Until now The Bike Shed has focused on reviewing custom bike builds, but we feel it’s time to launch a weekly blog that focuses on the gear that’s enjoyed by those of us who participate in the scene. This could be clothing, helmets, gloves, tools or accessories. It’s not a technical guide, just simply stuff we like. We’re throwing the net wide to capture niche brands and individuals who make quality gear that feeds our culture. Each week we’ll focus on five different products.
1) ALEXANDER GT MK4 JACKET
First up has to be the defining biker garment, the leather jacket, and what could be more fitting than the stunning GT Mk 4 jacket from Alexander Leather’s Modern Classics collection. A modern take on a classic biker design, this jacket is fit for purpose.
Each jacket is hand-made to order in the customer’s choice of leather, colour and lining. An artisan company based in Selkirk, Scotland, Alexander make jackets to last a lifetime, and the build quality reflects it.
Alexander were formed by Sandy Alexander, founder of the Shuh footwear brand and vintage connoisseur, and Will Lauder, former director and pattern cutter of the legendary Aero Leathers. They’ve assembled a team of leather craftsmen with over 262 years of experience. Each jacket is built stitch by stitch by one person. Inspired by 1920’s to 1960’s styling, they produce for the enthusiast and are uncompromising in their choice of high quality materials.
The GT Mk 4 features three large bellowed pockets, and one D pocket, the Alexander Cafe Racer collar, a wind flap shielding the zip, a leather belt, a one piece back, and stud cuffs.
This is a serious piece of kit.
2) RUBY HELMETS CUSTOM CONFIGRATOR
In six short years Ruby have forged a reputation for producing high end luxury helmets that are both resilient and striking. Designed by biker Jerome Coste, he set out to create “the finest helmets in the world”, an aspiration some would say he’s met.
The lids are available in three designs; the open-faced retro styled Le Pavillon and the more contemporary styled Le Belvedere; and then there’s the “when Evel Knievel meets James Hunt on Friday the 13th” full-faced Le Castel.
Not content with providing the customer with the helmets in an eclectic array of stock colours and limited edition designs, Ruby are now offering an ‘a-la-carte‘ online ‘costume’ configurator where you can create a one-off bespoke design. By choosing from their extensive range of colours, patterns and finishing details you now have 273, 375 ways to create a unique design and your very own customised Ruby helmet. Or if you really want something special, you can book an appointment with their designers and they will create something for you.
You can buy from their boutique at 1 Rue Herold, 75001 Paris, or online.
Whatever way you go, you’ll end up with protecting your precious brain matter with something very special.
3) TELLASON LADBROKE GROVE JEANS
Denim jeans are entrenched in the mythology surrounding custom bikes, and you’ll hard pushed to find quality that matches Tellason.
A niche manufacturer out of San Francisco owned and operated by old friends Tony PaTELLA and Pete SearSON, Tellason were born out of lifelong obsession with denim. Each pair is made from raw, selvedge denim manufactured in the legendary Cone Mills’ White Oak plant in Greensboro, North Carolina.
The guys state: “By starting with raw denim, you not only get to provide your own real-life wear patterns, you also get the benefit of a custom fit as raw denim will mold to your body the way a great pair of leather shoes molds to your feet.” These jeans just get better and better the more you abuse them.
Heritage is premium to Tony and Pete, and they’re very proud of the fact that their jeans are not only made in America, but that the pocketing, thread, buttons, rivets and leather patches are as well. It doesn’t stop them from giving their gear a London slant. The jeans in their range are named in homage to their other life long obsession, The Clash.
The Ladbroke Grove, (named after the home of Joe Strummer, Mick Jones, Paul Simonon and Topper Headon), is a slim tapered fit with button fly and lined back pockets available in 12.5oz, 14.75oz, and 16.5oz indigo denim.
These jeans got London Calling.
4) ELMC ENGINEER BOOT
The engineer boot was first manufactured in 1939 as a boot primarily used by shipbuilders in Portland, Oregon, building ships for World War II. The smooth design with lack of protruding fittings, nails or laces prevented snagging injuries around belt and chain drive machinery, and so they were eagerly adopted by bikers, quickly achieving iconic status in motorcycle culture.
What better way for Eastman Leather, the famous military jacket specialists, to launch their motorcycle brand, ELMC, than with a stunning pair of engineer boots. They’ve taken a 30 year reputation for producing the highest degree of authenticity and applied it to their bike gear. They are high quality, low volume producers, with each garment constructed from custom-made hide.
The Havana Engineer boots are made from USA Chromexcel hide on original lasts in Japan. They have a stack Japanese ‘Woodsman” heel and a UK Goodyear storm welt and a steel shank. They’re triple stitched at high stress points and have a hand stitched shaft seam. The soles are US Vibram and the buckles steel pressed.
These boots are as tough as they come, and as beautiful as you’ll find anywhere.
5) MUFF VOLTMETER
Very occasionally you come come across something that is such a killer idea that you kick yourself and curse that you didn’t think of it first. One of those things is the Muff Voltmeter.
Dreamt up by bike builder, cafe owner, now voltmeter designer, and our good mate Josh at Muff Customs, this is so simple it’s genius.
It’s the most compact voltmeter out there and doubles up as a key fob. Unclip the studs and open the Italian leather, and a tiny digital voltmeter is revealed. It displays voltage from 4 to 60 volts to let you know why your damn ride won’t start. You simply connect the press studs to the battery terminals or frame for a reading. It even extends to fit old school Beamer batteries.
Simple as that.
You can buy it online, or with a cup of coffee at Muff Cafe, 4c Roach Road, Hackney Wick, London E32PA.
