Dawes Super Galaxy 2012

[GeekDadZoid]

So I had mentioned I am ok the slow lookout for a Galaxy. I wasn't too bothered by age, but wanted to get the project on the road for a bargain basement price.

I've sold a few bike and bits over the last few weeks so had got a budget of £200. This would have been laughable 18 months ago, but I knew if I had patience something would come along that I could do in budget.

I didn't have to wait long. I'd seen this 2012 model up for £500 a few weeks ago and had discounted it as being too expensive. However I noticed it was still there when I searched FB and the other day it dropped to £350. Last night I had a chat with the seller and they agreed to sell it for £200, being just a couple of miles away I could try it for size too.

I went armed with a pump and it felt right from the moment I sat on it, it's a 53cm compact frame.

Anyway the seller seemed relieved to sell it, I got the impression they are on a dead line, it had been her bike bought from new but not ridden for a long time.

To the bike. I'm fairly sure this has done a few hundred KM max. It seems to have all original equipment except the rack, and nothing is worn. Just a bit of mud.

Will get a list of jobs together tonight.

 

[Cycleops]

You did well for the price. Won't take much to get it on the road, maybe just a clean up and a service.
If it hasn't been used for a while spray the inside of the brifters with WD40, can get gummed up. I'd replace all the cables and grease them too, likely to be rusted inside. Also check the spokes and tighten any loose ones.
Will you cut the steerer?

 

[GeekDadZoid]

You did well for the price. Won't take much to get it on the road, maybe just a clean up and a service.
If it hasn't been used for a while spray the inside of the brifters with WD40, can get gummed up. I'd replace all the cables and grease them too, likely to be rusted inside. Also check the spokes and tighten any loose ones.
Will you cut the steerer?

It will certainly get a service, the cables initially look fine, they seem to be stainless, but I will replace if I notice any friction when giving it proper going over.

The steerer is some weird spacerless adjustable stem, that years Galaxies had them. I'll probably leave it for a few hundred KM whilst I dial my position in and then remove it and cut the steerer.

 

[GeekDadZoid]

So spent the last hour putting a list together as to what is need to get me on the road safely.

So far the list is

1. New rear innertube - Done
2. Tidy the bartape - Done
3. Give it a Wash - not yet

That is it, so it now needs a reasonable road test, I am not brave enough to take it on the commute tomorrow but will try and get it out for a few KM on Saturday and if that goes well it can be my ride for Sunday.

Pretty excited.

 

[Spiderweb]

That looks a great buy and looks to have done very few miles. A good clean and polish and it will look great. I’d avoid cutting the steering tube, really not necessary. You may keep the bike for many years and decide later on in life that your back may require a more upright riding position. It’s good to have the option.

 

[T4tomo]

Very nice, modern-ish steel and ?9 speed Tiagra, canti-brakes for an absolute steel () of a price.

The advantage of the gear cables not running under the bar tape is that there is somewhere to peg your washing to dry out as you ride on multi day tours...

I also wouldn't cut that steerer. It looks very much like that will clean up and look like new!

 

[GeekDadZoid]

That looks a great buy and looks to have done very few miles. A good clean and polish and it will look great. I’d avoid cutting the steering tube, really not necessary. You may keep the bike for many years and decide later on in life that your back may require a more upright riding position. It’s good to have the option.

Very nice, modern-ish steel and ?9 speed Tiagra, canti-brakes for an absolute steel () of a price.

The advantage of the gear cables not running under the bar tape is that there is somewhere to peg your washing to dry out as you ride on multi day tours...

I also wouldn't cut that steerer. It looks very much like that will clean up and look like new!

Good point on the steerer, I will just leave it and see how it goes, despite the quick adjustment system looking pretty ugly it's actually quite nice to use.
I have never had a bike with under-bar tape gear cables so it feels normal to me and its 10 speed, again something I have never had, 8 speed has been my limit so far.

I do need to start looking out for a bottom bracket tool, but it does not need servicing yet so I will wait for a sale

I think I will stick some fibrax pads on the brakes the Shimano ones have gone a bit shiny, but other than that I am ready to roll.

 

[T4tomo]

I do need to start looking out for a bottom bracket tool, but it does not need servicing yet so I will wait for a sale

I think I will stick some fibrax pads on the brakes the Shimano ones have gone a bit shiny, but other than that I am ready to roll.

new pads is a good idea, Kool Stop do some nice dual compound ones (salmon / black) which are good for all weathers. Given its lack of miles, the BB should be good for 10-20 years. I would leave well alone unless it start creaking.

 

[chris667]

Proper bargain!

There is a nice looking one not far from me on a certain auction site at £80. It looks much older though - 27x1 1/4 wheels are a bit of a dealbreaker for me and I must not have any more bikes!

There's also two Horizons on sale in Chesterfield for £110 each! Amazing really.

 

[wafter]

Excellent work - I'm really pleased to see you sorted something out

Looks like a great buy - a decent price and a good middle ground age-wise between the older, lower-specced stuff with downtube shifters and the last of the line before they killed the model which I think used gaspipe (or certainly no-name / propriatory 4130) presumably as a last-ditch cost-cutting exercise.

Seems a score to get a good quality steel frame with a decent STI-based groupset and I doubt that many were produced to this spec.

I'd agree with what others have said; would definitely leave the steerer tube and BB alone; give it a good clean, make sure all is good then get out there any enjoy it

 

[GeekDadZoid]

Needed to deliver my wife's grans shopping so chucked on a big pannier and spun up there.

Then managed to have a fettle and replace the saddle with one I used to like, but I've been pretty much exclusively leather since last September. Stuck a few tools on it, spun round the park and ready for tomorrows shake down ride.

 

[GeekDadZoid]

So Sunday morning shakedown ride. I did have plans of a gravel style loop, but I saw sense as if I had a major mechanical I would be walking along way for recovery.

So I just followed my nose and went for a ride over towards Carrington to check a few paths out my mate wants to ride down.

Bike was flawless, almost as comfortable as my Holdsworth, but they certainly benefited from nicer bar tape and a Spa Nidd saddle, so I think I'll do the same on this.

Felt solid and no slouch.

https://strava.app.link/T2G1dGE5Urb

 

[wafter]

You might have seen this already, but this model was reviewed on road.cc back in the day - seems they liked it and it was £1.5k new so you got a proper score for £200

 

[GeekDadZoid]

You might have seen this already, but this model was reviewed on road.cc back in the day - seems they liked it and it was £1.5k new so you got a proper score for £200

That's one of the things that got me excited actually as the reviewer is slightly smaller than me and was riding the size frame I was looking at.

It was mentioned on the other thread that some of the later models were twitchy but that's certainly not the case with this model, i was very confident at higher speeds and had no issues at slow speeds even when I had an unbalanced load.

 

[wafter]

That's one of the things that got me excited actually as the reviewer is slightly smaller than me and was riding the size frame I was looking at.

It was mentioned on the other thread that some of the later models were twitchy but that's certainly not the case with this model, i was very confident at higher speeds and had no issues at slow speeds even when I had an unbalanced load.

Great research skills

Glad to hear this variant rides OK - I'll add it to the shortlist