Upgrade my Dawes or buy a Genesis

Shocky

Hi guys. I've got a Dawes 1.4XC I bought 2 years ago cheaply (around £200). I ride in parks, a few trails - nothing technical and commute to work.

I'm really enjoying it and also enjoy looking at bikes and components etc.

The Dawes has V brakes and from what I can make out a very entry level set of components. Should I keep the Dawes frame and think about upgrading the forks and adding disk brakes (I'd need new wheels), better peddles, seat

or

Should I spend the money on a Genesis Core 20 (around £500/£600 if I can find a previous year's model)

Is the Dawes frame not very good?
Would I even notice the difference riding the Genesis? - I'm not exactly a pro!

Any advice would be really helpful

Cheers!

wlad

Don't know much about the Dawes, but can tell you the Genesis is a great bike to ride, having bought a Core20 myself about a year ago. I was attracted to it by the fact that it's designed for UK conditions and it's something a bit different from what most people go for.

It's the first decent bike I've owned (got it on the cycle to work scheme) and it's got me into MTB'ing. It goes to Swinley Forest at least twice a week. It's been to Brecon and Afan a fair few times, and it got me around the 100km British Heart Foundation XC marathon in Exmoor this September without a single issue. It can take all the abuse I can throw at it.

In the time I've owned it, I have gradually upgraded most of the components (in fact all that remains of the original bike is the frame, brakes, front mech, saddle, stem and bars). The upgrades were purely for weight-saving and improvement, not due to component failure.
The only original component that actually failed was the seatpost, but this only bent due to 'towing' my mate home after his mech-hanger snapped. The shifters and fork have been handed down to a mate and are both still going strong. In general the components are tough and have done well despite the countless big offs I've had!!!

Being white, it is difficult to keep clean - but it does remind you that it makes sense to give it a good wash down after every ride in order to keep it running smoothly.

Treat yourself, you might find a bargain in the sales!

cavegiant

Dawes made some cracking frames, one of...scrub that it was the claud butler that was the awesome mtb, my road bike was dawes.

erm....

just get a new bike.

pauls cycles always have great full bikes (only get full bikes, the parts are steep, CRC for those)

breaking the budget, but an amazingly capable bike that can do everything from XC race (my wife has raced Xc on one) to DH (she done that too) and even the stunning porcupine rim (also done that).

Never been so impressed with a bike as the teocali, most efficient suspesion system I have seen (bar none) but also very plush. if only they made them in fat bastard size i would get one.

Qaudangle racer

Hey i think the dawes frames were pretty good, i actually bought my father a pretty decent dawes.

But to be honest by the time you have forked out on wheels brakes finnishing kit youd of spent a fair amount of cash, My suggestion would be to get down halfords my friend just bought a carrera with tora forks hydraulic deore brakes deore kit i believe fo £340 reduced from £ 640 in a half price sale!

then perhaps sell your dawes.