Raleigh vs Pashley

Hotbunnycharlie

I'm buying a bike on the cycle to work scheme and I'm torn between my love for the old school style of the Pashley, and the cheapness of the Raleigh.

I live in manchester, so it's pretty flat, except for a little hill outside of my house which I must climb up each day. So the five speed of the Pashley does make sense. On the other hand, I've heard that the Raleigh is light, so there are pros and cons.

What does everyone think? Is it worth spending more for a bike that you feel is durable, or, since I'm only just getting into cycling, should I just bite the bullet and get a cheaper raleigh to start me off?

thanks in advance folks!

Aidy

The Pashley what or the Raleigh what?

Jay dubbleU

Pashley last a lifetime if properly cared for - Raleigh went through a bad patch but are now improving but you really need to be more specific about the model

Hotbunnycharlie

Sorry about that, it was the pashley princess sovereign vs the raleigh urban pioneer.

Aidy

Hotbunnycharlie wrote:

Sorry about that, it was the pashley princess sovereign vs the raleigh urban pioneer.

I'm not really familiar with either. Or well, that kind of bike.

As a cyclist, I'd be pretty tempted to go with the Pashley just on the name and brand reputation. There's a lot of history there (there is too, with classic Raleighs, but it's not the same).

From a spec point of view, it also looks like by far and away the better bike.

Depends though, if you feel the need to get into cycling proper later on, you might want something else - so cheaper might be better in that case. I do tend to reckon it's a bit of a waste to use a cyclescheme allowance on a bike that's only about £150 though... You won't save that much on new at the end of the day, and it locks you in a bit with your employer.

EKE_38BPM

I bought a Raleigh just after they moved production to China and it was a pile of (expletive deleted). It put me off new Raleighs (still loving their old-skool-cool though) but I'm hearing things have improved.
Pashley have a good reputation, so I would lean towards them, but I think what you really need is a road bike, drop handle bars, carbon frame (or titanium if you're flush) and SPDs. With different wheels depending on if you are commuting, doing a sportive or on the turbo trainer you will end up getting, you'll be future-proofed.

Just thought I'd save you some time by speccing the bike you'll be wanting in a few months.

laughingboy

Hotbunnycharlie wrote:

I'm buying a bike on the cycle to work scheme and I'm torn between my love for the old school style of the Pashley, and the cheapness of the Raleigh.

I live in manchester, so it's pretty flat, except for a little hill outside of my house which I must climb up each day. So the five speed of the Pashley does make sense. On the other hand, I've heard that the Raleigh is light, so there are pros and cons.

What does everyone think? Is it worth spending more for a bike that you feel is durable, or, since I'm only just getting into cycling, should I just bite the bullet and get a cheaper raleigh to start me off?

thanks in advance folks!

It depends on what you are going to use the bike for. The Pashley Princess Sovereign is a superb version of the classic English Roadster-style of bicycle, usually referred to nowadays as a 'Dutch Bike' or a sit-up-and-beg bike. They are low maintenance (hub gears and full chaincase) bombproof and a lovely ride, albeit sedate. They are perfect for pootling around, and for short commutes of only a couple of miles. If this sounds like the usage you want out of a bike, then go for it. There is a reason why millions of Dutch cyclists use this style of bike for comfortable urban commuting. See Copenhagen Cycle chic on the web for further evidence.

However, you might be advised to get a second hand bike of the same style - for cheapness. I bought my wife a 1983 Raleigh Superbe for £80 on E-bay - equivalent to the Pashley Princess Classic.

As for the Raleigh Hybrid. It is a more adaptable type of bike. If you are tempted by more speed, and riding on bridleways, etc, then you are opening a huge can of worms, where the decision between which bike can be confusing or bewildering. The choice of hybrids on the market is extraordinary. You need to work out what might need from a bike. If you are just starting out, this, of course, can be guesswork. As the poster above hinted, dryly, most people who get the bug soon want something faster than they thought they'd need.

For my part, I commute a good distance on roads, and for that reason I needed a road bike with provision for racks and mudguards.

Jay dubbleU

Pashley Princess is the classic, hand made in the UK,will always be cool and will last a lifetime if properly looked after. No contest

ride_whenever

I'd have a look at electra, much lighter than either, more fun and better designed etc.

Whereabouts are you based, there must be some places where you can try both...

lae

The enclosed drum brakes of the Pashley last far longer and will need less maintenance (basically no maintenance) than any other type of brake - they'll never squeak, never drag, hardly ever need replacement parts, are virtually impossible to damage if you drop the bike or if it gets knocked at the bike racks. They work equally well in the wet as in the dry, too.

The Pashley uses a decent cromoly steel for the frame rather than the high-tensile gas-pipe tubing of the Raleigh. The Pashley also has a full chainguard which not only keeps your trousers perfectly clean, but also means that service/replacement intervals for the chain are far less frequent than on the Raleigh.

The Raleigh might have 18 gears and the Pashley only five, but the Raleigh uses cheap deraillers which'll require near-constant fiddling so as to not make a terrible racket when cycling. I used to work for Halfords so I know how bad cheap deraillers are. The Pashley's hub gears on the other hand, will be silent and require basically no maintenance (I have a 3-speed Sturmey-Archer unit, very similar to the one on the Pashley, from the early 50s and it's in perfect working order). The 5 speeds will definitely have enough range to get you up the hill too.

The Pashley also has a sprung Brooks saddle, which is probably the comfiest saddle you can get, plus with a bit of care they last forever (I have a 40 year old Brooks which looks like new)

The Raleigh might be lighter (the Pash is something like 20kg IIRC!), but it isn't light either - in short neither is any good as a road bike, but the Pashley is certainly much better as a commuter.

EDIT - I forgot that the Pashley had dynamo lights (ideal as the days are getting shorter already) and a rack. It's basically the perfect utility bicycle. The only thing I would personally have (apart from the gents model, of course) is a front porteur rack instead of a basket, but that's because I think the wicker baskets are a bit frumpy (and they do, unfortunately, fall apart over time). Replace it with a wire basket and you're good though.

Make sure you use a saddle cover in the rain though, those Brooks saddles don't like getting soaked!

lae

ride_whenever wrote:

I'd have a look at electra, much lighter than either, more fun and better designed etc.

Whereabouts are you based, there must be some places where you can try both...

Good call on Electra.

https://www.electrabike.com/store/

click on 'amsterdam' in the bikes section. Kinda like the Pashley, but with aluminium frames so much lighter, plus they come in colours other than black!

Boy Lard

I have nothing useful to add to this discussion, but I do have a Pashley unicycle and it has never broken.

itsbruce

Boy Lard wrote:

I have nothing useful to add to this discussion, but I do have a Pashley unicycle and it has never broken.

How far do you commute on it?

Jay dubbleU

Raleigh are now producing bikes with 3 and 5 speed Nexus hubs but I'd still favour the Pashley

hells

I've been thinking of getting a bike like the pashley princess to be my 'pub/shops' bike. I have been using a specialized langster but it's not an appropriate pub bike really and its stock gear is far too spinney. The pashleys step through frame means I can pootle about and wear a dress or a skirt on the bike which would not work on the langster. I also accidently exposed my boobs to the world on the langster before as I was wearing a vest top with a v neck and forgot that my 'assets' would be on show riding on the hoods or the drops :oops: not an issue on the upright positioning of the pashley! Also i kinda like the basket and it looks big enough to put my groceries or handbag and going out shoes in whilst I cycle to where ever I am going. Only two things though it weighs a ton and Id have to drag it up 4 flights of narrow stairs and the final flight kinda curves. Also the pashley princess is supposed to eb a womens bike so whats with the giant frame sizes?! the smallest is a 17.5 inch frame, my mtb is 17 inches and is slightly too big for me and I am fairly average in height at 5''4. Surely they should be smaller and include something like a 15 inch frame not 20 and even 22 inch frames???

lost_in_thought

hotbunnycharlie, get whichever one you like the best.

If you like it, you'll ride it more! I suspect that's the Pashley, which is a good thing. They're bomb-proof, and lovely.

I second the electra recommendation, but seem to recall you'd posted on here before and I'd already sent you to www.chainreactioncycles.com

Anyway, i'm doing it again now. Have a look under 'cruisers'

NGale

If you like the Pashley but can't afford the price then a good alternitive is Dutchie Bikeshttp://www.dutchie.co.uk/. The most expensive is a penny short of £299.