Dawes Discovery or?

in message <[email hidden]>, Ib

(') said:

I've only been reading this group for a short while, but I get the
impression Dawes bikes are well liked. Is there any particular reason
for this, or are they just good value?

Reasonable value for money; reasonable quality, little flash or gimmicks.

Quoted message said:

In my search for the one-size-fits-all bike, I like the look of the
Dawes Discovery. Basically a road bike, that can cope on tracks.
Trouble is, there are no dealers anywhere near here. Are there
equivalents from other manufacturers?

Dawes Discovery series is a flat-barred, 700c wheeled, derailleur geared
hybrid. Every significant manufacturer makes something which fits that
description.

Quoted message said:

At the weekend, I rode a Giant hybrid, which was OK, but the tyres were
a bit too wide. I also really don't like the wide flat handlebars. I
know I can get "bar ends" but they will still be very wide. Do all
bikes in this class have wide, flat handlebars?

Flat bars are generally manufactured wide in the expectation that
experienced riders will cut them down to a comfortable length. Drop bars
on fat tyre bikes are exceptional, but not unknown. On bikes with flat
bars, good bar-ends are a /very/ good thing.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

...but have you *seen* the size of the world wide spider?

Ib said:

In my search for the one-size-fits-all bike, I like the look of the
Dawes Discovery. Basically a road bike, that can cope on tracks. Trouble
is, there are no dealers anywhere near here. Are there equivalents from
other manufacturers?

Yup, the class of bike you're looking for is a "tourer" - it looks a
bit like a racing bike but has mounting points and clearances for
a rack & mudguards, and (hopefully!) stronger wheels.

Quoted message said:

Do all bikes
in this class have wide, flat handlebars?

Pretty much. Shortening them with a bit of hacksaw persuasion
and adding bar ends is a good idea.

--
jc

Remove the -not from email

The Discovery 301 is a cracking bike for the price. Got mine in LBS Jan sale
for £220. Cut the bars down (1inch of each end with B&Q tube cutter) and
fitted bar ends. Have also fitted a Truvative MTB chainset after leg
fracture necessitated lower gears for a while. Rode it on the first Dave
Duffield CTC challenge ride. It gets its fair share of action alongside a
Dawes Audax (from which an off on ice caused aformentioned fracture) and
latest acquisition Specialised Roubaix Elite. Use the Discovery on rides
with wife on her Dawes Kalahari (she finds drop handlebars intimidating),
rides with grandkids, towpaths etc and will be taken down to Cornwall for
our annual week on and about the Camel trail next month.
Buy one, you wont regret it.

"Jeremy Collins" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Ib said:

In my search for the one-size-fits-all bike, I like the look of the Dawes
Discovery. Basically a road bike, that can cope on tracks. Trouble is,
there are no dealers anywhere near here. Are there equivalents from other
manufacturers?

Yup, the class of bike you're looking for is a "tourer" - it looks a
bit like a racing bike but has mounting points and clearances for
a rack & mudguards, and (hopefully!) stronger wheels.

Quoted message said:

Do all bikes
in this class have wide, flat handlebars?

Pretty much. Shortening them with a bit of hacksaw persuasion
and adding bar ends is a good idea.

--
jc

Remove the -not from email