kjmillig

I'm on a tight budget. I've been looking at a Dawes Eclipse City for commuting and maybe s24o trips. Anyone have experience with this model or something similar?

fietsbob

What's in a Brand Name/?


Dawes was a British brand, made there , where are those made. ?

You got a dealer for them to take a test ride?

RubeRad

nowadays, Dawes = Motobecane = Gravity = ... = BikesDirect

This is what OP is looking at.

I assume you are male (only because the majority of BF users are), and looking at the men's version?

Here's what I'm seeing on that bike:

Grip Shifters: Ugh. I hate them, a lot of other people hate them, but some people actually prefer them.

With those bars , you're looking at a rather upright/city-bike ride, if that's what you're looking for.

3x7 Freewheel/Tourney drivetrain: Pretty low-end. Better than *mart bikes, and I don't wanna turn my nose up at Tourney, but I would draw the line at a freewheel bike, and look for something with a freehub and cassette -- which probably means at least 8-speed in the back.

Otherwise, it looks pretty good:

36-spoke wheels should be very strong (even if cheap -- with spokes, it's safety in numbers).

38mm tires should be able to be run at fairly low pressure for a comfortable ride.

Rack mounts: a rack is essential for your s24os, and most would say for commuting as well. (but no mounts for a front rack, and can't tell if there are fender mounts if you want that)

Gearing: 28/38/48 triple and 14-34 in the back, should be able to climb almost anything in 28/34 granny, and 48/14 top gear will get you to about 30mph downhill before spinning out.

Price: typical BD great value. Looking at other similar urban bikes from BD, it's quite a step up in price to get better than a 7sp freewheel, unless you want single speed. This 8sp IGH looks pretty sweet, with the built-in racks, but that's already almost double the price.

PatrickGSR94

My wife's bike is a Dawe's mixte frame. Also 3x7 with grip shifters. The crankset was very, very bad from the outset. A $25 Alivio crankset upgrade from Amazon was worth every penny and over 2 POUNDS lighter than the original (aluminum vs. steel crank arms). Also the original brake pads were horrible, like plastic bricks, and the braking surface on the stock rims were painted along with the rest of the rim. Terrible. I put on Kool Stop pads which made quite a difference in braking power, and the paint is pretty much worn away where the brake pads touch the rim now.

Another oddity is the front fork wasn't manufactured quite symmetrical, so when the brakes are open and centered on the rim, the right side pad holder touches the fork leg, but the left brake pad holder does not. Not a big deal, just a bit of an OCD annoyance.

corrado33

The bike is a step up from wal-mart bikes. Barely.

That's really all to be said about it.

I know that you're on a budget, but you'd be better off saving for another month or two and buying almost any $400-$500 bike.

kjmillig

I've been shopping on craigslist and came across a mid-90s Specialized touring bike in my price range. Front and rear racks, bar-end shifters, extra aero bars, fenders included. Chainrings are 50-36-26, cassette 12-28, diacompe brakes, diore deraillures (I think).
Am I perhaps better off spending the same money on an old but solid bike with better components?

RubeRad

Yes

PatrickGSR94

That absolutely sounds better than any $300-$400 BikesDirect bike. Even if it needs a little work and tuning up, it's still probably a good buy, assuming it fits you.

kjmillig

I did it. I bought the Specialized from CL. Came with 4 panniers, 2 extra tubes, patch kit, extra spokes, headlight, taillight. I'm very happy!

RubeRad

Wow, with all those extras that sounds like a great deal for a solid bike.

You owe us pics!