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Dawes on eBay? Is this a steal?

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Dawes on eBay? Is this a steal?

Old 10-16-07, 02:33 PM
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Dawes on eBay? Is this a steal?

I just found this Dawes road bike on ebay, is this a steal of a buy? I couldn't find any reviews on Google of Dawes so don't know their history.
https://cgi.ebay.com/2008-NEW-ROAD-RA...QQcmdZViewItem
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Old 10-16-07, 02:41 PM
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ChicaBike = BikesDirect
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Old 10-16-07, 02:43 PM
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Depends on what you mean by "a steal." It's probably quite heavy and has dated components (stem shifters, 7-speed cassette (freewheel?), etc. Likely you would want a bike shop to set it up and adjust everything unless you can do this yourself. You also won't know if it fits you very well until it shows up at your house.

I'd avoid it. It would probably get you around the neighborhood, but asking much more than that of it would probably be kind of uncomfortable.

Cheers.
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Old 10-16-07, 02:47 PM
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Good call, also I'm new here so sorry if I'm posting in the wrong forum etc.
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Old 10-16-07, 02:47 PM
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Mine came with Shimano SIS derailer... I like it, its the bike first road bike Ive had, started inexpensive to see if I wanted to stick with mtn bike or go road...
You will get alot of people saying spend more on a better bike and you should get from lbs to get fitted...
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Old 10-16-07, 03:15 PM
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Personally,

If my budget was fixed at $200, I'd look for something used before I bought this bike.
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Old 10-16-07, 03:23 PM
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Motobecane, Dawes, Bottecchia, and Mercier are brand names that WERE once major european bike manufacturers. Bottecchia still is--in Italy. Moto USA, Dawes USA, Bott. USA, and Mercier USA are, in reality, brand names that were bought by Cycle Spectrum USA, AKA bikesdirect.com. They purchase frames in bulk from Taiwan, usually models that were designed for/by other major manufacturers (KHS, Fuji, etc.) and sell them with components and all. The frames are actually decent quality in the vast majority of cases, so it's not like they're shoddy. In fact, if you're on a budget and willing to do a little self-assembly and/or pay for a shop to do assembly and tune-up work, then it's a decent way to buy an enthusiast-level bike on a budget. Just don't be fooled into thinking that you're getting a "real" Dawes/Mercier/Moto/etc.

There are plenty of used bikes out there with better components in the $200 range, and if you're looking to get serious about cycling competitively or recreationally, a used bike with some sturdier components might be a better choice, as merlin already mentioned.
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Old 10-16-07, 05:00 PM
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dont get that bike, its really heavy, i own one. also, alot of the bearings arnt good and dont spin as easily as they good. look used first, and if you cant find anything in the coming weeks, i guess go ahead and buy it. also check out the bikes on bikesdirect, since for a little more youll get much better components, if you are willing to buy from unknown brands
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Old 10-18-07, 12:54 AM
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I got a Dawes Lightning 1200 from chicabike and it's a pretty decent bike. I can't remember exactly, but I believe my bike weighs 23-24 lbs which is slightly heavier than a somewhat similar Trek 1000 at 21-22 lbs but it's also $300+ dollars cheaper.

By the way, if you do get that bike or one from bikesdirect.com, people on here will call you a shill as they don't believe anyone can be happy on a cheaper bike.
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Old 10-18-07, 04:37 AM
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This was my price point when I was looking for my most recent road bicycle purchase. I thought about going the BD/chicabike route, but decided to buy used instead because that's what everyone kept advising me. I scoured craiglist & eBay religiously for months before I found my gem, which I love, but it takes a fair amount of dedication to really get a fantastic deal. I'm very happy with my result, but there are plenty of pro's and con's.

Pro's to buying used:
-generally more bang for the buck.
-buying "vintage" has a little more uniqueness, history & personality, IMO.
-I don't worry so much about scuffing up my bike, because it's already scuffed. I can just ride & enjoy.

Pro's to buying new:
-It's shiny & pristine, at least for a while. Any scuffs will be YOUR scuffs.
-Perhaps the components will be more "current", but I'm not convinced that means that they are better.
-Purchasing is more convenient. Not as much research is needed.


It took me months to find my bike, but I was being really really picky. If I needed to make a similar purchase in the near future for whatever reason, I could probably find something workable within a week or two. I probably looked at 100's of bikes on eBay & CL before I bought mine. This takes time & energy, which is not something everyone has in surplus. For me I still look at the bikes on eBay, just to see what's out there, because it is educational and interesting. But it does take time.

Out of curiosity, I was just checking the completed auctions for bikes in my size & in this price range. Here's one that might have been fun to bid on. It ended at $112.50 plus $45 shipping. I don't know how much higher the winning bidder would have gone. Maybe add another $50 to win the auction. Then add the price of a new chain/tape/cables/etc, otherwise the bike looks pretty good. Pricewise, you'd pay about the same as the one the OP is talking about.
https://cgi.ebay.com/DIAMONDBACK-ROAD...QQcmdZViewItem
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Old 10-18-07, 04:45 AM
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Over here Dawes is a real brand (though somewhat lower-end - mostly commuting and families in parks sort of bikes) - - they were even the title sponsor for ITV's 2006 TDF coverage.

We also have MBK - the can't-call-it-Motobecane-anymore legacy of the original company.
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Old 10-18-07, 06:57 AM
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also, the chicabike bikes dont come with brifters, the shifters located under the brakes like most modern bikes, they are pole shifters.
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