Dawes Horizon - frame sizing + comments

[Mr R@T \ -Lsqco]

I am considering buying a Dawes Horizon (about the only tourer I can afford!)

I have a few queries though...

1. any idea what frame size I would be looking at? Being of Chinese ancestry, I am fairly short
(1.62m / inside leg 0.69m). Although I would get mine from an LBS, ISTR reading somewhere there
are considerable delays in getting some frame sizes.

2. I notice comment that the wheels issued with new Dawes machines are sometimes not well-built.
Should I ask the LBS to check and true them *properly*?

3. Anyone got any other comments/suggestion on this bike? the frame material is Reynolds 520 - which
is supposed to be good for tour and racing bikes, although maybe not as good as 531.

Alex

 

[Peter Clinch]

Mr R@t (2.3 zulu-alpha) [comms room 2] wrote:
> I am considering buying a Dawes Horizon (about the only tourer I can afford!)

Note that the EBC Country is basically a rebadged Horizon, so it gives you another colour option at
the same price! Component selection may be a little different.

> 2. I notice comment that the wheels issued with new Dawes machines are sometimes not well-built.
> Should I ask the LBS to check and true them *properly*?

It probably won't hurt and only cost a few quid. The wheels man at my LBS is pretty good at them
AFAICT and has always done a good job, so for a few quid why not? They might throw it in for nothing
as it's good customer service that gives repeat business.

> 3. Anyone got any other comments/suggestion on this bike? the frame material is Reynolds 520 -
> which is supposed to be good for tour and racing bikes, although maybe not as good as 531.

They're nice machines AFAICT. A friend recently got the slightly older model second hand
(pre-compact frame) and it looks to have gotten better since then, though there's nothing to
complain about on hers.

Do note that some places are selling last year's at a fair whack off right now. I think the main
difference is the colour's changed... There were a few ads in Cycle (the CTC rag) giving money off
'02 models (Galaxies and Sardars too, which brings them down towards the usual RRP of the Horizon).

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch University of Dundee Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Medical Physics, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net [email protected]
http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

 

[Stephen Pridgeo]

"Mr R@t \(2.3 zulu-alpha\) [comms room 2]" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> I am considering buying a Dawes Horizon (about the only tourer I can afford!)
>
> I have a few queries though...
>
> 1. any idea what frame size I would be looking at? Being of Chinese ancestry, I am fairly short
> (1.62m / inside leg 0.69m). Although I would get mine from an LBS, ISTR reading somewhere there
> are considerable delays in getting some frame sizes.
>
> 2. I notice comment that the wheels issued with new Dawes machines are sometimes not well-built.
> Should I ask the LBS to check and true them *properly*?
>
> 3. Anyone got any other comments/suggestion on this bike? the frame material is Reynolds 520 -
> which is supposed to be good for tour and racing bikes, although maybe not as good as 531.
>
> Alex

Alex
1) No idea, sorry
2) Yes, but... The wheels on my 2001 Horizon were true for a good few hundred miles. What was
worrying was the number of loose spokes on them. I can't comment on long term trueness - I
wrecked the front wheel after 1000 miles, and a spoke broke on the back wheel at about 1100
miles, so I had the rear re-trued then.
3) It's a good workhorse, which looks better when you take the rack and 'guards off. It's heavyish.
Replacement forks are very hard / impossible to obtain. The tyres which came with mine got
replaced instantly for a set of slicks, which made a huge improvement. Very comfortable. Very
Good Value for Money. Not a fast bike at all, but no slouch with the right legs. If I was doing
it again, knowing what I now know, I'd get a second hand older racer with mudguard and rack eyes
- Maybe. I've done about 2000 miles on mine, and apart from collision damage it's needed nothing
replacing. I took the hubs apart last Nov, after two years, and they were perfect. I use mine for
commuting, training, and easy rides, and it's great for this, if a little hard to get it up hills
quickly. OTOH, the low, low gears mean that I will always get up them. Mine will get upgraded as
bits fail, but after two years it's looking disapointingly like nothing is going to fail for at
least another two years. I might have to crash it again ;-)

Certainly better looking than the Galaxy (ducks). I love that sloping frame look.

HTH SteveP

 

[Mike Farnes]

"Mr R@t \(2.3 zulu-alpha\) [comms room 2]" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> I am considering buying a Dawes Horizon (about the only tourer I can afford!)
>
> I have a few queries though...
>
> 1. any idea what frame size I would be looking at? Being of Chinese ancestry, I am fairly short
> (1.62m / inside leg 0.69m). Although I would get mine from an LBS, ISTR reading somewhere there
> are considerable delays in getting some frame sizes.
>
> 2. I notice comment that the wheels issued with new Dawes machines are sometimes not well-built.
> Should I ask the LBS to check and true them *properly*?
>
> 3. Anyone got any other comments/suggestion on this bike? the frame material is Reynolds 520 -
> which is supposed to be good for tour and racing bikes, although maybe not as good as 531.
>
> Alex

I've had my '02 Horizon for about 8 months now and I'm really pleased with it.

1. I'm around 1.72m tall and the 46cm frame felt right. You really need to try them out but you
may well be looking at the 43cm. I got mine from Evans at Gatwick and they had all sizes in
stock at the time.

2. I've had no problem with the build of the wheels. They're nothing special but seem to do the job.

3. All round it seems excellent value for money (esp. if you get the '02 model which still seems
to be available at around GBP375). My planned upgrades - new Brooks saddle (the one on the
bike is pretty mediocre); narrower tyres maybe (Currently 38mm). I fitted my SPD's as soon as
I got the bike.

Hope that helps a bit. Mike

 

[phil]

In article <[email protected]>, stephen pridgeon
<[email protected]> wrote:
>"Mr R@t \(2.3 zulu-alpha\) [comms room 2]" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:<[email protected]>...
>> I am considering buying a Dawes Horizon (about the only tourer I can afford!)
[snip]
>3) It's a good workhorse, which looks better when you take the rack and 'guards off. It's heavyish.
> Replacement forks are very hard / impossible to obtain. The tyres which came with mine got
> replaced instantly for a set of slicks, which made a huge improvement. Very comfortable. Very
> Good Value for Money. Not a fast bike at all, but no slouch with the right legs. If I was doing
> it again, knowing what I now know, I'd get a second hand older racer with mudguard and rack eyes
> - Maybe. I've done about 2000 miles on mine, and apart from collision damage it's needed nothing
> replacing. I took the hubs apart last Nov, after two years, and they were perfect. I use mine
> for commuting, training, and easy rides, and it's great for this, if a little hard to get it up
> hills quickly. OTOH, the low, low gears mean that I will always get up them. Mine will get
> upgraded as bits fail, but after two years it's looking disapointingly like nothing is going to
> fail for at least another two years. I might have to crash it again ;-)

This pretty much matches my experience -- I've been using a Horizon for about 9 months now for a
daily four mile commute. Might not be the fastest bike around, but it keeps on going. No mechanical
issues whatsoever so far. Like the previous poster, I had the original tires replaced with thinner
ones before it had even left the shop (Schwalbe Marathons in my case -- not the lightest of
tires, but I haven't had a single puncture so far -- despite pulling all sorts of junk out of the
tires from time to time)

Phil
--
http://www.kantaka.co.uk/ .oOo. public key: http://www.kantaka.co.uk/gpg.txt

 

[Jeremy Parker]

> 2. I notice comment that the wheels issued with new Dawes machines are sometimes not well-built.
> Should I ask the LBS to check and true them *properly*?
>
In theory, that ought to be part of the service, especially if, as delivered from the factory, the
wheels are known to sometimes not be trued too well. It wouldn't hurt to remind them.

It also might be a good idea to feel all the spokes on your new bike before it leaves the shop.
Squeeze two adjacent spokes towards each other, squeezing parallel to the rim, to see if those
spokes feel a bit loose. If some spokes are looser than others - a bad thing - it should be
noticable. Anyway, even if you don't know exactly what you are looking for, it might give the shop
owner the impression that you can spot a faulty product, so encouraging him to do a good job.

Jeremy Parker