Classic & Vintage - Found this Pashley: What do you think?

I found this Pashley bike, photos are attached. The date stamp on the hub is 6-68. The serial number is 84722. It looks like the chain case is pretty badly rusted. The only serious frame rust I see is around the top of the seat tube and seat stays. The hubs spin, as do the cranks and chainring, but I can't operate the shifter. Based on the pictures, is this bike salvageable? Thank you very much.

Looks good!

Looks good!

Thanks! What's funny is that my dad wants to get back into cycling, and he was telling me about the old Raleigh he had growing up in Ireland. Had asked if he'd be interested in getting an updated version of that bike, but he said he'd rather get something like what he had. So there we have it! What do you think? How should I go about getting the frame restored? Would sandblasting and powdercoating be crazy? Thanks again.

Hey Sean, nice bike and definitely salvageable. I've seen restorations of bikes in much worse condition (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/667861-Picked-an-old-Columbia-off-the-side-of-the-road) than that.One other thing and I *really* hate to burst your bubble, but you've inverted the numbers on the hub. It is actually "89 9", not "6 68". SA always put the year first, then the month.

Hey Sean, nice bike and definitely salvageable. I've seen restorations of bikes in much worse condition (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/667861-Picked-an-old-Columbia-off-the-side-of-the-road) than that.One other thing and I *really* hate to burst your bubble, but you've inverted the numbers on the hub. It is actually "89 9", not "6 68". SA always put the year first, then the month.

LOL! Am I even in the right forum, then? :) I must have allowed myself to get carried away by the "retro" brakes. Is it possible that the bike is older than that? I had thought that the headbadge design had a groovy 60s/70s look to it, but again, that was probably just wishful thinking. Thanks for the link to the restorations, and your helpful insight!

LOL! Am I even in the right forum, then? :) I must have allowed myself to get carried away by the "retro" brakes. Is it possible that the bike is older than that? I had thought that the headbadge design had a groovy 60s/70s look to it, but again, that was probably just wishful thinking. Thanks for the link to the restorations, and your helpful insight!

Get off my lawn, Sean! :P We'll let you hang out here, even if it isn't vintage since it is arguably a classic bike. I don't know much about Pashley bicycles, but my seat of the pants guess is that the 89 date is probably correct.

Pashleys are nice bikes in the classic Brit tradition but it's interesting how quickly they deteriorate. It's an '89 and looks worse off than many of the 40's and 50's Raleighs that have popped up lately. Even the SA hub has rust.

For that reason alone, I wouldn't sink big dough into it. Kick the dust off that one and ride it until you find a proper C&V bike to restore.

Pashleys are nice bikes in the classic Brit tradition but it's interesting how quickly they deteriorate. It's an '89 and looks worse off than many of the 40's and 50's Raleighs that have popped up lately. Even the SA hub has rust.

For that reason alone, I wouldn't sink big dough into it. Kick the dust off that one and ride it until you find a proper C&V bike to restore.

Thanks for the advice, clubman. I agree; all that rust was another reason why I would've thought that the bike was older than an '89.

I like it! Clean it up and ride it. '89, though? How could that even happen? 1889, maybe... Give it a good clean and wax first. you might be surprised how well it cleans up. If you're not, black powdercoats are often pretty cheap, and I'll bet you could get some new decals from Pashley. It could end up looking and riding great with some TLC and a nice Brooks saddle.

cheap bike, a la the best 'flying pigeon', likely manufactured in india or china for the export market? I wonder if Pashley, like Brooks, had a shaky time of it during the 1980's and this was one of the low points?

I just saw 2 new ones at my LBS- they were 1000€ each!

so study the market! they may even have new spares.

do not powdercoat but have it painted, its black-its a perfect match everytime.

powdercoat chips and once it starts rusting there is no touchup for it

how many times you seen this?
http://www.bdoutdoors.com/forums/attachments/washington-state/261860d1298304537t-trying-keep-up-bones-hard-arch1.jpg

I like it! Clean it up and ride it. '89, though? How could that even happen? 1889, maybe...

I observed a new Pashley, ridden daily from Wards Island to The Toronto Stock Exchange, not more than a kilometre each way.. Over the course of one year, everything had starting to speckle and oxidize. This was in the mid 90's. Pretty bike but the quality was garbage.

I like it! Clean it up and ride it. '89, though? How could that even happen? 1889, maybe... Give it a good clean and wax first. you might be surprised how well it cleans up. If you're not, black powdercoats are often pretty cheap, and I'll bet you could get some new decals from Pashley. It could end up looking and riding great with some TLC and a nice Brooks saddle.

Cheers, devinfan! I've since gotten an update as to the bike's provenance. I had stated that I 'found' the bike because one of my workmates and I stumbled across it at my job in an area that is seldom used, and my partner thought that someone had pulled it from the trash and forgotten about it because it had been there for a few months. Well, before grabbing it I asked around some more. It turns out that another workmate got it from a friend who'd let it sit outside, 'outside' being the shore. Yikes! That explains the rust.

I observed a new Pashley, ridden daily from Wards Island to The Toronto Stock Exchange, not more than a kilometre each way.. Over the course of one year, everything had starting to speckle and oxidize. This was in the mid 90's. Pretty bike but the quality was garbage.

clubman, that's good information to know. I'm a huge admirer of the Guv'nor as far as the aesthetic goes, but I'll keep that in mind if I'm tempted again.

I just saw 2 new ones at my LBS- they were 1000€ each!


1000€? Wow! Thanks for the tip with regard to powder coating!

Would anyone be willing to hazard a guess as to what this bike might be worth in its current condition?

Somehow I think the new Guv'nors are better quality than that generation of roadster. The fit and finish look good up close.

Rolls Royce even in the early 90's were still dead set on using Laquer paint, like 60 coats hand rubbed.

Laquer just can not hold up to acid rain and strong UV,

One idiot bigshot baltimore lawyer had a new convertible and took it down to OC maryland and left it there with the top down the whole summer. it came back to the shop looking 25 years old-chalked up.

most likely the same goes true for that bike, laquer is stupid easy to spray, but just wont last.
polyurethean from the painter is the way to go if you want to really do a nice job-
hell its one shot black, he cant charge you much.
you can stripe it yourself-

Thank you for the information and advice, puchfinnland! I'll definitely send another enquiry regarding replacement decals.
UPDATE: an e-mail enquiry to Pashley determined that the bike is a Roadster and that the frame was built in February, 1990.