I've had my Pashley for a little over one year now. I thought I would share with you how she's held up living as an outside bicycle.
I was doing a little maintenance yesterday, and took some pictures of the wear and tear. Surprisingly there isn't much!
Some water gets to the stem and it's gotten a little rusty.
There's a little bit of grease oozing out at the fork bearing cups.
And some grease and grime at the headset.
I've scuffed up the rear fender from my U-lock.
The inticator chain has gotten rusty.
There are scuffs from the heel of my shoe on the seat post tube.
I've nicked the rear fender.
And there's something making a home around the rear hub.
This is the worst of the dings. I locked it up too close to the sign I lock up to at work. We had a big storm and the wind made the wheel whip around and the fork and fender scraped against the sign.
Overall, not bad for a daily commuter that lives outside!
That's not too bad, especially for living outside!
ReplyDeleteDid you buy it new? Have you been happy with it?
janice - I did buy it new and am very happy with it. It's tough, comfortable, seems to be perfectly happy to crawl up the hills and handles great under load.
ReplyDeleteNot bad at all for a lives-outside bike,not bad at all! Impressive,actually,I've owned several bikes that only lived outside on rare occasions-<$1,000 bikes,mind you-that didn't fare so well.
ReplyDeleteThe Disables Cyclist
Very good considering it lives outside.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't worry about the scrapes and dings. These are part of the character building process.
Ah, your bike has character is very well-made to withstand the rigors of outside life. Thanks for the update. Those Pashleys are such sweet bikes.
ReplyDeleteIt's like the Velveteen Rabbit—now your bike is real and even more beautiful because it's been used. :)
ReplyDeleteHi Amy,
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to read that you still have and enjoy riding the Pashley. You certainly have given her character.
I still have my Sonnet Bliss and I think you and I got our Pashley's at around the same time, though mine - I bought slightly used. I love the Pashley, but invested in another bike recently, which is a little faster... for my work commute. Oh I know, the shame. I promised my husband it would be the last one :). Recently I debated whether to sell the Sonnet. But... I just couldn't do it... not just yet. The bike is lovely. She sits in my garage and I still ride her on occasion and on my trips to the hairdresser. I still ride my other bikes as well ;)
I feel similarly about my Pashley. It is slow to accelerate and hills are strong. I also have current problems with slipping gears, which doesn't facilitate with the hill climbing. My Dutch bike, although heavier, is easier all-round.
ReplyDeleteEthan - Does your Pashley have the newer SA 5 speed hub? I'm wondering if there is something about that hub that causes it to not handle hills well. I'm going to be rebuilding the rear wheel around a NuVinci hub in the coming year.
ReplyDelete