My restoration project, advice and wisdom appreciated.

[marijuana]

I've come across this racing/road bike, I decided to give it a new lease of life. Although I dont really know anything about it, maybe you do?
I'm going through the usual routine of cleaning/greasing/adjusting ect. Some parts were totally unsalvageable for years sitting out in the elements. I had to hacksaw the chain off and the brake cables were in the worst condition I've ever seen. At first I thought the levers were broken.

I need new brake cables, wanting to keep them rather authentic, any ideas where I can find replacements? They were white.

I reckon its been modified, looking at the handle bars and gear shifters. It had a dynamo and lights which I took off. The saddle is also ruined, I have replacement.

Type of steel? Any good?

Useful?

Would appreciate any advice which may guide me towards restoring it properly, happy to answer any questions and take more photos.

 

[HovR]

If I'm reading that correctly, it's a Dawes Galaxy. These were touring bikes made of high quality Reynolds 531 steel.

Originally they would have come equipped with drop bars and down tube friction shifters.

Oh, and welcome to the forums!

 

[marijuana]

Brilliant cheers, yeah I would prefer drop down bars. I found some on ebay, need to work out if they are worth the £30.

 

[Pennine-Paul]

think my last pair of drops off ebay cost about £4
£30 sounds a bit steep!!

 

[sidevalve]

Looking at the pic this is a Dawes galaxy. They were a "touring" bike and of very high quality, the 531 tubing producing a very lightweight strong frame giving a good "feel". IMHO better than many so called "quality" frames today.
All the components you require can be sourced on E Bay [you may have to buy a coil of cable outer and cut to length, and yes they would have been white] at quite reasonable prices [£30 for bars is bonkers, as Pennin-Paul says look for about £5 - 10 tops and some even can be found with levers still attatched]. Even the correct stickers/decals sets are there too. A Brooks or perhaps [if you find a good one] Wrights leather saddle would look good.
Not sure on your tyre choice as you may be limited by the 27X 1 1/4 size [they are available, just not as many types]. The rims seem to be ally so may clean up quite well, depends how original you want to keep it [by the way, don't be worried about the brakes, despite what many people say sidepull calipers with ally rims CAN be very good].
ALL components were designed for owner maintenance and I can't see you having any probs restoring what is really a superb piece of cycling history that is still usefull today.
Finally, when restored, unless you paid some insane price you WILL be able sell her on if you so choose.
GOOD LUCK on the restoration !!
PS. I am of course biased having a Dawes myself and I think they're brill.

 

[mickle]

Watch out! More often than throwing £100 of new parts onto a £20 bike doesn't turn it in to a £120 bike - just a £20 bike with some nice parts.

It's not unknown for every single component on an old bike to be beyond salvaging. Even if much of it is sound once you start replacing parts your spend can very quickly exceed the value of the bike. And unless you have some kind of emotional attachement to it it's better to walk away.

If you really must restore it check one or two key things before you embark. Does the seat post move in the frame? If not it can be an almighty pain in the neck to get it out. Do the spoke nipples turn? If not the wheels are as good as dead. Are headset, BB and wheel bearings smooth? They'll still want regreasing if the bike has been sat for a while, but if their graunchy you're in trouble.

 

[mickle]

And without wanting to be too negative on this lovely sunny (for now) morning, bikes at that level from that period, even in 531, are really nothing special compared to the sort of middle of the road thing you can pick up today for £200 of off the ebay.

 

[sidevalve]

And without wanting to be too negative on this lovely sunny (for now) morning, bikes at that level from that period, even in 531, are really nothing special compared to the sort of middle of the road thing you can pick up today for £200 of off the ebay.

Sorry but we're gonna have to agree to disagree on that one. £200 on E bay wont really get anything special and faults like a jammed seat post could easily be found on a modern bike [the seller aint gonna tell you]. A budget restoration could be done for £50 - 60. Just check the prices of Galaxy's [even poor ones] and work out the financial aspects for yourself.
PS I've yet to see a 531 frame on it's own go for £20 on E bay

 

[mickle]

Sorry but we're gonna have to agree to disagree on that one. £200 on E bay wont really get anything special and faults like a jammed seat post could easily be found on a modern bike [the seller aint gonna tell you]. A budget restoration could be done for £50 - 60. Just check the prices of Galaxy's [even poor ones] and work out the financial aspects for yourself.
PS I've yet to see a 531 frame on it's own go for £20 on E bay

I sold a ropey old (but functioning) Colnago Super on ebay for less than three.

If the OP manages to restore it on such a budget then more power to him, but it would be remiss not to point out the potential pitfalls of what he is about to embark on.
I've seen lots and lots of people plough money into bikes which didn't deserve it.

 

[sidevalve]

I sold a ropey old (but functioning) Colnago Super on ebay for less than three.

If the OP manages to restore it on such a budget then more power to him, but it would be remiss not to point out the potential pitfalls of what he is about to embark on.
I've seen lots and lots of people plough money into bikes which didn't deserve it.

A fair point but I really wanted to make the point that too many bikes seem to be dumped because they are " last years model". I stand by my point on the value of the galaxy once restored to even fair condition and the value of 531 frames alone. Low budget restorations can be done [I've done it] but it does take a little time and care sourcing parts. [and obviously the work must be done by yourself]. I agree that to restore a cheap bike can be a money pit to no advantage [unless it happens to be a personal thing when value becomes secondary, as with my Falcon Team Banana].
If the OP simply wants a useable bike then yes there are better out there, if a nice usable piece of cycling history that can still peform well then this could [with care, as you say] be the ideal machine.

 

[mickle]

One of the things to bear in mind is that, at the height of 531s prominence there were lots of manufacturers making pretty mundane frames, with dull lugs and bent plate crowns and drop-outs, but because they had a 531 sticker on the seat tube they were perceived as premier league. There's 531 and there's 531; plain guage, butted or double butted. And to top it off there's there was the practice of sticking a 531 sticker on the seat tube when only the three main tubes were 531. In the worst cases manufacturers only used 531 for the seat tube itself.

And anyway, it's 531 forks you really want....

 

[TheDoctor]

Hmmm. The forks aren't original, and 27 by 1 1/4 tyres are harder to find these days.
I can't see any brakes on there either.
Still, a set of drop bars won't break the bank (£30 off ebay is insane!! New ones will be about £15 if that) and it could well build up into something nice. Wether it's worth the cost and hassle is another matter. If the seat pin is stuck then I'd not even go there.

 

[biggs682]

looks a nice find , get on with making it rideable then just do what ever as it needs doing .

i have a 1992 ish Galaxy really nice to ride and that is on flats rather than drops .

 

[asterix]

looks a nice find , get on with making it rideable then just do what ever as it needs doing .

i have a 1992 ish Galaxy really nice to ride and that is on flats rather than drops .

+1

My British Eagle Touristique was £50 off ebay and I bought it as a cross town hack. Initially I spent very little as all it needed was servicing and a new bottom bracket after the attentions of an incompetent had made it unrideable mostly by overtightening.

It was such a nice bike to ride I started using it on longer trips to the North York Moors and the Dales. Although it had only 12 gears the range was good. Unfortunately I then got carried away and it is completely unrecognisable now.

One of the things to bear in mind is that, at the height of 531s prominence there were lots of manufacturers making pretty mundane frames, with dull lugs and bent plate crowns and drop-outs, but because they had a 531 sticker on the seat tube they were perceived as premier league. There's 531 and there's 531; plain guage, butted or double butted. And to top it off there's there was the practice of sticking a 531 sticker on the seat tube when only the three main tubes were 531. In the worst cases manufacturers only used 531 for the seat tube itself.

And anyway, it's 531 forks you really want....

That is also true, especially about the forks!

 

[sidevalve]

I agree about "some" manufacturers, but Dawes were not one of them.