They confirmed that it was a tandem!
I finally got motivated to close the loop on the Taliani serial number and broke out the paint remover. I found the number on the first try, not exactly surprising considering that it was under the bottom bracket shell on the drive side – just like on my Classic. Here’s a close-up:
Litespeed has a program now where they charge to look up a serial number and tell you that the bike exists in their records. They say: “Currently, total proceeds go directly to the Challenged Athlete Foundation program” so I guess that makes me a philanthropist to the tune of $29.
The take-away was:
We looked up the information we have on file for the serial number you provided and show that Litespeed to be: (41469) A custom tandem Litespeed based around a size medium that was built in October of 1998
That’s basically a year earlier than I expected based on the seat-post collar, cantilever brakes and Lynskey signature. But, as I said at the time, if it’s a custom build, all bets are off. (I’ll have to correct that headline.)
In other news, I got a carved Brooks Flyer with springs and Odette seems happy with it. I also got a saddlebag that fits Brooks saddles and I got a new saddle for myself.
We’re getting there.
