# Pashley - Princess Sovereign: Anyone have experience with these bikes?



## gg883 (Dec 27, 2007)

I am seriously considering purchasing a Pashley Princess Sovereign for my wife.
I am told they are the absolute finest handmade City Bikes anywhere.
However it is impossible for me to find one to test ride.
I have only found one authorized dealer in the USA in North Carolina and he happens to have some in stock. I am a bit hesitant about buying a bike without test riding or seeing it first.
Does anybody know anyhting about these bikes or have experience riding them?

Here are the specs and a photo:

Princess Sovereign
Traditional looks combined with modern components create a high quality, stylish town and country bicycle.


FRAME Traditionally lugged and brazed hand built frame. 
FORK Roadster crown, hand brazed. 
GEARS 5 speed alloy hub gears. 
WHEELS 26 x 1 3/8" Schwalbe reflective tyres with puncture protection on Alesa polished alloy rims. Stainless spokes. 
HANDLEBAR ITM alloy bend fitted to alloy and stainless steel stem. 
BRAKES All weather, low maintenance, alloy hub brakes front and rear. 
PEDALS Non-slip. 
SADDLE Brooks natural leather with twin coil springs. Honey Colour. 
FEATURES Full chaincase, hand-lined enamelled mudguards, ding-dong bell, tyre driven dynamo lighting, enamelled tubular alloy rear carrier, propstand and frame fitting lock. The Princess also features a wicker basket and skirtguards. 
COLOUR Regency Green. 
SIZE Roadster (Gents) 20" or 22" High Head diamond frame. Princess (Ladies) 18" and 20" Loop frames. (Special order - gents 24" parallel diamond frame, ladies 22" loop frame.) Inside leg length - add 10-14" to frame size.


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## hollister (Sep 16, 2005)

i have a customer with a princess w/rod brakes. its not my favorite bike to work on


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## ssmike (Jan 21, 2004)

Considering the fact that millions of Europeans (in the Netherlands alone) ride that very design every day, I'd say, you should have no worries.

You can also get the Batavus Old Dutch in the states.


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## pinguwin (Aug 20, 2004)

I think I've ridden one of those while in England. Good, solid (yep, solid), day-to-day riding in an upright position. Yep, millions do use those every day.

I've looked at the Batavus bikes and don't know what they cost in DutchLand but most of the people I know there, didn't want a bike of that price for daily riding as theft is so prevalent.

I found it fun to ride these bikes. A welcome change to the more aggressive geometries of the typical high end mtn bike. In Holland, you can take a train to a nearby town and rent a bike at a train station that is similar to the bike pictured above for a very modest fee. You can do your shopping, return the bike to the train station and take the train back home. Rather civilized I say.

Pinguwin


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## First Flight (Jan 25, 2004)

I checked them out at Interbike this year and they looked very nice. I showed enough interest that they gave me at0shirt (XXL even!)

I am guessing that they sent you to Gilbert Anderson? Great guy. If you talk to him, tell him we said "hey".


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## pete_mcc (Aug 19, 2006)

hollister said:


> i have a customer with a princess w/rod brakes. its not my favorite bike to work on


Great thing is that the new ones don't have rod brakes any more. Personally I've worked on loads of them (used to wrench in a UK cycle shop that sold huge numbers of them) and found them to be solid, well crafted bikes. Go for it, you won't be disappointed!

And if you like traditional British bikes, check this one out - one of the coolest bikes out there (beats those 'orrible Eurotrackfixies any day)

https://www.pashley.co.uk/products/guvnor.html


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## hollister (Sep 16, 2005)

pete_mcc said:


> Great thing is that the new ones don't have rod brakes any more. Personally I've worked on loads of them (used to wrench in a UK cycle shop that sold huge numbers of them) and found them to be solid, well crafted bikes. Go for it, you won't be disappointed!
> 
> And if you like traditional British bikes, check this one out - one of the coolest bikes out there (beats those 'orrible Eurotrackfixies any day)
> 
> https://www.pashley.co.uk/products/guvnor.html


i'm not saying that they are poorly built, far from it. attention to detail aplenty

but fixing rear flats on that bike (fully enclosed drivetrain, rod brakes, 3spd) is a pain in my butt:skep: 

that guvnor looks awesome


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## jeff (Jan 13, 2004)

*Those Pashley`s are cool.*

But Saschas` step through bikes are hands down the best.


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## sprosser (Jan 23, 2008)

*Pashley Bicycles*

I see you wrote about purchasing a Pashley Soveriegn bike in December and I wonder if you succeeded? I am writing from the UK as a private individual. I have a Pashley Soveriegn 17" (inside leg 31>32"). It is brand new, still in its box with the wixker basket and bell and wheel lock and leather etc exactly as advertised. I need another home for it as I ordered the wrong size for myself. In the UK they retail at about £550. I would be willing to sell it for £500 and explore a USA postage delivery if you are interested. Please let me know. Thank you


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## NormanF (Mar 15, 2007)

I have the Pashley Guvnor. Its being converted from a Path Racer into a traditional
Roadster. Waiting to see how the final build will look...


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## themanmonkey (Nov 1, 2005)

We used to carry them in a shop I worked in in Seattle years ago and they are really nice. They are a bit of a pain to work on if you're not used to them, but once you learn their little quirks it's not that bad. There are a bunch of other omafiets (Dutch Grandma bike) available, but the Pashley is better made than any others others I've seen. Oh make sure to buy the drum-brake version not the rod-brake.


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## NormanF (Mar 15, 2007)

Pashley would say its a heresy to convert the Guvnor but it is a Roadster frame... just a
high end one. The drum brakes are more reliable than the old rod brakes ever were and
mine is being outfitted with a dynohub. It has a front rack and and a B-73 saddle like those standard on the Raleigh Tourist DL-1. Its well made and you can get it in any color as long as its black!  :thumbsup:


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## banks (Feb 2, 2004)

NormanF said:


> Pashley would say its a heresy to convert the Guvnor but it is a Roadster frame... just a high end one. The drum brakes are more reliable than the old rod brakes ever were and
> mine is being outfitted with a dynohub. It has a front rack and and a B-73 saddle like those standard on the Raleigh Tourist DL-1. Its well made and you can get it in any color as long as its black!  :thumbsup:


Hi Norman!
Yes, any drum brake will out power the rod brakes of the DL, ask me how I know  especially when wet.

His Guv'nor is going to be a terror around this valley.


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## NormanF (Mar 15, 2007)

Hi Scot!

I wouldn't go so far as so say that... yet!  What makes me mad is I cannot seem to get ahold of a traditional fold down rack from Steco, an enclosed Excellente chainguard and 28" coast guard from Hesling - its almost impossible to get traditional roadster parts shipped here from the Netherlands via credit card :madmax: So I'm just going to have to live with an inspiration in progress! :skep:


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## singlestoph (Jan 7, 2005)

hollister said:


> but fixing rear flats on that bike (fully enclosed drivetrain, rod brakes, 3spd) is a pain in my butt:skep:


there is a tool who helps you to to do that without taking the wheel out of the bike

cyclux tools makes one , they call it force-apart plier their website doesen't seem to work at the moment the article nuber is 720584

www.cyclustools.com

these guys seem to have it http://shop.ra-co.de/default.asp?Shop=2 but no image

i can make one soon

s


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