat cluster are a bit chunky, but still nice. White lug lining. it has water bottle bosses and a braze on for the rear derailleur housing stop. There are a couple number sequences stamped on the BB shell. they are: 8238, 145,250 I do not know how to decipher these numbers and there is very little info on their serial system. The frame and fork are in alignment. This will make a great restoration candidate or build as a winter time training bike.
     Cost is $300.00. please email with any questions at: bikeville@gmail.com. shipping and handling to be calculated depending on location. local pick up is fine as well.
Thanks!