Revival of a long defunct marque.
07-03-19, 10:24 AM
#51
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The bike shop itself doesn't really have much in it. It is but one of several locations they ran the bike business out of, and the only building still standing in Dayton that they operated in. ...
The Dayton shop is located next door to the aviation museum, and the tour is conducted by the museum staff.
The Dayton shop is located next door to the aviation museum, and the tour is conducted by the museum staff.
My one question about the Wright bike shop - they sell t-shirts, but why not cycling jerseys? I would have bought a Wright Bros jersey.
07-03-19, 05:14 PM
#52
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For a while I was under the spell of many of Pashley's offerings, including the Guv'nor... Then as I learned more about the early twentieth century bicycles that the current lineup is supposedly inspired by, I realized how modern the vision behind the new bikes actually is... Very little semblance of what actually was, and much more of a facade created by trends such as those you mention, like Victorian steampunk. Now I wouldn't dream of owning any Pashley bike - especially because all of the 24.5" models, which is my ideal frame size, have silly double top tubes that would have typically been reserved for even larger or workhorse frames.
Marketing follies abound, even among the venerated!
-Gregory
Marketing follies abound, even among the venerated!
-Gregory
That leaves the Pathfinder, Roadfinder, and Pashley-Morgan for any originality, and the former two are simply generic modern touring bikes distinguished by lugs and level top tubes (VERY welcome). The Pashley-Morgan is without a doubt unique as a bicycle...but it's really just the geometry if an old motorcycle copied onto a bicycle.
If they ever built a folder, you know it'd be a Raleigh Twenty or Moulton ripoff (though the Twenty ripoff has already been done - three times).
As cynical as this sounds though, I'm happy they exist. They have their niche, and that's to be the one source for a brand new English bicycle of your choice from an era long gone, and we definitely need KOF's. If I had to buy a new commuter right now, I'd be getting a Countryman over anything else on the market.
-Kurt
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07-04-19, 08:24 AM
#53
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I could easily see more of a market for that sort of product than what they're turning out. Plus, bring out a line of period correct cycling clothes (not that difficult a venture, currently if you want to do American Civil War it's almost not worth doing your own kit - you can just buy the stuff easily - unless, of course, you're one of those 'thread perfect' types).
Would give tweed rides a whole new look.
Would give tweed rides a whole new look.
NJ Sekela
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07-05-19, 09:09 AM
#54
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Agreed, I was there in 2017, not a lot to the shop, but worth a quick visit. The museum is worthwhile too. But if you're interested in aviation, save most of your time for the Air Force museum at Wright Patterson AFB just out of town, huge, with pretty much everything ever flown or launched. Spent most of a day there in 2017, then spent another day there this past April, not sure we've seen it all.
My one question about the Wright bike shop - they sell t-shirts, but why not cycling jerseys? I would have bought a Wright Bros jersey.
My one question about the Wright bike shop - they sell t-shirts, but why not cycling jerseys? I would have bought a Wright Bros jersey.
07-05-19, 11:00 AM
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Here's what they need to do. 
https://www.skoda-storyboard.com/en/...-france-stage/
Courtesy of @MarcoBianchi
https://www.skoda-storyboard.com/en/...-france-stage/
Courtesy of @MarcoBianchi
Last edited by merziac; 07-05-19 at 12:07 PM.
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07-05-19, 01:07 PM
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Here's what they need to do.
https://www.skoda-storyboard.com/en/...-france-stage/
Courtesy of @MarcoBianchi
https://www.skoda-storyboard.com/en/...-france-stage/
Courtesy of @MarcoBianchi
I've always been surprised that there's no competent frame builders out there who are making a career (marque?) on making copies of turn of the century bicycles. You'd think there'd be enough of a market out there for at least one or two individuals to make something of it.
Or am I just weird in having a desire to actually be able to ride a '90's - '10's bicycle on a daily basis?
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07-05-19, 01:33 PM
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THAT is incredibly impressive.
I've always been surprised that there's no competent frame builders out there who are making a career (marque?) on making copies of turn of the century bicycles. You'd think there'd be enough of a market out there for at least one or two individuals to make something of it.
Or am I just weird in having a desire to actually be able to ride a '90's - '10's bicycle on a daily basis?
I've always been surprised that there's no competent frame builders out there who are making a career (marque?) on making copies of turn of the century bicycles. You'd think there'd be enough of a market out there for at least one or two individuals to make something of it.
Or am I just weird in having a desire to actually be able to ride a '90's - '10's bicycle on a daily basis?
07-05-19, 04:43 PM
#58
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Everything they sell is just an unimaginative ripoff of every single noteworthy English bicycle ever made: The Roadster, Briton, Princess, Britannia and Poppy are copies of the Raleigh DL-1 and DL-1L. The aptly-named Parabike and Tube Rider are non-folding copies of the BSA Airborne Folding Paratrooper Bicycle. The Clubman is...the Raleigh, Humber, and BSA Clubman. The Guv'nor and Speed 5 are every racing bike made before 1938. The Countryman is the Raleigh Sports, minus a proper chainguard (!).
That leaves the Pathfinder, Roadfinder, and Pashley-Morgan for any originality, and the former two are simply generic modern touring bikes distinguished by lugs and level top tubes (VERY welcome). The Pashley-Morgan is without a doubt unique as a bicycle...but it's really just the geometry if an old motorcycle copied onto a bicycle.
If they ever built a folder, you know it'd be a Raleigh Twenty or Moulton ripoff (though the Twenty ripoff has already been done - three times).
As cynical as this sounds though, I'm happy they exist. They have their niche, and that's to be the one source for a brand new English bicycle of your choice from an era long gone, and we definitely need KOF's. If I had to buy a new commuter right now, I'd be getting a Countryman over anything else on the market.
-Kurt
That leaves the Pathfinder, Roadfinder, and Pashley-Morgan for any originality, and the former two are simply generic modern touring bikes distinguished by lugs and level top tubes (VERY welcome). The Pashley-Morgan is without a doubt unique as a bicycle...but it's really just the geometry if an old motorcycle copied onto a bicycle.
If they ever built a folder, you know it'd be a Raleigh Twenty or Moulton ripoff (though the Twenty ripoff has already been done - three times).
As cynical as this sounds though, I'm happy they exist. They have their niche, and that's to be the one source for a brand new English bicycle of your choice from an era long gone, and we definitely need KOF's. If I had to buy a new commuter right now, I'd be getting a Countryman over anything else on the market.
-Kurt
07-05-19, 06:11 PM
#59
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Pashley is actually an old British bike manufacturer from when all old British bike manufacturers were making bikes like that though. Look through their 30's catalogs and you will find the typical roadsters and clubman cycles. Admittedly the fork crowns are suspect and just thimbles short of being Raleigh knockoffs. Unoriginal maybe, but the same could be said about retro anything. Pashely did actually build folders after it acquired Cresswell, and worked with Moulton to produce some frames for them. They're also basically responsible for the current production of Reynolds 531 since as far as I know, they are the only company that mass produces 531 frames.
Even their Hire Bike looks like a copycat (not that every other docked bike doesn't look similar), complete with typical British overcomplication added on: Who thought a chain tensioner was a good idea on a docked share bike that'll get treated like yesterday's garbage?
I'm glad Pashley exists, but I wish they weren't such a by-the-numbers copycat.
-Kurt
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