Anyone owned a Dawes Jaguar before?

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SkipdiverJohn

Deplorable Brexiteer
Location
London
I've been offered one (apparently dating from the mid/late '80's) at what I consider to be a real bargain price for a 531 frame, but I'm not very familiar with them and haven't had a ride on one before. I know what a Galaxy rides like (very nicely), but they have 72 degree frame geometry and a long wheelbase.
The Jaguar has a 73 degree frame with less fork rake and looks generally slightly more "sporty" compared to a Galaxy - although there's still clearance for sensible width tyres and mudguards, and it is a million miles away from any modern road bike. I suppose what I am asking is, if I buy it blind am I going to like it? Giving it a test ride first is not really an option as it has been stored for many years and would need the tyres and chain sorting out before it could be ridden. I don't mind "responsive" but I don't want something overly twitchy.
 

Cycleops

Legendary Member
Location
Accra, Ghana
Most anything with the Dawes name on it is unlikely to disappoint, especially if it has 531 tubing.
If its a bargain price you can't really expect a test ride! Buy with confidence.

Edit: @Tony Raynor had/has one.
 
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southcoast

Über Member
The Jaguar was a sports bike so should give a nice responsive ride. Why not give it a try if the price is right? Can always resell it later, if you don’t get on with it. Price new in 83 was about £177 the top of the line Imperial would have been about £296.
Magazine verdict bitd was its a quality sports bike.
See link to 84 brochure

http://veterancycleclublibrary.org.uk/ncl/pics/Dawes catalogue 1984 (V-CC Library).pdf
 
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SkipdiverJohn

Deplorable Brexiteer
Location
London
@Cycleops I agree, no Dawes bike from that era is going to be rubbish, it's really a question of whether I would enjoy the bike's handling characteristics or not. I tend to favour quite a relaxed and stable ride, especially given the shite state of the road surfaces in most places. I'm not expecting a test ride, as it's a garden shed clear-out sale. I'm very tempted to just take a chance as the asking price is in the "pub hack" range and I'm told these were around £300 new back in the day, which would be about £800 in today's money.

@midlife - the livery is a mix of black and deep red, quite appealing to my eyes. I consider them rather a nice looking machine. This one is not pristine, has a few marks and rust spots and has obviously done some miles, but doesn't look to have any physical damage.
 
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SkipdiverJohn

Deplorable Brexiteer
Location
London
Thanks for the link @southcoast . The one I've been offered is in a different livery to the 1984 catalogue, I think it might be a few years newer. I found another undated Dawes catalogue on the VCC website that has exactly the bike in it that I'm considering.

Thinking about geometry, my Raleigh Pioneer is long-wheelbase 73 degree and that isn't twitchy. Seller says I can have it for "less than fifty quid", so maybe I should just take a punt and be done with it! I was really on the lookout for a Galaxy, but this one just came out of the blue.
 

southcoast

Über Member
Thanks for the link @southcoast . The one I've been offered is in a different livery to the 1984 catalogue, I think it might be a few years newer. I found another undated Dawes catalogue on the VCC website that has exactly the bike in it that I'm considering.

Thinking about geometry, my Raleigh Pioneer is long-wheelbase 73 degree and that isn't twitchy. Seller says I can have it for "less than fifty quid", so maybe I should just take a punt and be done with it! I was really on the lookout for a Galaxy, but this one just came out of the blue.

As midlife says it’s more of an all round sports bike than a racer. So should be nice and responsive without being twitchy. Probably has shorter stays and less fork rake than your pioneer. Yes why not give it a try you might like it?
 
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SkipdiverJohn

Deplorable Brexiteer
Location
London
As midlife says it’s more of an all round sports bike than a racer. So should be nice and responsive without being twitchy. Probably has shorter stays and less fork rake than your pioneer. Yes why not give it a try you might like it?

I am tempted, it's been 33 years since I owned a drop bar sports bike, and that was a basic quality Raleigh, not in the same league as a 531 Dawes. The Jaguar definitely has less fork rake compared to a Galaxy or Pioneer, chainstays also possibly a little shorter but still not silly short. Plenty of daylight between the back tyre and the seat tube - not one of those fag paper clearance jobs! Just as well, as I'd be wanting to fit some properly robust tyres such as Marathon Original in the biggest size that would fit under mudguards.
 
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SkipdiverJohn

Deplorable Brexiteer
Location
London
There's no going back now, the deal is done. I just hope I like riding it. :eek: Mine for the extortionate sum of £40, plus there *may* also be a couple of 700c Schwalbes of some description available for an extra £10, depending whether they can be found by the time I collect it.
 
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SkipdiverJohn

Deplorable Brexiteer
Location
London
Looking forward to some pictures and your road test report :smile:

I'll take a few shots once collected and pressure washed at work to get the accumulated grime off. I doubt it'll be immediately rideable though until the tyres & tubes and possibly also the chain have been replaced, looks to have been off the road for a LONG time, quite possibly longer than the time it was actually in use.
I'm probably fussing over nothing re: the handling, but riding with drops again after so many years will no doubt feel a bit odd at first until I get back into the swing of it. Quite looking forward to it actually since I'd always wanted a 531 framed Dawes sports bike when I was a youngster - but my pocket money only stretched to a low-end (but bombproof) Raleigh!

When you look around today, there is actually a lot of nice old stuff still out there from 30 or 40 years ago, and apart from the real exotica, most of it seems pretty unloved and doesn't attract much mainstream cyclist interest. Always amazes me how most cyclists asking "what bike?" questions on here will automatically buy modern stuff brand new and completely ignore all the choice of much nicer older secondhand steel bikes that just need a little TLC. Maybe no-one wants to get their hands dirty stripping, cleaning and regreasing things these days? Given the choice of owning a new catalogue store BSO or resurrecting a superior quality hand-built British bike for a similar overall outlay, it's a no brainer to me.
 

mikeymustard

Veteran
I don't know much about sporty Dawes's but if one presented itself at that price I wouldn't hesitate.
Some people seem to think if a bike doesn't cost more than a car and weigh less than a kitten then it must be rubbish!
Most of the youngsters (i.e. anyone under the age of about 50) that I've persuaded to test a bike with a good steel frame have been shocked at how pleasant they are to ride.
We all know how much road buzz those skinny, springy frame and forks soak up, and even out and out racers weren't as twitchy as modern "road" bikes (IMO).
All in all your Jaguar should be a very pleasant ride, and if you don't like the drops you can always change them!
 
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SkipdiverJohn

Deplorable Brexiteer
Location
London
All in all your Jaguar should be a very pleasant ride, and if you don't like the drops you can always change them!

I won't convert to flat bar on this, as I deliberately bought it as I wanted a high quality drop bar machine to go with my flat bar hybrids and MTB's. What I'm finding is that on longer rides, say those well over an hour, I can sometimes start to get hand numbness and end up shaking the affected hand like a loony to restore feeling. Having drops gives me more hand positions, especially if I fit some suicide levers so I can use the brakes on the bar tops and corners. I know some riders don't like them but I had suicides on my old Raleigh and I used them far more than the main levers. Never had an issue with them, so long as the shoe clearances were kept well adjusted. I don't brake aggressively anyway in normal riding.
 
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