Pashley Cycles

Pashley Cycles is a British bicycle manufacturer in Stratford-upon-Avon. The company has been making bicycles for more than 70 years.

Pashley Cycles was formed by William 'Rath' Pashley in 1926. He had been a dispatch rider in the first world war and an engineering apprentice with Austin Motors. The company was originally Pashley and Barber (his wife's maiden name). It manufactured all manner of bikes, but carrier cycles made the Pashley name.

The first premises were in Digbeth in Birmingham, but increasing demand led to larger premises in Aston. In 1936 Pashley Carrier Cycles became WR Pashley Ltd.

Every component was made in-house except the tubing and lugs. This allowed constant development and quality control.

After the depression, Pashley supplied Wall's ice cream "Stop Me and Buy One" tricycles, with two wheels at the front. Two-wheeled load carriers like the small front wheeled 'Deli Bike' became favourites with butchers, milkmen and vintners.

With World War II, production turned to munitions. Coach-building converted Rolls-Royces and Daimlers into ambulances for civil defence. After the war the company made small motorised vehicles. The Pashley Pelican was a rickshaw transporter using Royal Enfield or BSA motorcycle front ends. These, with standard carrier cycles, proved popular in Denmark, Holland, South Africa and Argentina. Canadian Police used the motor rickshaw to collect money from parking meters.

In the 1960s Pashely supplied the Post Office after the previous supplier, the Co-op, closed. The initial contract was split between Pashley, Wearwell and Harmanco. Eventually Pashley took the entire contract and so it remains. With 37,000 bikes, Royal Mail remains Pashley's largest customer. When tendering recently Pashley produced the Mailstar bike.

Domestic demand for industrial and carrier cycles waned in the 1960s and Pashley's main production was car trailers for Freeman and other catalogue companies. With a move to Masons Road in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1963 came a shift back to cycle production.

William Pashley's son Richard realised that the load-carrying tricycle could be converted for those who unwilling to ride a bicycle. The result was the Pashley Picador. It was shorter and lighter than its industrial counterpart, and used round tubing instead of box-section frame. Pashley continued to adapt carrier bikes for the public. The front carrier was removed and the lugs replaced on an even-wheeled work bike. Pashley also produce an old-fashioned roadster. In the middle of 1970s Pashley started to produce the Pickle child's tricycle, based on the Raleigh Winkie of the 1950s.

Pashley continued to supply the Post Office through the 1970s and 80s. It also acquired Gundles in 1974, the other manufacturer of work bikes. Pashley started to make tandems, and adapted tricycles for special needs. Eventually the ladies' Classic Princess emerged with a low step-through frame and wicker basket .

In 1991 Alex Moulton chose the company to make all-purpose bike, launched in spring 1992. In 1994 a management buy-out took control. A licensing deal followed and in the autumn the following year Pashley and Land Rover teamed to produce a Moulton Bicycle.

Pashley continued to develop throughout the 1990s, through acquisition and in-house. The absorption of Creswell Cycles in 1997 brought folding bikes and tag-along trailers while a double-looped frame for paratroopers was developed to further the Land Rover range. The Land Rover XCB 26-inch wheel cross-country bike had suspension forks, suspension seat post and disc brakes. Since the 1990s, Pashley have also developed BMX and trials bikes.

External links

* [http://www.pashley.co.uk/ Pashley's website]