R
Roger
Guest
I am seriously thinking about buying a Dawes Galaxy, having been half persuaded to do so by a friend
who has ordered one.
I am currently riding a bike that was given to me by a colleague. It's about 20 yrs old (and looks
it!) but has 531c frame, Campag hubs and derailleurs. My main problem with it is that it is only 12
speed. I think it's reasonably light, nice to ride *except* up hills, and was good value for money
(free). I can't be bothered upgrading it any more (have spent £30 on replacing the 11-23 cluster
with 13-28).
My riding is fairly casual, mainly on road, with a bit of slightly rougher stuff, e.g. towpaths. No
extreme off-road. I have signed up for the London-Brighton ride in June, which will be the furthest
I have ridden in a day. I would not rule out the possibility of doing some actual touring in the
future (I toured for a week in France on a hire bike last year, longest day=60km). I am 37 and
neither fit nor unfit, if that makes sense!
I am hoping a touring bike might be an "all purpose" bike for my purposes. i.e. not too heavy on
road, tough enough to take a few bumps off road.
My concerns/questions are:
1. How heavy is a Galaxy? Can anyone tell me the actual weight? Will it feel much heavier than my
current bike? Of course you can't answer that
- I don't even have a scales to weigh it. I am sure the extra gear ratios will make it easier to
ride overall. But is it considered a "heavy" bike (for a tourer, or in general)?
2. Are all the components good quality? I want them to work smoothly and last a while. I gather from
this group that the Galaxy is a decent bike.
3. Bar end shifters... surely they can't be harder to use than my down tube friction shifters???
4. Does anyone know the actual chainring / sprocket sizes?
5. Where is the cheapest price at the moment?
thanks, any advice appreciated. Roger
who has ordered one.
I am currently riding a bike that was given to me by a colleague. It's about 20 yrs old (and looks
it!) but has 531c frame, Campag hubs and derailleurs. My main problem with it is that it is only 12
speed. I think it's reasonably light, nice to ride *except* up hills, and was good value for money
(free). I can't be bothered upgrading it any more (have spent £30 on replacing the 11-23 cluster
with 13-28).
My riding is fairly casual, mainly on road, with a bit of slightly rougher stuff, e.g. towpaths. No
extreme off-road. I have signed up for the London-Brighton ride in June, which will be the furthest
I have ridden in a day. I would not rule out the possibility of doing some actual touring in the
future (I toured for a week in France on a hire bike last year, longest day=60km). I am 37 and
neither fit nor unfit, if that makes sense!
I am hoping a touring bike might be an "all purpose" bike for my purposes. i.e. not too heavy on
road, tough enough to take a few bumps off road.
My concerns/questions are:
1. How heavy is a Galaxy? Can anyone tell me the actual weight? Will it feel much heavier than my
current bike? Of course you can't answer that
- I don't even have a scales to weigh it. I am sure the extra gear ratios will make it easier to
ride overall. But is it considered a "heavy" bike (for a tourer, or in general)?
2. Are all the components good quality? I want them to work smoothly and last a while. I gather from
this group that the Galaxy is a decent bike.
3. Bar end shifters... surely they can't be harder to use than my down tube friction shifters???
4. Does anyone know the actual chainring / sprocket sizes?
5. Where is the cheapest price at the moment?
thanks, any advice appreciated. Roger