# TOC 2-man Tandem Please Help ID?



## Brian R. (Dec 3, 2018)

I've done an image search with no luck. I think it could be ID'd fairly easily since it's almost complete. I think the round holes in the chainrings and frame configuration will provide the key, I just need the right viewer of this thread who knows what it is!  An approximate year would be a bonus. Thanks for looking.


----------



## corbettclassics (Dec 3, 2018)

Looks a lot like a “March”.


----------



## corbettclassics (Dec 3, 2018)

And a “Peerless”


----------



## corbettclassics (Dec 3, 2018)




----------



## corbettclassics (Dec 3, 2018)




----------



## anders1 (Dec 3, 2018)

corbettclassics said:


> View attachment 913121



I think you may have nailed it with this one. Notice the center tube angle at the joining seat tube...


----------



## Brian R. (Dec 3, 2018)

Thanks for the responses. I agree the Peerless is a very close match. With different chainrings and a triple fork crown, it would be the same bike. Which year is that Peerless ad from?


----------



## corbettclassics (Dec 4, 2018)

I'm not sure what year it is but I believe 1896 or '97. It could be a '98 but right around this era anyway.


----------



## Brian R. (Dec 4, 2018)

If it's a Peerless, would this be the likely badge that was on it? Is it at least from the same time period?  If yes, and if someone reading this has this badge, could you be so kind as to post the distance between the badge holes please?


----------



## Brian R. (Dec 4, 2018)

The distance between the (vertical) badge holes on the bike is 2 1/8 inches, center to center.


----------



## skiptooth (Dec 9, 2018)

I have a tandem with very similar chain rings and cranks are pat; faber 1893 or 1894 . frame is similar also ! i'am out west , call me pacific time.  morning before 10am or after 4pm Richard...1-661-822-5733


----------



## Dweber (Dec 10, 2018)

May be a dumb question. Most of the TOC tandems with rear steer were open fronts. The women road up front with the man controlling the bike from the rear. What was the advantage of the rear steer male/male tandem? Racing tandems were steered from  the front but why a rear steer? I have a 1898 Crescent Model 20 that is that way.


----------



## skiptooth (Dec 10, 2018)

Yes i did notice that !also the chain can be on both sides as this one ,mine has all the faber fittings and rings,their was a ad. posted here that great western made and sold faber parts, thats why I think the courting tandem I have is probably great western mfg. all their badges fit. thanks for posting brian, dweber....


----------



## corbettclassics (Dec 10, 2018)

Eddie Bald and Ray Macdonald raced a rear steer Columbia with Bald steering. I have other pics of racers with this rear steer tandem style if I’m not mistaken. I’ll look when I have time.


----------



## Dweber (Dec 10, 2018)

Very interesting Bill! What advantage would there be to steering from the rear on a track? Could you see above or around the guy in front of you? Interesting!


----------



## corbettclassics (Dec 11, 2018)

It would seem to me that they would actually both be able to steer the bike.  The front handlebars are in the steer tube and it turns with the fork.  I think the early tandems were just made this way with rear steer because it seems to me that around 1897 or so, most of these tandems all appear to be front steering. I don't follow the tandem stuff much.


----------



## Rambler (Dec 11, 2018)

This really is a good question, "What advantage would there be to steering from the rear on a track tandem?"

I looked though several of my earlier catalogs (pre-1900) and found Bill Corbett's statement to be fairly true, "early tandems were just made this way with rear steer".

My findings show some manufacturers to offer rear steer on track tandems while others didn't. Most all road tandems either male-male or male-female seemed to always have rear steer as standard. As for track tandems I think it was simply rider preference because those manufacturers that offered rear steer on track tandems also offered it without rear steer as well. It seems to me the removal of weight created by a rear steer mechanism clearly would outweigh the advantages of rear steer so almost certainly rider preference was the reason.


----------

