Pendleton Somerby - anyone tried?

[mig25_foxbat2003]

Planning to buy my other half a bike for Christmas. She likes riding short distances (town and back sort of thing) but she's never had a bike that suits her, they've always been "hand me downs". She likes the "Dutch bike" style of step-thru, sit up and beg, basket on the front (ideally with a little dog sat in it, but our Boxer would unbalance it slightly so she might have to forgo this requirement) and leather saddle.

Having seen the Pendleton range, they seem to be right up her street, and affordable to boot. I know that the words Halfords and bikes are thought to go together like Baileys and lime (well, Halfords and anything really) but recently the Boardmans have been getting very favourable reviews, so I wondered if the Pendletons might be the same.

It's meant to be a surprise so she's not having a test ride, and I'm not keen to bring my own riding preferences into the decision (I have a CAAD8, which I adore and of which she is terrified). So, has anyone got any views on the Pendleton Somerby, or could anyone suggest a more appropriate purchase for around the £300 mark? (Yes, I know that £300 is a pittance for a "proper" bike, but she's not going to be entering Sportives on it!)

[anonymous-user]

The Pendletons look ok but not great quality up close. Eg the leather saddle isn't leather! & the gears look a little low rent. For a bit more you can get a Pashley with real Brooks leather saddle & hub gears etc. That will last a lifetime!

[mig25_foxbat2003]

Thanks for the input. I will have to go and have a poke about to feel the quality, as you say.

I might be being a spanner but what is the advantage of hub gears, other than "they don't get gunked up"? Surely a three speeder is a nightmare on anything approaching an incline? We live in a valley...

Pashleys are beautiful, but they're not "a bit more", they're £500 for a base one, and that's a bit strong for me. I also assume they weigh 3/4 of a metric st-tonne, being made from (it would appear) solid steel and granite? Still keeping my eye out for a secondhand Princess Sovereign though.

[slomax]

OR

you could do it properly!!

£100 will buy you a nice vintage bike off the bay

£200 will easily cover any parts it may require.

spend a couple of hours polishing it up, maybe even give it a custom respray and stickers?

Win win, probably end up cheaper than a new one, is a REAL vintage bike, not just a look-a-like, AND your missus will think its the best bike ever because you have spent some time choosing it and doing it up, AND its custom to her.....

[anonymous-user]

Giant do a nice range of dutch style bikes, i'd trust one of these over the Pendleton (sorry Vic!)
Raleigh and Dawes are worth a look too. Pashley are nice but over priced imho and trade on the name.

Giant Expression £359: http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-gb/bikes/model/ex...

Dawes Mayfair £299
http://www.dawescycles.com/p-574-mayfair.aspx

and the rest of the Dawes range.
http://www.dawescycles.com/c-149-heritage.aspx

£100 wont get much on ebay, certainly nothing vintage unless vintage is 80s Raleigh stuff. I've been looking at prices recently whilst after an old steel racer and anything Raleigh, Peugeot, Falcon etc goes for well over that regardless of condition to the hipsters for fixie conversion. I appreciate you might get lucky but its risky waiting for something "right" to come up on ebay. A quality respray is at least £100 too and thats before you have replaced all the pitted chrome bits....

Edited by anonymous-user on Monday 8th October 19:47

[slomax]

Well i got my Raleigh Rapide racer for £45 and total build came to nearly exactly £150 including new tubes, tyres, saddle, wheel true, cables, gear shifters, bar tape, brake pads etc. I did the paintjob myself and tbh, i think i did a pretty good job, everything else just demanded a hell of a lot of elbow grease and a polish!

here are some going cheap at the mo but they may go up....

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/vintage-ladies-bike-is-m...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/vintage-ladies-rod-brake...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-Triumph-Ladies-B...

[TheGreatSoprendo]

These look nice, don't know what the quality's like though.

http://www.bobbinbicycles.co.uk/bicycles/brownie.h...

[anonymous-user]

Pashley Poppy 405 in my local bike shop, slightly over budget still but not too bad!!

[Laurel Green]

A tad late now but, this would have suited carriage of canine.



...and perhaps a tad over budget:



Clicky

[Eddh]

slomax said:

OR

you could do it properly!!

£100 will buy you a nice vintage bike off the bay

£200 will easily cover any parts it may require.

I've seen him holding a spanner its like watching a monkey hold a pen...



What about this sort of thing?

http://www.leisurelakesbikes.com/p/9197/bobbin-bir...

http://www.leisurelakesbikes.com/p/6058/trek-t30-w...

This one looks the dogs! http://www.leisurelakesbikes.com/p/6586/pashley-po...

I could probs wing a discount too...

Edited by Eddh on Tuesday 9th October 16:10

[mig25_foxbat2003]

Thanks all for input, even you Edd.

Much as it pains me to admit it, the monkey from the PG Tips ad might make a better fist of repairing an old knacker and making it look half presentable as a Christmas present, so although that's a lovely idea, I'm afraid it's out the window.

If I can wangle a discount on the Pashley or find a lightly used one then that might be an option - otherwise, that Dawes looks an excellent competitor for the Pendleton. I shall have a look at both.

[SammyW]

I got my other half a Pashley Brittania and it really is a lovely thing. Fairly heavy but it looks like it'll last a lifetime. It's also nice to know that it's made in Britain. It's got me really wanted a Guvnor now!

[dubbs]

Have to say the thought of riding one of the Pendeltons conjured up a VERY different image to what I've seen in this thread!!

Sorry...back to normal service....