Dayton(?) Tandem

[Walker]

here are a couple of shots of my theoretical Daton Sewing Macine Co. Tandem. headbadge is missing but the frame and hardware is nearly identical to my gentlemans racer..

Story is, after 15 years of promises my Uncle finally relinquished this bike which we believe was originally purchsed by my grandfather in Rhode Island. He actually courted my grandmother on this freight train.

Unique thing about this bike is dual steering accomplished with linkage rods from fork crown to fork crown (not installed in the photos). Wheels are petrafied clincher tires on steel clad wood with double butted spokes. I would really like to get this one rolling again. Anyone with any info, feel free to chime in...enjoy.

 

[Riverbend Bicycles]

That's a great bike and even greater story. Can't wait to see it all fixed up. Although it seems to be in really good shape already.

 

[Gold Street Customs]

That belongs in a museum.....with a bike track :lol:

 

[Crassly]

That is an interesting tandem. Every other tandem from that era that I have seen had a ladies frame in front as they all wore skirts in those days. I wonder if this one was built as a racer for 2 men? Just a theory.

 

[Walker]

i remember seeing a mens/ladies combo at a swap meet in San Diego, something like 15 years ago, ladies frame front/mens rear.

Part tw of the Tandem's legacy is: one day Mom and Uncle are screaming down a hill and they run through a stop sign or light (coaster brake smoking) and cut off my grandfather on his way home from work. After a severe shellacking, the bike was fitted with the rear hand brake.

Other than the tires and some degreasing i think it will roll again. it would be nice to find the legitimate manufacturer, locate a badge and repair the light and horn and fix up the saddles at a mimimum..

 

[GodHatesCleveland]

That is an interesting tandem. Every other tandem from that era that I have seen had a ladies frame in front as they all wore skirts in those days. I wonder if this one was built as a racer for 2 men? Just a theory.

Anybody notice the twin drive trains? I'm guessing if it's due to a racing consideration, that if the chain broke on one rider the other guy could still power ahead and finish the race. In today's casual tandems, it's just one big chain for the two of them.

Meh, but then again, why would they guy in back have the only brake? Doesn't make much sense for a racing application. The rear brake would be less efficient than a front brake to stop the bike, and why would the rear guy have control of it when the first guy is the one steering and the one with the best view? How do the olympic sled guys do it? One steers the other one brakes?

 

[aka_locojoe]

Nice tandem. Does it have an eccentric bottom bracket for chain tensioning? Here's a steer from rear mens front and back that belongs to a fellow Coaster viewtopic.php?f=10&t=7394&st=0&sk=t&sd=d&start=15#p92473
I don't know anything about it or can't recall of I do.

 

[Korporal]

Any idea when this was bought? I smell block chain and early track pedals.

 

[ratina]

That is too cool!

I hope you plan to clean it up and leave it as is, it looks like it will show nicely and it has a lot of history.

 

[Walker]

The rear hand brake is not factory and was added later, probably sometime in the mid fifties. i can ask my mom who tyipcally rode where which may reveal the logic of its placment. I'm sure she would know when my grandfathere was married which would at least ballpark the purchase date.

The bottom brackets are eccentric. the chain is 1" pitch but looks very different from the ones on my baloon tire bikes.

thanks for all the input, this is turning out to be very interresting and fun.

 

[user 135]

Cool bike with a great history.

one day Mom and Uncle are screaming down a hill and they run through a stop sign or light (coaster brake smoking) and cut off my grandfather on his way home from work. After a severe shellacking, the bike was fitted with the rear hand brake.

This would make a great cartoon or silent movie

 

[Korporal]

That chain looks different because it is. It's a block chain. The middle links are solid blocks. One side is flat while the other is curved to fit into the sprocket's teeth. The roundity bits act as rollers and the outer more traditional 1" links keep them together. Block chains have been out of vouge for and eon or two, suggesting that the bike is more or less ancient. Sheldon Brown's site has more info in the glossary section.

The cranks are pretty unique with four arms.

At any rate, its quite the find with a good history.

 

[Walker]

Thanks Korporal, i've got a couple of good leads so far from the collective wealth of knowledge here.

In talking with Mom the other night i may have run into a potential twist, she has no recolleciton of the racer. i had hoped they were from the same mfg. as the frames are really simliar. the Tandem has no headbadge so i went with Dayton (sewing machine co) since that is what is on the racer. oh well, more research, maybe Uncle has some more goods.

BTW: not sure if roudity is a real word, but it works

 

[2manybikes]

Try posting a pic on this site. http://www.thecabe.com/
The folks there may have some more info.
Cool bike :!: :!:

 

[Walker]

Posted at the Cabe this AM, we'll see...