Dawes Lightning 1000:
This is advertised as your entry level bicycle comparable to Trek's $800 bikes. Goes for $389 shipped and packs shimano 2200 derailleurs and sti shifters.
Bike Specs:
Main Frame Precision Handmade Dawes Altair 1 Compact aluminum with traditional round down tube,
Rear Triangle Dawes Altair 1 aluminum curved seat stay w/ rack mount, Dawes forged road dropout with replaceable derailleur hanger
Fork Dawes 1 1/8" steerer, custom tapered Cro-Moly, Aero Road
Crankset Dawes Forged Aluminum Road 30/42/52T Chainring
Bottom Bracket Semi Cartridge Bearing ST
Pedals (FREE BONUS ROAD PEDALS (these are regular flat pedals) If you would like clip/strap or clipless pedals, please go to
www.bikeisland.com. They have great prices and free shipping*
Front Derailleur Shimano 2200 series, 31.8mm for triple
Rear Derailleur Shimano 2200 series
Shifters NEW Shimano 2203 shifters integrated into brake levers, 24-speed Triple
Cassette/Freewheel SunRace, 12-24T 8-speed
Chain KMC Z-72
Front / Rear Hub Formula Aluminum Alloy Road, 36h / Formula Aluminum Alloy Cassette Road, 8-speed, 36H (black finish)
Spokes 14G Stainless Steel
Rims Alex R-500 Double Wall Aluminum, 36H 700c clincher
Tires Kenda K-152, 700 X 25c, schraeder valve tubes (auto valve)
Brake Set ProMax Dual Pivot Forged Road
Brake Levers NEW Shimano 2200 shifter/brake levers and Tektro RL-570 Top Mount on flat portion of handlebar for additional braking position
Headset Ritchey LB 1.125inch sealed bearing
Handlebar Aluminum Alloy Road
Stem Dawes Adjustable Road Aluminum, Removable Clamp
Saddle Anatomical with Cro-Moly rails
Seat Post Dawes Comp Micro Adjust Aluminum, 250mm x 27.2
Seat Clamp Ultralite alloy, 31.8mm, Lazer etched
The Packaging:
Wasn't off from a good start how i saw the UPS guy (a ******bag) drop my box. The cardboard box it came in was standard issue bicycle cardboard box, there was plenty of bubble wrap around the handlebars and fork but everywhere else was a bit skimpy.
Drive train:
Comes with some generic crankset along with some standard shimano 2200 derailleurs/shifters and sunrace cassette. Pedals are plastic and will have to be changed eventually. The derailleurs were amazingly properly installed and didn't require reinstalling them. The minor derailleur adjustments were done and shifts beautifully (with the exception of cross gearing which makes an uncomfortable clicking sound).
Frame:
Welds look pretty solid, made of "altair 1" aluminum, not sure how that compares to 7000 or 6000 alu. Paint job is nice and smooth, decals are under a clear coat, so you can't peel off the badges. The whole bike weighs 22lbs!
Brakes:
Brakes feel nice, provides good stopping power. Has brifters along with small pair of top clamped on tetro brake levers. I like the additional braking option there.
Wheels:
Two QR skewers, wish only had front QR. The rims are a bit on the heavy side but provide sufficient performance for commuting. The bike's not winning a tour anytime soon.
Seat:
Velo seat is okay, stem doesn't have vertical rotation adjustment. Its gotta go!!
Conclusion:
For the price, you definitely get a good bang for your buck. Nice, speedy, and responsive shifting with 2200 brifters. Good drive train parts, good frame, and has option to add fenders or racks. Great commuter bike which is what i use it for; 8 miles each way. Can crank out much better performance if one upgrades wheels and crankset. Great overall value.
Bikesdirect shipped very quickly, ordered thursday, received tuesday via UPS. Looking to purchase a FG from bikesdirect.com when i gather some cash. Read some bad reviews on Bikesdirect, but i think those are just isolated experiences. Or maybe i just got lucky.