Savio
Active Member
Hey guys
I wanted a bike for a while that I could go long distances on, basically one to three day trips cycling say from Bristol to London, or back, or travelling around Ireland this year. I bought a second hand Dawes Clubman for £400 (slightly over priced maybe but it was like new condition, the 2013 model) - I didn't know much about bikes and realize this is an 'audax' bike. It has a carbon fork and allegedly not much room to work with for mud guards or thicker tires. I'm not sure if either are absolutely necessary for my purposes (Though mud guards are becoming ever and ever more needed with the rain in Ireland.. ha.)
So here's where I bought this Horizon. I kinda rushed because I was spending £3+ a day on buses anyway and another month of that would have cost me a fortune not to mention the buses here in Belfast are shite, often deciding to disappear off the radar entirely or just not stop at the bus stop (maybe it's just my bad luck?)
So now I have a bike...(my clubman is back in England and I didn't want the hassle of shipping it over or it getting stolen) but I'm not sure what to do about the gearing. It has this old system which I don't even know the name of and feels a little dangerous in commuting environments, or at high speeds, faffing about without looking where I'm going properly etc.
So the main situation is:
I can leave Ireland and flog the bike back to them, it seems popular, one of the bike mechanics wanted it himself. A friend of mine is also interested. I paid £120 and he fitted new chainsets, chain, saddle etc which he said would have cost in a standard bike shop £100 + alone.
Or ... I can keep the bike, spruce up the surface rust on the frame, and try to upgrade the shifters...this could all cost in excess of £70-80++ and what I wonder is...
Did I get a good deal on this ? Should I start using it as my 'main tourer' given the added clearance for mudguards and thicker tires? Or is my Clubman a better and equally suitable bike? I certainly prefer the way it rides and the STI shifters. Also great at trainstations, the carbon fork makes it very light. My thoughts are to stick with my clubman. I heard it also has a better frame though I've no idea.
Any thoughts? I'll add pics later , it's to dark at the moment.
The mechanic said I'd need STI 3x7 shifters which allegedly are hard to find. Starting to notice possible snags :P
I wanted a bike for a while that I could go long distances on, basically one to three day trips cycling say from Bristol to London, or back, or travelling around Ireland this year. I bought a second hand Dawes Clubman for £400 (slightly over priced maybe but it was like new condition, the 2013 model) - I didn't know much about bikes and realize this is an 'audax' bike. It has a carbon fork and allegedly not much room to work with for mud guards or thicker tires. I'm not sure if either are absolutely necessary for my purposes (Though mud guards are becoming ever and ever more needed with the rain in Ireland.. ha.)
So here's where I bought this Horizon. I kinda rushed because I was spending £3+ a day on buses anyway and another month of that would have cost me a fortune not to mention the buses here in Belfast are shite, often deciding to disappear off the radar entirely or just not stop at the bus stop (maybe it's just my bad luck?)
So now I have a bike...(my clubman is back in England and I didn't want the hassle of shipping it over or it getting stolen) but I'm not sure what to do about the gearing. It has this old system which I don't even know the name of and feels a little dangerous in commuting environments, or at high speeds, faffing about without looking where I'm going properly etc.
So the main situation is:
I can leave Ireland and flog the bike back to them, it seems popular, one of the bike mechanics wanted it himself. A friend of mine is also interested. I paid £120 and he fitted new chainsets, chain, saddle etc which he said would have cost in a standard bike shop £100 + alone.
Or ... I can keep the bike, spruce up the surface rust on the frame, and try to upgrade the shifters...this could all cost in excess of £70-80++ and what I wonder is...
Did I get a good deal on this ? Should I start using it as my 'main tourer' given the added clearance for mudguards and thicker tires? Or is my Clubman a better and equally suitable bike? I certainly prefer the way it rides and the STI shifters. Also great at trainstations, the carbon fork makes it very light. My thoughts are to stick with my clubman. I heard it also has a better frame though I've no idea.
Any thoughts? I'll add pics later , it's to dark at the moment.
The mechanic said I'd need STI 3x7 shifters which allegedly are hard to find. Starting to notice possible snags :P
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