Pashley Cycles
 | This article or section appears to contradict itself. (November 2011) |
 | This article appears to contradict the article Moulton Bicycle. (November 2011) |
| Industry | Cycle manufacture |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1926 |
| Founder | William 'Rath' Pashley |
| Headquarters | , |
Key people | Adrian Williams |
| Products | Bicycles, Tricycles and Workbikes |
Number of employees | 50 |
| Website | www |
Pashley Cycles is a bicycle, tricycle and workbike manufacturer based in Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire, England. The company was started in 1926 and remains one of the last 3 companies to still manufacture bikes in the UK, the others being Moulton and Brompton
Formation and Early Years
In 1926 William Rathbone 'Rath' Pashley founded Pashley and Barber in New John Street West, Birmingham. Pashley and Barber declared that they were 'Manufacturers of every type of cycle' and that 'Birmingham produces the finest cycles, these are Birmingham's best'. The model range included everyday roadsters, clubman racing machines, tradesmans carrier cycles and tandems. Barber was Meg Pashley's (Rath's wife) maiden name. Rath had been apprenticed to the Austin Motor Company before the First World War and saw military service as a despatch rider. These occupations in his early years gave him both engineering knowledge and skill and a lifelong interest in two wheel transport.
Competition in the cycle trade was very fierce and after a short while 'Rath' Pashley realised that success would come through identifying a market niche. A new company, Pashley Carrier Cycles, was formed to concentrate on building tough carrier cycles which were designed to withstand the abuse thrown at them by errand boys.
In 1936 the company was incorporated as W.R. Pashley Ltd and moved to a larger new factory (over 30'000 square feet) in Chester Street, Aston. As prosperity returned after the depression the company increasingly focused on delivery and vending tricycles - for dairy products, ice cream and general deliveries.
In the 1930's Pashley made almost every single part of their cycles in their own factory - for the frames, only the tubing and lugs were bought in. Frame building, brakes, wheels, sheet metal work, polishing and enamelling were all carried out in the works.
War Years
During the Second World War, Pashley, like many other engineering firms, turned some of its production capacity over to aid the war effort. Pashley's multi-disciplinary manufacturing capability proved to be of considerable value and the company produced browning machine gun mounts among other equipment.
Post War
In the years following the war carrier cycles were still in high demand but it was the continuation of the supply of larger tricyles, and the infant development of the motor car for the mass market that received most of Pashley's attention. Having made motor rickshaws in the late 1940s, Pashley started the manufacture of Brockhouse Indian Motor Tricycles in 1950 - J. Brockhouse and Co. of Birmingham having acquired the Indian Motorcycle Company of Massachusetts and sub-contracted the manufacture to Pashley. These had a conventional 'two wheels at the back' tricycle layout, similar to the Pashley Pelican motorised rickshaw - with seats for up to four passengers - and the driver. It is understood that Pashley were the first company to fit hydraulic brakes to what was, technically, a motorcycle]]. This innovation may have been influenced by Rath's younger son, John Pashley, who worked at Girling. The prototype Pelican Rickshaw has been returned to the company and awaits restoration.
Pashley also moved briefly into car manufacture in 1953, again with a conventional tricycle layout. Perhaps the most successful of the motorised Pashley tricycles was the '3cwt Light Delivery Truck' with a Kendrick wheel layout. This meant two wheels at the front, giving the driver a view of both the loadspace and the overall vehicle width, useful for manoeuvering in tight spaces.
As more conventional motorised transport became available to most businesses in the in the early 1960s, Pashley's focus moved away from motorised vehicles and, together with the carrier cycles, trolleys, carts and street barrows, large number of road trailers were manufactured, both as simple chassis and fully bodied.
The 1960s and a Production Move
The 1960s was a pivotal era for Pashley. Rath's son, Dick, took control of the company on his fathers retirement. Dick had recently moved to Stratford-upon-Avon, and took the bold decision to move the company from Aston to brand new premises on Masons Road, Stratford. At one time Pashley had three factories all in the Masons road area. Production Manager John Kirby began working for the company in 1968 and remains with Pashley to this day.
With the advent of small wheel bicycles, pioneered by Alex Moulton in 1962, Dick Pashley developed a simple 'shopping' tricycle, now known as the Pashley Picador. Many thousands of these have been sold since, users beneffiting from the stability and low step-through frame. Its all welded construction was very unusual for the cycle industry at the time, and many years were to pass before other manufacturers adopted this method. A similar two wheeled shopping bicycle, the Piccolo, was also manufactured.
All Pashley bikes are still hand built in their factory in Stratford-upon-Avon, England. The bikes use steel tubes supplied by Reynolds Cycle Technology[1] and saddles by Brooks.[1]
See also
External links
Vídeos
- www.youtube.com Video Pashley Bicycles @ Interbike 2010 Part 1
- www.youtube.com Video Pashley Bicycles @ Interbike 2010 Part 2
- www.vimeo.com Video How Pashley Cycles are Made and Why
- www.flickr.com Video elegance in motion