Pashley Guv'nor accessories

The long awaited accessories for the Pashley Guv'nor bicycle may, or may not,  ever arrive.

Guv'nor owners have eagerly anticipated the arrival of the accessories for a long time now.......in fact, since the posting of an article in April 2010 about the mythical accessories at:

http://www.guvnorownersclub.com/founders-notes/guvnor/easter-extra-pashley-guvnor-mythical-accessories/

and information contained at:

http://designandinnovationwm.blogspot.com/2011/01/design-students-on-roll-with-pashley.html

Guv'nor owners have been, to say the least, a little disappointed by their non-appearance. The image below is from one of the sites that showcases the beautifully designed accessories:



Pashley Guv'nor accessories.



As a result of the accessories not making an appearance, some Guv'nor owners like myself have made efforts to fit our own accessories to the bicycle whilst trying not to interrupt the feel and style of the bike......below are a couple of little bits and pieces that Guv'nor owners may find interesting.

Every bike needs a pump.....so I've fitted pump pegs to the down tube as pictured below. There are a range of pump pegs available, but in keeping with the vintage design of the bike I managed to source some British made "Cyclo" pump pegs from the UK.

Cyclo pump peg.



Pump pegs and pump on the down tube.



...and I also managed to find an old English made "Bluemels Lightweight" mini pump to fit. It is a personal choice on which frame tube to fit your pegs and pump. They also look good fitted to the seat tube.

These pegs are available at H Lloyd Cycles - better known for their large range of vintage bicycle decals - and for a very reasonable price. The pegs are chromed steel with the "Cyclo" and "British Made" branding. You can contact Lloyds via:  nick_at_lloyds@compuserve.com or alternatively go to their website http://www.hlloydcycles.com/ and place an order. Staff at Lloyds are very friendly and buying any of their products is always a pleasure.

A bicycle of this quality should always have stainless steel valve caps - and not cheap and nasty plastic ones as is usually the case. I fitted stainless steel valve caps to my Guv'nor some time ago, in fact I have fitted them to all of my vintage bikes that have schrader valves.

They have a rubber insert that when tightened onto the valve provides a seal to protect the valve from air loss, and prevents the valve from being clogged with dirt, sand, and grease, etc. I have found that when fitted to the valves the tyre pressure remains higher for a longer period of time.....so not only do they look good, they are practical as well.

Valve caps can be obtained anywhere, however eBay usually offers a large variety that will suit any taste.

Knurled valve cap.

...so these mythical Guv'nor accessories (if ever produced!!) include a fantastic rear reflector designed by Peter Whitehouse as pictured below:

Rear reflector designed by Peter Whitehouse.

......hunt as I may, I have not been able to locate anything as nice as this. Please get your act together Pashley so I can get one!!

Road Traffic Regulations in Western Australia require that my bicycle has a rear reflector so, in the meantime, I have come up with this little beauty pictured below.

Rear facing reflector.

...it's not quite as nice as the much anticipated Pashley design, but for now it'll do the trick! I got the reflector on eBay where there is a large range of vintage bicycle reflectors available.

I'm certainly not going to point out the advantage of fitting Brooks accessories to your vintage bike, or any bike for that matter....we all know how beautiful, practical, and long lasting they are.....and once you start talking about Brooks accessories, where do you stop?!?

I would like to show you a couple of very short videos I recently took of my beloved Guv'nor whilst cycling through the Graham Farmer Freeway Tunnel in Perth during a fund raising ride for asthma a couple of weeks ago, I hope you enjoy them!

TUNNEL ENTRY

TUNNEL EXIT

So until next time.......... ride safe.

James



5 speed "Flash" racer with Nervex lugs

Last year my friend George showed me a small men's steel frame that someone (unknown) had dropped on his front verandah. It was a very small frame that had a 52cm top tube..... George convinced me that it was the perfect size for my (at the time) 11 year old son named Lawrence. 

The frame had been totally stripped of all of its components, even the bottom bracket and headset were missing. It was void of any decals, although the head tube had a raised steel "lightning bolt" symbol where the head tube badge would ordinarily be located.



Post restoration... the "Lightning Bolt" design of Flash Cycles on the head tube.



After a bit of research (...based on the "lightning bolt" symbol) I discovered that the bike frame was built by Flash Cycles (Eddy Barron) of Midland, Western Australia. Flash Cycles commenced building bikes in the mid 1940's. I couldn't find much information about Flash Cycles although I located a couple of images below that relate to the Midland based bicycle company.



Standard "Flash" seat tube decal.




...note the "Flash" seat tube decal.

I had a look at the frame and noticed the beautiful steel lugs it had, and on closer examination I found the word "NERVEX" stamped on the underside of the bottom bracket area. Nervex referred to the manufacturer of the steel lugs on the frame....... they were made in France, and they were just beautiful!



Nervex decal.



The Nervex lugs were what made the frame worth restoring.....a nice piece of cycling history... I found more information on Nervex lugs at http://www.classiclightweights.co.uk/components/nervex.html

Obviously, Flash Cycles had sourced their lugs from Nervex and incorporated them into their steel bicycles made for the Western Australian market. It appears that Nervex exported their ornate steel lugs to bicycle manufacturers all over the world between the 1950's to the 1970's. Below are three classic images of Nervex lugs..... and when painted to enhance the design they look just beautiful!



Nervex lug - Image 1





Nervex lug - Image 2



Nervex lug - Image 3



I had the frame sand blasted and powdercoated in red, and I decided to make the bike a 5 speed classic, remeniscent of the early 1970's, just perfect for my 11 year old! I managed to source a new old stock (NOS) Shimano five speed stem shifter and NOS five speed cable guides, not easy to find but well worth the effort. George built up some 700c wheels with high flange hubs, the hubs looked very 1970's.....which was the era I was trying to capture. George also found some period brake calipers and a 1970's style crankset that fitted the theme. 

Here are some images of the finished build....

Nervex lugs.



Shimano 5 speed stem shifter.



High flange hubs.



....and the complete bike.





Lawrence, my 11 year old son, is a soccer player and is a fan of an Italian Football Club named AC Milan. As I was not able to source any "Flash Cycles" decals I decided to get hold of some AC Milan decals, and after getting hold of some I fitted them onto the forks of the bike as pictured below... 



AC Milan fork decals.





Lawrence and I recently went on a fund raising charity ride (for asthma) in Perth along one of the freeways. He rode his bike on the ride as is pictured below, what a great ride!!



Lawrence and his Flash Cycles AC Milan 5 speed racer.



The bike is well and truly finished now....maybe it's time to start another project?? Keep cycling and be safe.



My Pashley Guv'nor

I've only been building vintage bikes for a couple of years and in the back of my mind I've always had a soft spot for the Pashley Guv'nor.

I knew it existed, I knew I wanted one, I knew it looked great, but initially I couldn't justify the expense. At first I tried and tried to resist the temptation.....until eventually.....I gave in and bought a Guv'nor 3 speed!

The Guv'nor appeals to me on many levels, but mainly because it captures the essence and charm of old world cycling and incorporates the three things I love about vintage bikes......steel, rubber, and leather.

The Guv'nor has a traditional steel frame design (made from Reynolds 531 tubing) with classical Westwood rims, and runs on Sturmey Archer hubs and gears. I love Sturmey Archer equipment, it's always reliable, stylish, and easy to maintain.

The white Schwalbe tyres capture the essence of a "1930's path racer" and the addition of a Brooks saddle is a great finishing touch. I mention the "1930's path racer" because it is marketed by Pashley in this form and truely is a good reflection of a bicycle from that period.

At this stage I must say that this is a great bike that rides beautifully. The design and thought that has gone into the model is grand and the price point, in my opinion, is really good value for money....great job Pashley!!  

I got my new Guv'nor and rode it for about 100kms or so through the streets of Perth, Western Australia. Comfortable, cruisy, and always turns a few heads. 

Every time I hopped on it, however, I couldn't help but wonder about the stem and handlebar setup. The stem is a Japanese made Nitto Technomic stem......great bit of kit but with a 1990's look, and the handlebars were an inverted North Road style (moustache) handlebar that, although reminiscent of the period, was not a true "path racer" handlebar.

This setup works, is functional, and nice to look at, but I don't think it gives the bike the true style and beauty that it deserves.

I did a bit of research and discovered the "Lauterwasser" path racer handlebar from the 1930's. A good looking steel bar, more racey than the relaxed moustache style bar, that offered more hand placement options when riding.

These bars were named after Jack "Lauterwasser" who was an English long distance racing cyclist and cycling engineer, who won a bronze and silver medal at the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam. I was keen to get a set and try it on the bike - "google" his name if you must.



1947 Humber with "Lauterwasser" handlebars.

I trawled eBay for some original Lauterwasser handlebars and every time I bid on a some bars I was pipped at the post (as is usually the case).....then I discovered that Soma were manufacturing a copy of the original "Lauterwasser" style handlebars, great work Soma! You can see them at http://store.somafab.com/solahacr.html

I must say that the "Lauterwasser" handlabars have  only been recently produced by Soma and that they were not available to Pashley when Guv'nors were first introduced to the market in 2008. 

I got a set of steel Soma "Lauterwasser" handlebars through http://www.renehersestore.com/ - who were a great help and happy to ship to Perth, Western Australia, at a reasonable cost - it's always hard to find good service but there are exceptions!

I also located a Reynolds branded alloy stem and gave it a good polish with marine grade aluminium paste. A "Reynolds" branded stem was a good addition here; Pashley had gone to a lot of trouble sourcing Reynolds 531 tubing for their Guv'nors, and the two were made for each other!



Reynolds stem, 25.4mm clamp, 22.2mm quill, 80mm length.





Soma "Lauterwasser" bars and the Reynolds stem.



Here is an image of the bars partially fitted.....it was really hard to take the beloved Guv'nor apart, not physically hard, but heart wrenching. It was like tearing a limb off one of my children.... and I hope I never have to do it again!!

.....and other images of the new handlebars and stem fitted on the bike.



Polished Reynolds alloy stem.

 

Lauterwasser markings on the bars...nice touch Soma!

I retained all of the standard Guv'nor fittings and accessories to keep the bike as close to the original as possible. Here are some more images of the result...



...there's the city of Perth in the background, a great place to live all year 'round!





..probably the best image of the bars, just wonderful!





The bars offer more hand positions than the original inverted North Road bars.



These bars won't suit every Guv'nor owner..... but they may be an option for a Guv'nor owner who just wants something a little different. The original specced Guv'nor really is triumphant, but if you're going to tour a little more on your Guv'nor and would like more hand placement options, then these bars might be for you. The beauty of them is that they are in keeping with the period that the Guv'nor has captured, and in my opinion, they look just great!

Soma do make an aluminium version of the "Lauterwasser" handlebars as well, although the steel option is stiffer and is a correct material for the period.

If you are thinking about getting some of these bars you'll certainly need a shorter stem. The Nitto stem that comes on the bike is quite long but you need this length to accomodate the flatter inverted North Road bars. The "Lauterwasser" has a longer reach and this should be offest by a shorter stem.

Perhaps the next Guv'nor model will have the option of having these bars fitted when ordering.....keep cycling and be safe. 

My 1950's Speedwell




My 1950's Speedwell

 

In about October 2009 a bicycle building friend of mine named George, handed me an old Speedwell men's frame that had been sitting in his backyard for years. The frame had been exposed to the elements and was covered with a thin film of rust, although I could tell that the original colour was a ghastly green. Unfortunately there was no serial number on the frame, so dating the bike by this method was not an option. 

Luckily, the previous owner had painted the cranks and bottom bracket with a thick grey paint that provided them with some protection. The headset was rusty but restorable, however the rest of the parts were beyond restoration hope. The rims had rusted out and the hubs had rusted badly with severe corrosion. The mistake I made at this point was not photographing the rusted old frame, an image of which would have been handy for this article.

Anyway I stripped the bike and retained the frame, cranks, bottom bracket, and headset, and pretty much disposed of the rest.  I did note that the original rims measured 28 x 1 3/8 inches and that they were spoked 32 front and 40 rear, and the original rear hub was a reversable fixed / free 18T setup.

I had the frame painted (a similar ghastly green) and fitted some old Speedwell decals, although the decals were not original they did the job of identifying the brand of bike....and I had the cranks and headset re-chromed. Surprisingly, the bottom bracket (marked T.D.C. Made in England) polished up very well after I removed the layers of old grey paint and grease. 

Below are some images of the finished frame that is fitted with the T.D.C bottom bracket and newly chromed headset. 



1950's Speedwell frame, painted with decals.





T.D.C. bottom bracket and oiler port.


  


Newly chromed headset circa 1950's.



When I received the Williams branded cranks back after re-chroming I could see that there was a manufacturers mark on the inside of the chainwheel pictured below..... 



Williams sword trade mark....with "46" and "AW".

After a bit of internet research I learnt that the "46" referred to the number of teeth on the chainwheel (which was right) and that the "AW" referred to the component's date of manufacture.

I located the manufacturer's dating codes at www.classiclightweights.co.uk/williamsdating.html. Interesting reading (if you're into vintage bikes I guess) and learnt that the dating code of "AW" indicated that the Williams crank had been manufactured in 1956. 

OK......so the crank was made in 1956 and perhaps fitted to the bike soon after.....so an assembly date in the mid to late 50's was reasonable to assume and consistent with the other fittings on the bike which were period correct.

At this point I made a few additions to the build and added  a few newer components to improve the ride. I located a set of 32/40 Endrick 28 x 1 3/8 rims (powder coated) and a period correct Bayliss Wiley 32H front hub, and I also got hold of  a 1964 dated Sturmey Archer 3 speed 40H AW hub for the rear wheel.

George laced them in, both hubs had very good chrome and the front hub had an old oiling hole with cover. I also located an old 3 speed Sturmey Archer trigger control and decided to run the gear cable through to the rear hub across the top tube and down the rear seat stay via a Sturmey Archer pulley wheel. This gear cabling method is correct for the period and would compliment the style of the bike. 



Sturmey Archer 3 Speed AW 40 hole hub



SA 3 speed trigger





Sturmey Archer gear cable pulley wheel



My next problem was that of braking, although I had considered braking options early in the planning stage. There was no hole drilled in the front forks so a front brake was not an option. The only reasonable (and effective) braking option was a new caliper brake on the rear wheel. I had considered the period correct rear caliper centre pull brakes, although they are not very effective and look so awkward and bulky, so I discounted this option.

George supplied me with a new retro styled caliper brake that worked reasonably well.....and because this was the only brake on the bike it had to work with some sense of confidence. After locating a 1950's new old stock brake lever I had George fit the brakes, very functional and they didn't look too bad either!!  

Next came the hunt for 28 x 1 3/8 tyres, a new Brooks B72 saddle, a chromed period stem, grips, and a few other bits and pieces and the enjoyment of fitting it all together as below...



Brooks B72 saddle...a work of art!!




Inverted North Road bars for the relaxed look.




Original Malvern Star bell.

 


Williams cranks and period pedals.

 


Speedwell decals and a chrome pump fitted behind seat tube.

 

So there's the finished item, and I must say she rides really well. The 3 speed gearing is the key to this bike, the gears making it a pleasure  to ride in all terrain, and it handles so well with the inverted North Road bars....and since discovering what a pleasure this setup is to ride I'm keen to explore the Pashley Guv'nor a bit further......I think I'll make arrangements to test ride a Guv'nor tomorrow!!

Cycling books - old and new

You can't be out on your bike all the time, life just doesn't allow for that......but you can experience cycling or learn more about cycling by having a cycling book close by. I always have a cycling magazine or book in the car, or on the floor by my bed, or leaning  up against the wall in the toilet. This way, there is always a chance to get that cycling hit whenever I need one!

A friend recently bought me a copy of "Velo-City: Perth" by Debra Mayrhofer. This is a good read about the different cycling sub-cultures within the Perth cycling scene.  From bike riding to bike building, to bike polo and local cycle fund raising events, the book highlights many different facets of cycling within Perth and Western Australia.



Velo-City: Perth - a good read.



It's a high quality book printed by Beyond Babel Press Australia. It can be purchased at a good price from good book stores or at http://www.velocitywa.com.au/ . It sounds as though this book will be the first installment as the author has invited the Perth cycling community to submit cycling articles to her at info@velocitywa.com.au for consideration in her next book.

You can surf the net for local cycling stories all you like, but there is nothing quite like sitting down away from the computer with a good book and a cup of coffee. This book allows you to do that.

The book would not have been possible a few years ago. Due to the increased interest in cycling and commuting to work on a bicycle, and with the expansion of Perth cycle ways, cycling has really taken off in Perth. Such a local interest deserved to be fed a quality cycling publication such as this....good work Deb.

All that said, I'm a bit dissappointed with the book in that there was no reference made to the Western Australian Historical Cycle Club. Although small, the group is an important part of the Perth cycling culture that really needs to be captured in print. There are some lovely old faces of club members to be photographed, and some great cycling stories to be told before the members get too old. I'm sure they'll be represented in her next book in some form! 

By the way... a photograph of one of my newly chromed vintage chainwheels (Williams 1954) is on page 16 of the book, good lookin' chainwheel that...even if I do say so myself! 

Another good book is "Where to Ride - Perth" by Brent Meyer. It's a spin off from the Bicycling Australia group. It shows maps for local rides, not bad if you are new to Perth or maybe just getting started.  It's fairly comprehensive with a bit of advertising, but if you're into cycling and live in the Perth area it's certainly worthy of  a place on your book shelf. 



Where to Ride - Perth.



The book can be purchased through the Bicycling Australia website http://www.bicyclingaustralia.com/ , and while we're talking about Bicycling Australia, they also have a really good bi-monthly magazine called just that, "Bicycling Australia".

Bicycling Australia - Jan Feb 2011 edition

The mag covers all aspects of modern road and track cycling, National and World road and track events, reviews and assessments of new gear on the market, always good photographs, and always provides the reader with awareness of contemporary cycling issues.

I get the magazine mailed to me every two months, it usually arrives in my letter box a couple of weeks before it arrives on the newsagent shelves. Having it mailed also has the added benefit of two things.

Firstly an annual subscription is cheaper than buying it off the newsagent shelves, and secondly every year you receive a Bicycling Australia Buyer's Guide magazine for free. The guide provides a comprehensive buying guide for almost all new bikes available on the market in Australia - and includes specs and prices for road, mountain, track, and city/commuting bikes on the market....and much more.

I must say that my favourite book at the moment is called "Greg LeMond's Complete Book of Bicycling". No prizes for guessing who the author is! Greg LeMond is an American cyclist who won the Tour de France in 1986.

It's a retro styled book and the edition I have pictured below was published in 1988.



Greg LeMond's book - 1988 edition.



I got the book off eBay a couple of months ago, there's always a copy on offer for sale there and it should not cost any more than AU$10.00 (+ postage).

The book covers every aspect of road cycling from chosing your first bike to cycling techniques and tactics. It covers dieting, training, and general bicycle maintenance....and of  course gives an account of Greg's cycling history and details how he won "The Tour" in 1986.

There are a few black and white photographs throughout the book although you really have to use your imagination to get you through....no colour photos in this puppy!



I do like the general bicycle maintenance section at the rear. In the mid 80's ten speed's (2 front - 5 rear) were at the cutting edge of bicycle technology. The book details how to maintain your ten speed gearing systems and provides a whole range of sound bicyle maintenance advice for equipment from that period.

Please feel free to let me know of any other Perth specific cycling publications, I'd like to add a few more to my library.