# Dawes Sheila - Entry Level WSD road bike



## atmoore

After many days of google searching for reviews of the Dawes Sheila and coming up empty, I went ahead and purchased it for my wife. 2 day delivery from sportymamabikes. 1 hr assembly. Instructions were easy to follow. very nice bike for the price. I chose to do business with them because they have a phone number and actually answered it....several times. I would recommend the bike and the store. Oh, my wife loves it. It weighs 22lbs. Much lighter than her touring bike...that is now on austin craigslist. ALL components work just fine with minor adjustments. And oh yeah, color does matter. Can't go wrong with pink!


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## il sogno

Post a pic!


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## atmoore

I don't have a picture of it yet, but you can find a great picture of the Sheila at http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/dawes/sheila.htm
click on the image to blow it up. Ours came with the black handlebar tape.


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## California L33

I'm glad she likes it, but a 36 spoke front wheel! It's been a while since I've seen one of those. I'm glad it came with the black bar tape; that red is just obnoxious.


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## Dave Hickey

Is the geometry womans specific?


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## atmoore

yeah i know, but again we're talking about a entry level bike whereas number spokes won't mean a darn thing for her.


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## California L33

atmoore said:


> yeah i know, but again we're talking about a entry level bike whereas number spokes won't mean a darn thing for her.


True, but you just don't see 36 spoke rims anymore. Those are now specialty items for big riders and cyclocross. It never hurts to have extra spokes, I'm just saying. I did go to the BD page and it said, 'compare to' Trek WSD. So I did, and to my surprise the Trek 1.2 WSD comes with 32 spoke wheels, front and back. Go figure.


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## atmoore

yeah that is weird. i'm not sure what the advantage would be for having more or less spokes. Ultimately, it may boil down to aesthetics and cost effectiveness for the manufacturer? I guess from a maintenance standpoint, the more spokes, the more time spent truing the wheel from time to time. But, then i can use my new truing stand i picked up at Perf. Bikes: http://www.performancebike.com/shop/Profile.cfm?SKU=17871&item=40-1815&slitrk=search&slisearch=true


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## California L33

atmoore said:


> yeah that is weird. i'm not sure what the advantage would be for having more or less spokes. Ultimately, it may boil down to aesthetics and cost effectiveness for the manufacturer? I guess from a maintenance standpoint, the more spokes, the more time spent truing the wheel from time to time. But, then i can use my new truing stand i picked up at Perf. Bikes: http://www.performancebike.com/shop/Profile.cfm?SKU=17871&item=40-1815&slitrk=search&slisearch=true


The fewer spokes the more aerodynamic and lighter the wheel- faster on the flats, faster up the hills, but it isn't as strong. 16 front, 20 rear seems standard now. 

What made me comment in the first place is that the 32 spoke wheel is the 'bomb-proof' standard of today- built for 220 lbs. riders with thighs the size of tree trunks who crank out 1500 watts in a sprint. Even heavy 'Clydesdale' mountain bike riders rarely need more than a 32 spoke wheel. (Edit: Many makers still offer 36 hole drilled rims for custom wheels, you rarely see them pre-built in bike shops, or even in catalogs).

You won't spend much time truing any well built wheel these days. In theory, the more spokes the less truing you'll need to do, because each spoke is 'responsible' for less of the rim. 

Just remember, if you're new to truing, and doing a 'tweak' with the tire on, that the nipple is a screw. If you're looking down at the rim through the tire you turn it to the right to tighten it. If you look at it from the rim (as you have to without X-ray vision) turning it right is actually turning it left- loose.


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## rogerstg

California L33 said:


> Just remember, if you're new to truing, and doing a 'tweak' with the tire on, that the nipple is a screw. If you're looking down at the rim through the tire you turn it to the right to tighten it. If you look at it from the rim (as you have to without X-ray vision) turning it right is actually turning it left- loose.


Um, the nipple is actually a nut, and the spoke a bolt/screw.:wink5:


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## California L33

rogerstg said:


> Um, the nipple is actually a nut, and the spoke a bolt/screw.:wink5:


I stand corrected. Let me rephrase that. "The nipple is like a screw, but is actually a nut with a slot for a screwdriver when looked at from the blind (tire) side. The bolt is actually the spoke, but you still need to think in 'reverse' if you're looking at the body of the nut engaged by a spoke wrench (which doesn't touch the spoke but the nipple) from the rim's (axle) side." That should clear it up for the newbs


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## My Own Private Idaho

California L33 said:


> I stand corrected. Let me rephrase that. "The nipple is like a screw, but is actually a nut with a slot for a screwdriver when looked at from the blind (tire) side. The bolt is actually the spoke, but you still need to think in 'reverse' if you're looking at the body of the nut engaged by a spoke wrench (which doesn't touch the spoke but the nipple) from the rim's (axle) side." That should clear it up for the newbs


Actually, strictly speaking, the spoke is the closest thing to a screw in the whole assembly. But the spoke is not a bolt or a screw. A bolt actually consists of several parts, namely a screw, a nut, and it may include washers.

It isn't a bolt until it is assembled. What most people call bolts are actually hex-head cap-screws, as opposed to slot-head cap-screws, or phillips-head cap-screws.


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## rogerstg

My Own Private Idaho said:


> A bolt actually consists of several parts, namely a screw, a nut, and it may include washers.
> 
> It isn't a bolt until it is assembled.


According to wikipedia, merriam-webster, and common usage in the United States you would be wrong.


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## California L33

rogerstg said:


> According to wikipedia, merriam-webster, and common usage in the United States you would be wrong.


Who cares? I just want to add that information to the rest and create a 33 paragraph description of the spoke/nipple for newbies instead of simply explaining why the lefty-loosey/ righty-tighty mnemonic doesn't always work  That'll keep the roads clear for the rest of us.


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