Dawes to stop making the Galaxy due to lack of demand...

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Bonzo Banana
Posts: 416
Joined: 5 Feb 2017, 11:58am

Re: Dawes to stop making the Galaxy due to lack of demand...

Post by Bonzo Banana »

pete75 wrote:
Mick F wrote::lol:

As for the Mini, we had seven of them over the years.
Over five million of them sold 1959 to 2000.

That BMW abomination will never become so popular or so iconic.


I've driven both. The BMW version is vastly superior in every respect.


That's definitely over-stating it, the BMW Mini for a small car has surprisingly poor reliability made worse by horrific repair costs with many engine and transmission failures.

https://www.reliabilityindex.com/reliability/search/180

I think many would also argue the driving dynamics simply aren't as fun as the original mini with its tiny wheels and go kart handling. Yes you can make simple comparisons like its more spacious and faster but then there are many far superior cars to the BMW Mini in that regard many of which are much better made and engineered with much lower ownership costs.

If you look at something like the Toyota Aygo the BMW Mini looks like junk, its about 4x less reliable and repairs typically cost 2.5x as much that's effectively 10x more expensive. I suspect BMW garages will charge a lot more for services too. I've owned original Mini's in the past and the A series engine and gearbox was super dependable and most things were cheap to replace or repair, alternators etc. I remember them being super cheap to own and run. The BMW Mini and the Fiat 500 are basically lifestyle, fashion products, they aren't well engineered decent cars.

https://www.reliabilityindex.com/reliability/search/271

Given a choice today of a classic Mini and a BMW Mini I'd definitely like another classic Mini but I wouldn't choose either as a daily driver. I think of its time the original Mini was a far better car than the BMW Mini is for the time period it is sold in but then it is a retro appeal car.
pwa
Posts: 17371
Joined: 2 Oct 2011, 8:55pm

Re: Dawes to stop making the Galaxy due to lack of demand...

Post by pwa »

It is obviously true that the original Mini does not come up to modern standards of safety, performance, fuel efficiency, reliability, emissions, comfort and rust prevention, so it is very much a period piece rather than a template for a modern car. Where it scores over the BMW Mini is in its innovation and daring design. When it came out it was a huge step forward with its transverse engine, tiny wheels to reduce the effect of wheel arches on interior space, front wheel drive to put the engine weight over the driving wheels while also increasing rear cabin space, and the abandonment of the chassis. It was packed with "Firsts". The BMW mini is just a good but ordinary car that cashes in on the fondness for the original. And unlike the original it is not cheap, it is not the most practical small car, and it pushes no boundaries. Its USP is its use of the name and appearance of a much loved car from the 1960s. As a way of getting around it is better than the original, but so it should be with all those decades of technological advantage.

Does this relate to the demise of the Galaxy? Well there is a bit of a parallel. The Galaxies I first saw in a bike shop in the mid 1980s were about as good as you could get off-the-peg at the time, and the fondness with which they are regarded is probably deserved. But a couple of decades later the alternatives were there and some of them were better. For me the spiritual successors to the Galaxy are made by the likes of Spa and Thorn, so the only real loss is the name. Does anyone care? I don't, really. I haven't wanted a Galaxy since about 1987, and even then I only wanted one for about five minutes.
Last edited by pwa on 26 Oct 2020, 6:31am, edited 4 times in total.
mumbojumbo
Posts: 1525
Joined: 1 Aug 2018, 8:18pm

Re: Dawes to stop making the Galaxy due to lack of demand...

Post by mumbojumbo »

The mini,unlike the Galaxy had just 4 gears but had a reverse function.I believe thet were designed by Izzigoniss,a Finn.It was almost impossible to fit the rear light and was considered poor in ergonomic terms.
Jdsk
Posts: 24639
Joined: 5 Mar 2019, 5:42pm

Re: Dawes to stop making the Galaxy due to lack of demand...

Post by Jdsk »

Issigonis wasn't a Finn. (And his designs illustrate the end of fins.)

Jonathan
jimlews
Posts: 1476
Joined: 11 Jun 2015, 8:36pm
Location: Not the end of the world.

Re: Dawes to stop making the Galaxy due to lack of demand...

Post by jimlews »

mumbojumbo wrote:The mini,unlike the Galaxy had just 4 gears but had a reverse function.I believe thet were designed by Izzigoniss,a Finn.It was almost impossible to fit the rear light and was considered poor in ergonomic terms.


Issigonis was no Fin.

He was born in Smyrna in 1906, so Greek. His mother was German and he was first cousin once removed to Bernd Pischetsrieder; sometime head of BMW.

Perhaps a discussion best continued here https://www.aronline.co.uk/

The End, finnis.
simonhill
Posts: 5226
Joined: 13 Jan 2007, 11:28am
Location: Essex

Re: Dawes to stop making the Galaxy due to lack of demand...

Post by simonhill »

Given how different the original Galaxys were to the later ones, perhaps the title of this should be:
Dawes stop making a bike called Galaxy.
mumbojumbo
Posts: 1525
Joined: 1 Aug 2018, 8:18pm

Re: Dawes to stop making the Galaxy due to lack of demand...

Post by mumbojumbo »

[quotessigonis was no Fin.

He was born in Smyrna in 1906, so Greek. His mother was German and he was first cousin once removed to Bernd Pischetsrieder; sometime head of BMW.

Perhaps a discussion best continued here https://www.aronline.co.uk/

The End, finnis.
][/quote]

There you go.Also Coco Channel claimed to have come up with Mini.Royalty payments must have been massive.
rogerzilla
Posts: 2887
Joined: 9 Jun 2008, 8:06pm

Re: Dawes to stop making the Galaxy due to lack of demand...

Post by rogerzilla »

simonhill wrote:Given how different the original Galaxys were to the later ones, perhaps the title of this should be:
Dawes stop making a bike called Galaxy.

Good point. A bit like the Kona Cinder Cone, which used to be their stock XC mountain bike and changed into a ridiculous jump bike.
Bonzo Banana
Posts: 416
Joined: 5 Feb 2017, 11:58am

Re: Dawes to stop making the Galaxy due to lack of demand...

Post by Bonzo Banana »

rogerzilla wrote:
simonhill wrote:Given how different the original Galaxys were to the later ones, perhaps the title of this should be:
Dawes stop making a bike called Galaxy.

Good point. A bit like the Kona Cinder Cone, which used to be their stock XC mountain bike and changed into a ridiculous jump bike.


I have a Specialized Sirrus road bike from the 90s but now the Specialized Sirrus is a hybrid bike so Kona aren't the only company to re-use the same name on different products.
Jamesh
Posts: 2963
Joined: 2 Jan 2017, 5:56pm

Re: Dawes to stop making the Galaxy due to lack of demand...

Post by Jamesh »

Unusual Dawes galaxy on eBay at the moment

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/133558384572

Can anyone shed any light on it.

Deep drop caliper bakes...

Cheers James
Brucey
Posts: 44521
Joined: 4 Jan 2012, 6:25pm

Re: Dawes to stop making the Galaxy due to lack of demand...

Post by Brucey »

the ebay bike is from about 1980 and has been modified to have later gears and brakes. It would originally have had Weinmann centre pull brakes and suntour gears fitted.

cheers
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
whoof
Posts: 2519
Joined: 29 Apr 2014, 2:13pm

Re: Dawes to stop making the Galaxy due to lack of demand...

Post by whoof »

Jamesh wrote:Unusual Dawes galaxy on eBay at the moment

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/133558384572

Can anyone shed any light on it.

Deep drop caliper bakes...

Cheers James

It says 1978 and has STI levers so changes from the original spec including brakes.
PT1029
Posts: 1744
Joined: 16 Apr 2012, 9:20pm

Re: Dawes to stop making the Galaxy due to lack of demand...

Post by PT1029 »

I had one of those in the same colour, purchased 1978/79.
Brake calipers/F + R gears mechs/STI levers/chainset/mud guards are alot more recent than 1978, as others have alluded to. Also 7 speed screw on freewheel (original was 5 (yes FIVE!) in those days).
Original frame/rear rack, not sure about bars and stem, mine were randonneur bars.
Hubs might/might not be original - QR skewers are well post 1978, I think rims are not original - mine were Weinmann (or Bermalux copy?). those look like Regida from the sticker. Regida are better assuming they are not worn out.
The rack is a bit flexi if you load up with heavy panniers.
Main frame tubes are 531 plain guage (26.4mm seat post). Forks and rear stays are not 531.
If in fair order, not bad for £77!
Brucey
Posts: 44521
Joined: 4 Jan 2012, 6:25pm

Re: Dawes to stop making the Galaxy due to lack of demand...

Post by Brucey »

FWIW the ebay bike has 27" wheels in it and won't take 700Cs with those brakes; there isn't enough brake drop remaining.

That spec of galaxy frameset is heavier and stiffer than you might expect (about 8-1/2lbs for frameset with headset fitted), but this means it works quite well with a load on provided decent racks are fitted.

cheers
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
markjohnobrien
Posts: 1037
Joined: 4 Oct 2007, 8:15pm

Re: Dawes to stop making the Galaxy due to lack of demand...

Post by markjohnobrien »

Road CC have an article on this issue and Dawes said that sales had declined to the point where they were no longer feasible: it looks like more fashionable bike packing and gravel bikes have taken their thunder combined with overpricing on Dawes part.

https://road.cc/content/tech-news/dawes ... ars-278623
Raleigh Randonneur 708 (Magura hydraulic brakes); Blue Raleigh Randonneur 708 dynamo; Pearson Compass 631 tourer; Dawes One Down 631 dynamo winter bike;Raleigh Travelogue 708 tourer dynamo; Kona Sutra; Trek 920 disc Sram Force.
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