The Dawes Sardar: Britain's best ever bike?

[reohn2]

have you noticed that all the pictures have the handle bars a good distance below the seat? want to appeal to a go-fasssssst fetish?

It seems to be ingrained into the psyche of cyclists that,that is how a bike should be set up,when nothing,especially in a touring bike,could be further from the truth.

[horizon]

What about the Roberts Rough Stuff - sadly no longer available new.http://www.robertscycles.com/robertsroughstuff.html

I ignored all the bespoke bikes and even the Thorns (the Thorn Sherpa must surely be better than a Sardar) on the basis that the Sardar was a mass-market bike from a mainstream maker. Anybody could have one if they so chose - that was my idea anyway. I also distinguished it from a Galaxy (quite hard to do) on the basis that the Sardar could hit the bike paths and tow paths in a way that the Galaxy (whose origins AFAIK lie in the 1970s) wasn't really designed to do.

[PhilD28]

The Sardar was OK as a pale imitation of the best rough-stuff bike ever, Orbit's Romany.(of precious memory)
Pity Dawes didn't understand and copy the best feature of the Romany - an offset back end for a near-dishless back wheel!

I agree with the above.

I've had some pretty expensive 26" wheeled touring and expedition bikes over the years (thorn nomad, Dave Yates Hosteller etc) however my Orbit Romany beats them all for all round feel and versatility.
I bought the F&F for £79 new when Orbit were selling a bunch off about 20 years ago and kitted it out with full xt kit, bar end shifters and V brakes and build up my own wheels. I've done up to 4 month long camping tours on it and it has performed beautifully. It displaced my Dave Yates hosteller which is a great bike but this just does everything better. very difficult to explain why.

My wife rides a Roberts Roughstuff which is a lovely bike but having ridden them both extensively (same size and equipment) I still prefer the Orbit, it's difficult to fully explain why.

[mercalia]

The Sardar was OK as a pale imitation of the best rough-stuff bike ever, Orbit's Romany.(of precious memory)
Pity Dawes didn't understand and copy the best feature of the Romany - an offset back end for a near-dishless back wheel!

I agree with the above.

I've had some pretty expensive 26" wheeled touring and expedition bikes over the years (thorn nomad, Dave Yates Hosteller etc) however my Orbit Romany beats them all for all round feel and versatility.
I bought the F&F for £79 new when Orbit were selling a bunch off about 20 years ago and kitted it out with full xt kit, bar end shifters and V brakes and build up my own wheels. I've done up to 4 month long camping tours on it and it has performed beautifully. It displaced my Dave Yates hosteller which is a great bike but this just does everything better. very difficult to explain why.

My wife rides a Roberts Roughstuff which is a lovely bike but having ridden them both extensively (same size and equipment) I still prefer the Orbit, it's difficult to fully explain why.

love is blind?

[reohn2]

The Sardar was OK as a pale imitation of the best rough-stuff bike ever, Orbit's Romany.(of precious memory)
Pity Dawes didn't understand and copy the best feature of the Romany - an offset back end for a near-dishless back wheel!

I agree with the above.

I've had some pretty expensive 26" wheeled touring and expedition bikes over the years (thorn nomad, Dave Yates Hosteller etc) however my Orbit Romany beats them all for all round feel and versatility.
I bought the F&F for £79 new when Orbit were selling a bunch off about 20 years ago and kitted it out with full xt kit, bar end shifters and V brakes and build up my own wheels. I've done up to 4 month long camping tours on it and it has performed beautifully. It displaced my Dave Yates hosteller which is a great bike but this just does everything better. very difficult to explain why.

My wife rides a Roberts Roughstuff which is a lovely bike but having ridden them both extensively (same size and equipment) I still prefer the Orbit, it's difficult to fully explain why.

If it's only the offset rear end that's different I'm puzzled,though I strongly suspect it isn't.
Sometimes you throw you leg over a bike and after a relatively short 'dialing in' period,a couple of hundred miles later you find it really suits you,it's hard to explain but it sort of 'fits'.A fit that isn't contact points or handling but something else....
I've been through a few bikes that I've thought yes,OK,nice ride then you hit on one that makes you think 'I've struck gold' it has no vices,almost rides itself,kind of looks after you and all in a strange way that you find yourself taking a long look at it and thinking,what is it,what make this bike so special to me?
It's quality a quality that fits your quality requirement and the worst or best of it is you don't know what it is,you can't define it,it's it's isness.......
I have found the same bike too,but mine isn't a Romany

PS,It's not a Sardar either

[fast but dim]

Interesting thread... If anyone fancies buying one, mines for sale in the classifieds, although just reading this thread is making me have second thoughts!

The sardar is a great bike for bad roads and bad weather.

I've ridden the north face trail in Grizedale on mine when. I bumped into mates MTBing whilst on a tour.

You only realise how good it really is when it's carrying a load. I've ridden most of the passes in the lakes with a light camping load, and even felt comfortable descending harknott.

[mercalia]

Interesting thread... If anyone fancies buying one, mines for sale in the classifieds, although just reading this thread is making me have second thoughts!

The sardar is a great bike for bad roads and bad weather.

I've ridden the north face trail in Grizedale on mine when. I bumped into mates MTBing whilst on a tour.

You only realise how good it really is when it's carrying a load. I've ridden most of the passes in the lakes with a light camping load, and even felt comfortable descending harknott.

well in another post you seemed to imply you have other bikes then sell one of them instead to raise cash for the new one?

[fast but dim]

Interesting thread... If anyone fancies buying one, mines for sale in the classifieds, although just reading this thread is making me have second thoughts!

The sardar is a great bike for bad roads and bad weather.

I've ridden the north face trail in Grizedale on mine when. I bumped into mates MTBing whilst on a tour.

You only realise how good it really is when it's carrying a load. I've ridden most of the passes in the lakes with a light camping load, and even felt comfortable descending harknott.

well in another post you seemed to imply you have other bikes then sell one of them instead to raise cash for the new one?

It's the bike I use least!

I've got a Thorn audax that is perfect for lightweight touring. It's a great all-rounder, and i use it too much to sell.

I make the effort now and again to go places that the thorn won't go, using green lanes in the lakes, just to use the Sardar. Tbh it's only once or twice a year, as none of my mates have bikes that will cope. If the bike sells I can use my hardtail to get off the beaten track if I ever feel the need.

I ride with a road club in the week, so need a decent fast bike to keep up. I get dropped enough as it is...I'd be toast if I turned up on the thorn.

I fancy an Airnimal folder...

Good enough answer?

[700c]

Having owned both a Sardar and a One Down, I would posit that the 1d is the better bike of the two.

[mercalia]

Having owned both a Sardar and a One Down, I would posit that the 1d is the better bike of the two.

really? why? I would have thought once you go 26" then all mostly the same? I bet not many who have had both so we all would be interested in the plus and minuses. I always thought that the 1D was a first attempt then made a better effort with the sardar?

[Si]

'made better' is a relative term. the 1down has a 1 1/8th ahead stem, whereas I believe the Sardar has a 1inch threaded. Depends on which you think is best.

Sardar has the 'advantage' of disc mounts - so better brakes in the wet and no more worn out rims, but potentially a less comfortable fork.

Swings and roundabouts.....but I wish my 1down had discs.

[mercalia]

One very serious failing of the 1D is the bridge for the rear mudguard - it is too low for large tyres. In my case Marathon 1.75" ( hardly the largest ) almost touch the top of the mudguard and if riding over lots of mud clog up. The best I can do is to use zip ties to pull the mudguard up so it is touching the bridge; havent yet tried it on muddy terrain but is the best that can be done. So the 1D maybe be able to take fat tyres but not with mudguards ( how did you get that wrong Dawes? ) what about the Sardar in that respect?