# Just assembled a $225 Ebay Dawes (review)



## SPDu4ea

*disclaimer* I searched for info on Dawes before my sister bought this bike and found nearly every thread turned into an accusation stating that the thread starter was a shill. Despite my low post count, I can assure you that I am not one. The bike my sister purchased is not even on ebay anymore as it was a 2006...

Anyway..... My sister has been commuting to work on a 20 year-old low-end mountain bike and was looking for something to replace it (and with which she could do her first century). After looking unsuccessfully for decent used bikes around $200, she bought a new Dawes Lightning DT off ebay (link: http://cgi.ebay.com/BRAND-NEW-24-SP...7848480QQihZ003QQcategoryZ98084QQcmdZViewItem again -- they're no longer available). She spent an extra $16 to get the triple, but wasn't interested in spending $300 on a Sora STI-equipped bike...

So the bike shows up today, one week after the auction ended (not bad for a 1500 mile ground shipping trip). Since I had worked in a bike shop 10 years ago, I'm called in to do the assembly. It's packaged about as well as the name brand bikes I assembled 10 years ago and, if anything, was put together slightly better than the average bike I saw. That said, the following still needed adjustment:

front hub very tight
front wheel slightly out of true
rear hub slightly tight
rear wheel true side-to-side, but out of round
chain 2 links too long causing upper rear der pulley to rub on the cassette when in granny gear (even with der height screw all the way in)
front brake cable & housing too long
Both derailleurs very slightly out of adjustment (cable tension and set screws)
slight gap in handlebar wrap

For anyone who has assembled a bike before, these are fairly common assembly issues. However, if you're not familiar with bikes, you would definitely want to have a LBS build the bike (which might cost $50-$100). This should be expected, but my sister was told she would just need to throw the handlebars on and the bike would be ready to ride.  


Biggest negatives:

* SR Suntour triple crankset uses riveted chainrings. When you wear one out, you must replace the entire crankset...
* Toe-strap pedals are surprisingly heavy (and are very gritty)
* Gel-seat is very heavy and lacks any support. Probably comfortable for parking lot test rides, but thats it...
* Total weight is 25 lbs (includes all reflectors and toe straps). But it feels heavier to me than my 30lb trail bike
* Downtube shifters (indexed rear shifting only)


Biggest surprises:

* Sealed bottom bracket (albeit a cheapy). 
* Cheap 700X25 Maxxis tires roll very smooth and true
* Promax side-pull brakes are actually decent (and have a quick cable tension adjustment for removing/reinstalling wheel)



All in all, it looks like a good bike for the money. If I were selling it in a LBS, I'd price it between $300 and $400. But for me personally, I'd rather take my chances and hold out for a 5-10 year-old used mid-level bike as I think those are likely to age better/depreciate less. If my sister puts 3000-5000 miles on the Dawes and wears out a chainring, I'd suggest she look into a "real" bike rather than sink $100+ into a new drivetrain... On the other hand, if she doesn't end up riding much at all, she isn't out much money.


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## M.J.

lots of people ride Dawes in the UK - they're surely not high end but serve certain commuter hybrid type riders very well


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## MB1

*Don't be suprised at that sealed BB.*



SPDu4ea said:


> Biggest surprises:
> * Sealed bottom bracket (albeit a cheapy).


One of the biggest reasons the bike industry went to sealed BBs is that they are so easy to install and require no further adjustment at the shop level. By making that change bike companies saved a ton of labor on the assembly lines and eliminated one of the most common warranty replacement items. 

Since they are purchased in such high quantities a low end BB costs only a few cents more than a 3 piece BB and can be installed with air tools by pretty much anyone. With a 3 piece BB one assembly line worker installed the fixed cup with an air tool, another worker greased the bearings and loosely placed them, the axle and the adjustable cup in the frame and a third worker installed the lock ring and adjusted the BB. Now it is a 1 person job. Big, big savings. 

BTW I love down tube shifters.


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## johnny99

M.J. said:


> lots of people ride Dawes in the UK - they're surely not high end but serve certain commuter hybrid type riders very well


Are the Dawes bikes sold in the USA made by the same company that makes Dawes bikes for the UK?


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## stainofmind

johnny99 said:


> Are the Dawes bikes sold in the USA made by the same company that makes Dawes bikes for the UK?


No. Dawes USA is the same people as bikesdirect.com.


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## SPDu4ea

johnny99 said:


> Are the Dawes bikes sold in the USA made by the same company that makes Dawes bikes for the UK?



Couldn't tell you for sure. The frame has a "made in Taiwan" sticker, a "duraforte custom tubeset" sticker, and two small maple leaf stickers next to the dawes logo on the seatstay...


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## stainofmind

SPDu4ea said:


> Couldn't tell you for sure. The frame has a "made in Taiwan" sticker, a "duraforte custom tubeset" sticker, and two small maple leaf stickers next to the dawes logo on the seatstay...


I can tell you for sure... it's not the same company.


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## Dave Hickey

Yep. the good folks at bikedirect buy the naming rights to old marques. Motobecane, Mercier, Dawes, Bottecchia....These bike have absolutely nothing to do with the original companies.....It's all marketing BS......


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## SPDu4ea

Dave Hickey said:


> Yep. the good folks at bikedirect buy the naming rights to old marques. Motobecane, Mercier, Dawes, Bottecchia....These bike have absolutely nothing to do with the original companies.....It's all marketing BS......



Cool. Another little update. The paint quality is pretty poor -- *carefully* leaning the bike against the corner of a building will result in chips... Also we added a touring rack to the back; there are no upper braze-ons on the frame, and the lower braze-ons are positioned so low that the bolts block the chain from resting on the small cog. Switching from a hex-head bolt to an allen head bolt solved the issue, but it's worth noting.


I wouldn't let any of these issues prevent someone from buying a Dawes -- just don't expect to open the box and find a bike worth $650+


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## lalahsghost

I just bought my Dawes Lightning Sport two weeks ago, and had the same things I had to modify oob, also.

My Lightning Sport /does/ have a top mount for bike racks, but the gap between the two seat stays was about 20mm too wide for even the Blackburn MTN-Tamer, but I just 'kinda sorta' stretched out the rack posts to fit...

I'll have to agree... For the price, these bikes aren't bad, but I can really tell what I'm missing, compared to a bike double in price.


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## Kaboom

i truly fail to understand why people buy new low-end bikes when there are second hand excellently specced bikes for about the same money


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## bikesdirect

Kaboom said:


> i truly fail to understand why people buy new low-end bikes when there are second hand excellently specced bikes for about the same money



Maybe I can help you out with that

Used bikes are dangerous for unexperienced bikers to buy; lots of issues.


I have seen tons of buyers get really bad deals on used bikes
not just the wrong size
but also worn out chainms, cogs, chainrings, hubs, shifters,
not straight frames
out of true wheels
you name it

and labor to have a used bike fixed is really high in most ares
not to meation newbies do not know to buy that new freewheel or chain they need online
and save money

it amazes me that as many used bikes sell as they do
given how low new bike prices are

really; you can get great deals on used bikes
IF you know what you are doing - but if you do not
you are better off buying new
that is my opinion after observation after 30 years of watching customers being shocked by what it takes to fix that used bike 'bargin'



mike


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## lalahsghost

Kaboom said:


> i truly fail to understand why people buy new low-end bikes when there are second hand excellently specced bikes for about the same money


I really didn't want to have to reply or throw this thread off topic by defending my purchase.

Reason why I bought the bike from chicabike via ebay:

I lived in Virginia Beach for 17 year, but now live in an extremely rural, close-minded town where bicycles are one of those "$59 christmas toys you get for your child", and that's about it.

Since moving here, I have only seen two bicycles worth being called a non-department store bike. One was a fuji road bike, and the other was an orange Gary Fisher, and that was like two years ago.

All the other bicycles in town are usually one speed, rusted things with handlebar baskets for alcoholics to put their six pack in. I poo you not.

After searching Craigslist, classified ads, Somewhat local bike shops (about 37 miles away), and checking local ebay listings, this bike was honestly my best bet. I did about six hours of research, read up as much as I could on components, and the companies that made them. I even borrowed the Bartlett's Bicycle Repair Guide book from my college, and read up as much as possible. With my past experience, current, new founded knowledge, and faith in a possibly unreliable product, I bit the bullet and spent $238 that I really couldn't afford.

Do I know there are better bikes and components? Yes.
Do I think I will be able to keep this bike running as a commuter in my 5mi radius town? Yes.
I'm just happy I have something to get me around town, after my horrendous car wreck in Nov '06.

Now you may ask why it was a road bike that I got... Well, I went from a Magna mountain bike, weighing as much as a five gallon water jug, or so it seemed to a used, somewhat shoddy late 1970's Soma road bike. The seat tube was two or three inches too tall for me, but it felt like a speed demon compared to the mountain bike turd. Knowing that the $30 Soma investment was irrational, and I could probably hurt myself on it led me to searching for my current bike. It took me over a month of reading, learning, and contemplation, but in the end it really was the best deal I could afford, or even have available to me other than Wal-Mart or Target or Online retail bikes. Oh, and hell, the price really didn't hurt my decisions either.

I'm satisfied with my purchase, I don't regret it, and I did what I had to do in order to stay active and still get around. It's the story of the collegiate rider.


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## Kaboom

ey ey i wasn't flaming!!
i didn't understand, but now i see that in cases like yours it makes sense, and also in the scenario depicted by bikesdirect. You get a warranty, which you wouldnt with a second hand bike and you also get the knowledge that even if not great quality, at least the bike hasn't been abused.
I still do think that area permitting, it'd be best to get a knowledgeable cycling buddy to point you in the right direction with regards to used bikes. Then again i see how that could not be possible if you're a total newbie.
Ok ok, point taken. i see they have their market.


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## taikuodo

Not to mention you would have to pay around 300-400 dollars for a 10-15 year old road bike that is used... mostly because craigslist is overpriced and only once in a while you find a good deal. And then, it may not even be the right size.


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## SPDu4ea

Thought I'd give a 2-year update: My sister struggled through a metric century on this bike ~2 years ago and used it for commuting a short distance to work. She met other cyclists and began riding more and more, eventually setting sights on doing a full century with significant climbing. She had conned a coworker into doing the century together and asked me if the coworker could borrow my old shimano 600 equipped S-works. I didn't feel comfortable loaning my bike to a stranger, so I had my sister ride my bike and the co-worker ride the Dawes. I was also successful in convincing my sister to buy shoes for the clipless pedals rather than switching my bike to rat traps for her.

Anyway, they did group rides for about 6 months leading up to the century, and after about 2 months of riding my old S-works, she decided that there was no way she could go back to riding that Dawes. So she ended up picking out a year-old clearance model from the LBS -- a full Ultegra Giant that puts my 10-year old S-works to shame. 

The coworker struggled through and finished the century on the Dawes, but by then the drivetrain was beginning to skip (the chain had been replaced at least twice in the interim, but the cheap cycle computers died almost as often so I don't exactly know how many miles the Dawes hung in for).

The Dawes now sits in the garage -- not really worth spending money on a new crankset/cassette/chain considering how worn the rest of the bike is. But it also served a good purpose in getting my sister into cycling. Once she got the Giant, riding became even more fun since she could keep up with people a bit better. She's since gone on to do a number of centuries and even did the seattle-to-portland ride earlier this year.



So that's basically a long-winded way of trying to objectively review a cheap ebay road bike. I raised my eyebrows when she ordered it, I'm sure, but it wasn't as bad as I expected. Still, once worn out it is hard to justify the cost of repairing it so I'm still a strong advocate of buying nice used bikes for entry-level riders. I think you can find great deals within local cycling clubs as invariably there are those who "trade up" frequently. Failing that, a cheap bike isn't terrible if thoroughly assembled.


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## lalahsghost

SPDu4ea said:


> Thought I'd give a 2-year update: My sister struggled through a metric century on this bike ~2 years ago and used it for commuting a short distance to work. She met other cyclists and began riding more and more, eventually setting sights on doing a full century with significant climbing. She had conned a coworker into doing the century together and asked me if the coworker could borrow my old shimano 600 equipped S-works. I didn't feel comfortable loaning my bike to a stranger, so I had my sister ride my bike and the co-worker ride the Dawes. I was also successful in convincing my sister to buy shoes for the clipless pedals rather than switching my bike to rat traps for her.
> 
> Anyway, they did group rides for about 6 months leading up to the century, and after about 2 months of riding my old S-works, she decided that there was no way she could go back to riding that Dawes. So she ended up picking out a year-old clearance model from the LBS -- a full Ultegra Giant that puts my 10-year old S-works to shame.
> 
> The coworker struggled through and finished the century on the Dawes, but by then the drivetrain was beginning to skip (the chain had been replaced at least twice in the interim, but the cheap cycle computers died almost as often so I don't exactly know how many miles the Dawes hung in for).
> 
> The Dawes now sits in the garage -- not really worth spending money on a new crankset/cassette/chain considering how worn the rest of the bike is. But it also served a good purpose in getting my sister into cycling. Once she got the Giant, riding became even more fun since she could keep up with people a bit better. She's since gone on to do a number of centuries and even did the seattle-to-portland ride earlier this year.
> 
> 
> 
> So that's basically a long-winded way of trying to objectively review a cheap ebay road bike. I raised my eyebrows when she ordered it, I'm sure, but it wasn't as bad as I expected. Still, once worn out it is hard to justify the cost of repairing it so I'm still a strong advocate of buying nice used bikes for entry-level riders. I think you can find great deals within local cycling clubs as invariably there are those who "trade up" frequently. Failing that, a cheap bike isn't terrible if thoroughly assembled.


I guess I'll do a One-Year Update...

I've done 2200 miles on my Dawes Lightning Sport, and enjoy it. I've put clipless pedals, and a further sloping stem... but other than that, everything else is stock. I'm still satisfied with the bike, but I may be being cocky, but I think I have outgrown the bike in performance. I average 17-18mph on it, and the bike easily weighs 25lbs. I commute on it every day about seven miles... and have even done a race on it. I feel the pangs of high end bike parts and stuff, so this bike is gonna act as my rain/train bike from now on... I think it was totally worth the price, and the ONLY problem I had was the front brake is off kilter with the wheel and adjustment didn't help, so I only have 80% rim to brake contact


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## jmasiakos

*2009 Dawes Lightning Sport*

I have a 2009 Dawes Lightning Sport which I bought from Chickabike on Ebay. Total cost was approx $325 including shipping. It came pretty much assembled except for the front wheel, handlebars, front brakes, and saddle. It took about 40 minutes to put it all together with the reflectors and all. I too did a lot of research and settled on this bike as an entry level road bike. Yes I looked at the high end bikes like Trek, and Giant but I did not want to spend upwards of $1500-$2000 for a road bike if I was not sure I was really into riding. I used to run a lot and hurt my lower back. I have not ridden a road bike for over 20 years so I decided to try roadbiking rather than running. I have not had any problems with the Dawes other than the ocassional flat since receiving the bike about 3 months ago, and ocassional adjustment on the rear derailers. It rides well and its pretty light compared to my 35lb + Roadmaster mountain bike. No major problems, at least not yet. I upgraded to clipless pedals which makes a world of difference from the straps and cages it comes with. In addition to riding during the week, I have already ridden it in a 16 mile ride for autism and will be riding in a 25 mile Gold Coast Ride this Sunday. Eventually I will upgrade but for now it serves its purpose in getting me out on the road.


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## M.J.

jmasiakos said:


> I have a 2009 Dawes Lightning Sport which I bought from Chickabike on Ebay. Total cost was approx $325 including shipping. It came pretty much assembled except for the front wheel, handlebars, front brakes, and saddle. It took about 40 minutes to put it all together with the reflectors and all. I too did a lot of research and settled on this bike as an entry level road bike. Yes I looked at the high end bikes like Trek, and Giant but I did not want to spend upwards of $1500-$2000 for a road bike if I was not sure I was really into riding. I used to run a lot and hurt my lower back. I have not ridden a road bike for over 20 years so I decided to try roadbiking rather than running. I have not had any problems with the Dawes other than the ocassional flat since receiving the bike about 3 months ago, and ocassional adjustment on the rear derailers. It rides well and its pretty light compared to my 35lb + Roadmaster mountain bike. No major problems, at least not yet. I upgraded to clipless pedals which makes a world of difference from the straps and cages it comes with. In addition to riding during the week, I have already ridden it in a 16 mile ride for autism and will be riding in a 25 mile Gold Coast Ride this Sunday. Eventually I will upgrade but for now it serves its purpose in getting me out on the road.


wow - your first post revived a 3 year old thread


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## lalahsghost

I can't wait to do a two year review soon!


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## seanyboy501

I just purchased a Kinesis Racelight T on Ebay for £475. I had big doubts about whether it would be in good condition or not. Turns out it's never been used. Rides like a beauty. I suppose it's down to luck when you internet shop.


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## mtor

johnny99 said:


> Are the Dawes bikes sold in the USA made by the same company that makes Dawes bikes for the UK?


No they are not


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## bikereview

*don't waste your money on a dawes usa cycle*

hold out for a reputable name brand used bike for the same price or less. or spend just a little bit more on an entry level name brand bike from a reputable, established bike shop. buying cheap and from a fly-by-night, out-of-the-garage bike shop (like sportymamabikes on ebay - one of a few dawes usa cycle sellers) is not worth the potential headache and injury.


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## covenant

bikereview said:


> (like *sportymamabikes* on ebay - one of a few dawes usa cycle sellers)


Another head of the Bikesdirect hydra?


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## nealric

> buying cheap and from a fly-by-night, out-of-the-garage bike shop (like sportymamabikes on ebay - one of a few dawes usa cycle sellers) is not worth the potential headache and injury.


They have been around for years. Most people who buy them feel like they got a reasonable deal. Ever ridden one yourself?


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## covenant

nealric said:


> Ever ridden one yourself?


FWIW:

http://forums.roadbikereview.com/showthread.php?t=195128


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## bikesdirect

covenant said:


> FWIW:


 
To be fair - here is where you can read over 15,000 positive feedbacks from cyclists who are varified to have actually purchased from sprtymama

http://feedback.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewFeedback2&userid=sprtymama&ftab=AllFeedback&sspagename=STRK:ME:UFS


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## twobournes

lalahsghost said:


> ...but now live in an extremely rural, close-minded town where bicycles are one of those "$59 christmas toys you get for your child", and that's about it.


Wow, we live in the same town - we should go riding sometime!


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## bikereview

*Don't know anything about Bikesdirect*

I just know Dawes USA and SportyMamaBikes were a major pain to deal with on this. One time of dealing with them on an issue with their product and you'll wish you had spent just a little more a better bike from local bike shop, or an actual online retailer who's presence and reputation are beyond the confines of Ebay.


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## bikereview

Unfortunately, on Ebay, you can't go back an alter your transaction feedback or submit new additional feedback. You get one shot with the giving your feedback so I'm sure there are plenty more SportyMamaBikes consumers who had a problem with the product after they got into using the bike. I would imagine that's a big reason why the seller only deals on Ebay. Make them a legitimate retailer with community ties and a reason to join organizations like the Better Business Bureau, and there is an excellent chance their feedback wouldn't be so positive.


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## covenant

bikereview said:


> *Don't know anything about Bikesdirect*


Dawes USA = Bikesdirect
chicabikes = Bikesdirect
SPRTYMAMA probably = Bikesdirect also


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## george_atx

I Bought a Dawes Lightning Sport from Bikesdirect.com in 2008. It was my first road bike so I knew little about it or bikesdirect.com. I sized myself correctly, got the bike within a week. I never really like how the bottom bracket wobbled so I never road it for another year. I took it to a bike shop eventually and they said it was missing a part on the bottom bracket. Once that was fixed, brakes & gears adjusted, new seat, news wheelset & tires... I have a great bike. So... I spent $250 for a good frame and at least $350 on new parts for it. Bikesdirect.com - good frames, cheap components on their less expensive bikes, will need lots of adjusting and possibly new better quality parts.


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## SilentAssassin

I mean you can't expect a $225 bike to be less than a crap shoot. I don't care where it's coming from...whether it's from BD, LBS, etc. the parts are going to suck. Same thing with cars, a $1000 car will probably be crappy compared to a 5000 one.


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## SimianSpeedster

*Dawes = Fuji*



bikereview said:


> hold out for a reputable name brand used bike for the same price or less. or spend just a little bit more on an entry level name brand bike from a reputable, established bike shop. buying cheap and from a fly-by-night, out-of-the-garage bike shop (like sportymamabikes on ebay - one of a few dawes usa cycle sellers) is not worth the potential headache and injury.


 Wife Bought one a couple years ago a lightning 1200 with no problems at all, it is infact a re-badged fuji bewest 3.0;
Sprtymama Is an "authorized dealer and the cycle carries the warranty same as if it was purchased from the cyclespectrum stores, or the BD website. 
I am unsure what makes a brand or shop reputable... perhaps you can clue me in?


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## hopsBB

Hi,new to the forum.I bought a Dawes Lightning back in 2007 off ebay from chicabike which is just another seller name for bikesdirect.com.I had been riding around on a walmart brand mountain bike for about a yr or so off and on,no more than about 3-4miles at a time maybe.It mostly sat in my shop.I liked riding and I wanted a road bike,but didn't want to spend alot because I didn't ride alot on my mountain bike.I bought my Dawes for $325 or $350,I don't even remember now.I rode it a total of 11 times,only about 150 miles or so,and then parked it in my shop right beside my old mountain bike.It sat for about 4yrs up until this Febuary before I decided that I wanted to ride it again because I need to loose weight,I weighed in at about 270lbs back in January,which is why I bought it in the 1st place.Its now March and I've ridin about 120 miles on it this past month.I know that it doesn't sound like much considering that most of the ppl on this forum ride that much or more in a week.Now I know that I've haven't ridin it much but for someone that weighs as much as I do the bike is holding up well for the little bit of riding that I have done.I plan on riding the crap out of it this spring and summer.I'm already down to 258lbs just from bike riding.I'm glad I didn't go out and spend $800-$1000 on a bike.I would be so jizzed off at myself.This bike set for 4 yrs before I got back on it.At the time when I bought it went to a Lbs and got sticker shock.I couldn't justify spending that kind of money on a bike when at the time I wasn't sure that I was gonna stick to riding it.I'm glad that I didn't now looking back cause like I said my bike sat for 4 yrs.Only time will tell but so far so good.


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## lalahsghost

I don't know how people knock the $200 dawes so much. I rode it for 4600 miles, rain, sun, snow, mud, then sold it to a fat hipster. He's lovin' it and lost 30lbs. Success story.


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## old3

I'm getting back into cycling after a 35 year break doing motocross/street bike stuff. I picked up a Dawes Eclipse V 1.0 for $238 shipped as it was KTM orange and had what looks like the same Revo shifters and components as the local shop's $375 bikes. I was a bicycle tech back in the day and still remember a little. Spokes were loose, wheels not too bad but not great in true...I've put about 30 miles on it, went over it and lock tited a few bolts. Steel crank arms and plastic pedals, not sure how bad that'll be to deal with. I'm happy enough with it for now. I'll probably let a pro with better skills true the wheels at some point. Chain got "confused" once but I think I might have back pedaled while shifting. If I get two years out of it with no big problems it served its purpose. I looked at craigslist, but honestly you guys are speaking in tongues IMO! I have no idea what is good or bad and the code is not helping. LOL! My last bike was a Jamis MTB I never rode and before that a 1970s Raliegh road bike that was cobbled together on a teen's PT budget.


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## old3

Maybe someone can help me... Do these screws set spring pressure on the brake arm? What do they do and how should they be adjusted?


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## old3

Is this a standard crank and are there better replacements that will bolt right in?






And, do all 700c wheels use the same QR axles and have the same hub width? Will the shimano rear sprocket fit basically every other 700c rear wheel? Do all 700c fronts interchange too?


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## old3

Thanks for any info!!!


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## headloss

Yes, spring pressure for the v-brake arm. It's only for making minor adjustments though, in order to keep both pads at an equal distance from the rim. If adjusting the screw there isn't sufficient, the spring itself may be damaged (not unusual, I had a bad spring from a high end TRP product which they were happy to replace). A bad spring can be bent. If the tension is way off, you can also adjust it by taking the v-brake arm completely off the bike frame. There are three little holes underneath the arm that anchor the spring and adjust tension... in addition to the screw you are referencing.

Crank looks like a standard square taper, probably JIS. You can replace the crank with another JIS crank with the same number of rings... you need a different spindle length to switch between a double and triple ring set up. You can use other cranks with different bottom bracket standards. I assume that the frame is threaded for an English style BB but you would need to have a local shop confirm that. It's as simple as installing an outboard cup that is English threaded if you want to upgrade to Hollowtech2 or GXP or some other type of crank... but, you'll want to have a shop chase and face the shell first to get everything perfectly parallel. 

Not sure about the wheels, I need more info. Assuming it's an 8/9/10 speed 130mm hub, then you could put any 130mm hub wheel in there. Likewise, front (100mm) is interchangeable with other fronts. Dishing will be off if you swap disc brake wheels with standard wheels and not all disc brake wheels have a braking surface on the rim.

Sprockets get a little goofy. 7speed will fit on an 8/9/10 speed hub with a spacer. 8/9 fit. 10 is actually narrower and requires a spacer. There is a Dura Ace 10 floating around that won't work. Sram/Shimano are interchangeable except for that Dura Ace I mentioned which is 10speed only and has a deeper profile where the cassette fits over the free hub. Campy has a different spline patter entirely and won't mix. Google is your friend, lots of info on the Sheldon Brown site.


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## old3

Thanks for all of that info! Glad to hear I can upgrade stuff as it wears out. My first order of business will be a better front wheel, that one bugs me the most with the braking thump. Thanks again!


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