Dawes Galaxy Classic 531 2016

[cooper_coleraine]

Has anyone bought one of these new bikes? It looks good and I am tempted, but realise that I am partly activated by nostalgia !

[gerrymcm]

Is it very expensive for an overseas mass produced 531 frame?
Steve Goff does full 531 (F+F) for circa £450, leaving £1200 components?

[Roadster]

Yes, nostalgia ain't wot it used to be.
If you know what you're doing and shop around for components of your own choosing, you could build up a Goff 531ST frame into a superb traditional English tourer for a similar price, or less...

[s1965c]

Sadly, apart from the retro appeal of having a 531 frame, it's all a bit "meh".

Alivio drivetrain, an aluminium rear rack, Mavic A119 rims and Schwalbe Road Cruisers, although all worthy, aren't what I'd expect to find on an £1800 bike.

Cover up the Dawes name on the frame and it looks at least £1000 overpriced to me.

[Tiberius]

I agree with the others....It's overpriced for what you get.

If I was looking for a bike like that I would take a look at what Spa Cycles in Harrogate are offering. Plenty of choice there and they will bung on/take off whatever you want.....For example a Surly LHT, built up with decent groupset, will cost much less than that Dawes and will take you round the planet....Real world, I would actually build it up myself, but if you ain't got the time/skills/inclination then give Spa a ring. They WILL sort you out a good bike.

Then again, if you just WANT the Dawes....go and buy it. I've spent a fortune on plenty of things that don't make 'sense'....

[cooper_coleraine]

Thanks for all your help.

[mercalia]

not as if it is a British company more? so why oh and ah it? When did Dawes get bought out by the way? My Dawes 1-Down does have a built in the UK Union flag sticker, but that dont mean much

[Brucey]

the bike isn't so very much different from older Dawes Galaxies in that it has a quill stem and a 1" steerer (I think). I can't say what the bike rides like (I have not ridden one) but if the idea is to emulate an older bike then there are many other ways of acheiving this, including buying an old Dawes Galaxy (or perhaps something better made, like a Raleigh) and renovating it.

One thing that they seem a bit cagey about is exactly what tubes are used where; it isn't clear to me that they use 531 tubing throughout; if they did, they would presumably say so.

cheers

[gerrymcm]

From memory the Evans site says that this new Dawes Galaxy "531 classic" has a Chromo fork.

[GranvilleThomas]

Well the Dawes web site strangely says that the frame is made from 'Reynolds 531 Double Butted Chromoly', so who knows what that means?

Then the forks are described as 'Classic Style Chromoly', so by that logic then they could be 531 as well?

Of course it could mean that the frame is 'Double Butted Chromoly' and so not 531?

Clear as mud.

[Brucey]

531 is Manganese Moly, not Cro-Mo, so something is up with that!

cheers

[mercalia]

531 is Manganese Moly, not Cro-Mo, so something is up with that!

cheers

is there any difference in quality?

[Brucey]

they are different materials, and behave differently when they are brazed or welded.

'Quality' is something of a value judgement, a matter of perspective as much as anything else.

The point is that CrMo and 531 are different things; one can never be the other and they will never be 'the same' as one another.

cheers

[recordacefromnew]

531 tubesets have not been made for many years, according to Bob Jackson:

https://www.worldclasscycles.com/JACKSON-HOME.htm

or the horse's mouth:

http://www.reynoldstechnology.biz/faqs/materials/

[pete75]

531 tubesets have not been made for many years, according to Bob Jackson:

https://www.worldclasscycles.com/JACKSON-HOME.htm

or the horse's mouth:

http://www.reynoldstechnology.biz/faqs/materials/

From the Reynolds page linked to 'From 2008, our 110th year, Reynolds offer a limited edition set of 531main triangle tubes for lugged framesets.'