Dolan bikes generally ignored overlooked?

fat bloke

Ribble, Planet X, Canyon, these names always crop up when anyone is looking to buy winter bikes or race bikes or TT bikes even, and are generally lauded as the bastions of sensible pricing of competent machinery, and rightly so.
But I've been checking out Dolan's website lately a bit and the prices seem really excellent.
I was looking for a replacement frame for the Mrs and I can get an aluminium frame for as low as 99 pounds sterling. They have ultegra carbon builds starting at 999 (pounds sterling again) and a really impressive looking TT bike - full TT build with Ultegra AND zipp 60's for 1999 quid.

Other than the wife's one-time race bike and long time winter trainer and turbo horse which is an old carbon dolan I don't have any other experience of them. But they seem like very good bikes at good prices. Did the An Post lads ride dolan's for a while???

Anyway, just wondering if many people on here ride them and have an opinion, or would like to share their ride / ownership experiences. - I'm not buying or anything, just musing.

lennymc

i had a dolan frameset - it was a lovely riding bike, but I sold it on cos I had too many bikes. A fellow boardsie bought it, and has raced it with some success. I would buy another dolan. Might buy one of the cross frames....

Raam

lennymc wrote: »

I sold it on cos I had too many bikes.

What?

rollingscone

lennymc wrote: »

i had a dolan frameset - it was a lovely riding bike, but I sold it on cos I had too many bikes. A fellow boardsie bought it, and has raced it with some success. I would buy another dolan. Might buy one of the cross frames....

S-1?

lennymc

I quickly realised my mistake and replaced it with two bikes.

thebouldwhacker

fat bloke wrote: »

I was looking for a replacement frame for the Mrs and I can get an aluminium frame for as low as 99 pounds sterling. They have ultegra carbon builds starting at 999 (pounds sterling again) and a really impressive looking TT bike - full TT build with Ultegra AND zipp 60's for 1999 quid.

I love it, in three lines you moved from looking at a £99 frame for the Mrs to a £1999 full bling bike for yourself.
Technically you can buy it and blame her!!

Chapeau.

nak

Had a look at a Dolan road frameset a few years ago, but it was heavier and more expensive than Ribble, so went with them instead.

The Dolan track frames are certainly popular. Team GB had a lot of success with them before the Secret Squirrel Club bikes appeared.

kayaksurfbum

Iv got a preffisio as a second bike and i love it. I would have got one of the carbons but the sizes were all pretty small, they have added more sizes since. I plan on getting the Ti preffiso at some stage.

Hmmzis

Lenny, that frame is great. It got me to A3 in just two races in A4 and judging by the Roche GP it's perfectly capable also in A3. With some lighter wheels it should also be perfectly fine in the Pyrenees next year.

ROK ON

I have had a Dolan Hercules for 6 or 7 years. A very comfy bike. I presently commute on it and have used it for sportifs and races. Have done several 160-200k rides, most recently five weeks ago.
It was and is a great bike. Good value a bit flexy and heavy for carbon - but I would absolutely recommend one. In the time that I have had the Dolan I have bought and sold a Specialised, and Orbea and have written off a Van Nicholas.

lennymc

Hmmzis wrote: »

Lenny, that frame is great. It got me to A3 in just two races in A4 and judging by the Roche GP it's perfectly capable also in A3. With some lighter wheels it should also be perfectly fine in the Pyrenees next year.

yeah - it rides so well. It belonged to a chap on the team before me and was also raced by him iirc.

Donie75

I ride a Dolan Hercules SE and I really can't fault it. I bought it off another boardsie secondhand for a great price and built it up in 105 and handbuilt Open Pro's. I'm a big lad and it has performed brilliantly. I was worried that it might not be strong enough so I rang Dolans. The guy told be they had just supplied two ex England second rows with the same bike with no problems.
The new L'Etape looks good value.