DAWES CYCLES 2014 LAUNCH
Out with the old: Dawes’ revamped retro logo as seen on the Tiffany
The new Academy line
Opening Dawes
DEALERS AT the Hilton in Cobham, Surrey – or any of the other Dawes roadshow locations – were met with a blast from the past in the form of its new old logo. Confused? Dawes has tapped into the trend for heritage
branding with its revamped retro badge, a modern, slightly tweaked, version of the ‘50s version. Those paying attention at the back of the class will have noted the new logo had an outing on the packaging of Dawes’ Heritage accessory brand last year, where it was well received and gave Dawes the confidence to launch it company-wide. Collaring senior product and marketing
manager Gary Conway, BikeBiz was informed the new head badge “tells a story and lifts the appearance of the bike. And it’s a proper badge, not a sticker”. Conway revealed the badge will be
appearing on Dawes’ extensive childrens bikes too, but will likely take on the colour of the artwork to blend in. Aside from the head badge revamp, what about new product? Dawes’ newly launched Urban Express range has had a very positive response from dealers, Conway told BikeBiz, with a “lower price point than direct competitors” for similar specs. Featuring an internal Nexus hub and adjustable stem, the range is – as you will have guessed – aimed at the urban commuter, with comfort a key feature. Colours are muted so as not to
BIKEBIZ.COM The Academy
range is based on the principle of ‘proper bikes,
miniaturised’
Tiffany, a close relation to the Dutchess
The Urban Express 3
Dealers joining Dawes Cycles for its 2014 product launch roadshow in January got to see a revamped logo and an eye-catching childrens range, among other highlights. Jonathon Harker reports…
attract undue attention from bike thieves while your bike is locked up outside work. Prices start from £430 to £550 for the seven-speed version. Our sources said that the bikes had even gone down well in the mountain bike and high-end road heartlands of the north. Elsewhere in the Dawes range, the Discovery
Sport is an urban bike range sporting suspension forks for commuters looking to go off-road every now and then. Dawes devotees will note these were introduced last year, but this year will come with some colour changes.
Heritage The Heritage range is one of Dawes strongest sellers and this year the sub-brand sees the introduction of the Tiffany (pictured in pink, above) – an internal hubbed answer to the Duchess. It’s in a beach cruiser-esque style, though with a smaller wheel base it is lighter and more wieldly. Back with the Duchess, this year there have been many more colour options introduced, including the love it or loathe it ‘Hippy’ (dealers can cherry pick the colours they stock, Dawes reminds us). At the other end of the spectrum there’s a new subtle black version which plays nicely on that classic heritage look. Prices have been held at £350 and models now come with a double wall rim so are more robust, but the frame pump has been lost to keep prices flat.
Dawes Cycles’ childrens ranges are key to the company, making up a significant proportion of sales and also in sheer numbers due to the wide range. For 2014 Dawes has launched Academy to complement them and rival those revered brands like Isla Bikes. Based on the principle of ‘proper bikes,
miniaturised’, these lightweight kids bikes are set to be an evolving range (there’s a drop bar version in the works). They stretch all the way from the Wobble balance bike (£139, with detailing like an angled saddle to keep little ‘uns from falling off) up to a 24-inch Academy (£349.99). At present Dawes has plumped for a largely unisex colour scheme, but it’s just the start on that score. While Dawes is testing the water with Academy this year, it has been a long process to put the range together – the firm had to create tools for components that weren’t widely available on the market. Detailing on the Academy range include an adjustable stem so you don’t need spacers as the child in question grows and Shimano light action shifters. Dawes said there had been a reassuring
response to the range and that some dealers had suggested the larger bikes in the range would be suitable for shorter adults. Academy will be arriving in stock in March. To find out more about the Dawes 2014
ranges, contact the firm directly:
www.dawescycles.com; 0121 748 8050
BIKEBIZ FEBRUARY 31
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