Dawes Appreciation Society

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ldrcycles
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Dawes Appreciation Society

Postby ldrcycles » Wed Jun 29, 2011 9:25 pm

I know this is going to be a pretty small thread (although fingers crossed someone will pop up a nice Galaxy or Super Galaxy).

I rescued this 1969 Dawes Shadow from the tip a couple of years ago and i'm finally on the home stretch.
When i first got it the frame had a fair bit of surface rust, and all the parts were in pretty poor condition.
Had a Simplex 'fantastic plastic' rear derailleur, Dawes branded cranks (made by SR i think), Weinmann brakes and steel 27" rims.
After my researching suggested it was a plain guage (ie not butted) Reynolds 531 frame i decided to make it a flashy singlespeed (as a contrast to my 'ahem' 'working' Tom Wallace singlspeed).

Sandblasted the frame at work then took care of the rust with a bit of hydrochloric acid. The panel beater in the next building to my work turned out to be a keen cyclist (with a gorgeous Vitus tubed Peugeot, which has sadly cracked and been rendered unusable) and was happy to paint the frame in return for some beer and mechanical work on his other bike (lots of cycling+little money means i can do most mechanical work myself).
He finished painting it yesterday and this evening i was all set to start work, when close inspection revealed the BB threads to need chasing *sigh....
So it's off to the LBS for that but hopefully i can still have it together by the end of the weekend.

For now, this is what it used to look like.

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munga
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Re: Dawes Appreciation Society

Postby munga » Wed Jun 29, 2011 10:21 pm

can only get better hey?
i too troll ebay for a dawes galaxy in my size

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Re: Dawes Appreciation Society

Postby lethoso » Thu Jun 30, 2011 6:32 pm

I had a dawes galaxy, reynolds tubing, perfect size for me.... had to ditch it in france as I was too pov to ship it home :cry:

On the bright side, I think I only paid about 150 pounds for it, so not that much of a loss.

Still, it was a really great bike, I miss it.
Image

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Re: Dawes Appreciation Society

Postby ldrcycles » Sat Jul 02, 2011 9:29 pm

sigh...is there a thread for resolving serious mental problems brought on by restoring bikes!?

So i got the BB threads cleaned up at the bike shop, got it home ready to finish the project (at very long last), and start putting in a BB. Drive side goes in ok, left side goes in 3/4 then gets really tight, managed to get it all the way, then find it's unscrewed the other side! Seems the threads weren't bang in alignment and the adjustable cup being a tight fit allowed it to turn the whole cartridge body. A different BB went in fine though.

So time for the headset, cups went in fine, then time for the fork crown bearing race (lashed out and got a Ritchey Logic headset), couldn't get it on with my usual 'screwdriver and hammer method (i know, i'm a very bad person). Tried using a vice (the reverse of the removal method in Zinn and the art of mountainbike maintenance) and it wouldn't go on at all. So off to the bike shop (which is actually mainly a tackle shop but i got my first decent bike there, they're a great bunch and they do know what they're doing), tried a race with a larger ID, and using a proper tool, went on fine. Then we remove the tool and the race is cracked right through! Sorry guys :oops: . After a bit of discussion we agree i should take it to Noosa Bike Shop (been around for ages and work on much higher end stuff). So i get it back on Monday arvo, the young bloke there reckons he can press the Ritchey race on.

In the meantime, this is as far as it can go.

Image

P.S. i wrote this whole thing without realising i wasn't logged in, it disappeared and i wrote it all again AAAARRRGGHH!!!
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Re: Dawes Appreciation Society

Postby Bugsy » Sat Jul 09, 2011 7:44 pm

I've just been doing some work on my old 1984 Dawes Countryman. Lovely ride is helped by long wheelbase and Reynolds 531 All Terrain tubing.

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Re: Dawes Appreciation Society

Postby ldrcycles » Fri Jul 15, 2011 7:01 pm

Finally sorted (except for decals, which i've misplaced and can't find).
I know i've posted this pic everywhere but i'm just so happy!

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Re: Dawes Appreciation Society

Postby ldrcycles » Tue Jul 19, 2011 9:04 am

I don't know how much more of this i can take, finally got to ride the Dawes for the first time this morning (and it does ride very nicely), after only 10k the drive side BB bearing let go (2nd hand BB but it seemed fine, and i've never had one go before), after another 10k going up a hill the driveside cup unthreaded almost halfway! Managed to limp the rest of the way to work but i can't believe the constant problems with this bike, someone must have died on it and their spirit is haunting it.
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Re: Dawes Appreciation Society

Postby jbchybridrider » Sun Jul 24, 2011 7:50 pm

1977 DAWES GALAXY GT
Yep I missed this thread first up but its another photo chance. The plan with this bike is to get it back to how it left the factory however not in the original blue or the rack and guards. Black, chrome with white lines around the lugs has a much more classic look.
I've never really gone for touring bikes but this is quite light and has a great riding feeling like a real classic. There's the last few details on my current project before starting this one.
I think all it needs is lever hoods, bar tape, cables, frame painted, decals, polish the alloy, tyres. At some point the back wheel buggered up so they put a steel rim on. I might dismantle the wheels just to clean them properly and sorce the correct rim and new spokes.
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Re: Dawes Appreciation Society

Postby ldrcycles » Sun Jul 24, 2011 8:44 pm

Welcome to the brotherhood lol. Do you know what make the hubs are? Interesting headtube decal too, mine just had a small plain badge. As for the decals, in case you don't already know, these guys have a pretty good assortment of Dawes decals http://www.hlloydcycles.com/.
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Re: Dawes Appreciation Society

Postby jbchybridrider » Sun Jul 24, 2011 9:38 pm

Thanks "bro" I think I've spent 3 or 4 days trolling the net for info and did read what hubs are on this bike but cant find it again and the hubs are pretty filthy with very lightly etched naming on them so they need cleaning to read.
There certainly an odd brand though. There's info also on head badges stating what years they changed the designs, dammed if I can find it again if I do find good info again I'll copy and post here including your shadow.
I do know with certainty mines a 77 GT from the groupset and headbadge and the fact there's no pump brackets the catalog I put in above is from 1979.
I've already ordered decals from cyclomondo on ebay there exact replicas of what belongs on this bike, just need to drop super in super galaxy.

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Re: Dawes Appreciation Society

Postby rkelsen » Mon Jul 25, 2011 2:05 pm

Those old ads are great.

Interesting to see that the top spec model had much shorter gearing than the basic model. Better for touring I guess.

I thought suicide levers were only on cheaper bikes, but in this case it's only the best one which has them. I'll have to watch out for things like this and not be so quick to say "pass" on bikes with them.

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Re: Dawes Appreciation Society

Postby WyvernRH » Mon Jul 25, 2011 3:02 pm

ldrcycles wrote:Welcome to the brotherhood lol. Do you know what make the hubs are? Interesting headtube decal too, mine just had a small plain badge. As for the decals, in case you don't already know, these guys have a pretty good assortment of Dawes decals http://www.hlloydcycles.com/.
The hubs would been Normandy high flange alloy. This make had virtually cornered the market in the 60's to 80's in the UK for mid range production bicycles, especially those of touring persuasion.
Re the head badge, Dawes went from the 'Torch over D' badge in the 50's/60's to the wreathed circle shown on the Galaxy in this thread up to the early 80's (?) then to a small black oval with 'Dawes' in silver. This badge went from alloy to plastic and then to just a transfer on the cheaper models.

Cheers
Richard

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Re: Dawes Appreciation Society

Postby ldrcycles » Mon Jul 25, 2011 6:17 pm

Ooh very interesting richard, mine has an alloy badge but i thought it was earlier than that, Serial is PP6971 so i had just assumed either 1969 or 1971, which seemed possible given the plastic Simplex gearing and steel rims.
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Re: Dawes Appreciation Society

Postby WyvernRH » Tue Jul 26, 2011 10:43 am

ldrcycles wrote:Ooh very interesting richard, mine has an alloy badge but i thought it was earlier than that, Serial is PP6971 so i had just assumed either 1969 or 1971, which seemed possible given the plastic Simplex gearing and steel rims.
To me the Dawes Shadow was always an mid range 'Sports' model from the 80's. The colour scheme certainly looks like the ones you used to see around West London in the early 80's (A couple of the local bike shops stocked Dawes and this model seemed pretty popular, must have been good value). Steel rims were quite common on mid range bikes back then, the general public seemed to like them (ie alloy = fragile :roll: ) even if they didn't stop in the wet. The Simplex rear derailleur model you have there is the 'improved model (sic) and was available in the UK well into the 80's maybe even until Simplex died as a brand?. I remember seeing them on bicycles in French hypermarkets in the late 80's.
Cheers
Richard

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Re: Dawes Appreciation Society

Postby singletracking » Wed Jul 27, 2011 10:13 am

1996 Dawes Super Galaxy Plus

Came with Campy Centaur MTB components & was the top of the line Dawes touring bike back then

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Re: Dawes Appreciation Society

Postby ldrcycles » Wed Jul 27, 2011 9:14 pm

:o :o :o BEAUTIFUL, what brand are the brakes?

@Richard, i'll dig out the original cranks and see if i can find a date code off them.

@jbchy, i checked cyclomondo and unfortunately the only dawes decals he stocks aren't the type mine had, i might email him and see if he has them but just doesn't list them on ebay.
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Re: Dawes Appreciation Society

Postby lethoso » Thu Jul 28, 2011 5:48 pm

singletracking wrote:1996 Dawes Super Galaxy Plus
damn that's nice.
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Re: Dawes Appreciation Society

Postby ldrcycles » Thu Jul 28, 2011 8:50 pm

Checked the original Dawes branded SR cranks and they were stamped 82 over F in a circle so you were spot on richard. I'm a little disappointed to find out it's not as old as i thought but i replaced the shot BB this arvo and went round the block, man it's a nice bike, so smooth :) .
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Re: Dawes Appreciation Society

Postby jbchybridrider » Thu Jul 28, 2011 9:36 pm

[quote="singletracking"]1996 Dawes Super Galaxy Plus

Came with Campy Centaur MTB components & was the top of the line Dawes touring bike back then

Image

Very sweet bike. :D

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Re: Dawes Appreciation Society

Postby singletracking » Sat Jul 30, 2011 10:47 pm

Thanks guys.

I acquired the bike in a rather interesting way - outlined in this thread on the BV forums

I've done one short tour on it so far and plenty of commuting k's.
ldrcycles wrote::o :o :o BEAUTIFUL, what brand are the brakes?
The brakes are Campy Centaur - from the MTB group of 1996. I was surprised when I realised exactly what they were! :-)

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Re: Dawes Appreciation Society

Postby ldrcycles » Sat Jul 30, 2011 11:20 pm

singletracking wrote: Came with Campy Centaur MTB components
*smacks forehead. I didn't know Campy had ever made MTB bits, i would have thought they would consider it dirty and beneath them lol.
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Re: Dawes Appreciation Society

Postby jbchybridrider » Sun Jul 31, 2011 4:02 pm

WyvernRH wrote:
ldrcycles wrote:Welcome to the brotherhood lol. Do you know what make the hubs are? Interesting headtube decal too, mine just had a small plain badge. As for the decals, in case you don't already know, these guys have a pretty good assortment of Dawes decals http://www.hlloydcycles.com/.
The hubs would been Normandy high flange alloy. This make had virtually cornered the market in the 60's to 80's in the UK for mid range production bicycles, especially those of touring persuasion.
Re the head badge, Dawes went from the 'Torch over D' badge in the 50's/60's to the wreathed circle shown on the Galaxy in this thread up to the early 80's (?) then to a small black oval with 'Dawes' in silver. This badge went from alloy to plastic and then to just a transfer on the cheaper models.

Cheers
Richard
I havent officially started the Galaxy project but wanted to see the fancy writing on the hubs so just now gave them a light scrub with kero, it looks like mine has Telissier front and Maillard rear hubs also there "both" marked as made in France.
It has Weinmann alloy rims as standard though the rear buggered up at some stage and a steely was put on retaining the original hub. That makes an easy choice to take the wheels apart and polish the hubs get new spokes and find a Weinmann rim.

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Re: Dawes Appreciation Society

Postby WyvernRH » Sun Jul 31, 2011 6:46 pm

jbchybridrider wrote:
I havent officially started the Galaxy project but wanted to see the fancy writing on the hubs so just now gave them a light scrub with kero, it looks like mine has Telissier front and Maillard rear hubs also there "both" marked as made in France.
It has Weinmann alloy rims as standard though the rear buggered up at some stage and a steely was put on retaining the original hub. That makes an easy choice to take the wheels apart and polish the hubs get new spokes and find a Weinmann rim.
That would be 'Pelisser' front hub :wink: A very famous brand that by the 70's was supplying hubs(and nice hubs too!) to mid-range manufacturers like Dawes along with Normandy, both brands (so I am told) owned by Maillard by the 1970's and used to bolster their high-end products. The relationship of the various French hub manufacturers seemed very incestuous by the 1970's, several manufacturer's names being seen on mid-range hubs that really you would have to take a microscope to to see the difference.
Maillard top end stuff and MaxiCar are stand out exceptions.
Cheers
Richard

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Re: Dawes Appreciation Society

Postby ldrcycles » Fri May 04, 2012 12:53 pm

Just a heads up for this Dawes on ebay, first i've seen in ages. I'm not interested (tourers don't do it for me) so have a go :) .
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Dawes-Audax- ... 41652a276b
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Re: Dawes Appreciation Society

Postby Saro28 » Mon May 07, 2012 6:06 am

ldrcycles wrote:Just a heads up for this Dawes on ebay, first i've seen in ages. I'm not interested (tourers don't do it for me) so have a go :) .
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Dawes-Audax- ... 41652a276b
only one person had a go and . :D 8) 8) :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
immaculate condition, pump n ride......no Reynolds sticker so I can't be sure of steel, My research sees a couple with stickers and mentioned on other forums. Either way it's in very good condition. :D
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