West London Bicyclist Angineh volunteered to come in and review some of our bikes. Here is her first review. Thanks Angineh.
Pashley Poppy
I absolutely love the vibrant colour and classic features of the Pashley Poppy. I remember a colleague riding to work on this exact bike last year and being in awe of (a) the sprung Brooks saddle and (b) how graceful and elegant she looked as she rode past the office window.
The Pashley Poppy features a classic step-through frame, matching chain guard and mudguards. As already mentioned in my little saddle envy, the saddle is a honey coloured sprung Brooks saddle and the handlebars are finished off with comfortable and soft cork grips.
Before riding the bike, I initially had some reservations over the weight of the bike and the difficulty only having three gears would pose. However, I was promptly proven wrong when I went for a ride. The Pashley Poppy is not as heavy as I initially expected and its weight had no bearing on my comfort and ease of cycling. The curved handlebars proved a relaxed and upright riding position and the sprung saddle seems to absorb most of the shock from the uneven roads of London. I was even able to build up some pretty impressive momentum on this bike, with three gears meeting all my needs.
When on such a pretty bike and enjoying your ride, the last thing you want to be doing is messing about clicking through too many gears. Also with the neat and tidy Surmey Archer hub gears, maintenance and dirt will be kept to an absolute minimum, as will chain grease all over your clothes.
My next bike will have hub gears for sure. I don’t know why I’ve put up with derailiurs for so long!
The step-through frame ensured my modesty was preserved when mounting and dismounting in a skirt. No fancy legwork or acrobatics were required here.
However, I did find that my arms were a bit too long for the handlebars, though I suspect some minor adjustments would sort that out.
With a nice basket (and possibly a rear rack), the Pashley Poppy would be ideal for making your way around town, doing some shopping or even, as I saw the week before last, carrying a child on the back through Richmond Park.
A solid and well made British bike, sure to last you a long time.