I believe this will fly: Pashley shifts up a gear with Roadfinder all-road and gravel bike launch

Pashley is launching Roadfinder, a line of four new drop bar bikes: one road, a second ‘X’ gravel variant plus e-bike versions of both. This is a huge deal for Pashley, a brand beloved for its traditional flat bar commuter and shopping bikes, most of which occupy the budget- to mid-end of the market. In contrast, the Roadfinder drop bar collection is a cut above, marrying a lightweight steel frame, built with 3D printed elements, to carbon wheels and electronic groupsets from the likes of Shimano and SRAM. There’s even a mechanical Campy Ekar version.

Will the Roadfinder programme go the extra mile, heralding a successful new era for Pashley? I believe it may. The initiative has been set in motion by CEO Andy Smallwood, who joined the company just seven months ago, and lead designer Jon Cumberbatch.

“The geometry strikes a balance between road and gravel without venturing into aggressive off-road. Top tube lengths are slightly elongated and designed around a shorter stem for wheelbase stability and mixed terrain handling. Stack is generous for comfort and seat tube lengths are reduced for greater standover and seat post compliance. Additionally, fork offset can be adjusted via a flip chip to achieve a different steering feel depending on the terrain the rider chooses to tackle.”

True to Pashley’s heritage, the frame is only available in British steel. That’s Reynolds 853 tubing for the non-e-bike versions, a strong, lightweight, heat-treated steel material that includes an amalgam of carbon, manganese, molybdenum, silicon and copper. The e-bike frame, which will be subjected to different stresses and use cases, is built from a combination of Reynolds 725, 631 & 525 tubing.

Why launch the Roadfinder?

“When I visited the Pashley factory for the first time in many years,” Andy Smallwood, Pashley CEO, told me, “the sensory experience gave me goosebumps. The aroma of metal machining and fabrication, watching artisans at work and the feel of the beautifully hand-crafted frames they were creating.

“We have a wealth of experience of developing award-winning highly innovative performance bikes at the highest level, so putting all this together, Pashley is extremely well-placed to expand on its current range.

“The Roadfinder collection is the second launch showcasing this new direction for Pashley, closely following our Pathfinder collection which launched in Oct 24. What’s next? There is more to come!

“With the bikes’ intended use allowing for off-road riding, potentially fully loaded with bags, we knew the frame needed to be robust but retain its ride quality. The downtube is 38mm diameter and the chain stays are heavily shaped and ovalised giving the lower half of the frame its torsional rigidity and impact resistance. The upper half pairs slender seat stays with a reduced diameter and wall thickness top tube to aid in the feeling of compliance.”

“There are nods to classic design elements everywhere,” said Cumberbatch, “including pointed details at the top tube junction, elegantly tapering straight seat stays and a stylised ‘P’ for Pashley on the rear dropout. However, despite appearances, this is a thoroughly modern frameset with through axles, UDH compatibility, internal cable routing from headtube to dropout, routing for dropper posts on ‘one-by’ builds, a T47 bottom bracket, a 3D printed removable front derailleur hanger and a Columbus carbon fork.”