Dawes Karakum Touring Bike [+/-] $800 – A Short Review

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Best Cheap aluminum touring bicycle

About Dawes

Not so famous among the tourers, nevertheless Dawes has a more-than-a-century-long history in making bikes, deserving a spot in the UK bicycle manufacturing Olympus.

The Dawes Karakum Touring Bike features a lightweight alloy frame and Chromoly fork. Distinctive because of the butterfly handlebars it offers unrivaled comfort with multi riding positions on those long tours. A roll call of quality components consists of Shimano Alivio 27 speed gears, Shimano hubs, Shimano V-brakes, Schwalbe Silento II tires, and an ultra-comfy Dawes saddle.

Good touring frame able to circumnavigate the world – some updataes might be worth

The Dawes Karakum seems to have been discontinued by Dawes. There are still many around in the second-hand market.


Dawes Karakum Specs

  • Rear Derailleur: Shimano RD-M430 Alivio 9spd
  • Shifters: Shimano SL-M390 Rapidfire 27spd
  • Chainrings: 48-36-26T Chainrings
  • Cassette: Shimano 9spd Cassette 11-32T
  • Brakeset: Shimano BR-M422 Alloy V
  • Brakes Rims: ALEX Ace19 Double Wall Alloy, with CNC braking surface
  • Hubs: 36H Shimano FH-RM70 Quick Release, alloy
  • Tyres: Schwalbe Silento II 700 x 32C  

A step-through “ladies” version of this touring bike also used to be available.

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How we write our reviews: most of our reviews are based on first-hand long-term use or short-term test by a member of our team. For some new models or build variations, we rely on our experience with similar models and our team's experience in understanding bike geometry and components.

Dawes Karakum Touring Bike [+/-] $800 - A Short Review 2

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