Thoughts on the new Dolan L’Etape SL?

supertwisted
supertwisted Posts: 565
in Road buying advice
Looks like they have updated the original Etape with a new SL version:
https://www.dolan-bikes.com/l-etape-sl/

I was looking at the standard Etape in 105 trim for £1099, but the new model for £100 more looks interesting. Main plus for me is that it will take 28s.

Any thoughts?
Less internal organs, same supertwisted great taste.

Comments

  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,240
    Nice!
    left the forum March 2023
  • joe_totale-2
    joe_totale-2 Posts: 1,333
    Looks good. I got a Dolan Etape 4-5 years ago and it served me well.

    My bike had a fork with an alloy steerer so that's another change with this new version. Looks like it'd be £100 extra well spent.
  • jono_purves
    jono_purves Posts: 3
    supertwisted said:

    Looks like they have updated the original Etape with a new SL version:
    https://www.dolan-bikes.com/l-etape-sl/

    I was looking at the standard Etape in 105 trim for £1099, but the new model for £100 more looks interesting. Main plus for me is that it will take 28s.

    Any thoughts?

    This is basically the Neil Pryde Bura or Bura SL in its last incarnation. I have Bura SL and it's superb. I'm guessing they've bought the rights to the mould the same as Pardus in China have. They call it the Robin SL. Essentially though, it seems strange marketing by Dolan as this bike since it first came out in 2013 was an incredibly lightweight, not too comfortable race machine, not the sportive type bike they're saying. It's a superb frame though but I don't know if they have used the same grade carbon as it seems a lot heavier at Dolan.
  • darkhairedlord
    darkhairedlord Posts: 7,180
    jono_purves said:

    supertwisted said:

    Looks like they have updated the original Etape with a new SL version:
    https://www.dolan-bikes.com/l-etape-sl/

    I was looking at the standard Etape in 105 trim for £1099, but the new model for £100 more looks interesting. Main plus for me is that it will take 28s.

    Any thoughts?

    This is basically the Neil Pryde Bura or Bura SL in its last incarnation. I have Bura SL and it's superb. I'm guessing they've bought the rights to the mould the same as Pardus in China have. They call it the Robin SL. Essentially though, it seems strange marketing by Dolan as this bike since it first came out in 2013 was an incredibly lightweight, not too comfortable race machine, not the sportive type bike they're saying. It's a superb frame though but I don't know if they have used the same grade carbon as it seems a lot heavier at Dolan.
    Have you asked dolan?
  • jono_purves
    jono_purves Posts: 3
    Not yet! Might do though as got a pair of Bura SL forks spare when they went bankrupt before opening as Chapter 2 Bikes. The geometry is identical to the Bura SL as far as I can see though. Dolan generally do great stuff.
  • supertwisted
    supertwisted Posts: 565
    jono_purves said:


    ... It's a superb frame though but I don't know if they have used the same grade carbon as it seems a lot heavier at Dolan.

    Thanks Jono, good info. After doing some more digging, I wonder if it is perhaps using the Robin Sport frame:
    https://cyclingcollege.com/index.php/2020/06/11/pardus-robin-sport-review/

    Less internal organs, same supertwisted great taste.
  • jono_purves
    jono_purves Posts: 3
    Thanks. It looks as though it is exactly that. How did you dig that information out?!!! Brilliant. I know I'm biased but the Bura SL is astonishingly good so the Robin SL would be the one I'd go for...not sure about the colours they offer though. The Dolan still looks great though.

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