dawes? yes or no?

dawes were part of the uk scene in the early years , and in those days they were sort of exotica , certianly a lot more exotic than a
raliegh maurader or a giant stone breaker ,but alas along came GT/SCOTT/LOOK CANNONDALE etc and they were then consigned to the
also rans , thats my perception anyway
 
Remember them coming last in every test as great , well put-together bikes but overweight with no flair. I guess with an illustrious touring history that's no great surprise, but it always made me sad that they couldn't make the leap :(

Definitely space in my fantasy garage for one! Although I may have racks and mudguards... :oops:
 
early 80's saw the dawes countryman, epic touring mtb i loved the look relaxed and as comfortable as they come. my boss had one and never used it. i used to nick it every now and then.
 
A good brand in the sixties and earlier but after that they became a Rover badged as an MG another brand that got flogged on the name alone.
Mostly low sppec components bolted on to far east frames with budget in mind from the nineties on ...
very good comparison to Claude Butler who also had a reputation for quality racing bikes but sadly went the same way in the nineties.
 
"where do people stand on dawes as a brand?"

Just above Raleigh. A budget brand. IMHO
 
a little unfair tony , they did some nice handmade stuff
the touring bikes galaxy's etc are a real treat
 
Kids getting into mtbs 20+ years ago were always going to go for US bikes rather than the makes their parents rode, which caused problems for established British makes, and those makes didn't adapt to latest styles/ideas quickly enough.

Parents bought those bikes for their kids, but kids thought they weren't cool enough.
 

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