himespau 

I had a Fuji Mixte (some sort of touring iirc) that I was able to cold set from 120-130mm using the threaded rod method and a lot of strings to make sure it stayed straight. I didn't have a lot of trouble keeping it straight, but it may have been less well braced than your tandem. I also used washers and nuts on both sides of the dropouts in the hopes of keeping the dropouts aligned as I didn't have a dropout alignment tool at that time.

noglider 

The threaded rod method made spreading very easy but it did not work well overall. My frame (the 1971 Raleigh Super Course) spread unevenly because the right chain stay has a dimple and was therefore much more flexible.

JaccoW

Some of you might get cold shivers from what I did but I can certainly tell you it is more effective in this case than the threaded rod method;
A reversible Wolfcraft clamp that can be used to clamp something together... but also apart! With a maximum clamping force of 120 Kg (260 lbs).

Where the threaded rod failed, this one was able to do it quickly with just one hand. Sure. maybe 142mm is a little wider than the 135+mm I actually needed but it does make for a very easy wheel swap. Well, as much as an IGH wheel can be an easy swap.

Even when measured from the head tube it seems to be straight but maybe I need to look up how to properly measure it. All in all the wheel fits, seems to be in line with the rest of the frame and still has plenty of room in the front and to the side of the tyres.
I'm thinking of perhaps putting an actual two-legged kickstand on here and get rid of the rear carrier. It's definitely sturdy but together with the steel mudguards it's also a lot of weight over the rear wheel and I am not sure if it will be practical for what I plan to use the bike for. We'll see.

More on this bike in a couple of weeks.

SJX426 

Progress! Keep i t coming.

cudak888 

A bit barbaric, but whatever works. It's not like this is a Carlsbad Masi

You're probably familiar with it, but here's how I'd check that frame with the Park frame alignment gauge. You could probably home-build an equivalent out of two pieces of wood, a scrap bit of steel, and a few bolts. https://www.parktool.com/blog/repair...gnment%20Gauge.

The stoker's handlebar post will probably come in handy for taking the measurement.

-Kurt

Random Tandem

Great to see this build - it looks like a beauty.

Only one detail to add, that 5 speed hub is also compatible with AW internals. I found a five speed hub without the shifter at the bike co-op (no one wanted it so it was free to me) and was not able to get it working without its shifter, so I screwed an AW I had into the hub and it was easy to get working. You lose some gearing precision, but you get AW (always works) reliability. It took a little searching to find a sufficiently long AW axle.

I was heartened to hear you were in the Netherlands, because I would not want to rely on drum brakes to stop two adults on a steel framed tandem coming down the hills near me. Also, I am not sure what the issues that might arise from heat generated by long descents using drum brakes to keep speed at safe levels. I know my 1985 Kuwahara Tandem has a Arai drum brake as an auxiliary brake for long descents and it has a large aluminum heat sink as part of its body. Again, just keep things moderate on gentle and short inclines (like over canals) and I see no worry, but if you are planning on more altitudinal riding keep on an eye on that issue before you are surprised.

Oh yeah, I am not sure you need anti-rotation washers when you have a reaction arm for a drum brake - it prevents rotation with much more certainty.

-Will

JaccoW

Thanks! The bike certainly brings up more enthusiasm for me to make something nice out of it now but I'll see where the build brings me.

As for the hub, you're almost right. The pre-2009 Sturmey Archer XL-RD5(w) which I have on my Koga-Miyata SilverAce can be swapped with AW internals and shares lots of parts with those older hubs. Which is great for the long-term maintainability of a commuter even though the shifter can be a bit fiddly to set up.
This tandem however uses the newer Sturmey Archer RXL-RD5 with a rotary shifter that uses bigger, beefier internals and is incompatible with the AW. The shifter is also much easier to set up and doesn't go no in-between gears as easily.

Still, they are both nice hubs and I might be able to tell you a bit more about them in the future.

Sturmey Archer XL-RD5(w) internals (1991-2009)

Sturmey Archer RXL-RD5 (2013-now)
Well, drum brakes can suffer from brake fade on long and steep descents but that won't be a problem here and the 90mm drums work a lot better than the more common smaller models. If I were to make a tandem like this for use in the mountains I would probably mount additional rim brakes with the extra levers on the rear.
I don't have a car and taking this bike on a train will be an... interesting experience to say the least so trips around town and perhaps around the country is the farthest it will go.
The biggest altitude difference for now will be the Erasmus bridge around the corner.


Erasmus bridge

Well, all the drum brake does is stopping the hub from spinning while being fixed to the frame. I have had some issues in the past with a Shimano Nexus 8 hub where the anti-rotation washers failed and the hub twisted in the frame, wrapping the shifter cable around the axle. So I don't think they do nothing. Though as you can see on the old hub of this bike that a single one can be enough but they will get mangled in the process.

Beurt

I was able to take mine out of the garage yesterday for a better look and some pictures.
You'll find them in my gallery if you'd like to have a look as I'm not yet able to post in here.
The front wheel is a 590 diameter (26x13/8) "chapeau de gendarme" style equipped with big strong spokes. I believe it's the bike's original wheel.
The rear one is a replacement that was temporarily mounted using wingnuts, it's a Rigida 650B (26x1 1/2 x 1 1/3) rim. It's on a 3 speed cassette hub with no derailer, way undersized spokes and no brakes whatsoever!
The bike was used as a decoration item for years so that was no big deal for the previous owner, but we are planning on riding it, so the rear wheel will have to be 100% rebuilt.
I've found two of the original rear AB hubs for sale in France for 50€ and I think I'll get them. One reads AB 93-8 and the older one AB 7-77.
I'm having a very hard time sourcing a rim to match the front one and I'm considering keeping the Rigida... I'm afraid it won't be as strong as the front one though.
Adding a second set of rear rim brakes in addition to the hub's is a possibility I'm considering. I do plan on adding a frame lock on the rear wheel though so I'm not sure if I can fit both under the seat.

JaccoW

Image help Beurt - Gazelle Tandem

JaccoW

Yours looks pretty nice and yes, the front wheel looks the same as mine so I think it's original. Keep in mind that the front tyre is a 650B model so it's probably pretty tight.
The rear handlebars are not original but I like the porteur handlebars. I would recommend using a different stem though, this one is too short.

Saddles look original. Would you mind measuring the front seatpost for me?

Beurt

Thanks for posting the pictures for me JaccoW!
I'll of course mesure the seatpost for you next time I have access to the bike, do you suspect two different frame sizes?

I had not spotted the rear handlebar difference with yours, I wonder why it's been replaced, but that's good to know! When you say the stem is too short, do you mean the rear handlebar should be even higher than it already is?

The front tyre (as well as the rear one) is a gonner anyways, the tube holds air fine but the tyre is shot and will be replaced. I hope I can find a matching rear rims and go back to the right tyres for both of them.

Do you know if there is a way to find more information from Gazelle using the serial number punched on the frame? I was wondering if Groenewoud was a last name or a company after spotting the sticker on the fender...

bwilli88 

Not a tandem but it is a Gazelle and running SA drum brakes.

Original setup

Front hub weight

Rear hub weight

28 rim 635 ERTO

Built wheel

the 40 pound monster

Beurt

The green paint job and wood rack is such a good combo!

JaccoW

Well, I am having a bit of trouble with the front seatpost. It fits in the rear but not the other way around.

The stem is showing it's expander slit (for lack of the right word) meaning its too high right now. Too much pressure might break it. Less of a problem for the stoker but still not a fun experience.

If you follow this pdf it will tell you (in Dutch) what year the frame is from. The number should be in the bottom bracket. That reminds me, I should check mine.

Framenumber | Production year
2450000 | 1970
2600000 | 1971
2850000 | 1972
3050000 | 1973
4000000 | 1974
5000000 | 1975
6000000 | 1976
7000000 | 1977
8000000 | 1978
9000000 | 1979
0000000 | 1980
1000000 | 1981
2000000 | 1982
3000000 | 1983
4000000 | 1984

Not sure about the Groenewoud name. I can't find any mention online of a bicycle shop with that name but perhaps @non-fixie knows a bit more?

P.s. I have family that goes by the Groenewoud name but it would be a very rare coincidence for it to be a bike once owned by them.

Agreed! @bwilli88 IIRC you were looking for fenders at a reasonable price right? I'm planning on replacing these with modern stainless steel ones so we could take a look again after this pandemic how much shipping will be for the brown ones on this bike?

bwilli88 

That would be nice but my bike is built with 28 x1 5/8 x 1 1/2 wheels and tires, ERTO 635 and they, 700b, are huge next to 650a

non-fixie 

Thanks for the mention Jacco. First time I got a "you have been mentioned" notification in ages. Apparently you are still the only one who knows how to beat The System.

That said, I haven't heard of a bike shop called Groenewoud in Amsterdam either. The only interesting link that pops up, both in my head and on the interwebs is that to my teenage hero Raymond. So that will have to do for now, I'm afraid:


OK, back to Gazelle tandems.

JaccoW

Perks of being a software tester. I'll find a workaround to make things work... or break them.
I'll throw out a PSA to the C&V forum tomorrow. Let's get those mentions working.

JaccoW

Worked a bit on the bike after receiving a cotter pin removal tool and took most of the cranks off with the exception of a stubborn one that doesn't go any further even though the pin is removed.
I enjoyed finding a chain tensioner in the chain case on the timing belt though the whole steel plate to protect it looks like it might be a bit overkill.

I fear the pedals were originally installed without grease as they have proven nearly impossible to remove and are too narrow for a standard pedal wrench. So that's going to be interesting in the future.

jackbombay

Can you use a hand held grinder and grind off some of the pedal body so you can fit a normal pedal wrench on the axle? Or are the wrench flats on the axle for the pedal wrench simply not wide enough?

You could grind the pedal body back and then grind on the axle a bit too to make the wrench flats wider too.

alexnagui

Is that a DIY tool, Jacco? I've used a ball joint separator a couple of times to remove and install cotter pins back and it worked alright, but having a proper tool is always better.

Maybe you could modify your pedal wrench so it fits those narrow flats on the pedals.

JaccoW

A little bit of both I'm afraid. It seems like it is slightly thicker than a standard 15mm wrench would be able to grab and also the wrench flats are not wide enough. I will measure it to be sure and I can always grab an affordable tool or grind down my current pedal wrench so it might fit over the flats.

I grabbed it off eBay from a seller in the UK. Cost me €36 including shipping which is fairly cheap for a hard to come by tool where vintage Park Tool models can be found for $160 or more. There is also this one from the UK but that one looked a bit more fiddly. Still fairly cheap though.

Beurt

[QUOTE=JaccoW;21695203]
Framenumber | Production year
2450000 | 1970
2600000 | 1971
2850000 | 1972
3050000 | 1973
4000000 | 1974
5000000 | 1975
6000000 | 1976
7000000 | 1977
8000000 | 1978
9000000 | 1979
0000000 | 1980
1000000 | 1981
2000000 | 1982
3000000 | 1983
4000000 | 1984
/QUOTE]
I couldn't find a number anywhere near the bb... I have one behind the rear seat post that reads GL811142.
Is there anything similar on yours?

JaccoW

Not sure, I'll take a look today.

SJX426 

BTW: Notifications - someone mentioned that you have to type out the login name and not select from the pull down for the notification to work. @JaccoW & @non-fixie

JaccoW

So I took a look today and mine is GH714235.

According to Rijwiel.net:
Which means that yours is from 1978 and mine from 1977.

Another mystery solved.