Dawes Galaxy 2000-2009

[mumbojumbo]

I have read in several places that Dawes are no longer British as the frames were built initially in Czech Rep.and latterly in Vietnam,and that the quality of the frame-building has been compromised.Even heard some versions in aluminium.Can anyone enlighten me?

[Brucey]

it is pretty much all true in various years. However in some cases frames made overseas might have been better rather than worse than UK built ones; only a few days ago I was looking at a broken dawes galaxy fork (from an early 1990s bike) it was quite clear to me that the main reason it had broken was that it hadn't been properly brazed.

cheers

[scrimper]

FWIW Dawes are no longer producing any dropped bar cycles inc the galaxy and Super galaxy. I noticed none on their website and contacted them, they confirmed to me that they have no plans to produce any more touring or racing cycles. I think its a shame I always hoped that one day they would produce their touring bikes in the UK again.

[scrimper]

it is pretty much all true in various years. However in some cases frames made overseas might have been better rather than worse than UK built ones; only a few days ago I was looking at a broken dawes galaxy fork (from an early 1990s bike) it was quite clear to me that the main reason it had broken was that it hadn't been properly brazed.

cheers

In fairness to Dawes that could happen to any cycle not just UK built ones. I have 3 Dawes 531 cycles, a Mirage racer from 1975, super Galaxy from 1980 and a Super galaxy from 1989, all are still fine and are ridden regularly. I doubt very much that far east manufactured alloy frames will still be good after 45 year.

[axel_knutt]

My frame came from Taiwan when it was replaced in 2001.

FWIW Dawes are no longer producing any dropped bar cycles inc the galaxy and Super galaxy. I noticed none on their website and contacted them, they confirmed to me that they have no plans to produce any more touring or racing cycles. I think its a shame I always hoped that one day they would produce their touring bikes in the UK again.

Looks like they've gone for the cheapo end of the market as well, there's nowt over £550 except for the tandems and electrics.

[MIB2020]

I had a birthday gift of a new (Old stock) super galaxy in 2005 I was informed it was from the last batch produced in the UK circa 2002 but have no evidence to prove this.

[AndyA]

There were definitely some people working at Dawes UK that only bothered to get braze around the joint, rather than all the way through! The later TIG welded Dawes bikes were quite different to the lugged and brazed bikes, miles tougher and stiffer because of the bigger tubes, especially the oval downtube. They ride worse because of this in my view, but if you're going to put M+ tyres on and batter out a million miles with four panniers then the stronger TIG frame is a better choice.

I really enjoyed riding my 97 Galaxy, until the toptube snapped where the brake cable entered. This was in 2012 so it had a fair innings. It was pretty rusty in there, internal routing on a tourer is silly, doubly so if it allows water into a tube. Always was a bit wobbly with 4 panniers, much happier with a lighter load

[mumbojumbo]

Fifteen years is hardly satisfactory-did you invoke the lifetime guarantee?

[Jdsk]

FWIW Dawes are no longer producing any dropped bar cycles inc the galaxy and Super galaxy. I noticed none on their website and contacted them, they confirmed to me that they have no plans to produce any more touring or racing cycles. I think its a shame I always hoped that one day they would produce their touring bikes in the UK again.

Jonathan

[Greystoke]

No Galaxy anymore
That's a real shame, the Galaxy was always the iconic touring bike of my youth

[nez]

I have a 2008 super Galaxy hanging in my shed. It does have the oval downtube and is a lovely bike. Reynolds 853. I noticed over the years the spec for Super Galaxy got worse and worse while the price went down too. I can only presume their market was disappearing and they were chasing it. I have a Hope bottom bracket and DT Swiss wheels fitted and I expect to ride it for many years to come, if I'm preserved to do so!

ps Chris Juden's review of the 2009 bike is held on this site https://www.cyclinguk.org/sites/default ... 803062.pdf

I think the more recent version were somewhat downhill from there

[hamster]

I have a 2008 super Galaxy hanging in my shed. It does have the oval downtube and is a lovely bike. Reynolds 853. I noticed over the years the spec for Super Galaxy got worse and worse while the price went down too. I can only presume their market was disappearing and they were chasing it.

Bearing in mind the success of the Salsa Vaya and Surly LHT (as two examples) I don't think that the market disappeared - more that Dawes bungled it, sadly.

[nez]

you're likely right.

[mumbojumbo]

The model I tested was heavy sluggish and unresponsive,and was limited to laden touring.I did not buy as frame is the one part of bike you cannot change easily.

[nez]

I have a 2008 super Galaxy hanging in my shed. It does have the oval downtube and is a lovely bike. Reynolds 853. I noticed over the years the spec for Super Galaxy got worse and worse while the price went down too. I can only presume their market was disappearing and they were chasing it.

Bearing in mind the success of the Salsa Vaya and Surly LHT (as two examples) I don't think that the market disappeared - more that Dawes bungled it, sadly.

The Vaya and the Surly are telling us something.

I read Chris Juden's review which I posted a link to. Don't we miss his writing? Lovely stuff. Really precise analysis, no vague generalisations, implicit suggestions for improvement. If only Dawes had read it and acted upon his suggestions, rather than develop the bike into what we may presume is the last iteration which is 'Dawes 6061 Hydro-Formed T6 Alloy , Double Butted Fork Dawes 6061 Unicrown Aluminium Straight Blades' on sale when available at Evans for 600 sovs - as close to the BSO as they dare. Or is BSO what the UK market really wants and ddevil take the hindmost?

Later in his review he says the competition is Ultra Galaxy: (presumably disappeared down the same hole as the Super Galaxy)
Hewitt Cheviot SE: (don't seem to exist now)
Cannondale Touring Classic: (ditto)
Ridgeback Panorama: (£850 in 2020)
Trek 520: (£1300 in 2020 if you can find one)
Fahrrad Maufaktur T-Randonneur: (2020 price? but definitely wants to be seen at the quality end of the market)

I don't suppose manufacturing quality touring bikes to sell in the UK is a short-cut to millionaire status. However, people in countries where the bike can be real alternative to a car (Germany, Holland even france to an extent) are willing to pay higher prices for a quality machine. The problem may not be in the manufacturers so much as in us.