Just a quick update for anyone finding this thread looking for information on Dawes.

I wrote Dawes a letter telling them how disappointed I was with the bad rim tape, no inline adjusters on the gear cables and the badly cut housings.

Dawes sent me a reply saying that they 'take matters like this very seriously as we do not want to tarnish our reputation in any way'. They have also sent me two barrel adjusters for the gears, a set of panniers and a £200 credit note to present to the LBS for a future purchase. All of this was without even asking to see photos or any kind of proof that I had a problem.

Yep, they seem like an awesome company.