Classic & Vintage - Pashley Guvnor

discuss:
http://www.pashley.co.uk/products/guvnor.html
http://www.pashley.co.uk/cms/products/main_46.jpeg
Looks cool to me, kind of pricey though.

I think it looks great because of the cream tires and honey seat.
Put black tires and a black seat on it and it will just look average.

I actually like those brake levers, just not on that particular bike. The rest is not bad. A bit of patina on the paint and chrome, and I might be fooled at first glance.

Still, while the real thing is well within my grasp, buying the Pashley would never occur to me.

I'm not trying to be a smart a55, but what type of levers would you put on there, I've been trying to decide this since I first saw a pic of this bike

old Raleigh levers.
Where are they getting alloy 28"rims?
It's nice that they come in my size.
The hub brakes should be rod activated.

I won a Pashley Guvnor off eBay. While its a high-end roadster, the only thing I didn't like is the saddle. I've opted for a black B-73 to replace the B-17. Its much more appropriate for a roadster.

Funny you should ask. I don't know where they get alloy 28" rims. No one seems to make them and the ones I've been able to find on the Internet are steel rims! Still a good choice though. The Schwalbe Delta Cruiser tires are excellent in the 40-635 size. I hope some day Schwalbe takes a hint and makes Fat Frank tires in the roadster size.

I actually like those brake levers, just not on that particular bike. The rest is not bad. A bit of patina on the paint and chrome, and I might be fooled at first glance.

I believe that those levers were chosen as being currently available. A more retro set could easily be fitted if you have them but are such currently available new in quantities suitable for a relatively small manufacturer and of decent quality?

I like the look of it, and think it would actually work okay with black tires (might help to have a light-colored frame). What really sets it apart is a "racing" style with flat tires. Normally, you see speed bikes with skinny tires or comfort bikes with wide tires.

I forget- but one of Pashley's bikes is available in the larger frame size with double bars- that would be extra cool. :)

If Superman and Captain America got into a fight, who would win?

Electra Amsterdam Sport 9 Special:
http://www.harborcountrybike.com/v/vspfiles/photos/193008-2.jpg

tcs

Electra Amsterdam Sport 9 Special:
http://www.harborcountrybike.com/v/vspfiles/photos/193008-2.jpg

Except that the 'Guvnor has proper, period race-worthy geometry - the Amsterdam Sport (and the Amsterdam, for that matter) is simply a joke. I can see the C&V folks now, 50 years later, trying to figure out "what the hell this thing was designed for."

Can't even ride it hard through the corners with that BB drop. Nothing but a sporty take on the stock Amsterdam frameset.

-Kurt

I love it! Reynolds 531 tubing to boot. I bet my Lauterwasser's would look killer on that thing! But then again, I bet we could put together something very similar for alot cheaper.

I like the Pashley. Wouldnt pay for one though.

I paid for it. A roadster racer? People over at the Road Cycling forum would say its "ridiculous." Don't laugh. Its here!

Funny you should ask. I don't know where they get alloy 28" rims. No one seems to make them and the ones I've been able to find on the Internet are steel rims! Still a good choice though. The Schwalbe Delta Cruiser tires are excellent in the 40-635 size. I hope some day Schwalbe takes a hint and makes Fat Frank tires in the roadster size.

I'll wager they're OEM rims available to manufacturers, but not the general public. Alex S500 rims as found on the '07 Specialized Sirrus are the same way.

I think you're right. In the old days, steel was considered superior to aluminum. The old Dunlop Special Lightweight Rims - in steel - could give the aluminum rims of the day a run for the money. Steel rims are passe today because they are of low quality and its aimed at the cheapest possible price point, as a way of saving money to make a very low end bicycle. Pashley's choice of alloy for the 28" rims and Schwalbe's commitment to making tires in the 700B size shows the roadster has gone through something of a renaissance in the bicycle world.

I paid for it. A roadster racer? People over at the Road Cycling forum would say its "ridiculous." Don't laugh. Its here!

From the photos it looks to me like the frame wheelbase is way too long to be considered a racer by modern standards. Look at the clearance between the seat tube and rear wheel. Long chain stays like that I have seen on photos of 1900ish performance bikes though so is that the era the Pashley Guvnor is aimed at reproducing?

I like the Pashley. Wouldnt pay for one though.

+1, but I'd go for the 3-speed.

Are these really 28" rims, as in 28 x 1 1/2 like on a Roadster, or are they 700c, which is known as 28" in some circles? Looks like Westwood profile, so maybe the former.

From the photos it looks to me like the frame wheelbase is way too long to be considered a racer by modern standards. Look at the clearance between the seat tube and rear wheel. Long chain stays like that I have seen on photos of 1900ish performance bikes though so is that the era the Pashley Guvnor is aimed at reproducing?

Racer refers to a style of bicycle prominent in years past. Doesn't mean it should be up against modern racing bikes.

Racer refers to a style of bicycle prominent in years past. Doesn't mean it should be up against modern racing bikes.

+1 Roads were much rougher back when these bikes were in their heyday therefore they were built with slacker angles. Geometry would be closer to an early hard tail MTB.

The Guvnor really has 28 X 1 1/2 rims like on a roadster. The big giveaway is the slack 68" head tube angle found on roadsters. The main difference is the high end Reynolds 531 tubing used in its construction. I have the single speed version but an upgrade is possible.

They actually did a race on Pashley Guvnors in Italy. It handled the Tuscan country side quite decently.

An account of L'Eroica race can be found here:


http://www.pashley.co.uk/guvnor/eroica.html

I think it would do well against modern road bikes due to the fatter tires, improved stability and cornering clearance and the absence of derailleurs, which eliminates a good deal of weight. A path racer is no speed demon but it would be the champ in an endurance contest.

I was looking online for a place in MA to have my wheels rebuilt. I found Harris Cyclery to do the job but as I was browsing their website I found out that they are a Pashley dealer now. I saw the Govnor and while it looks really cool and I'd love to have one, are these bikes well built? I have no knowledge of Pashley.

I believe Pashley advertizes it as a "path racer," which is something quite different from a roadster, which the Guvnor is not. What they mean to say - and got wrong - is that it's a "road/path" bike. At one time, this would have been a bike suitable for road time trials, club runs, and training, and would have also been suitable for use on the track. Note the rear-facing dropouts, which a true roadster would not have had.

Funny you should ask. I don't know where they get alloy 28" rims. No one seems to make them and the ones I've been able to find on the Internet are steel rims! Still a good choice though. The Schwalbe Delta Cruiser tires are excellent in the 40-635 size. I hope some day Schwalbe takes a hint and makes Fat Frank tires in the roadster size.


If I had to guess Pashley uses OEM 28" alloy rims; consequently, because they are for the OEM market only, they are not available as an aftermarket part in any wholesaler catalog. :(

It look slikea reasonably acurate remake of an 1890 to 1910 racer/sport bike.

It took awhile but my Pashley Guvnor has been reborn as a high end roadster. Complete with front and rear racks, fold down wheelstand, led light, fairy light reflector, classic headlamp, fenders, coat guards and new Sturmey Archer hubs. The saddle is a Brooks B-73. It looks cool and for a roadster, is a surprisingly light ride thanks to the Reynolds 531 frame. Here are picture of the completed makeover.

Anybody know why I can't find any old pictures of Pashley bikes. Dis they go by a different name. There are a ton of 1900 to 1940 bike pictures out there but I have not found one of a Pashley.

My Pashley is built the same as my Raleigh Superbe. The only difference is the tubing specification.

Well I think I need to buy a Pashley Guv'nor...now the question is which model....the standard single speed is nice, but he limited edition Pashley Plus Four is sweet (not as authentic though) http://www.pashley.co.uk/products/guvnor-plus-four.html
The Guv'nor Plus Four will feature brass plated lugs, a Sachs Duomatic rear hub and Speed Drive front chain wheel (providing the four gears the title alludes to). Brooks leather bar tape and B17 titanium railed honey saddle finish the classic look. A limited run of 50 Plus Fours will be made.
Forgetting the high cost..what do you think about these 2 different models?
I'll be placing my order tomorrow 6/15/09

Anybody know why I can't find any old pictures of Pashley bikes. Dis they go by a different name. There are a ton of 1900 to 1940 bike pictures out there but I have not found one of a Pashley.

I don't know the history of Pashley. A similar question came up on Worksman. Part of the answer there was that they have been in business for a long time, but served mainly industrial markets, and probably had less than 1% of the production of Schwinn and other large companies. And in the early days, it seems it was Mr. Worksman, not necessarily a "factory" as such. Perhaps a similar thing went on with Pashley.

Jesus, it's like $1700! That's way too much. There are NO expensive components. It's a beautiful bike though.

The Sachs drivetrain is an expensive component. Its a cool crank design idea, I wonder how well it works...

^Plus it's a handbuilt Reynolds 531 frame too.