Front suspension for Dawes Galaxy Plus

[johnmillward74]

Hi

Does anyone know if it's possible to fit front suspension forks to a Dawes galaxy plus? What forks would you recommend or would I be better looking at a different bike?

I've had the galaxy plus for a couple of years and used it on two tours - on the road it's a great bike, but when the route calls for a less smooth surface it becomes decidedly uncomfortable.

Any thoughts appreciated.

John

[robgul]

You just can't do that .... it's only half a step short of blasphemy ..... a Galaxy is a sacred machine.


... and I would guess that the "inline steerer tube and fork legs" on suspension forks would affect the geometry, toe-overlap and general ride of the machine - the standard Galaxy front forks are raked, thus pushing the front wheel forwards with a longer wheelbase.

Comfort is probably possible to achieve with tyre and saddle adjustments/changes (a suspension seatpost would, just about, be acceptable on a Galaxy)

Rob

[johnmillward74]

Good point about the raked forks....hadn't really thought that through. Suspension seat post may not be a bad idea - or just don't take it off roading too often I guess....

[pwa]

It doesn't sound like a practical idea. You might consider whether you could fit wider tyres in the space available.

[Bonefishblues]

Tyre choice and tyre pressure plus bar contact points could go a long way to resolving this, depending on what you already run?

[fatboy]

I'd fit wider tyres 700x35 should fit and run with lower pressure on the front. I always run my fronts 15 to 20 psi lower than the rear

[Brucey]

in all fairness the Galaxy + has quite a tall fork crown;



so if you did fit suspension forks it mightn't be quite as bad as some folk might suppose... but it is likely you would increase the trail somewhat, between the head angle change and the fork offset most likely being different.

Suspension forks mightn't be my first choice though; if you have a lot of weight on your hands then this may indicate that your riding position isn't quite right, so I'd check that first. Next on the list (after fat tyres) come suspension stems and suspension seat post, or how about that old-fashioned (but effective!) solution, a sprung leather saddle?

cheers

[Vantage]

I considered doing similar to my Dawes Vantage once but decided against it because of the above reasons.
A cheapo Zoom suspension post took out alot of sting from bad roads and bumpy trails and fitting Vittoria Voyager Hyper tyres was a revelation in smoothing out the front of the bike.

[reohn2]

FWIW,first things first before doing anything drastic,is the problem with you're hands/arms/shoulders being uncomfortable?
Assuming you've not to much pressure on your hands,they should be only lightly holding the h/bars and the elbows bent slightly to absorb road shock by bending further on bigger hits.
Lowering tyre pressures can have a marked effect toward comfort and grip/road holding on rough or off road track etc.I'm of the opinion a lot of people have waayy to much air in their tyres,see hear for explanation and advice:- http://www.bikequarterly.com/images/TireDrop.pdf

More supple and bigger/fatter tyres also help greatly with comfort especially on rough roads/tracks,as can good quality cushioned handlebar tape with silicon gel pads underneath,my favourites are Bontrager BarGel tape and FiZiK gell pads.

If you're having problems with the rear end,a suspension seatpost maybe a good idea after first getting the tyre pressures correct if needs be.

What sizes and make of tyres and pressures are you riding ATM?

[alexnharvey]

You just can't do that .... it's only half a step short of blasphemy ..... a Galaxy is a sacred machine.
... and I would guess that the "inline steerer tube and fork legs" on suspension forks would affect the geometry, toe-overlap and general ride of the machine - the standard Galaxy front forks are raked, thus pushing the front wheel forwards with a longer wheelbase.

Rob

Suspension forks are not 'in line with the steerer tube', they are either offset from it, raked or the axle is offset, giving rise to trail just like with straight non suspension forks! That trail might be less or more than the standard fork's.

I rode a non-suspension mtb for many years and it was hard on the arms off road. If you do a lot of off road on uneven surface then they may be worth a try. You could get a 'lock-out' model which could be fixed when you don't need them.

Alternatively, suspension stems seem to be making a comeback https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/re ... -bike-stem

[Neilo]

Funny, I am thinking of doing the opposite.
Using a galaxy fork instead of a suspension fork on a drop bar MTB I am putting together. Galaxy plus fork with disc brake, with a 26" wheels.
I think the axle to crown is 420mm, so will compensate somewhat for the suspension fork. I am just wondering if the fork will be strong enough. Cross country use nothing extreme.

Neil

[Si]

Looking at Brucey's pic of the bike, I'm thinking that you are going to get very little travel (although I guess you could put a 26 in there...fun fun fun). For road use and gentle trail you probably don't want much travel, rather you want to tame the buzz, however, most of the short travel forks around these days aren't that good and so I'm not sure you'd achieve this.

I'd go with the bigger tyre and double wrapped bar tape approach....and steer around the bumps not through them Otherwise I think that it's a question of the wrong bike for the job rather than the wrong fork.

[mercalia]

consider fatter tyres at a lower pressure? and consider useing dense pipe lag foam ( B&Q) on the handle bars - I do that, makes a difference

[MacBludgeon]

If you carry out the extensive changes/experiments listed here you still may not end up with something that works. Plus it could end up costing quite a bit. If you have the storage space then it might be little difference, cost wise, to buy a second bike. A look on some of the German websites will show a wide range of trekking/touring bikes with flat bars that come with front suspension and often a lot of other bits, like racks and dynamo lighting.

[johnmillward74]

Still contemplating on whether I need to do this or if I'm just being a big girl's blouse.......

However, googling trekking bikes brought up this;

http://www.rosebikes.co.uk/bike/rose-mu ... A6rQ-3A6rR

Anyone any thoughts?

Looks quite spanky to me (for those who don't know that term it's a technical term exclusively used by novice cyclists)