I need a new road frame & MEKK aren’t responding to my mails & phone calls.
Been looking at this :-

http://www.dolan-bikes.com/index.php/road/road-framesets/road-framesets-carbon/dolan-l-etape-carbon-road-frameset.html

it’s in my price bracket, looks good & is fairly light at 1200grms in the 48cm.
It has a BB30 bottom bracket though, i have a Shimano 105 chainset, will they be compatible?
It takes brake calipers with a 49mm drop, i have 105 calipers but i have no idea what the drop is.
The frame has very similar geometry to my MEKK Potenza :-

http://www.mekkbicycles.com/Mekk-Potenza-40.aspx

Thoughts?

funny, I always thought they were Solan!

Definitely Dolan!
Fairly close to me as well, so no horror stories?

You local to ormskirk? If so pop down to Terry’s unit and have a look how they do things. Btw, you may need an interpreter

There are various adapters to fit Shimano cranksets to BB30 bikes. Stock up on BB30 bearings.
FWIW a friend went down to have a fitting for a Tuono but he hasn’t been happy with it and was glad when winter came and he could go back to his Genesis.

know nothing about their road bikes, but they are the default track bike of choice for hundreds (thousands?) of kids and lower level adults around the country

reputation is for quality and reliability

apologies to dolan if I have undersold them

know nothing about their road bikes, but they are the default track bike of choice for hundreds (thousands?) of kids and lower level adults around the country

also used for UCI World Cups, Olympics etc 😉

I’ve had a bike off them, they were great to deal with, happy to recommend them.

How does a press fit BB work? Is it a shop job every time the bearings need changing or can you replace them at home?

I bought a track bike from them – good service, honest people, excellent value.

I can’t answer your questions but I’ve got an Ares SL …. Great bunch of guys to deal with . I can recommend them.

If you really good you get you “own” colour!

Yes riders who rode those have got rainbow strips!

Had a couple in the past. A alloy cx and now a carbon cx bike. Mega value. The carbon cx does everything, from 24hr TT’s to cx racing and mtb marathons events. Can’t kill it with a stick….

How does a press fit BB work? Is it a shop job every time the bearings need changing or can you replace them at home?

I’ve done mine at home, tap out the old with a punch, tap in the new with the old bearing, 10min job, that was on an ally frame, may be different on a carbon frame.

Never had a BB30-type bottom bracket, are they reknowned for being junk?
I like the look and projected weight of the bike, but the BB30 & aluminium steerer on the fork are giving me some concerns. The Mekk has a carbon steerer.
Am i just worrying about nothing?

I’ve got that Dolan le etape. Tis a good bike, not done many outdoor miles as I just got it in December but lovely ride, not noticed any flex riding and generally chuffed to bits with it.

Both of my boys have Pre-Cursa track bikes, they are also the hire bikes used at Newport Velodrome. Quite highly regarded and they make some pretty decent frames (DF3, Forza on the track).

Which size did you get Scruff? How does it stack up geometry-wise?

i had a (cougar branded) terry dolan steel frame in the 90s, literally could not fault it in any way, would buy another without hesitation.

Merlin have some for the Same price as well. Was looking at the dolan myself but the biggest they do is 56 and I am 6ft 5. Not sure 1200grams is that light for a carbon frame

Didn’t David Millar get Dolan to build him a TT bike when his old team refused to get him one…I vaguley remember it from his autobiog…I think it was Dolan

there respected in the tt community think Alex Dowsett rides/rode one

I had a very bad experience with one of the Dolan sons a few years ago when they sent me a frame with a flared head tube. A mate received the same model frame at the same time, also with a flared head tube, and we were both sworn at down the phone and told to **** off.

Seems like they’d had a bad batch of these frames and were unhappy about it. Would never give them a penny of my money ever again.