Pashley launch CEO’s “guilty pleasure” Roadfinder SL Rim Brake Frameset

It must be great to be CEO of a bike company eh? Any time you fancy a new bike, you’ve got your very own R&D team and production facility on hand to knock up a prototype and make it happen.

One man in exactly this enviable position is Pashley CEO Andy Smallwood. And when his thoughts turned to the rim brake bikes he’d loved in the past, rather than hit eBay for a used frame he went one better and had his team at Pashley build one from scratch.

The result is the Pashley Roadfinder SL Rim Brake Edition. Featuring Pashley’s exclusive Reynolds 853 SL air-hardened steel tubeset, it’s essentially a rim brake version of the Roadfinder SL that launched last year. We reviewed and loved the all-road Roadfinder X, so expect this new bike to be nothing less than a joy to ride.

The frame weight has been pared back to just 1,624g (size 54, unpainted) thanks to revised lugs and dropouts, allowing for some truly lightweight builds – as demonstrated by Andy’s personal build. The Pashley boss not only has access to his own bike factory but also clearly possesses an enviable trove of bike parts, as evidenced in the stunning bike he’s put together. A retro (yes 2012 is retro now) Dura Ace 9000 groupset is paired with Zipp 404 rims laced to Hope RS4 hubs with Sapim Race Stainless Spokes.

Ritchey provides the stem, seatpost and bars in a classic polished alloy finish, while a Fizik Arione saddle and matching Tempo Perforated Tape complete the build. It’s enough to turn the head of even the most die-hard carbon aficionado.

“The new Roadfinder SL Rim Brake Edition has been designed specifically for the discerning road rider,” say Pashley. “The model offers the perfect blend of performance and lightweight combined with the classic look and fuss-free maintenance of caliper brakes. The Roadfinder SL frameset embodies race bike performance with all-day epic ride capability, exquisite handling and the unmistakable ride quality of high-end, hand-crafted steel.”

Of course Pashley are well known for their classic steel bikes, but this is something different from the Stratford-based company, which recently celebrated its 100th anniversary. It’s a throwback not to the 1940s like some of Pashley’s models, but to the 1990s and early 2000s: nostalgia rewritten for a new generation of cyclists.

“I have to admit, this new Roadfinder SL Rim Brake Edition is my guilty pleasure,” confesses Andy, “the perfect blend of retro race bike class, hand-crafted by Pashley with a combination of artisan and cutting-edge manufacturing techniques with the ability to spec with modern component technology.

“Despite the advantages of disc brakes, for me caliper brakes with their classic aesthetic, inherent weight advantage and ease of maintenance have never gone away. We have purposely made this new Roadfinder SL available as a frameset only to challenge the cycling connoisseur to delve into the depths of their cave and create their own Retro-mod masterpieces and bring the elegance back into road cycling.”

As with all of Pashley’s bikes, the Roadfinder SL Rim brake frame is expertly handmade from start to finish in Pashley’s workshop based in the UK and using a unique Reynolds 853 SL tubeset and model specific 3D printed frame elements. The fabrication of the frame employs the same level of meticulous skill to produce as the Roadfinder SL with fine TIG welds combining with brazed and silver soldered joints and fittings.

While the frame is Reynolds 853 steel, Pashley have specced a full carbon fork further keeping the weight down. Max tyre clearance is 30c front and rear, and the frame features a T47 threaded bottom bracket, stainless steel dropouts, full internal cable routing, mudguard compatibility and can be used with mechanical or electronic rim brake groupsets.

The Roadfinder SL Rim Brake Edition frameset is available in 5 sizes XS to XL, in two colourways, Firenze Red or Thunderstorm Blue. It’s available as a frameset only and retails at £1,795 in the UK, $2,695 USA, €2,395 EU and $3,895 AUS.

Find out more at www.pashley.co.uk