# 1982 Melton tandem



## mopargeek (Jul 27, 2022)

My twin brother and I bought this bike new when we were 18 years old.  We made payments on it while the frame was being built.  It was purchased from a local bike shop in Delaware Ohio. My brother has had it hanging in his garage for probably 15 years.  Mike Melton went on to build the Olympic bikes in 84 and 88 under the Huffy name badge.  It is all filet brazed Reynolds 531 tandem tubing.  Phil Wood 48 hole wheels.  Phil Wood disc brake.  Sugino cranks- had to cut corners on some items to keep costs down. Specialized bar and stem.  Cinelli stoker stem.  I think these are the first Look pedals that came out.  It use to have clips and straps.  The seat post are super record as well as the headset.  It also has an eccentric for the synchro chain.  Plan is to tune it up and ride it with my 21 year old daughter.  I'll have to change out the flite saddle.


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## mopargeek (Jul 27, 2022)

I probably should have cleaned it.  It is really dusty and dirty


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## juvela (Jul 27, 2022)

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WOW, that is quite something!

Thank you for sharing it with the forum.

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You may wish to add it to the tandem thread here -









						Tandem Devoted Thread! Original Photos, your bikes, literature, anything! | General Discussion About Old Bicycles
					

Hello Cabers!  I'm attempting to put together a bit of a pop-up exhibit dedicated to the extensive subject of tandem cycling.  I'm interested in any primary source information: photos, catalog images, postcards, pacing tandem cycling, racing tandems, childrens tandems etc.  Anything would be...




					thecabe.com
				





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this boss is NERVEX item Ref. 898AR


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## mopargeek (Jul 27, 2022)

I actually double posted some of the photos.  Here are a couple more.   But first a backdrop story.  Living in Central Ohio,  The major cycling event was TOSRV or The Tour of the Scioto River Valley.  It is held on mothers day weekend, which made it hard to train for because you had mid March and April, then one week in Ma before mothers day- second weekend.  You had to deal with daylight savings time in March and the rainy month of April.  The ride went from Columbus, Ohio to Pourtsmouth, Ohio on Saturday (100 miles) then back on Sunday.  You slept in schools, churches usually.  They would haul your overnight bag down.  My first year 1981, I was 17 years old.  Myself, brother, and 2 buddy's rode the 200 miles in Levi's jeans, not shorts!  Bought the tandem and rode it for the next 5 years.  In its heyday at this time there were 6000 riders.  Probably 200 tandems, a couple triples and everything else, including a high wheel.  Melton's were built just north of Columbus, so there were 50 or so.  Later years, when the Cannondale and Santana models came out, the Melton's seem to fade away.  One year Lon Haldeman (race across America)  and his wife rode tandem.  They absolutely smoked the course.  All in, I rode it 13 times.  It is still great, not like it was though.  Thanks for letting me share these memories .


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