My Dawes Galaxy

[dnrc]

Hi all, i'm new around here. I posted in the welcome section but am also going to post here as i reckon you guys will be able to help me with my specific question.

I did lots of cycling as a kid but went away, now wanting to get back to it, Partly for adventure and partly because football is ruining my knees!

But anyway, I got a half decent MTB last year to hack about on and have been out a few times, i am signed up for the London to Brighton this year to give myself a challenge and some motivation.

But i really like the idea of touring, jogle appeals to me but to start with i'm thinking of a coastal ride. My mums is right on the coast in norfolk in winterton so i'm thinking of just setting off south to see how far i get in say a week and getting a train back.

So I was reading last night and the consensus was that the dawes galaxy is a proper tourer. I had a quick skim on ebay and then on gumtree. Anyway, long story short, i now own a Dawes Galaxy I picked up today.

It's mechanically sound and in really good condition, a bit of attention and degreasing and it will be near pristine. Now i would like to date it, maybe you guys can help??

As far as i can see it's almost identical in spec to the current/2009 model. I have a 631 frame, 27 speeds, handlebar shifters, deore etc derailleurs, 700c wheels and schwalbe marathon tyres.

It was a bit of a whim but hey...

How old is it likely to be and have i done ok??

Thanks.

 

[theloafer]

hi dnrc congrats on a great bike it should last you a long time used to have one but went down the custom route..... still have the frame in the shed just build up slowly and before you know it lejogs will be poss have dont it twice for my 40th +50th both south to north... for my 60th planing to go north to south...

larry

 

[stephenjubb]

it's defintely 2004 onwards, that is when they started with an ahead stem.

 

[PpPete]

£250 is good for that.

On Ebay the modern 631 welded ones are not as popular as the older 531 brazed frame ones.... I've seen a really good late 90's 27 speed Super Galaxy fetch £500+.

Anyway they have been the "benchmark" by which all other tourers are judged and have been for nearly 40 years. There are arguably better ones, but few and far between and usually expensive.

Enjoy riding it.

 

[willem]

I am not an expert on the Galaxy, but yes this one is pretty recent, and you got it for a really good price. I have one question: does the saddle really need to be this low? If it does the bike may be too large and particularly too long for you. As for initial maintenance, I suggest replacing the brake cables and getting the far superior Koolstop Salmon brake blocks if and when the blocks need to be replaced. Do not leave home without a spare tube as the old ones may be old. Schwalbe tubes are the best in my experience, and the ultralight ones are both lighter and give a tiny bit less less rolling resistance.
For a saddle you may want to get a Brooks leather saddle at some stage. Finally, the rack is not the best there is, but it will be fine for a while, and if you do not overload it.
I think that if this bike does indeed fit you got yourself a beauty and a bargain. Enjoy the ride,
Willem

 

[cnb]

I have to agree with Willem, The saddle looks too low, so either (a) the bike is the wrong size for you ( you are riding with it too low, This is fairly common with people new to cycling who feel that they need to be able to place both feet on the ground whilst sitting on the saddle.If the bikes too large you could be over stretched and this may lead to discomfort on longer multi-day rides...But then again i'm just going off whats right for me, We all have different body shapes and proportions...Looks a nice bike...

 

[aberal]

To get the saddle at the correct height, as a rule of thumb - sitting on the saddle your knee should be slightly bent when your heel is placed on the pedal at its lowest point.

 

[PpPete]

Looks like the smallest frame size they do, so unless you are less than 160cm tall I think it's def. saddle height!

My 11 y.o. son rides his (old 531 framed 21" Galaxy) with his saddle that high... but he's not 150cm yet. I had to put a seriously short stem on it for him. It's really too big for him still, but he wanted a proper grown-ups bike like his older siblings. Will be doing JoGLE on it in August.

 

[PpPete]

the far superior Koolstop Salmon brake blocks if and when the blocks need to be replaced.

Good idea.
The original fit short cantis are not great, so better blocks especially for loaded touring.
You can also fit the wide "cyclocross" cantis. Galaxy's used to come with those in late 80's. Much better IMO.

 

[dnrc]

Thanks for the input guys, no worries at the saddle it was just adjusted for transport, it's the perfect size for me, here it is with the saddle at roughly adjusted riding height:

I'm not terribly familiar with bikes having more recently been doing cars and all sorts of other things but i can spot good engineering and this seems to me to be quality stuff, i'm pleased with it anyway.

I reckon if i spend some time giving it a good cleanup and bit of tlc, then whip off the rack and mudguards it will be superb for the london to brighton. After that i can think about replacing the guards and rack for when i want to try the touring. They seem a little wonky and flimsy to me, i could probably save them but my initial impression is they they need swapping out.

 

[aberal]

Can't stand mudguards personally meself. They do a bit of a job a I suppose when it's been raining. When it's actually raining you get wet anyway so they're pointless. The rest of the time they just rattle about.

 

[HelenD123]

The guards look like SKS ones and that's about as good as you'll get.

 

[shirokazan]

When it's actually raining you get wet anyway so they're pointless. The rest of the time they just rattle about.

I find they help reduce the amount of dirt/mud/road dross that cakes the bike (and me) both during and after rain.

 

[dnrc]

Thanks for that helen, they are indeed sks and given that info i will adjust them properly and hang on to them.

Having had another look the rack is wobbly rather than the mudgaurds, i'll just have to see what i can do with that, probably nothing a few bolts and a sturdy strip of steel can't sort.

 

[willem]

SKS mudguards are fine and a real advantage in foul weather (your drive train will also love them). They are not particulalry flimsy, but a laminate of aluminium and plastics, combining desirable properties of both materials. The only and more expensive alternatives are the ultralight and very cool Japanese Honjo aluminium mudguards and the Velo Orange imitations thereof, and the stainless steel Gilles Berthoud mudguards. All these have the longer French look, and that is an advantage. But I would honestly not change these SKS mudguards.
The rack is a different matter. I would first check the bolts. And as long as you will not use the bike for loaded touring with a little tent (you should, but that is a different story) even this rack should be fine. For serious loads I suggest you look at the Tubus Cargo rack. It is light, strong and stiff like no other rack on the market. Mind you, this is a bike that will be more pleasant to ride with a medium camping load of some 12-15 kg than with an expedition load of 30+ kg. I am not sure about the tyre clearance you have, but if you have some spare clearance it may be worth getting one size wider tyres next time you replace them. Those wil give you more stable handling on rough surfaces, and more comfort.
Enjoy the ride,
Willem