Vintage bicycles in Bali - Part 2

Part 1 of my "Vintage bicycles in Bali" post focused on the many vintage styled bicycles in Bali. 

Some of the bicycles were probably from the 1930's to 1950's, however on closer inspection I found that the majority of the bicycles were modern copies, mainly of the "Phoenix" brand (of Chinese manufacture) that perhaps were only 20 years old. Some were even more recently made and are still available for purchase in new condition.



A Phoenix with 28 Westwoods and cottered cranks.



In essence these bicycles carry the following features:

• Steel rigid frame
• 28 inch (or 26 inch) steel Westwood rims
• Rod braking system (or rear coaster brake)
• Cottered cranks
• 32 hole front hub, 40 hole rear hub.
• Leather saddle 

An everyday classic with 28 inch Westwoods.

As there were so many of these bicycles I was curious to find out where they sourced their spare parts. This interested me because vintage bicycles are hard to locate in Perth and I have always found it difficult (and expensive) to source original or new parts when restoring a vintage. 

So whilst holidaying in Bali I hunted around for some bicycle shops that carried old spare parts for vintage bicycles - and they were common and easy to find.

I walked into one shop and hanging from the ceiling was a row of about 40 brand new chromed Araya brand 28 inch Westwood profile steel rims. They were hung in two groups - 32 hole rims, and 40 hole rims - all shiny and new. All the rims were perfect, and all were coated with a thick generous coat of chrome - they looked fantastic, never before had I seen such a thing.

I had only recently restored a 1974 Raleigh Tourist DL-1 roadster (Dec 2010 posting) and had the 28 inch Westwood rims rechromed in Perth, an expensive exercise!! In Perth I could not source any new chromed Westwood rims for the job, and at the time I found this very frustrating.....but there they all were...... hanging right there above me......and much to my surprise they only cost about 20 Australian dollars for a pair...amazing.

So I grabbed a pair of chromed 28 Westwoods (32/40's) and continued hunting through the shop for other parts. I also located a pair of new shiny 26 inch Westrick chromed rims (32/40's) that I was also happy to take with me....only about 15 Australian dollars for these ones!

I located rod brake parts, vintage styled cottered cranks and bottom brackets, 28, 32 and 36 hole front hubs, an assortment of 28, 36 and 40 hole rear hubs - some with coaster brakes, and all sorts of other goodies for old vintage classics - fantastic. 

Some parts had various manufacturer's markings (probably of Chinese origin) and most were good quality and made from chromed steel - perfect for vintage builds. I bought lots of goodies - mainly opting for those parts that had no maufacturer's markings as I consider that these parts would be more suitable for use in English vintage restorations.

Sure....original parts are always best, but some parts are very difficult to locate and the parts I grabbed will definitely come in handy.......especially the rims.

To my surprise.....at the back of one shop a couple of new roadster classics for sale (Raleigh DL-1 copies) pictured below.



A couple of roadsters tucked away in the corner.



I located several shops in the Kuta area and a couple in Denpasar. On inquiry I found that all of the shops could source almost any vintage parts for the old Phoenix bikes rolling around the island - and all of the shops had at least one pair of brightly chromed 28 Westwood rims hanging up somewhere in the store.

I also came across a few classics on the roadside that were for sale as below:



.....including an English made Hercules for sale!!

In my travels I also inquired if there were any vintage cycle clubs on the island and was told that there was.....although the bicycle shop owners were not able to provide any specifics. Here's an image I located from "The Jakarta Post" site capturing members from the 'elusive' Denpasar based Bali Vintage Bicycle Association. 

OK....so I've gone to Bali and bought some vintage bicycle goodies, how do I get them home? Excellent question!

The small stuff is easy, just wrap them in newsapaper and put them into your normal baggage, whilst giving consideration to the overall weight of your bags of course. The only issue I had was with the rims - not an issue realty, just a little more effort.

I went to a local supermarket and bought a large roll of brown packing tape and wrapped the rims (placed side by side for strength) with newsapaper and packing tape. I then bought a cloth serong from a market stall and wrapped the rims again with this and more packing tape. The final package was nice and secure and very robust.

At the airport I labelled the rims with my personal address and the ticketing guy was happy to place some 'fragile' stickers over the whole package. The item went through as a normal luggage item and as my allowable weight was not exceeded I was not charged any excess - easy really!

People bring home all sorts of unusually shaped items from Bali so the rims did not attract any attention from the authorities. Although I did have to remember to collect the item from the baggage carousel when returning home!  

Once at home it was nice to build up the rims that I had found in Bali. Here's a couple of images of the 28 inch Westwood rims after having them laced.....just perfect for a vintage rebuild!!



32 hole front hub with wingnuts.



So if you restore old vintage classics and plan on travelling to Bali, or anywhere in Indonesia for that matter, make sure you visit their cycle shops where you're sure to grab something you need.

So until next time, safe riding!

Regards,

James.





Vintage bicycles in Bali - Part 1

Due to it's poor economy and massive population, the quality of personal transportation throughout Indonesia has not progressed rapidly. The island of Bali, a popular tourist destination for Australians, presents a typical example of Indonesian transportation conditions. The public transport infrastructure is poor, the road quality is generally terrible, and road safety and driving conditions are always chaotic.

Small vehicles are prevalent on Balinese roads, however the majority of personal transportation is on scooters. Scooters, scooters, and more scooters......every intersection choked with locals on scooters conducting their daily business. It is normal for a local Balinese family to rely on the scooter for family transportation and a regular sight is of dad, mum, and two small children huddled up on the seat of scooter making their way through town going about their business.



Typical family transport in Bali.



On the island of Bali many older locals still rely on bicycles for their primary mode of transport...bicycles which they have personally owned for a long time - probably since new! Older bicycles that reflect the designs of English bikes of the the 1930's and 40's. Steel frames, chromed rod caliper brakes, with old leather saddles, that usually roll along on rusted 28 inch Westwood rims. 



An old Balinese man with his steel bicycle.

Having an interest in vintage bicycles I am interested to see that the old bicycles I have seen are used so commonly. After all they are usually 40 to 60 years old - maybe even older. So this presents a few intersting factors for me:

• Who manufactured these bikes,
• How old are they, and
• Where do they source their spare parts?

Part 1 of this article will have a look at what brands they are and how old they might be, and Part 2 will have a look at the spare parts issue.

The old bicycles are frequently observed being ridden on the bumpy roads trying to make their way through the chaotic maze of scooters. Some of the riders use their bikes for personal transport, and others use their bikes as a tool of trade, often carrying produce on panniers connected to a rear rack.



A local with his vintage work horse.

Due to the poor physical condition of the roads throughout the island of Bali, riding a modern carbon road bike with 700C tyres would be treacherous to say the least. The road surfaces are in poor condition and this would cause a modern tyre to puncture very easily, an expensive carbon frame would not last long in these conditions....and clipping in (clipless pedals) would not be an option due to the chaotic traffic conditions where unexpected stops are frequent.

The only modern bicycles I have sighted are 'Polygon' brand mountain bikes that have robust 26 inch tyres and solid aluminium frames. Even these bikes are not common - poor roads and chaotic traffic discourages many from riding bicycles! In fact I'm even surprised to see the vintage bicycles being ridden around...they may be robust but the traffic is crazy! 

After having had a look at the manufacturers marking on the vintage bikes I have noted that the majority carry the "Phoenix" brand. The giveaway is the PHOENIX lettering contained within the chainring... this identifying feature is quite reminiscent of the old Engish bikes that also carried their brand name or symbol in a similar fashion ie BSA, Raleigh, Hercules. 

Here is a typical Balinese vintage that carries the classic PHOENIX chainring:



The vintage "Phoenix' bicycle....common place in Bali.

....and another Phoenix below.



A more modern ladies Phoenix with full chaincase.




Phoenix decals on the downtube.

Phoenix bicycles originate from the Shanghai Bicycle Company which was born in China in 1958. Phoenix still manufacture "vintage" styled bicycles and even today supply a large range of vintage styled bicycles throughout Asia. These vintage designs are still popular and sell in large numbers. Have a look at:

http://www.phoenix-bicycle.com/phoenixie/page/Products.asp?id=230

These bikes are really copies of the old English classics that were originally designed in the 1930's to suit the English road conditions of the day and the English economic climate of the time. Unfortunately similar conditions still prevail throughout many countries within Asia;

• Poor roads - you'll need big 28 x 1 1/2 tyres,
• Steel construction - robust steel frame that can be used to carry heavy loads,
• Rod brakes - solid with little or no maintenance required,
• Cottered cranks - easy to source and replace worn or broken parts,
• Lots of steel bikes - cheap parts means inexpensive repair costs.

...a modern lightweight expensive design can't compete with these requirements so you can see why the vintage styling is still the preferred choice not only in Bali, but throughout Asia.

Here's a couple of more images of old bikes and their owners I captured from my last visit...



A classic...


 

...a front internal hub brake on this one!



..........and of course a visit to Bali would not be complete without finding a (brand) copied item of some sort. Here is an old men's steel classic that carries a Raleigh styled headbadge and is pretty much a copy of the old Raleigh DL-1 Tourist that I featured in an earlier blog.



The "Raleigh" styled head badge that has "RELIGHT" printed in red under the red "R".



OK......so these vintage bikes in Bali may not be that old after all, they just look old!! We all know how a bike can quickly deteriorate if it is kept in the open air near the ocean exposed to the salt air for a few years!

Phoenix manufacturers started making vintage English styled bicycles in 1958 so alot of these bikes may well be old, but without the ability to record and research frame serial numbers (if they indeed have any) it woud be very difficult to accurately age a vintage styled bicycle in Bali.

There are plenty of old vintage styled bikes in Bali...so where do they get their spare parts? Can I get some? I'll cover this and more in the next installment.

Until next time, safe riding.

James

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.