Bike to do everything on the road

[pwa]

Newly retired, I have been cycling 500 miles a year in the past few years. I hope that will go up to over 1200 a year now.

I cycle with a Club on their social rides, up to 30 miles at around 12 mph. At first I could not keep up, but now I can, except for the hills where I am slow and sometimes have to get off and walk. Fitness is gradually improving though.

I have a Thorn Raven and a Galaxy and I use the Galaxy for Club rides. I think that the Raven is too slow, probably, for this task. The Galaxy has a first gear of 24 inches - the Raven 17 inches.

I fancy one day joining the Club rides that do longer distances, climb more hills and ride at around 15mph.

I think I am looking for a bike that has mountain bike type gearing, say a first gear of 15 to 17, that also is speedy and comfortable and would allow me to join the fast rides one day. I don't think that I am interested in a carbon flyer road bike. Unless that is what I really need.

Any suggestions?

You could get bikes that would have an edge over the Galaxy, the fastest of your current bikes, but the advantage would be modest. Your fitness is your main limitation. You are doing the right things now, so just continue building on your speed and stamina. And make sure your Galaxy has the fastest reasonably puncture resistant tyres you can get. Marathon Supremes are the best at the moment. Most other Marathons are draggy in comparison. But other than that I would stick with the Galaxy for the moment if I were you.

[PH]

You could get bikes that would have an edge over the Galaxy, the fastest of your current bikes, but the advantage would be modest.

You could be right, but the difference between the Galaxy and the Raven, with comparable tyres, is easy to overestimate.
At the time I had the Raven, I also had a Hewitt Cheviot (Still have), both with Panaracer tyres. The Hewitt always felt the livelier ride and the Raven sluggish, but the numbers showed there was little if any difference, the reality didn't match the perception.

[tykeboy2003]

Stick with the Dawes Galaxy mate. The weight of the bike is NOT a massively significant factor limiting your speed. I have a steel frame tourer weighing 14kg and I am about 80kg so the total weight is 94kg, even halving the weight of the bike will only reduce the combined weight by less than 10%. Don't be fooled into thinking that a carbon framed racing bike will make any real difference - except to your wallet. If you do go down that road, you'll be back on here in a couple of months time to ask if it's possible to lower the gear ratios to make it easier to get up hills - hills that you and your Dawes will be perfectly capable of climbing.

Hope this helps.

[Coaster531]

Thanks everyone. I really appreciate the common sense here.

[the snail]

I would sell the Galaxy, keep the Thorn for touring etc, and buy a lighter faster bike for club rides, maybe an audax bike or endurance style. You can do quicker club rides on a tourer, but you'll always be working harder than the people on lightweight bikes. My choice for those rides was a genesis equilibrium with a triple chainset. Good wide range of gears, but noticeably easier up hills, and generally more fun on club rides. I've even toured on it .

[Slowtwitch]

My choice for fast rides is a Cannondale Caad 12. I got it for a good price from a very low user previous owner. Changed the tyres out to 28mm and I've got to say one of the most pleasant, reliable and quick rides I've ever owned. In fact any Cannondale all the way back to the Caad 4, which I currently use as a winter hack. It's bombproof.

[mattsccm]

Do you use the Thorn for its purpose? A fair bit? If not replace it with something sporty that you just fancy and the Dawes will do everything else pretty well. If the Thorn has to stay the Galaxy will update easily.
Just a thought though. The Galaxy came in stacks of different versions, some of which will be easier/cheaper to improve than others. Post us a pic.