gabelny

I emailed bikes direct about the bike brand Dawes to find out the connection between the USA Dawes and the British Dawes:

Original Email:
What is the connection between the Dawes bikes on your website and the UK Dawes bikes. I have found that the bikes carried on bikesdirect are found on https://www.dawescyclesusa.com and there is the UK Dawes website, https://www.dawescycles.com which features none of the same bikes, therefore it's a separate entity. Is there an affiliation at all between the US Dawes bikes and the British ones? Dawes USA still makes great cycles, don't feel that I'm trying to come down on them. Just a very cloudy subject in the bike world. Thanks for the help

Reply:
The company is separate so there is no connection. There is no affiliation. You have done all of the things that I would have suggested by checking out both sites.

Thanks
BD

alanbikehouston

What is "cloudy" about this? Dawes of the UK is one of the great cycling companies in the history of cycling. BD is a bottom-feeding importer of Chino-cr@p bikes sold to people who want a "good deal" more than they want a "good bike". Impossible to confuse the two companies...it would be like confusing a Mercedes with a Yugo.

gabelny

Dawes USA still makes very good bikes, and "chino-cr@po bikes" would be a false statement. The bikes match in components and quality to most bikes that you think are great because they are expensive. Cloudy area is the many threads I have seen asking what the connection is.

Hocam

Pretty sure BD used the name dawes to trigger the memories of older folks that are familiar with the British brand.

gabelny

BD does not manufacture bikes, they are only a supplier.

alanbikehouston

"Dawes USA" makes ZERO bikes. There is NO "Dawes USA" factory, no "Windsor" factory. BD sells Chino-cr@p bikes with decals with "famous" names. I've met people who have worked for BD/Cycle Spectrum stores here in Houston. NONE of them would have a clue how to build a bike. Most struggle to change a tire.

Gabe, when you buy a Trek from a Trek dealer, or a Cannondale from a Cannondale dealer, you are not buying just aluminum, steel, and rubber. You are buying those companies engineering expertise, their quality control, their safety testing, and a meaningful lifetime factory warranty. And, you are buying at a shop that knows how to correctly assemble a bike, true the wheels, and keep that bike running like new, year after year.

Back in 1970, when Schwinn was a REAL bike company, they set up a multi-million dollar testing facility to test parts they purchased from other companies. Schwinn testers found vast differences between two tires that LOOKED identical, or two hubs that looked identical. The words "Schwinn approved" on a part meant that it had passed rigorous testing.

And, this is what Trek and Cannondale do with EVERY part used on their bikes, test, test, and then re-test to make sure they are safe and reliable. BD is the precise opposite. Why do most bottom brackets on BD bikes fail in the first 5,000 miles of riding? Why are the hubs so "rough" spinning? Because they were the CHEAPEST bottom brackets and hubs BD can find, and they assume YOU are far too stupid to ascertain the quality of a bottom bracket or hub...yet they are the heart and soul of a bike.


In contrast, a mail order bike is a box of aluminum, steel, and rubber. There are ZERO engineers at BD. No quality control department. No safety testing. And, a very shaky warranty. As a supplier of cheapo communist-made bike parts, BD excels. But, they don't have a clue about designing, engineering, building, and testing a first-quality bicycle.

Hocam

BD names the bikes and finds manufacturers to produce/assemble them.

gabelny

Most of the bikes you think are good because they are expensive are being imported as well, Alan. China manufactures parts for the majority of top name cycles. Not because it's not good quality, but because it's cheap labor which is smart business. The skill of an employee at a Cycle Spectrum store means nothing about the bike itself unless they put it together, and I would not let them you are right. Being put together by a professional a BD Dawes makes an excellent bike.

gabelny

Find me the source for that and I will believe you.

Anti404

I'm sure that you fit something about BMX style pedals in this comment, but at the moment I am unable to spot it.

gabelny

The store is called Bicycle HQ and you are right, they are an extremely reputable bike dealer. I agree 100% that when you buy a Trek you pay for the expertise, perfection, and passion that goes into building their bikes. I am a guitar player and only play the best of guitars for the same reason, however, that doesn't mean that I wont ever be impressed by the sound of a no name guitar. Some cheap $100 guitars may have an unrecognizable brand, but I can still play it and make sound out of it. Same goes with Dawes in my opinion, it's definitely not a Trek, but they do include some good components and I have never gotten blown out of the water by anyone because their bike costs $2,000 more than mine. For someone who doesn't necessarily want to put that kind of money into a bike I think BD can deliver some decent bikes.

cuda2k

ABH has an extensive history of bashing bikesdirect and their brands, bikes, business model, etc. I've seen a number of their bikes in person and while they may not be the best finished frames out there they are safe if properly assembled. Like in most pieces of machinery, it's only as strong as it's weakest point. And in most cases, proper assembly (ie: the human element) will likely be that weak point. Ensure that's right, and you'll likely have a ride that will last a long time.