LiON Bellworks - Pashley Guv'nor bell

Bicycle component manufacturers "Adie & Nephew", and "Lucas" made bicycle bells for the UK and Australian markets during the 1950's and 1960's.

A classic "Adie & Nephew" traditional bicycle bell of the 1960's.

They made beautiful bells that sat big and bold on the handlebars of most bicycles of the period. Until recently bells of this quality were very hard to come by......and then I discovered LiON Bellworks.

In August 2012 I posted an article on an English bicycle bell manufacturer named LiON Bellworks. They sell beautifully crafted brass bells that look better and better with age. Their bells are very solid and have an exceptional tone. They've now added a little spice to their range of bicycle bells.

Bells can now be personalised by having your own choice of text etched into the dome of their bells. Here is an image of the standard bicycle bell with the words LION ENGLAND engraved into the dome.

The standard LiON Bellworks bell.

If it is a personalised bell that you are after you can replace the words LION ENGLAND with whatever text you choose. A great feature......especially if you would like to adorn your beloved bicycle with something special.

Have a look at their website at www.lionbellworks.co.uk

Click on the Web Shop tab at the top of the page, go to Retro Bicycle Bells, then finally click on Custom Engraving to have a look at whats on offer.

As you can see there is a range of text style options and up to 30 characters can be used - so you are only limited by your imagination. The bells are very good value and postage costs are very reasonable.

My 'beloved' bicycle happens to be a Pashley Guv'nor so that was the text I chose (in Bank Gothic) to personalise my bell. Here are some images of the bell below:

Some text ideas;

RALEIGH BICYCLES
L'EROICA 2013
TOUR De FRANCE 2013
(Your cycling event name) 2013
GIRO D'ITALIA 2013
GIOS COMPACT PRO
(Your bicycle brand and model)
TDF - BRAD WIGGINS - 2012
TDF - CADEL EVANS - 2013
THE GUVNORS' ASSEMBLY

What a great promotional item for your next cycling event, or present one with the appropriate text to your event sponsors as an appreciative gift.

I'm looking forward to the bell ageing to see how the patina develops across the engraved text.

I hope this post has inspired you to get one (or two) for yourself...

Happy pedalling.

James @ perthvintagecycles

Lion Bellworks

Recently I came across some vintage bicycle bells from Lion Bellworks in England. These retro bells are just beautiful!!

They are made from high quality materials that will last for years. There are two versions, one version has an unlacquered brass finish and the other has a polished chrome finish. Each bell comes in a very nice calico bag.

I have pictured the unlacquered brass version above. The bells are 55mm in diameter and the striker mechanism is made of chrome and stainless steel.

There are two options for fitting these beautiful bells to your bicycle. One fitting is a standard handlebar mount and the other is for a standard one inch (quill type) headset. Both fittings are beautifully made from stainless steel.

The real feature of this bell, apart from its good looks and beautiful sound, is that it is made in "England". It has the words "Lion England" stamped into the top of the bell as pictured. As a bell ages and a natural patina develops this feature will look fantastic.

"Lion England" logo.

This  is also fantastic for restorers of vintage English bicycles as it adds to the British feel of the bike. I have noticed that other similar styled brass bells that adorn vintage bikes are Japanese made...and are not quite the real deal!



Standard handlebar fitting.



Fitting for standard one inch headset.



These bells have a superior tone to any other bell I've had. It's a crisp tone that can be heard for miles....pedestrians will be in no doubt that you're on the way! Please have a listen....

The bells are available at http://www.lionbellworks.co.uk/  Please have a look at their site where you can purchase the bells for a great price online. Feel free to contact John from Lion Bellworks regarding any inquiries at sales@lionbellworks.co.uk

I have mounted a Lion Bell to my Pashley Guv'nor. The Lion Bell is bigger and sounds far better than the bell that originally came on the bike. It would not surprise me if Pashley started fitting English crafted Lion Bells to their bicycles as standard in the near future. 



Until next time...safe riding.

James