Dawes for a winter project
 

Needing a project, I picked up a Dawes from a man with a barn full of bikes. I chose it because of the badge, the chrome, & the seat. I've only refurbished 2 bikes before so I go slow & often am not sure of what I'm doing.

I cannot believe it but I took no full pics of it before I started taking it apart, though I've taken plenty since. I think the badge means a 70s bike, but there's nothing on it to identify the model. There's a serial # on the bottom bracket, but it sounds like that will not help.

So, any help identifying the model & boy do I have questions about the history of it.
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...20c96c92c1.jpg
Do all Dawes have these stuckers?
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...da8f5841af.jpg
Love the badge.

There's not much information out there about Dawes. I have heard (with what reliability I know not) that the Dawes factory burned at one point, after which the company retired the "flaming torch" head badge seen on your bike. I have a Dawes Double Blue with that identical badge--and I agree, it is a classy touch. The saddle on my bike (which appears to be original) has a 1967 date stamp. Not sure how much longer that head badge remained in use.

Here's a picture of my Dawes Galaxy when I brought it home a few months ago. Same headbadge. Derailleurs are Simplex, headset and bottom bracket are TDC (TD Cross). There is a Dawes group on facebook (Dawes Heritage). They are mostly from the UK I think.
Maybe you can post a few more pics.

Are the handlebars engraved?
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...4afb0f7f59.jpg

All models were declared differently. Somewhere in the early- mid 70’s would be a good guess for your bike. The badge is cool! I have one of the yellow Dawes Galaxy models but came only as a frame. Plain 531 but light, lively.

awesome!

Here's the 1969 review of the Dawes Galaxy, which is what this one is - plain gauge 531 main frame with probably Tru-wel or comparable hi-tensile steel stays and forks. It's comparable to the Raleigh Super Course of the time and was similarly equipped. That badge was in use starting in the mid to late '50s, and I had one on my c.1962 Realmrider 4-speed, and it lasted into the 70s, when Dawes switched to a smaller badge that looks a lot like the escutcheon on the seat tube.

It is very much a British touring bike from the era before everyone felt they needed a bike suitable for riding from the Arctic Circle to Cape Horn, with a zillion braze-ons and massive cargo capacity. It's great with a saddlebag/handlebar bag combo, you could fit a rack and panniers and go cycle-camping, but it's not the rough tough enduro macho thing modern touring and cycle camping bikes have become. If you want to do day trips it will be lovely, you could go camping for a while with it, to be honest lots of people crossed the country on similar bikes in the '70s.

Cool bike and I look forward to the final results!

I forgot to put the engravings were another reason for picking it up in the 1st post - the bars have a design engraved on them! According to Hilary Stone "GB stood for Gerry Burgess founder and owner of GB Cycle Components." I'm slowly finding more info as I go.
One of the reasons I put this bike into the 70s was because the Shimano hubs are stamped "Y" which is s'posed to be 1974.
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...f8a2e40aed.jpg
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...be2b7c03f7.jpg

If the RD is original Simplex Prestige unit, it's date stamp will be helpful. The panel graphics vary from year to year so would be nice to have a shot including 3 main tubes. Is there anything stamped on dropout?

hope you have the seat post these took an odd size

More on new/old Dawes
 

Answering Indidious: RD is Simplex Prestige but no date that i can see. Left dropout has a 5 stamped in it. The only graphics are on the seat tube. No Dawes logo or model on the others.
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...7c81ed11ef.jpg
Seat tube
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...a2f220b3a7.jpg
Think this partial was the 501 graphic.

First ques
 

If I take off this nut, does the bolt come out, & then the crank arm will come off?
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...b6aa19447f.jpg
Bolt thru crank arm
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...2b5c7f49ee.jpg
Stronglight - anothr of the bolt.

That's a cotter pin, and they should be pressed out. Some use a hammer to knock them out, but the risk of damaging the pin and making removal a lot harder is significant. Best thing to do is spray it with some PB Blaster or similar penetrant and let it sit for a day or so. Once the pin is removed the crank arm should slide right off. Here is a press in action:
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...99a94966d6.jpg
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...81ca0f6bf0.jpg

If you get the cotters out without damaging, and if they are in good shape, then reuse them. A press is best for reinstallation. That Dawes looks like a great winter project. Best of luck with it.

Some catalogs online here https://dawescycles.wordpress.com/catalogues/

To my eye at least yours looks like a Galaxy.

You tap on the end with the threads and the cotter pin pops out the other end. Then the crank comes off. You probably don't want to deform the cotter pin though, if you want to use it again. They could be very tight on there. Maybe search for cottered crank removal for tips.

Cottered crank
 

It is best to use a press to remove and replace the cotters. I broke down and bought a park tool cotter press on eBay about a year ago. English bikes are my hobby.

did you ever post any pics of the completion on that thing? :)

Dawes Galaxy of that era is Reynolds 531 plain gauge main frame, like a Raleigh Super Course; the seat post is probably a 26.4 mm, which was widely used in French bikes built with metric Reynolds 531 butted 1.0-.07-1.0 gauge tubing.

If I remember, not as a drop bar bike but an upright city bike! If I could get to it this winter I am tempted to run it as a SS club machine.

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...81fa63b82.jpeg

that's awesome!! and, you left it all patina'd and stuff. :)

not sure if i ever said as much in our past convo's, but i had it's orange cousin at one time. got it from the same guy as the yellow you have now. i built it up and gave it back to him. then, he proceeded to leave it out in his front yard near the highway and a logging truck ran over it....lol! destroyed the rear triangle. now it's garden deco..haha!

thook

As I understand it, he was a character! There is not much I can do about the patina so I just owned it. The ride is still sweet either way.

Heres a picture of mine from a couple of days ago.
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...8fc179342e.jpg
Dawes Galaxy

I use this bike as my all arounder; commuter, gravel grinder, winter bike. I think the Dawes Galaxy is a great vintage ride. They have Reynolds 531 main triangle, plenty of chrome, Haden lugs, real head badge, lined lugs, engraved handlebars. I think mine is from the late 60s. The transfer on the seat tube of the op's bike is different from the older one. N.B. 3speedslow's above. The downtube transfers on mine have a different font too. I think I remember that some head badges have a red flame and some do not.

I too remember that the torch headbadge were of two different variety.

It's worth checking the Dawes Facebook group... they have a huge following here in the UK. The brand is very well respected and there are loads of folks who know every nut & bolt about them. (I'm surprised more of them didn't make it to the US?) I cannot tell you the number of times old codgers have come up to me with a sparkle in their eye and said; "I used to have a Dawes years ago... mine was a Galaxy too!". They were a classic and it's a shame the Galaxy line didn't make it another year...