To purchase myself a Pashley?

[AtYourCervix]

But wjich one?

A Princess?

A Penny?

A Britannia?

A Tubey Something?

I Must Have One but can't decode!

If I was ever to get one - which, as I said, is highly unlikely - I would be just like my namesake and look after it really, really well.

My friend has a pink one - it's called Boudica

so

Britannia in Red

Tube rider in pink

Poppy in pink.

How to decide? I think I'm going to need a trip to a showroom to try them out.

I have a Pashley Princess in Buckingham Black.

Bought 3 years ago - ridden twice.

It's a beautiful bike but it's too heavy. Riding it is quite an effort.

Also, I cannot leave it in public places are the basket is likely to get nicked and the Brooks saddle will definitely get stolen.

I decided last week that I would sell the Pashley at Easter.

So I bought a Raleigh Wayfarer and I use it constantly. Have restored it with an original saddle wtc. It's vintage, beautiful and practical.

As others have said, these weigh a ton. Dawes do a vintage range which have lighter, cheaper models. I've got the Diploma. She's pretty!

This is my other Pashley

Pashley

I absolutely adore it. It holds a whole week's shopping when I take it to the supermarket and you can lock your helmet and hi-vis vest in the basket while you're shopping.

The only problem is that I always get stopped by someone asking me where I got it and how do they get one

It would be harder to fall off a tricycle wouldn't it?

I am glad to read the 'too heavy' comments - justification for not having one.

I have had to tell my dh do not buy me a Pashley. He's a panic present buyer and, because I have admired them, I know it's something he would buy me.

But I never cycle, apart from at the gym. It would be a shame to leave such a beauteous thing unused.

If the tricycle came in red that would be a done deal.

I'm moving to the countryside so I figure adopting the full Miss Marple look is totally fine gringo.

i'm thinking the beauteousness will make me use it.

Thesun I've just had a look at the Dawes site.

Now I'm conflicted - some lovely bikes. And mostly cheaper than the Pashleys.

I now have a hypothetical dilemma.

I have a Pashley Sonnet Bliss (in blue and white) and I love it. My justification is that I don't have a car and so it is used frequently.

Pros are:

-It is wonderful to ride, if rather sedate.
-It is very beautiful.
-Every part is made to a very high standard, from the comfortable saddle to the wonderful ding-dong bell.
-The top quality tyres mean that it is almost impossible to get punctures, even after regularly riding over broken glass.
-Everything you need comes with the bike, including really good lights, rot-proof basket, pump and integral lock.
-Carries a child seat really well.
-Upright riding position, which is good for your back.

Cons are:

-People want to steal it, so you need a really good bike lock (another £50).
-People will steal bits off it, and these are expensive to replace (replacement saddle= £100, wheel=£100, basket=£50...).
-Needs to be well looked after in order to run well i.e. serviced yearly if used lightly and more often if used heavily.
-It is very difficult to take the back wheel off, and so if you need to replace the back tyre (rare) you might need the help of a bike mechanic.
-It doesn't go very fast, which is fine for pootling around town but would be no good for long distances.
-Very heavy.

I used to have a Dawes red feather - very nice bike. I now have a Gazelle Esprit. No cheaper than Pashleys but very, very nice and the Esprit is pretty light.

i'm more of a pootler than a distance girl.

I keep debating whether to ride to work but it is 9 miles each way, either along a busy road where a lorry would kill me or along =g a very deserted track where I might get eaten by axemen.

so pootling is fine I think,

Arf at eaten by axemen sh*t, are there axemen on country lanes??.

no idea but the track is very deserted and very dark. and i'm not a wuss but would think twice about doing it alone late at night. (stupid shifts)

I used to commute to work on mine but that was only about two miles. I could do nine miles on on a nice Sunday afternoon, but it would probably take close to an hour. My Pashley doesn't cope well with any sort of off-road track, it likes smooth surfaces basically (unfortunate due to the many potholes around here!).

I nearly bought one last year, but did the sensible thing and got a cheapie second-hand bike off eBay to see if I used it, before "investing" in a Pashley.

I have ridden the eBay bike precisely once.

Glad I didn't buy the Pashley.

Am still though. I have visions of owning one once the DCs are old enough to bike to school.

I almost got one of these a couple of months ago, but decided not to because of the weight. I got a Whyte strawberry hill instead. Luverly imo!

I have a princess and love it. Was cycling at 38 weeks pregnant, with the seat just a bit lower. Reminds me I need to get a seat for day now the weather is improving.

Yes, it's heavy. But if you're going to be cycling very fast or very far, you'd be looking to get something else. And it's so comfortable you'd don't notice the weight so much.

I've got a blue & cream sonnett bliss too. It's lovely. Can't say I notice the weight but I'm not a flat out speed demon type

YABU.

Get a better quality bike like a Specialized Vita. If you're thinking of doing 9 miles a day to work and 9 miles back a heavy Pashley would kill you. I commute similar distance on a bike, believe me you need something light with a decent amount of gears. I commute on a Tricross.

I can't cycle to work because of the death risk.

i'd be pootling.

You'd pootle more on a decent bike which is a pleasure to ride rather than a heavy one which is hard work.

true.

I need to try some on.