build advice for audax/light tourer (groupset)

[playford]

I recently bought a 1986 dawes galaxy frame, I want something with low gears and racks for the odd weekend tour but nippy enough for audax (building up to first 100k.)

its 126mm and was previously fitted with tiagra triple 10 speed (last gear blanked for chain rub). Would this work? (more likely second hand 105/ultegra) or some mixture of deore?

I like riding in the hoods so not convinced about bar end shifters or sticking with 7 speed but that's an option too.

[Brucey]

I'd reset it to 130mm or 135mm if I wanted to run modern gears on it, or even if I just wanted a stronger rear wheel with a 7s setup.

BTW if you are not going to bother with a top gear (and who really uses 52/11 anyway?) there is something to be said for an 8-from-9 setup fitted to a 7s cassette hub.

cheers

[playford]

If its 2mm either side for 130mm for 10 speed, surely that wouldn't need cold set?

[531colin]

how heavy are you?
is it a UK made lugged and brazed Galaxy?

My usual advice is to bung it together with whatever stuff you have knocking around and see if you like how it rides before you get too involved in spending lots of time or money.

[playford]

yep, 531st uk galaxy.. 13.5st

weight isnt an issue for the road stuff I have.

[531colin]

130mm OLN wouldn't worry me for a 13 1/2 stone rider.
In the short term, "springing in" a 130mm hub into a 126 frame isn't a problem either, but it might be worth re-spacing for long-term durability of dropouts/axles.....its not as if re-spacing and re-aligning the dropouts is difficult.
Some of the UK made lugged Galaxies were none too stiff, that again translates into comfort for long unladen rides for a light rider, but it could be a problem for heavy riders with an expedition-type load.
I think its still worth bunging it together "quick and dirty" to see if you like the ride.

Assuming you have cantilever bosses, then I'm sure 1986 is old enough for the front bosses to be the old "narrow" spacing (65mm???) as opposed to the modern 80mm spacing.....this is a problem because modern cantis won't fit, you need to source old cantis....also is it built for 27" wheels or 700c?
Its probably easier to get long drop dual pivot sidepulls than cantis with enough brake pad adjustment to fit 700 in a 27" frame.

[playford]

The previous owner adjusted the old style style cantis for 700c.

[Brucey]

I think that by 1986 it is perhaps new enough to have 700C wheels but old enough that the canti bosses are narrow spaced.

Springing frames is fine for a short while but that stress is there permanently and adds to the stresses seen whilst the bike is actually being ridden. Axles tend to break more often and chainstays/dropouts can mysteriously crack. Hence it is usually best to reset in the long term.

The 531ST frame in that incarnation can vary in stiffness with build (and like Colin says, Dawes builds are often more flexy than others using the same tubeset) and also vary with frame size. In small sizes the frame will ride pretty stiff and in larger sizes progressively more flexy. In the largest sizes I'd suggest it will not be very suitable for a heavy load, but will ride quite nicely unladen or with a light load.

cheers

[student]

If I recall it correctly, it is advised to get the dropouts aligned in paralel to each other when the frame is being spread. This way you can prevent the extra stress on the axles and thus making the setup more reliable.?

[531colin]

If I recall it correctly, it is advised to get the dropouts aligned in paralel to each other when the frame is being spread. This way you can prevent the extra stress on the axles and thus making the setup more reliable.?

Yes. Parallel dropouts avoids stress on the dropouts themselves, the chainstays, and the axle.
(although seatstays will also be stressed by non-parallel dropouts, I don't remember seeing any broken seatstays........ )

[playford]

So this build is finally CV coming along but bit I of a dilemma. I had to replace the front fork for a later (90's) super galaxy fork after the mounts turned out to be rung, the new fork looked better quality too. Basically the paint etc is terrible. Powder coat is maybe 75 in our local, I'll probably end up having to nitromorse the threads after knowing them. Other option is 175 for bob Jackson, plus I could add a second bottle mount. This is getting pretty pricey though for a Dawes galaxy. Would I be better putting the cash into used frame from bj/Mercian/usual suspects?

I picked up a partial 105 triple group set so just wheel set and few bits otherwise.