Hewitt or Dawes?

rjh299

Anyone had any experience with the Hewitt Cheviot SE?
I'm looking to get my first touring bike with the aim of doing some decent tours at beginning and then hopefully some full camping ones eventually, with Ireland and France in mind.
Been looking around and quite like the Dawes Ultra Galaxy.A LBS stocks Dawes so would be able to try one of those first and prob use cyclescheme aswell, but the Hewitt got good reviews also.
Any thoughts appreciated.
Thanks
http://www.hewittbikefitting.co.uk/inde ... age=hewitt

Wooliferkins

I've got a Cheviot it's fab. Excellent service from Paul and his team. You get measured up at the shop choose your colour and I havent moved a thing since I collected it. I've cycle camped with it and it was bliss. Lanes, tow paths, bridleways it took it all in it's stride. This is my third proper touring bike (I pranged the other two) and it fits like a glove and I'm really looking forward to slinging on the panniers and going. IMHO it leaves the Galaxy eating dust. You can get your Cheviot specced for you, I took a Campag fit with a hub dynamo, worth every penny.

sicrow

Not from personal experience but my aunt and uncle both have Cheviot SE's for touring and love them

vernonlevy

I've been touring and audaxing on a Dawes Galaxy for the past five years. It's been a comfortable bike and 1000 mile tours have been no problem.

The advantage of the Hewitt is that you can have it assembled to suit your geometry. I've never heard a bad word spoken against the marque.

KeithG

You may need to consider the delivery times for the bike if you are planning a summer tour. Dawes used to have a several week waiting list.
Personally i'd go for the smaller supplier with a personal touch and I used to have a Dawes tourer!

ride_whenever

The run times on dawes are fairly quick at the moment, however they are hugely overpriced, with some ridiculous price hikes for '09

PHcp

Another very satisfied Cheviot SE owner here, had it 5 years and like it as much now as when new. I had it built with a mix of Shimano, Campag and Stronglight and Paul was happy to use my hub dynamo. His reputation for wheel building is excellent, they've been the only pair of wheels I've had that haven't needed any attention. He's also well informed about what's available and changes recommendations on that information. For example he was amongst the first to mix Campag levers with Shimano mechs and has recently started using the wide profile Tektro brakes.
I have no experience with Dawes to compare.

alfablue

The Dawes gives you a supposedly better frame material (Reynolds 853 - Galaxy Super and Ultra) and perhaps better spec esp shifters (Galaxy Super and Ultra). The Hewitt will give you a bike properly fitted to you and specced as you desire, plus excellent hand built wheels. Dawes prices have risen a lot lately, best prices seem to be at Spa Cycles. The Super and Ultra may be beyond your Cyclescheme limit (usually £1000), especially as LBS often charge list price under Cyclescheme (as they have to pay a 10% commission). Spa Cycles add 12.5% to their relatively lower prices for Cyclescheme sales.

Another option is the Condor Heritage, available with various component specs (Shimano road/mtb/Campag) between £800 and £1200, they do Cyclescheme and you could get a Deore equipped model for £949. It is an Italian steel frame, assembled in London, good hand built wheels too, all components customisable, got 9/10 last year in Cycling Plus. Available in red or green. I am a fan of these.

rjh299

Thanks for all comments.
Alfablue- i contacted Spa Cycle about whether they do cyclescheme and they mentioned a 12.5% charge on highly discounted bikes. Was looking at Super Galaxy which is above the £1000 limit. Although i was hoping i could blag them to let me pay extra money on top myself.
Did this last year when i bought Trek Madone 4.7 valued at £1600. Used my £1000 and then put £500 more towards bike using girlfriends scheme (she got £500 bike herself), and then paid extra £100 cash myself. LBS were very cool though.
Another LBS stocks Dawes so might try them but haven't seen how much they are charging to begin with compared to Spa.

alfablue

The 2008 Super Galaxy is £920 at Spa Cycles, with 12.5% added that makes £1035 - I would hope they would be okay with you paying the £35 yourself.

Not tempted by the Condor Heritage? - 4 of their builds come out at under £1000.

rjh299

I think the 2008 Super Galaxy is end of stock so they've only got it in a size 60 which is too big for me. The Condor looks a nice bike (love the colour, poper english) and the Tiagra build comes in just under the £1000. Only down fall is i can't try it first. I could test Galaxy at LBS then order from Spa possibly.
Don't know anything about mountain bike gearing, so in comparison would you go for the Deore or Tiagra? I know Tiagra's a pretty basic but reliable groupset but not sure about Deore.

alfablue

I think you get the same shifters on both, the Deore/Tiagra just relates to the chainset, cassette and mechs. Deore will give you a chainset with either 26/36/48 rings, or 22/32/44 and with possibly an 11-32 cassette, so the gearing is like a mountain bike which is good if you are doing very hilly and / or fully laden tours, and/or hills are not your strength Deore is 3rd from top in the mtb groupset range.

Tiagra is a road group, the chainset will probably have 30/39/50 chainrings and maybe an 11-27 cassette.

I ride a road bike with regular road gearing but when doing loaded touring I use a bike with mtb gearing (I have caused myself achiles tendon trouble from pushing up long hills when doing a big tour carrying camping gear). Potential top speed is limited with mtb gearing, you may "spin out" at maybe 25mph, but that doesn't concern me when touring.

I think Condor would let you spec any combination of chainrings/cassettes that are compatible.

Test riding is a problem if you are not in london, but I am going to visit them when I am ready to order (120 miles each way) , then get the bike sent to me when it's ready (they charge £25).

Obviously the Dawes would be much easier to try. My main bugbear with the Dawes is that I don't think the wheels will be great and I would want some hand builts put on, and it is a little bit heavier (not a big issue).

There is a similar thread here that offers some more information.

rjh299

Thanks for all advice. Will definitely consider Condor. So many choices. I live in Cornwall so its nearly a 600 mile round trip to visit store but i do have to go up to Heathrow in June so could incorporate visit then. Would probably prefer the higher gearing. Not bad on hills, living down here you ain't got much choice, but plan on fully loaded tours in Wales, Scotland etc so probably be best.
Current cyclescheme doesn't finish for couples months so got time to spare, unfortunately!
This will be my first touring bike but can't wait to get going.
Cheers

alfablue

Well I hope you get sorted, touring is great, I have toured in Ireland (Kerry and Dingle) which was fantastic. Off to Tuscany next weekend

PHcp

The frames from the Cheviot and Cheviot SE aren'r exclusive to Hewitts, your LBS should be able to get one from the importer. I'd still go to Hewitt's if you feel you'd benefit from the fitting service. I they also do the cycle scheme.

The Dawes gives you a supposedly better frame material (Reynolds 853 - Galaxy Super and Ultra)

Supposedly is right, it's an odd choice for a touring frame, lighter, stiffer and easier to dent. Even the money no object custom builders don't choose it for touring frames.

PHcp

alfablue wrote:

There is a similar thread here that offers some more information.

That's a good thread, it's worth noting that Simon Withers who tested all the bikes, bought the Hewitt as did Chris Juden when he reviewed one for Cycle.

alfablue

PHcp wrote:

The frames from the Cheviot and Cheviot SE aren'r exclusive to Hewitts, your LBS should be able to get one from the importer. I'd still go to Hewitt's if you feel you'd benefit from the fitting service. I they also do the cycle scheme.

The Dawes gives you a supposedly better frame material (Reynolds 853 - Galaxy Super and Ultra)

Supposedly is right, it's an odd choice for a touring frame, lighter, stiffer and easier to dent. Even the money no object custom builders don't choose it for touring frames.

Fair point, yet the bike isn't even particularly light so they haven't made best use of it.