Touring bike

[Iainj837]

I have posted this on another forum but I'm thinking of upgrading my touring bike from my Dawes Galaxy but unsure what to go for, I'm thinking of going for one with disc brakes rather than rim brakes but I love the steel frame of the Galaxy any recommendations? TIA

 

[HobbesOnTour]

I have posted this on another forum but I'm thinking of upgrading my touring bike from my Dawes Galaxy but unsure what to go for, I'm thinking of going for one with disc brakes rather than rim brakes but I love the steel frame of the Galaxy any recommendations? TIA

I can't recommend a bike, but the only advice I can suggest is to have a good think about what you want in your new bike. Once you start looking you'll get bombarded with information and that can be very confusing.

Why do you want a new bike? What is not good about the old bike? Are you looking at touring in different places or with a different style?

A recent discussion here including disc brakes
https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/a...ike-thread-sub-1k.256962/page-11#post-5872232

 

[Iainj837]

I have a mtb with disc brakes and find them far superior to rim brakes, I have to say Iove my Galaxy as its bombproof but it hasn't got disc brakes.
That's the only thing wrong with the galaxy

 

[mjr]

I find it difficult to get too excited about brake types as long as 1. they stop me; and 2. they don't snag and make noises when not being used - and ideally, making no odd noises when being used either. Many disc brakes seem to fail on point 2, from all the scraping, chiming and whistling I hear on group rides, while the only failure on point 1 I've had in recent years have been vintage rim brakes on steel rims and that's fairly easy to solve.

tl;dr: if the Galaxy works so well, can you upgrade the rim brakes or pads to be good enough?

 

[Pale Rider]

A Galaxy is a decent touring bike.

An upgrade may do little more than get the disc brakes you seek.

Up to you, of course, but I would be looking for other benefit to justify the cost.

 

[Blue Hills]

Yes @Iainj837 , what's wrong with your galaxy?
what do you find lacking about it?

Re mjr's point, the worst noises I have ever heard from a bike have come from disc brakes.

I find V brakes will halt me and all my loaded junk.

They only ever make a noise if I'm neglectful in very basic maintenance (i rarely am) or the bike has had a very filthy trip. easily solved by cleaning rims and pads with an old toothbrush.

If you love the steel frame of your galaxy it seems to me that you are most of the way to nirvana already.

Do you perhaps just need some new wheels?

 

[randynewmanscat]

I have posted this on another forum but I'm thinking of upgrading my touring bike from my Dawes Galaxy but unsure what to go for, I'm thinking of going for one with disc brakes rather than rim brakes but I love the steel frame of the Galaxy any recommendations? TIA

For a day bike used in civilised zones and not far from shops and transport home I would be happy to use hydraulic brakes. For a multi day tour in an unfamiliar area or country when you don't even know the shop opening times for simple groceries I prefer a bike I can repair everything on, at the roadside.
The simplicity of cable operated rim brakes is perfect for a touring bike that might take its rider to the middle of nowhere with no shops, no spares, no special tools.
I use friction shifters on my touring bike for the same reasons, a joyless ride home with a none functioning Shimano shifter reminded me why I avoid complexity on a bike used for multi day/week tours.
The same shifter cannot be repaired without a well equipped workshop and considerable effort in fashioning a new ratchet pawl, its basically BER (beyond econical repair).
For anyone daring to say that a fault with well serviced hydraulic brakes is unlikely to occur, save that as a bedtime story for your pet Unicorn.
To qualify as none luddite I use a Beringer 6 piston caliper on my supermoto and Brembo aftermarket on my sunday best car, neither of which has travelled in Finland or northern Norway where service kits are a bit thin on the ground.

Which one do you think will go in the bin first?

 

[8mph]

For what it's worth, I've just sold my Dawes 531 tourer and purchased a Marin Muirwoods, for similar reasons, disk brakes, 1 1/8 steerer etc. In retrospect, it's been quite expensive and with hindsight, I might not have bothered. The modern straight forks are never going to be as comfortable as raked forks and in general, the new bike, while functional, is lacking in finesse.

 

[randynewmanscat]

The modern straight forks are never going to be as comfortable as raked forks and in general, the new bike, while functional, is lacking in finesse.

I agree, Riding with my head down and on corrugated tarmac I can see the tips of the forks oscillating, that has to count as some dissipated energy from "bumps and lumps". Of course that dissipated energy must also occur when you are transmitting power to the cranks, however even with my sorely competitive streak I resist sprints and half wheeling when taking in the countryside views on a loaded bike. If I lose X watts a mile/km due to a comfy frame I am not going to get anxious, I'll stick with riding X metres less per hour than my doppelganger riding the carbon frame.
I could not enjoy riding a loaded up carbon frame, even one with lazy geometry.

 

[F70100]

Spa Cycles Wayfarer.

 

[Iainj837]

Yes @Iainj837 , what's wrong with your galaxy?
what do you find lacking about it?

Re mjr's point, the worst noises I have ever heard from a bike have come from disc brakes.

I find V brakes will halt me and all my loaded junk.

They only ever make a noise if I'm neglectful in very basic maintenance (i rarely am) or the bike has had a very filthy trip. easily solved by cleaning rims and pads with an old toothbrush.

If you love the steel frame of your galaxy it seems to me that you are most of the way to nirvana already.

Do you perhaps just need some new wheels?

After reading your replies, I am going to keep my Galaxy and my consider putting wider tyres on, I have 28's what would be the widest I can put on? Or like you said earlier a new set of wheels 1 set for commuting 28'sand 1 for touring

 

[Blue Hills]

After reading your replies, I am going to keep my Galaxy and my consider putting wider tyres on, I have 28's what would be the widest I can put on? Or like you said earlier a new set of wheels 1 set for commuting 28'sand 1 for touring

Thanks for the reply,
Can't advise on the tyre clearance for the galaxy - not my patch.

For the wheels I'd check out Spa.

For loaded touring I don't think you can beat Sputniks though I know some consider them overkill.

I have them on a few bikes, including a second hand 90s hybrid (quality steel) which rides like a dream with them on.

Bothers me not that the bike cost £30 (though I have changed bits, just using the frame) and the wheels something like £140 (more now I think) - it's the overall package that counts.

Sputniks will actually take tyres down to 28mm as well as maybe more normal for touring 35/37/38s though you might think them a bit heavy for a bike running 28s.

Make sure your guards will be wide enough for the widest tyres you will be fitting.

 

[Iainj837]

Thanks for the reply,
Can't advise on the tyre clearance for the galaxy - not my patch.

For the wheels I'd check out Spa.

For loaded touring I don't think you can beat Sputniks though I know some consider them overkill.

I have them on a few bikes, including a second hand 90s hybrid (quality steel) which rides like a dream with them on.

Bothers me not that the bike cost £30 (though I have changed bits, just using the frame) and the wheels something like £140 (more now I think) - it's the overall package that counts.

Sputniks will actually take tyres down to 28mm as well as maybe more normal for touring 35/37/38s though you might think them a bit heavy for a bike running 28s.

Make sure your guards will be wide enough for the widest tyres you will be fitting.

To be fair not to bothered about being slowed down whilst touring with my tent sleeping bag etc

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

I'd be very surprised if you couldn't get 35's to fit in a 531 Galaxy frame. I've got a close-clearance Dawes 531 frame, which is racier than a Galaxy - in which you can just about shoe-horn 32's, although they run too close for comfort on the back triangle, so I went with 28's. Your limiting factor is probably going to be what will fit under full mudguards rather than what will physically squeeze between the frame members. Most old steel bikes tended to have pretty generous tyre clearances, it's the modern carbon and aluminium stuff where the designers have lost the plot - but they aren't really proper bikes in my book.

 

[Pale Rider]

I had these Mavics on my Rose trekking ebike.

Never needed to touch them for more than 5,000 miles when I sold the bike.

A lumpy ebike - and rider - is probably equivalent to a loaded tourer.

DT Swiss spokes and Deore hubs, which are decent components.

Something of a bargain at a hundred quid for a pair.

https://www.rosebikes.co.uk/rose-28...10-hybrid-wheelset-716633?product_shape=black