forGreatJustice

Dawes Galaxy

Arron — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 16:33:02 +0000

My current touring bike of choice is a 1984 Dawes Galaxy upgraded with modern componentry.

I originally purchased the bike on eBay early 2011 however it wasn’t really in the best state of repair. It came mostly complete but some of the components were quite old. The bike is hand built in Birmingham, England at the Dawes factory and it was quite a high-end machine in its day.

Condition wise it’s pretty excellent for its age. There’s been paint touch-ups on the frame and I’ve filled in with paint some of the decal tears but aside from this there’s no rust or dings.

Anyway, after a few hundred £ later here’s the current spec:

Frame: Reynolds 531ST lugged steel frame with forged dropouts.
Forks: Reynolds 531ST steel forks.
Wheels: Mavic Open 4CD rims with Malliard hubs and QR scewers.
Headset: Hatta Swan (I think this is original).
Brakes: Weinmann Vainqueur 999 centre-pulls with Tektro Aero levers.
Mudguards: SKS Chromoplastics.
Stem: 70mm GB forged alloy threaded.
Bars: GB ‘randonneur’.
Bell: Velo Orange Japanese brass bell.
Saddle: Brooks B17 Special.
Front Derailleur: Shimano Sora.
Rear Derailleur: Shimano Deore.
Shifters: Shimano 105 7-speed indexed.
Freewheel: Shimano HyperGlide 7-speed 12-28
Chain: Shimano HG-40.
Chainset: Spa Cycles XD-2 Touring Triple with Sugino 165mm cranks.
Bottom Bracket: Shimano UN-54.
Pump: Zefal HPX-3
Pedals: MKS Sylvan Touring with MKS steel toeclips and Condor cycles leather toe-straps.
Seatpost: 27.0mm Kalloy microadjustable.
Rack: TorTec Expedition.
Bar Tape: Fizik M-Tec.
Various NOS Shimano and Weinmann components i.e brake hangers and straddle cables.

My 1984 Dawes Galaxy lightweight tourer.

MKS Sylvan Touring

Arron — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 19:12:18 +0000

My Dawes originally came with flat pedals but I fancied either toeclips or SPD pedals and shoes.

After a lot of thought I decided to go with the traditional toeclip option so I could wear ‘normal’ shoes and not have to be tied in to buying cycling-specific shoes with daft velcro straps and dayglow stripes and stuff.

The result is that I plumped for the MKS Sylvan Touring pedals as they have a slightly bigger platform than the other range. Plus they look nice and traditional in combination with MKS’ steel toeclips (which are also NJS approved so I get street cred with the fixie crowd). Overall they’re very nice quality and although some people have reported an issue with lack of grease from the factory, this is easily rectified as the pedals are fully dismantle-able.

MKS Sylvan Touring pedals with MKS steel toeclips and Condor Cycles leather toestraps.

Spa Cycles XD-2 Touring Triple Chainset

Arron — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 16:14:24 +0000

I’ve just received my Spa Cycles XD-2 Touring Triple which I’ve recently ordered as they’re currently on offer for the crazy price of £35.

This chainset comes with the classic Sugino XD2 crankarms which I think look beautifully understated in this modern day of carbon fibre and designer logos. The chain rings are pressed alloy – not as durable as the more expensive Spa Cycles chainset featuring T.A Specialites chainrings, but light and functional nonetheless. The fact that the Sugino crank has a BCD of 110mm and 74mm means that as the stock alloy rings wear out, I can replace them with T.A rings when the time comes.

Currently Spa only offer this set with 165mm cranks (which is perfect for my leg length) and I’m not sure if they’ll restock with 170s, but if 165mm suits you this is surely a bargain.

Spa Cycles XD-2 Touring Triple chainset with Sugino cranks.