Hello John and Jon,
I have spoken (and sold things) to both you guys. As the USA importer of Pashley Cycles I must comment briefly on construction.
The Pashley classic bikes (the have and do made 531 bikes) currently produced are indeed stiffer than most 531 bikes from our experience trying to straighten damaged ones that were later scrapped.
It's not he straight gauge tubes that beat DB 531, it's the gauge man and it is very thick and I found out one reason. Every thing at Pashley is built by hand and the traditional bikes are built in the traditional way for hard third world use. I saw the round fork tubing with a full size inner tube (steel one) being hammered and inserted for double thickness. This is somehow tapered after shaping in a "D" shape with a hammer! Lots of brass later you have one of the heaviest non suspension forks manufactured. Is it stiffer or stronger than 531, by many measurements (not all I suppose) absolutely YES! We have yet to be able to straighten a freight damaged one and no failures ever reported, though one small import car was totaled on contact with a Pashley encounter.
All other weight performance aside, the wheels are aluminum rimed and the tires hold high pressure and allow a sprightly ride despite the weight.
By the way Jon, the Pashley is slightly lighter than a VW as stated below. The Pashley Traditional, same old same old since 1928. One satisfied customer of a Delivery bike told me loved his. He stated "Performance is what I crave, this one is as heavy as an anvil and twice as fast."
A heavy bike is still the most efficient transport ever designed,
Gilbert Anderson
North Road Bicycle Company 519 W. North St. Raleigh, NC 27603
Toll Free \u2022 800\u2022321-\u20225511 Phone \u2022919\u2022828\u20228999 E-Mail \u2022 cyclestore@aol.com
In a message dated 2/25/03 5:28:18 PM, classicrendezvous-request@bikelist.org writes:
<< Date: Tue, 25 Feb 2003 14:24:48 -0800 (PST) From: wayofftheback <wayofftheback@yahoo.com> To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org Subject: Re: [CR]The canard of lightweight Message-ID: <20030225222448.81254.qmail@web20107.mail.yahoo.com> In-Reply-To: <OE58iBEcJWnqYsZOf1i000014d7@hotmail.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii MIME-Version: 1.0 Precedence: list Message: 17
First, straight guage pipes on a Pashley aren't sturdier than 531, etc. This another canard. It's lot easier to bend carbon steel than high quality chro-moly or moly mag. If you can get a reduction in weight without any other compromise (other than relatively small one in cost), then do it.
Regards,
John Taglia,
Chicago
>
>
> To this I reply: If you really think that weight
> doesn't matter, if a couple of pounds here or there
> doesn't make or break a race, or a training ride, or
> a frame, then why do people order fancy new steel
> steed made out of 531, SLX, 753, 853, SL, etc? Why
> not a straight gauge behemoth made out of the same
> pipes as the Pashley I used to own? Straight gauge,
> sturdy, heavy as my VW bus. And cheap. Lots to
> recommend it on lots of dimensions. Nobody uses
> that stuff anymore on a fancy high end steel frame.
> No way. And why do people collect "lightweight"
> steel frames? Are both of these things the result of
> some collective delusion, too?
>
> simple.
>
>
>
> Jon Cowden
> SB, CA >>