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"VINTAGE LIFE CYCLES"
CANADIAN & VINTAGE LIGHTWEIGHT BICYCLE
DAWES "GALAXY" GUIDE
e-mail [email protected] |
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HOME THE BICYCLES FIX IT UP ARTICLES LINKS |
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DAWES
"GALAXY" |
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MADE IN ENGLAND |
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Though not high end bicycle, the lug work and attention to detail move this Dawes lightweight into the "something kind of special" category. it is a very nice appearing bicycle and equally nice to ride, though it would never win any kind of performance awards. But for twenty dollars, it is a great bicycle to take out for the Sunday afternoon vintage ride. |
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| Nothing unusual about this! The Simplex derailleur fails frequently in this fashion. The previous owner implemented a clever repair which appears to serve two purposes - scratch the paint and keep the derailleur from falling off of the bicycle. How does the repair affect the shifting? It doesn't shift! |
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SIMPLEX
MADE IN FRANCE |
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Fortunately, these old Simplex Post derailleurs are not all that uncommon. Ther are a couple of little tricks to get that old faded grey thing looking like its refurbished mate. The important thing to remember is - NOT BROKEN and be careful of the darn thing. They are fragile and, quite frankly, don't work all that well to begin with, if quick shifts are your thing. |
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The rear Simplex derailleur, however, works like a charm. Shifting is smooth and easy to trim. This example has seen better days. When one considers the derailleur location it seems strange that the rear does not break as often as the front. To date, no broken rear Simplex derailleurs have entered the collection. Four busted in half front works of art, however, have found their way to the bicycle shed. |
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The Dawes, like many of the finer bicycles of its time, came equipped with a Brooks saddle. This one, though faded from the sun, is in good condition and some thought is being given to attempting to redye it. The rear metal "BROOKS" tag has a small wrinkle in it. Fortunately, a tag had been rescued from a toasted saddle and set aside months ago just in case... |
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| The saddle's condition is not in keeping with the condition of the rest of the bicycle. Cosmetically, the bicycle is very good. Obviously, it has been stored in a reasonably well protected environment. There is not rust on the bicycle, The paint offers no hint of fading and yet the seat's dye is all but faded to nothing. Why this inconsistency? The first of a few that make this bicycle's history interesting even though unknown. |
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| Initially, the Galaxy looked to be pristine. Closer inspection indicated otherwise. The broken front derailleur is accompanied by mismatched hub and wheel combinations. The front hub is an ATOM while the rear is Shimano. The bicycle does not look like it has had a major component changeout, and this situation remains a bit of a mystery. The tires, as is often the case, were shot, even though they do hold air and served their purpose during a cautiously executed test ride. |
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Adding to the mystery of the history of thisbike are the brake levers. There positioning was grossly mis-matched, the right lever being set considerably lower than the left. Not something that could be easily over looked. More of what doesn't fit, the handlebar tape seems to have slipped a great deal when one considers that the bicycle has little evidence suggesting great use. |
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Weinman 610's serve to slow this old bicycle down and do so quite effectively even though they have steel rims to work with. The center pull brakes were one of those items associated with better bicycles when this Dawes rolled off of the assembly line. |
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THE DAWES RIDE |
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MADE IN ENGLAND |
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Very little was needed to get the Galaxy up and running although, in all fairness, the bicycle has not been properly set up. Too many projects have presented themselves in the past few months, the refurbishment of the Dawes being one of them.
Time enough was invested, however, in an effort to get the test ride in before the snow fell. Nothing was changed out on the bicycle. Shifting the front derailleur proved to be impossible. The rusty wire that serves to clamp the derailleur in place just does not work well. But the bike could still get up enough speed to ensure a reasonably safe "hands off" ride. The bicycle performed well, offering no indication of anything being bent or out of true.
Satisfied that all was well, the Dawes has been taken out a few times, not because it is a state of the art performance, but because it is fun to ride. Its bright yellow decals on a dark brown frame seem to attract attention.
Although not ridden a great deal yet, the Galaxy's performance can best be compared to two other bicycles in the collection - a Holdsworth "Equipe" and an England built early seventies Raleigh "Record". The Dawes "feel" would lie in between thes two comparable bikes, perhaps matching that of the French built Peugeot UO8. As mentioned, performance was not evaluated considering the limited exposure to the bicycle.
Once again, even though a quarter of a century old or older, the Brooks saddle still offered a comfortable pearch and will remain with the bicycle as long as it is a part of the collection.
If the bike is retained, it will most likely be ridden infrequently. It is not the performer that some of the other bicycles in the collection are and the antiquated technology makes itself known during a ride. The levers are less than comfortable(little time was spent attempting to select the best position for optimal fit) and the cottered cranks do anything but fill the rider with mechanical confidence. Steel wheels are becoming increasingly unacceptable in the performance department. The situation becoming even more pronounced when the steel braking surface is the old patterned style. The buzz when braking is annoying. With things such as these in mind, the old mount will be used for vintage Sunday excursions only. |
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SIMILAR BICYCLES |
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RALEIGH "RECORD"
MADE IN ENGLAND |
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PEUGEOT UO8
MADE IN FRANCE |
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HOLDSWORTH "EQUIPE"
MADE IN ENGLAND |
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HOME THE BICYCLES FIX IT UP ARTICLES LINKS |
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