Decision on new bike - galaxy?



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Roger

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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
 
Roger wrote:
> I am seriously thinking about buying a Dawes Galaxy, having been half persuaded to do so by a
> friend who has ordered one.

Good machines, aspired to owning one for years.

> 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.

IMHO a tourer is as good a "one size fits all" as you'll get, at least for a 3 figure sum (which is
why my only bike for 10 years was a tourer).

Do note that though it's a good benchmark, the Galaxy isn't the only show in town. It's entirely
likely a Horizon will do everything you need, and leave you with a few hundred change too. The
Sardar is IMHO very well worth a look, and there's the models from Thorn amongst others.

> 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)?

"it depends". A bike with a bombproof frame, racks at front and rear and full mudguards plus triple
chainset is going to weigh a lot more than a single speed machine pared of all excess. It shouldn't
be heavy for stuff in its class, but that's not the same as Really Lightweight.

> 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.

Should be. If you want more and better, the Super-G is an obvious step up.

> 3. Bar end shifters... surely they can't be harder to use than my down tube friction shifters???

They're easier in most people's experience.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch University of Dundee Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Medical Physics, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net [email protected]
http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/
 
On Sat, 01 Mar 2003 12:20:12 -0800, Roger <[email protected]> wrote:

>I am seriously thinking about buying a Dawes Galaxy, having been half persuaded to do so by a
>friend who has ordered one.

Seriously is the only way to think about such a commitment. A bike is for life, not just for
Clubruns :)

>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).

Hmm. Sounds like it would make a good "Wednesday bike" - the bike for those summer evening club
runs, stripped down and polished up.

>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.

Prolly about right. Hybrids are good, too, but a proper tourer is better on a long run (IME, YMMV,
TSOTHIETTSOTSOTOTS and so on).

>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?

Almost certainly it will be heavier. You are comparing a campag equipped lightweight of yesteryear
with a modern Shimano-equipped built-for-comfort tourer.

> is it considered a "heavy" bike (for a tourer, or in general)?

It's a good weight for the class of bike, IMO.

>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.

It is unquestionably well above decent and quite a long way into excellent. There are competitors -
the Edinburgh Bicycle folks make some, as do Orbit (good value), Thorn, Mercian and others - but the
Galaxy has been the benchmark for tourers for about 30 years now. I have a nostalgic attachment,
having owned one for some happy miles, but my recent encounters with Galaxies indicate that they are
still exactly what you expect from Dawes: a proper bike, properly specced and at an acceptable
price. I have never been disappointed with a Dawes.

>3. Bar end shifters... surely they can't be harder to use than my down tube friction shifters???

Much easier, actually.

>4. Does anyone know the actual chainring / sprocket sizes?

Isn't the Dawes website ****? Luckily my LBS had the bike I wanted to look at last time out, which
saved some faffing around.

I have the review in CT&C June/July 2001, when it had 26/36/48 with Deore LX front mech and 11-32
Deore rear. See <http://www.chapmancentral.com/Web/public.nsf/Documents/SuperG> (warning: beeeg
scan. Tinted background which I can't be arsed to filter out). Hope that helps - if my bandwidth
vanishes for an hour I'll know you've downloaded it :-D

>5. Where is the cheapest price at the moment?

I have seen them for 600 at several places, but if you can find a last year's colour model you'll
get a betetr deal.

Guy
===
** WARNING ** This posting may contain traces of irony. http://www.chapmancentral.com (BT ADSL and
dynamic DNS permitting)
NOTE: BT Openworld have now blocked port 25 (without notice), so old mail addresses may no longer
work. Apologies.
 
"Roger" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> 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
>
Don't forget to make sure it fits properly. I only mention this as a pal of mine bought one and
after some considerable perseverence parted with it because he was never comfortable on it. He is
a fairly serious cyclist who does both mtb and road, and has taken part in several audaxes. Good
luck Graham
 
I longed to own a Galaxy for years, I bought my first serious bike in 1987, I couldn't afford a
Galaxy so got a Raleigh Royal instead. It is ideal for everything and infact has done almost
everything. Commuting, shopping and toured across America. A tourer makes an ideal general purpose
bike and can be made to be very comfortable for many hours on board.

Keep the old bike, get it refinished if you can afford it and slowly upgrade some of the components
you don't like. Then you have a spare, lighter bike for pottering around on.

"Roger" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> 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
 
"Roger" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> 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
>

Not just going against the grain here but I had a Galaxy once and hated it. A fussy machine that I
was never comfortable on. Unless you're going to travel around the world I'd suggest something more
sprightly.
 
You want comfort? try a 'bent trike.

SW

"Roger" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> 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
 
"Roger" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> 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).
>
> I don't know whether this will help. I have a Galaxy circa 1980 which I
have upgraded with bar end shifters. 3 years ago I bought a new Galaxy. I didn't like it anything
like as much. I went back to the old one and the new one lies in the garage. You don't need more
than 12 gears and I much prefer a double to a triple on the front. If you really want to you can get
a 7speed on the back. The only thing I think the modern version has which is better is the brakes.
If your old bike is 531 the new frame will have no advantages - my LBS advised me of all this and I
regret that I didn't take their advice.

Cliff
 
Just zis Guy, you know? wrote:
> I have the review in CT&C June/July 2001, when it had 26/36/48 with Deore LX front mech and 11-32
> Deore rear. See <http://www.chapmancentral.com/Web/public.nsf/Documents/SuperG> (warning: beeeg
> scan. Tinted background which I can't be arsed to filter out). Hope that helps - if my bandwidth
> vanishes for an hour I'll know you've downloaded it :-D

I will download at work on Monday, otherwise the 34 meg will melt my 56k modem :) Thanks - I look
forward to reading it.

> I have seen them for 600 at several places, but if you can find a last year's colour model you'll
> get a betetr deal.

A friend has apparently found the Galaxy for 500, which is why I am so focused on the Galaxy in
particular. It is last year's model. I think 2002 was British Racing Green... what is the 2003
colour? I don't know if this shop has good deals on other models or brands.

Thanks to all who posted so far BTW.

Roger
 
Graham Bowers wrote:
> Don't forget to make sure it fits properly.

Hmm, that brings up another concern. The 500 quid deal that my friend found for the Galaxy is not
local. I visited my nearest Dawes dealer to look at one but they had none in stock. So I could be
taking a chance buying it sight unseen.

My current bike (it is an old Raleigh Record Ace, BTW) seems a resonable fit, but I have not ridden
many bikes to compare it with! It is about 55cm from the crank to the middle of the top tube. If you
measure to the top of the tube I guess it's about 56cm. There's about an inch of crotch room when I
stand flat footed over it.

I am 5'10" (all right, 5'9 3/4"), average proportions. The 2 closest Galaxy sizes are 54cm and 57cm,
and I would guess the 57 would be best.

I might go try some bikes for size tomorrow and get some LBS advice. Since I can't see a Galaxy, I
wonder how meaningful it will be to try different brands of bike. e.g. a different bike might be
longer or shorter framed or something.

The Dawes dealer had a Horizon and an Audax... perhaps trying them for size is my best bet. The guy
in the shop seemed knowledgeable too.

cheers Roger
 
Hmm, some negative opinions as well...

Smudger wrote:
> Not just going against the grain here but I had a Galaxy once and
hated it.
> A fussy machine that I was never comfortable on. Unless you're going to travel around the world
> I'd suggest something more sprightly.

What do you mean by "fussy"? If you were not comfortable, are you sure it fit you properly?

Clifford Griffiths wrote:
>I don't know whether this will help. I have a Galaxy circa 1980 which I
>
> have upgraded with bar end shifters. 3 years ago I bought a new Galaxy. I didn't like it anything
> like as much. I went back to the old one and the new one lies in the garage. You don't need more
> than 12 gears and I much prefer a double to a triple on the front. If you really want to you can
> get a 7speed on the back. The only thing I think the modern version has which is better is the
> brakes. If your old bike is 531 the new frame will have no advantages - my LBS advised me of all
> this and I regret that I didn't take their advice.

I really don't want to upgrade the old one - it's just too old. It also has a few ****les that will
cost money to fix, and it looks a bit rusty and naff! By the time I got it half decent I would have
spent more than it's worth.

Why do you prefer a double chainring? My gears don't go low enough for hills for me, even after
fitting larger rear sprockets. I could use that granny gear.

Thanks again to all for your comments - much appreciated.

Roger
 
Roger wrote:
> 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.

The Galaxy will have gears low enough to get you up steep hills even when loaded, but lighter and
more racy "road" bike will enable you to cover more miles more quickly with the same effort. So two
bikes instead of one all purpose bike could be a better solution *if* you fancy doing some speedier
cycling on road. Either a tourer or mid-price basic mountain bike* could do for your practical bike.
* Much cheaper and possibly tougher and more rugged than a Galaxy.

> 1. How heavy is a Galaxy? Can anyone tell me the actual weight?

Dawes claimed the 1999 model wieghed 13.8kg (I would guess the current one is similar in weight as
it's still 531ST with the same sort of level of components).

> Will it feel much heavier than my current bike?

It will be heavier, but it might actually feel nicer to ride - being all new, and might happen to
fit you better if lucky. The brake hoods and bars will probably feel more comfortable, and the
brakes will be more powerful.

> But is it considered a "heavy" bike (for a tourer, or in general)?

I would consider it a heavy tourer and quite a heavy bike in general, but weight is not a very
important issue for tourers - which are designed to carry a load of luggage anyway.

> 2. Are all the components good quality? I want them to work smoothly and last a while.

They're bound to. The spec looks decent to me.

> 4. Does anyone know the actual chainring / sprocket sizes?

Not for current model, but 2000 one had 48/36/26 with 11/32 9sp. A good dealer should supply bike
with different rings and cassette if wanted.

~PB
 
Roger <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> Hmm, that brings up another concern. The 500 quid deal that my friend found for the Galaxy is not
> local. I visited my nearest Dawes dealer to look at one but they had none in stock. So I could be
> taking a chance buying it sight unseen.
>

I really would recommend against buying it unseen. You ought to test ride a few alternatives locally
to get the feel of what you do and don't like in riding position - do you prefer to sit more upright
or be stretched out forward more - and the handling. If you are seriously interested in the Galaxy
at that price make the effort to travel to try it or one identical to
it. There is nothing worse than being stuck with a bike that doesn't suit and if its your only
bike it will tend to remain unridden. It is possible to make some adjustments after buying but
they tend to end up expensive and there is little you can do to shorten a too long top tube
for example.

Tony

--
http://www.raven-family.com

"I don't want any yes-men around me. I want everybody to tell me the truth even if it costs them
their job."

Samuel Goldwyn
 
"Tony Raven" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...

> I really would recommend against buying it unseen.

I wouldn't be too down on this, if the OP is reasonably clear about what sort and size of bike he
wants. All of my decent bikes have been bought sight unseen, that's inevitable for custom but two of
my tandems were bought unseen via mail order as standard (but locally unobtainable) models. It's
only a bike, unless it's a horrible fit or completely inappropriate for the intended purpose, it's
unlikely to be far wrong. Galaxy is certainly a sound choice, although there are alternatives.

James
 
Steve Watkin wrote:
> You want comfort? try a 'bent trike.

As an owner of a 'bent touring bike bike I clearly favour Dark Side setups, but try getting one as
good for loaded touring at the same price as a Galaxy and you'll be doing well, or stealing it!

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch University of Dundee Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Medical Physics, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net [email protected]
http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/
 
On Sun, 02 Mar 2003 01:01:24 -0800, Roger <[email protected]> wrote:

>Hmm, that brings up another concern. The 500 quid deal that my friend found for the Galaxy is not
>local. I visited my nearest Dawes dealer to look at one but they had none in stock. So I could be
>taking a chance buying it sight unseen.

At 500 the risk is low - you'll be able to sell it for almost all of that if it doesn't fit well,
and if it doesn't fit at all it should be covered by the Sale of Goods Act, so you can send it
straight back for a full refund. IANAL, of course, but I am fairly confident that you'll be covered
under the Act. And to be safer still use a credit card.

Guy
===
** WARNING ** This posting may contain traces of irony. http://www.chapmancentral.com (BT ADSL and
dynamic DNS permitting)
NOTE: BT Openworld have now blocked port 25 (without notice), so old mail addresses may no longer
work. Apologies.
 
Roger,

I'm also 37 and neither fit nor unfit and picked up a Galaxy last weekend, this one a Super.

I settled on a tourer because I felt a bike overspecified for the commute I wanted to do would be
more comfortable, a Dawes due to their reputation for longevity and a Galaxy to fend off the time
when I'd be spending again to replace worn components.

I've done five times my usual 20 mile weekly average this last week and I honestly don't feel a
thing. Well, apart from the usual 'gone in 24 hour' bum discomfort returning cyclists get so I guess
tourers really are for crossing continents. In lowest gear unless I pedal quickly I fall over. High
gear tops out about 25mph, acceleration down a hill feels like a cross between falling over and a
lift ride. Very confident feel at high speed, also stops quickly. Got the weekly shopping home with
little effect on balance. Commute is hilly but still getting an average 12mph, breathing hard but
not panting, a little warm but not sweating. Poor turning circle but on the upside untroubled by
skitishness if I accidentally wobble the handlebars and some will tell you a long wheelbase promotes
wobble but I've not encountered anything like that even at higher speeds. This bike eats up the
miles and is forgiving of poor surfaces (my route is mostly old country roads) although the odd old
pavement reclassified as cyclepath jolts me about a bit a higher speeds.

I'm nearly sure that neither Galaxy has changed since last year although an Ultra has been added
above them. The unchanged web site is accurate for them but by now you should have found that any
Dawes dealer will have a catalogue with a whole lot more information. Top tube height is a couple of
cm lower than I expected from various rules of thumb on fitting sites such as:

http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/fitting.htm http://www.coloradocyclist.com/BikeFit/index.cfm
http://www.billbostoncycles.com/bicycle_fit.htm

Given what you're spending, whatever you get will be nice. You might like Guy Chapman's take on
Galaxy in this page about tourists: http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/classic/A594425

Apparently Tony Oliver has written a book on touring cycles, it may be called Touring Bicycles,
possibly published by David and Charles and describes the compromises in building a frame.

People on urc are better suited to the technicalities but if you have any specific questions,
particularly about ride then as someone of the same gender, age and fitness you're most welcome to
contact me.

Regards,

James Loughborough, UK

"Roger" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> 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
 
On Sun, 2 Mar 2003 20:53:09 +0000 (UTC), "James of Staples"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>I've done five times my usual 20 mile weekly average this last week and I honestly don't feel a
>thing. Well, apart from the usual 'gone in 24 hour' bum discomfort returning cyclists get so I
>guess tourers really are for crossing continents.

I rode 80 miles on a wedgie today. Why???? Bring me my 'bent!

Guy
===
** WARNING ** This posting may contain traces of irony. http://www.chapmancentral.com (BT ADSL and
dynamic DNS permitting)
NOTE: BT Openworld have now blocked port 25 (without notice), so old mail addresses may no longer
work. Apologies.
 
Hey....and just to digress a little more, the Dawes Kara-Kum takes some beating.

AT

"Pete Biggs" <pLime{remove_fruit}@biggs.tc> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> Roger wrote:
> > 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.
>
> The Galaxy will have gears low enough to get you up steep hills even when loaded, but lighter and
> more racy "road" bike will enable you to cover more miles more quickly with the same effort. So
> two bikes instead of one all purpose bike could be a better solution *if* you fancy doing some
> speedier cycling on road. Either a tourer or mid-price basic mountain bike* could do for your
> practical bike.
> * Much cheaper and possibly tougher and more rugged than a Galaxy.
>
> > 1. How heavy is a Galaxy? Can anyone tell me the actual weight?
>
> Dawes claimed the 1999 model wieghed 13.8kg (I would guess the current one is similar in weight as
> it's still 531ST with the same sort of level of components).
>
> > Will it feel much heavier than my current bike?
>
> It will be heavier, but it might actually feel nicer to ride - being all new, and might happen to
> fit you better if lucky. The brake hoods and bars will probably feel more comfortable, and the
> brakes will be more powerful.
>
> > But is it considered a "heavy" bike (for a tourer, or in general)?
>
> I would consider it a heavy tourer and quite a heavy bike in general, but weight is not a very
> important issue for tourers - which are designed to carry a load of luggage anyway.
>
> > 2. Are all the components good quality? I want them to work smoothly and last a while.
>
> They're bound to. The spec looks decent to me.
>
> > 4. Does anyone know the actual chainring / sprocket sizes?
>
> Not for current model, but 2000 one had 48/36/26 with 11/32 9sp. A good dealer should supply bike
> with different rings and cassette if wanted.
>
> ~PB
 
The bike shop I work in (Spa Cycles in Harrogate) has Galaxies on offer for £490. Does mail order.
Phone number is 01423 887003 - I think, I haven't got it to hand. Hope this isn't too much of a
plug, I just work there not on commission or anything.

Cheers

Sam

On Sat, 01 Mar 2003 12:20:12 -0800, Roger <[email protected]> wrote:

>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
 
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