Another super customisation, this time for the 3-speed. And from the first verified Pashley Guvnor in the tropics no less…in Darwin.
Ian Martin’s work centres around the inspired installation of a vintage Campagnolo friction shifter on the down tube. To further free up the bars, the bell is popped on the stem. Swap the brown B-17 saddle for a Brooks Team Professional in honey, add a kickstand and a natty light…all set for a sunset ride around a tropical harbour.
The shifter is the highlight here: most elegant. Personally I think the lights are a little too 1950s, but then it’s taken me 18 months to fail to find lights I personally like. So perhaps ignore me!
Many thanks Ian for sending these in, how about some snaps in exotic surroundings?
{ 20 comments… read them below or add one }
Oh, I do like the mods there, removes handlebar clutter too…although was there really any?!?
Might get a kick stand like that myself, any idea of the brand or source for us UK types?
I’m pretty sure it’s a Pletscher twin kick stand with the rubber feet.
Love the Campagnolo down tube shifter, is it friction or indexed ?
SA is making a contemporary looking one (SLS30 R3T @ → http://www.sturmey-archer.com/products/shifters/cid/3/id/10 ) but unfortunatelly you need to have braze ons to install it!
They also make a «CLS 3 Speed classic ratio chopper lever» but no images are to be found anywhere → http://www.sturmey-archer.com/products/shifters/cid/3/id/14
CLS, i wonder wht it looks like!
Moebiusuibeom
I love the Soma light.
Anyone know where one can be sourced in the UK ?
Jorge, the Campagnolo above is a friction shifter.
Andrew, according to Soma they are stocked by Brick Lane Bikes
Very nice to see your campag shifter. a nice touch indeed.
I’ve found an outlet in the UK that can source the Soma Silver Bullet rear light, price £24.50 plus tax and postage, wwwhubjub.co.uk , safe riding one and all, Geoff
Hi Geoff,
I eagerly took a look but there doesn’t seem to be a GBP price or any means of ordering the Silver Bullet on the hubjub UK site, just a “coming soon” link to the Soma US site. Did I miss a craftily hidden link?
Iain.
Iain (or is it Ian)
Very nice work! I particularly like the use of the campy shifter.
Cheers,
Jonathan
Iain M……….go to- http://www.hubjub.co.uk click-Soma coming soon click-accessories click-lights, this is a link to the US website which shows the light and details.
The chap, name of Will, at Hubjub is ordering a light for me as part of a larger Soma order from the US. If you are keen, suggest you contact him quickly to catch the order deadline. The price is £27.50 inc. p&p sales@hubjub.co.uk , at the moment it’s a customer order item only, so it isn’t shown on Hubjub website.
Safe riding one and all, Geoff ‘Duchy Wheeler’.
Jonathan,
“Iain M.” (me) is certainly not the clearly creative Ian Martin who produced this wonderful specimen. We are most definitely two very different people!
I do think the Silver Bullet light is the best match I’ve seen so far for the guvnor’s style (right era, though maybe more Art Deco than path racer), so I’m keen to find out where I can get one, ready for the arrival of my 3-speed Guvnor in 4 weeks’ time.
Cheers,
Iain Moore aka “Iain M.”
Hi Iain M…………. I left more info. about the Soma light yesterday, but for some reason it didn’t show up unless logged in as member! It was marked ‘awaiting moderation’, so try that route to access.
Safe riding one and all, Geoff ‘Duchy Wheeler’.
Geoff,
Many thanks for your further note about the Soma Silver Bullet.
I missed the cut off for the first order Will was putting in with Soma – he tells me yours was despatched to you yesterday, so I hope you have it soon.
There is another order going in in 2 weeks – I’ll certainly be getting one then. Will did indicate that a larger order is preferred, so if anyone else out there in GOC-land would like one of these wonderous lights (or anything else from Soma in the US), do get your order in to Will at sales@hubjub.co.uk in the next few days.
Cheers,
Iain
To one and all, regarding the Soma Silver Bullet light received today from Hubjub. The plastic fitting bracket supplied isn’t any good for the Guv’nor. A bracket will have to be fabricated. I’m thinking the best fixing point is the Allen bolt as per the MAPD light. Aluminium, brass or copper could be used to match the light, bell or B17 saddle rivets. ‘The Martin Shift’, where the light is mounted by the rear axle also looks to be a fabricated or modified plastic bracket.
Safe riding, Geoff ‘Duchy Wheeler’.
Good afternoon one and all, update on fitting the Soma Silver Bullet.
I’ve had a fettle and fiddle and the plastic mounting bracket supplied can be used, by placing it on the wheel axle nut. You will need to line the circular clamp with some thin rubber or similar so the clamp grips the wheel nut. It then sits nicely between the chain stay and the plastic SA toggle chain cover, this is of course refers to the 3 speed model*, single speed and Plus Four models would just clamp to the axle nut.
*Of course you fellow GOC members who don’t live in ‘The Empire’, and ride on the wrong side of the road, would mount the rear light on the left hand axle nut!
Safe riding, Geoff ‘Duchy Wheeler’.
Actually, I just used the top half of the included plastic bracket and simply replaced the chainstay bolt with a longer one. Unfortunately I’m not at home at the moment so don’t have the length for the bolt to hand.
Cheers,
Ian.
Does anyone have any more info on where I could buy a frame mounted shifter as pictured above?
Thanks,
Stephen
G’Day Stephen,
I picked mine up off eBay, it’s a clamp-on downtube shifter and they come up reasonably often, though less so with only the right hand side shifter and/or the dress plate.
I used the Campag because I already happened to have it for another bike project but given my druthers I’d prefer something a little more in keeping with the period.
Cheers,
Ian
Thanks Ian, did you fit it yourself?
Hi chaps, sorry it took me so long to find this thread. Definitive answer on Silver Bullet lights — we’re a fixed gear specialist and (although this is a very nice light indeed) it’s not really in our line, hence won’t be a stock item. But we order regularly from Soma and are more than happy to custom-order them. (By the same token, we can get various seldom-seen Nitto racks and bars, obscure one-speed drivetrain components, special grips and other Guv’nor-appropriate goodies.) You might have to wait while we build the book up to minimum order size, but hopefully no more than a couple of weeks. BTW, since you seem like a pretty sociable lot, you might want to co-ordinate a bulk order between you — it’s easier to process one request for six lights than six different ones, and would likely work out cheaper. Best, Will / HUBJUB