# Dawes Lightning...anyone know about it?



## frogsuit (Jun 23, 2004)

First, let me say, I am not a shill for Dawes, EBay, BD, or any other outfit. Just a beginner looking for some help before making a good (I hope) or stupid (trying to avoid) buying decision. 

I have a MTB w/ slicks and bar ends that I've used for MUT, commuting and road riding, which has been ok, but I think I'm ready to graduate to a road bike. I don't want to make a $1000 to $2000 commitment yet until I know it's something I'm going to enjoy better than my current setup. So, I'm looking for a discounted way to get into a road bike without too much of a financial commitment. 

In purusing used bikes on EBay, I came across this ad for new Dawes Lightning bikes. Never heard of Dawes, and there isn't a bunch of info about the brand out there. So I turn to the esteemed bunch here on RBR...what do you know about Dawes? How about this particular purchase? Any reason not to buy this bike? 

thanks for the input. 




Dawes Lightning EBay auction


----------



## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

*Kind of a second tier English outfit.*

http://www.dawescycles.com/

The question you have to ask yourself is are you prepared to give up the services a LBS provides to new owners for a lower price on a bike that is rare in the USA (warranty issues could be very difficult to deal with)?

I usually figure new riders who are not good bike mechanics prepared to do all of their own work are better served by buying from the Local Bike Shop. If price is a concern wait for a year end sale for some fairly good deals.

More experienced folks who are comfortable working on their own bikes can do well shopping on the internet. These folks tend to buy used, or small builder or custom rather than getting something off brand on E-Bay.

Actually the banner ads on this site feature some amazing values for riders comfortable doing their own work.

Bottom line, if you can do your own bike work and you really want a Dawes-go for it. But realize that there is nothing special about a Dawes in the USA.


----------



## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

BTW I couldn't find a "Lightning" model on their website so who knows what kind of bike it is or what model year it is.


----------



## QuiQuaeQuod (Jan 24, 2003)

I would avoid the bike, even at $235 with shipping. Note that the shifting on this bike is set at the stem, which is a very bad sign. If it was downtube shifting I would have more confidence in the overall quality. It is a 7 speed rear, and the front rings look pretty cheaply stamped. If you buy it, chances are it will be junk in a year. It is also probably very heavy.

I would suggest thinking along the lines of either a trek 100 or giant ocr 3, which you can get for 500-600 new. If that is too much money, you can go used and you can get one of those that someone is upgrading from for half that. It might be a year or two old, but so what? You can easily ride one of those bikes for 2-3 years and put plenty of miles on them, and still have many years of service left in them.

You can also get very servicable bikes for 100-200 used at a garage sale or from a local bike shop. My wife and I went with garage sale/used from a bike shop in 1996, buying 8 year old bikes. We just upgraded them last november. Six speed downtube shifting, but good quality.


----------



## bobj (Sep 29, 2004)

Dawes is another of those classic European names from the '70s (like Motobecane, Mercier and Windsor ) that has been bought and resurected primarily for internet/mail order sales. The quality of the bikes may or may not be good, but you for sure are not going to get any sort of mechanical/fitting support like you will at the LBS. I purchased one of these bikes (Windsor Hour) for my son, but only after doing quite a bit of research, so I knew exactly what I was getting in to, and was very pleased with my purchase. I however am a former shop mechanic, and was prepared to change out some of the components myself if need be.


----------



## cb1 (Jul 25, 2005)

frogsuit you have a PM. 
I actually bought one of these and it's pretty nice for the price. But the gamble to buying any bike online is getting the correct size. Unless you've test ridden a bike just like it.


----------



## Mapei (Feb 3, 2004)

I remember seeing Dawes bikes in shops about 30 years ago. At that time they were built in India, and were the classic Sturmey-Archer 3 speed city type bikes.


----------

