Forum | Guv’nor usage.

That’s the article I read whilst on holiday that convinced me to by my Guv.

I hadn’t seen one before and thought it looked spectacula. The fact it was tested on the seafront at Brightn (20 miles from me) clinched it for me as I planeed to (an do) use it to pop to the shops and amble around the village on it.

It makes a lovely change from my rigid carbon laden italian racers.

To me, it’s like having a classic car in the garage.

David Terry said:

The last paragraph contains the sentence “this is a bike you’ll ride simply because you want to enjoy riding a bike”

’nuff said. 

dt

---

True.

David Terry said:

And as far as “poseurs who can’t build their own”.….……there are some very nice bicycles built by Guv’nor owners, including my own humble effort, on another thread.

And, while I’m outraged, a ’66 Triumph Bonneville, restored by moi, made the cover of Classic Bike magazine and a custom Harley lowrider, built by moi, made H-D’s own magazine, tell Bikeradar to stick that in their pipe and pedal it up an Alpine Pass.

Can’t build their own?    Dashed upstarts. 

Outraged, Harrogate.  

---

Ooops — just to be clear, I was drawing on several themes there and I am only attributing Bike Radars passage to Bike Radar and for what its worth I would suggest that it is in a sense a fair (ish) piece of copy but in another sense clearly a bit of tosh. Perhaps when it was written (I didnt check date) Angel Ride and Leroica hadnt been done by the Guv’s and if they had the scribe hadnt really done any research nor compared apples with apples.

What I am clear about is another forum where it suggests The Guv’ is possibly for poseurs and in a number of other threads that seem to say ‘ooh why buy a Guv’ when you can build a cheaper version that isnt a Guv’ but alledgely looks like one.….…… sort of’

If you see what I mean. It irritates arther than outrages.

I love the Guv because it is.

There are some beautiful creations out there (some featured on this very site) that cost £350 from Ebay parts and something in the shed and hand painted, with hand built wheels etc etc but they are just that and of a genre. They are though very ‘authentic’ and I want some of them. The Guv’ is authentic but ‘contemporary’ if you get my drift.

I just felt that the article had that lazy interpretation which while it inspired some one else on this site could just as easily add to someone else thinking ooh not for me. Just goes to show — its always a good idea to test ride if you can, then you know (unless you write copy).

I am also intrigued in Guv’ usage — on this site we’ve got peple who do pubs, towpaths, commute, sportives, long runs that arent sportives, Tweed runs, suggestions of LEJOG/JOGLE, Audax and so on. And as DT noted “this is a bike you’ll ride simply because you want to enjoy riding a bike” strangely enough from quoted BR copy.

Dismayed (but not too dismayed) from Swindon (dismayed more from the fact I’m in Swindon )

Good evening Gentlemen

As a user of all sorts of bicycles spanning a 40 year period I believe that the design of a bicycle predominantly governs to a certain extent the use it tends to get.

Track bikes are for track, mountain bikes are for mountains, road bikes are for roads etc etc etc.

Needless to say there are overlaps in all cases and track bikes may be adapted for the road, mountain bikes may be used on the road, road bikes may be used off road etc etc.

I believe the Guvnor has been designed to restore the fun in cycling and has been aimed at those who do not want to break records whether that be speed or distance.

The shallow angles of the frame and forks and the big tyres give it a stability that instills confidence in those who would be otherwise quite nervous about riding on short wheelbase thin, low section tyres (where every bump is felt)

The Guvnor brings back a bygone era where time is not of the essence, and where style and relaxation prevail.

Riding a Guvnor brings about a totally different riding style to any bicycle I have ever ridden and I love it.

It brings a breath of fresh air into a society that is permanently at loggerheads with itself. (Look a the fun and followingthe Tweed Run has created)

The people who buy these machines are not posers, and I would wager that most Guvnor owners have built more bikes than you could shake a stick at.

I have found Guvnor owners to be ordinary folk just like me who enjoy everything about the bike (and it’s limitations) and who love the old fashioned banter that is commensurate with the period from which the Guvnor is derived.

It has been an absolute pleasure to meet up with the members of the GOC and I think that they, like me, feel much the same way about our bicycles and the camaraderie that surrounds this fine machine.

I know the componentry is not brilliant, the brakes aren’t that good, it won’t go up hills that well, it won’t go round corners etc etc but I feel that it has been designed and produced brilliantly for the purpose for which it was intended i.e leisurely jaunts around the countryside, up and down canal tow paths, pottering around town and the like.

If it had been designed to go down mountain descents at 50mph, then Pashley may have upped the ante as far as the braking system was concerned. If it had been designed to ascend the Ventoux or even Mow Cop, then they may have thought about a more sensible ratio of gears.

There are critics in every walk of life and I believe we have to take a balanced view on things including our Guvnors!

Nothing is perfect but one thing is sure the ownership of a Guvnor brings one a pleasure that is truly indescribeable and I for one am proud to have one of these machines and to have met fellow owners.

Well I have said my piece — I hope no-one is offended by my comments and look forward to hearing further comments on the subject.

Pip Pip

Wertie

Post edited 1:43 pm — Jul 7, 2011 by Duchy Wheeler

---

One & All,

Unlike a goodly number of you fellows the only reason I have a cycle is simply because of the Guv’nor!

I first become aware of the Guv’nor when I saw it featured in the Daily Telegraph Magazine in the summer of 2008, and I simply thought it was the DB’s. The quest was then on to find out more about this cycle and related cycling topics, this was of course before the fount of information now available to prospective owners on the GOC site. After a year or so of pondering over frame size etc., I took delivery in October 2009.

Prior to this ‘enlightenment’ I only had a passing interest in cycles. The Guv’nor’s design and componentry, along with that wonderful retro style that was, and still is so appealing to me, it’s just a lovely piece of kit!

I do admire you fellows doing these sportive etc., especially on a Guv’nor with its limited gearing. I’m quite happy pottering around at my own pace — style not speed — just what the Guv’nor was designed for?  

Safe rides, DW.