Pashley Guv'nor vs. VSF Fahrradmanufaktur Simplicity 8cht

For discussions about bikes and equipment.
gswearengin
Posts: 1
Joined: 7 May 2012, 9:18pm

Pashley Guv'nor vs. VSF Fahrradmanufaktur Simplicity 8cht

Post by gswearengin »

Hi there,

This is my first post here, so please go easy on me! :) I am potentially about to make a very expensive purchase, and am hoping to get some input from people who know more about these things than I do, so that I don't make my decision based on heart alone...

So, first of all, I am pretty much a novice when it comes to bicycles. I really don't ride that often, but hope to ride more soon. When I do, it's usually for pleasure or casual transportation. I do need to purchase a new bike soon, and decided to potentially put aside a rather large chunk of change for "a nice one." My original budget was around €1000, with the hope of spending less. As you will soon see, that number is now largely out the window. Ain't that always the way it goes?

Now a bit of background: I am very much infatuated/love with the Pashley Guv'nor, and have been since the very first time I saw one about a year ago. I have seen one about three times since and have always loved them, but just assumed it was well out of my reach. Well, it probably is, but anyway, I was in a very nice cycle shop in Bruges last weekend, and finally got up the courage to ask about the Guv'nor. Well...it's expensive, but not as unattainable as I would have thought. So, I now find myself seriously considering purchasing one...

The biggest obstacle for me is the impracticality...I live in Germany, so fenders and lights are a must. Well, I have found a shop that have said they can add them for a reasonable price, and I think I can do it without ruining the overall charm of the Guv'nor...essentially creating a Guv'nor roadster. My second concern is the number of gears, so I would certainly appreciate input from you all about whether three is enough/whether eight is really THAT much better, etc.

Now comes the part where I try to talk myself out of it. In my quest to find something that tugs at my heart strings in the same way but might be a little more practical, I have come across the VSF Fahrradmanufaktur Simplicity 8cht, as seen here (how's your German?):

http://www.fahrradmanufaktur.de/produkt ... um-8-gang/

It has everything I want, comes in an ugly but lovely greyish-brownish-greenish color, and is priced about the same. I know these bikes are highly regarded, but I am having a hard time finding information about this particular bicycle in English (my German is decent, but it's tedious work).

Last weekend I was able to find a single-speed Guv'nor and the VSF at shops across the street from each other. I was not disappointed by the Guv'nor...it's gorgeous, and everything about it FEELS quality, to my highly critical, and yet completely uneducated eye. The VSF was very nice, as well...there is absolutely nothing to complain about with this bike, but it's just not a Guv'nor. Honestly, though, the Guv'nor just felt so much more...genuine in it's design. The VSF feels like a nice but modern bike disguised as something retro. Not that there's anything wrong with that, it just doesn't speak to me in the same way. I did take a 3-gear version of the VSF for a short ride as well, and immediately decided that I would definitely prefer the 8-gear version. But I was a little relieved when the shopkeeper commented that he thought the gears were too close together on the 3-speed version. But will a 3-speed Guv'nor really be much different?

To bring this rambling novella to a close, I am somewhat trying to convince myself to go with the VSF, but obviously it's the Guv'nor that I yearn for. If I'm spending Guv'nor money anyway on a bike that was probably partially inspired by a trend that the Guv'nor helped to create...shouldn't I just get a Guv'nor? I would love to hear your various thoughts.

Thanks in advance for your input, and sorry for writing so much!

GS
reohn2
Posts: 45159
Joined: 26 Jun 2009, 8:21pm

Re: Pashley Guv'nor vs. VSF Fahrradmanufaktur Simplicity 8ch

Post by reohn2 »

If this purchase is all about style then buy the Guv'nor,but if its about practicalities and style buy the VSF.
-----------------------------------------------------------
"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
User avatar
fossil
Posts: 585
Joined: 15 Aug 2008, 11:54pm
Location: Bognor Regis by the sea !

Re: Pashley Guv'nor vs. VSF Fahrradmanufaktur Simplicity 8ch

Post by fossil »

Good evening Mr GS,
I am a Gov'nor owner the 3 speed version , and all I ca say is what a fantastic bicycle it is !,
Though I must add that I too was drawn to the styling , I got mine on the "ride to work scheme" and when I went to pick it up I was like a 10 year old on Christmas morning .
I had not seen one in the flesh before nor ridden anything similar I just knew I should have one :D .
Re the gearing three gears are more than adequate for most conditions unless you live in a mountainous area .
Can I point you to the Govnors Assembly where you will find like minded souls ,

http://www.theguvnorsassembly.com/

Kindest regards

Adrian
Brucey
Posts: 44522
Joined: 4 Jan 2012, 6:25pm

Re: Pashley Guv'nor vs. VSF Fahrradmanufaktur Simplicity 8ch

Post by Brucey »

Pashley Guv'nor;

Image

ah.... I can understand the appeal of such a machine; although I have owned and raced all kinds of lightweight bicycles, touring bicycles, etc, for very many years (over thirty now) I have always had a 'roadster' bicycle of some kind to hand as well. For most of this time it has been either a 1950's Raleigh 'sports' model, or a Rudge of similar ilk, the common feature being 'North Road Drops' in each case. However, as a nod to practicality, these bikes have had mudguards, four or five speed hub gears, stainless steel spokes and rims, 26x 1-3/8" tyres, a dynohub generator, and sometimes a full chaincase too. If you took a current model Pashley Roadster 26" and put North Road drops on it, it would be pretty close apart from the brakes and the mudguards; my last Rudge had aluminium mudguards which are probably retro-chic all over again now...

Such bicycles are immensely practical machines for transport; at one time I would regularly do 150-200 miles a week on my roadster bike. I would reckon that I might be 2-5mph slower than on a racing bicycle unless it was very hilly.

Gears; well the total range is suggested by the terrain you will ride, and the intervals by the range of cadences you are happy to pedal at. For utility riding a 3 speed is adequate, but the gears are far apart. More gears allows either a larger range, and/or smaller gaps. I quite liked the old four-speed hub gear (FW/FG); it used the direct drive ratio for most riding, with two lower gears and one higher one.

I'd suggest a five speed gear as being a good idea, albeit that they can be a little more trouble than the three speed. For un-hilly territory maybe the Urban clubman model is of interest.

Which is the best bike? There is a simple answer to that question; it is whichever one gets you excited about going for your next ride. For it to do this it doesn't have to be absolutely 'the best' in any measurable way, you just have to like riding it.

good luck with whichever bike you decide to get

cheers
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
User avatar
fossil
Posts: 585
Joined: 15 Aug 2008, 11:54pm
Location: Bognor Regis by the sea !

Re: Pashley Guv'nor vs. VSF Fahrradmanufaktur Simplicity 8ch

Post by fossil »

Did anyone see Countryfile last night , which had a report about Pashley bikes and in particular the Gov'nor ?

I was the chap cycling behind Ellie .

:D
Brucey
Posts: 44522
Joined: 4 Jan 2012, 6:25pm

Re: Pashley Guv'nor vs. VSF Fahrradmanufaktur Simplicity 8ch

Post by Brucey »

fossil wrote: Did anyone see Countryfile last night , which had a report about Pashley bikes and in particular the Gov'nor ?

I was the chap cycling behind Ellie .

:D


missed it... I-player for me then...or are there repeats?

Nice wheel to be on.... :wink:

cheers
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
User avatar
fossil
Posts: 585
Joined: 15 Aug 2008, 11:54pm
Location: Bognor Regis by the sea !

Re: Pashley Guv'nor vs. VSF Fahrradmanufaktur Simplicity 8ch

Post by fossil »

not sure about repeats but our bit is about 45 mins in .


http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0 ... 0_06_2012/
User avatar
Claireysmurf
Posts: 612
Joined: 18 Nov 2011, 12:10am
Contact:

Re: Pashley Guv'nor vs. VSF Fahrradmanufaktur Simplicity 8ch

Post by Claireysmurf »

Isn't the way of life that if you want a Pashley Guvnor but then buy something else to be more sensible, you will be left wishing you had bought the Pashley
Brucey
Posts: 44522
Joined: 4 Jan 2012, 6:25pm

Re: Pashley Guv'nor vs. VSF Fahrradmanufaktur Simplicity 8ch

Post by Brucey »

radio times website says;

Thu 14 Jun, 12:40am
BBC1 (not Northern Ireland, Wales) Repeat

my video is set!

cheers
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
User avatar
Cunobelin
Posts: 10801
Joined: 6 Feb 2007, 7:22pm

Re: Pashley Guv'nor vs. VSF Fahrradmanufaktur Simplicity 8ch

Post by Cunobelin »

[url=http://www.bikefix.co.uk/shop/index.php?unique=9d4143ad4eeccd48c7daeb54d796958b&get_ol_id=2&get_gl_id=13&get_sgl_id=226#a13]Bikefix do the 8CHT and give specs etc in English!
Gearoidmuar
Posts: 2347
Joined: 29 Sep 2007, 7:35pm
Location: Cork, Ireland. Corcaigh, Éire má tá Gaeilge agat.

Re: Pashley Guv'nor vs. VSF Fahrradmanufaktur Simplicity 8ch

Post by Gearoidmuar »

..

all I can say is that I started looking at the links and you can have the Guv'nor and the other, but how about this touring bike..

like my Thorn Raven...

http://www.fahrradmanufaktur.de/produkt ... f-14-gang/
User avatar
Si
Moderator
Posts: 15191
Joined: 5 Jan 2007, 7:37pm

Re: Pashley Guv'nor vs. VSF Fahrradmanufaktur Simplicity 8ch

Post by Si »

I can see why someone would want a Govnor, after all cycling for most of us is more than just an exercise in practicality, and to compare the Pashley to a modern tourer is to miss the point somewhat. But the cost!!!!!! You could create something just as good, mixing in a selection of vintage parts if you wished, for somewhat less. And that would give you a bike that you'd have extra pride in because you built it, and would use all of your preferred components. But on the other hand, if you are buying the bike to be part of the owners' club etc then fair enough.
leemo
Posts: 15
Joined: 16 Apr 2012, 2:47pm

Re: Pashley Guv'nor vs. VSF Fahrradmanufaktur Simplicity 8ch

Post by leemo »

I really like the look and concept of the Guv'nor too. As you've noted you will have to be careful with fender selection to avoid spoiling the overall charm of.

If it was me and I could afford the Guvnor that is what I'd go for. I know that if I bought the other bike I'd always be asking myself if I should have gone for the guvnor, and whichever you choose you will may well have it for many years. Ask yourself if you will be happy when you see a guvnor coming the other way when you are on your fahrradmanufaktur?

As for gears it obviously depends on the terrian. My second bike is an old 3 speed roadster and I happily do a 7 mile commute each way on it but its faily flat terrain. A little more hilly I could accomodate by lowering the gearing but I would probably top out on the downhill which isn't a big deal. Yes the gear spacing wide, but its not such a problem especially when you think of people who ride single-speed/fixed. If you live in hilly area you'll want the 8 speed. Personally for flat terrain I'd prefer 3-speed as its more in keeping with the retro nature of the bike.
Brucey
Posts: 44522
Joined: 4 Jan 2012, 6:25pm

Re: Pashley Guv'nor vs. VSF... naaah, you want a black beast

Post by Brucey »

Some years ago (over 30 if I'm honest...) I built a utility bike from an old 'Raleigh Sports' model (like a Superbe, but with cable operated brakes). It was still 'all steel' with chaincase and had the North Road bars in the inverted position. I used it as transport for some years, and would frequently ride a ~58mile round trip in an evening after work just to have a pint of beer with some chums. This would bring my daily mileage up to about 75miles. The energy of youth....

After five years or so the Black Beast (as I named it) met a tragic end whilst I was at university; a heavy frontal collision had the front wheel kissing the bottom bracket and the head tube broke in half. It did however make a fleeting appearance on TV before its untimely death... The Black Beast II was a training bike, thus Black Beast III was pressed into service; lighter, faster, better....

I used this bike as 'town transport' for many years, until the front hub (having exceeded its design life by some margin) eventually failed. Whilst I was sorting out another wheel for it, I had to use another bike. When I was fitting the replacement wheel to BBIII a week or two later, I realised that BBIII was in dire need of a rebuild, respray, well..... re-everything more or less. 25 years had taken its toll. So I slung it in the shed where it has lain gathering dust for about three years until today, when I pulled it out to take these pre-refurb pictures.

BBIIIv2.jpg


BBIII2v2.jpg


The spec is a 1950's Raleigh-built Rudge frame, with semi-sloping fork crown, stainless steel rims, 26 x 1-3/8" tyres, stainless steel spokes (32front, 40 rear of course), GB alloy stem, SR alloy handlebars, rat trap pedals, steel cottered crankset with BB lubricator, indestructible plastic saddle, steel side-pull brakes with Weinmann light alloy levers, 'ding-dong' aluminium bell, dynohub lighting, aluminium mudguards, and a five-speed rear hub/dynohub, based on an 'FG' four speed gear. 34lb on my luggage scales.

When it gets reborn, plan A is to polish the mudguards, fit stainless steel stays to them, clean and refurb everything else, gloss black paintwork, more period lamps, and use either GB/Altenbuger 'synchron' or Weinmann Centre-pull brakes.

Plan B is to ditch the lights, build new wheels with SA alloy hub brakes front and rear (which I have) perhaps with an S2C rear hub. I'd then use the other bits to make a more faithful replacement for BBI.

Decisions descisions..... So anyway, when I built these monstrositi---er, 'lovely bikes' years ago was I so far behind the times that I was actually ahead of them? :shock:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
User avatar
fossil
Posts: 585
Joined: 15 Aug 2008, 11:54pm
Location: Bognor Regis by the sea !

Re: Pashley Guv'nor vs. VSF Fahrradmanufaktur Simplicity 8ch

Post by fossil »

Well done Brucey for keeping BBIII for all these years , looks like a great project .
Post Reply