mboro1876

I've had good luck with a few catalogues found online and otherwise, just googling random years + "galaxy" til I find a picture of one whose owner knows the year, and compare it. Though admittedly I've only been looking at 80s ones.

non-fixie 

The rear drop-outs are marked DAWES, the front fork ends are still too rusty to make out any markings.

I had another good look at the paint and the decals, and I'm pretty sure they are original. I've spent quite a few hours searching online, and as far as I can tell by all the pics I've seen, it is a Galaxy. I've actually found one green Galaxy that seemed to be an exact match (except for the color of course): no chrome, rear cable stop for the center-pull brake, cable guides brazed on top of the TT, light bracket mount on the right fork blade, oval head badge and the same decals. The owner claimed it to be '78, but I doubt that. So far I'm inclined to think early eighties.

The steel crank set is not original. It came off way too easy, and was mounted incorrectly too. There were also marks of an FD having been mounted.

Some more pictures (not for the faint-hearted).

Lugs:





Rear end:



Top tube:



Seat cluster:



Bottom (haven't been able to decipher the serial number yet):





And the one I found online:

3speedslow

Nice detective work there. I would peg it at early 80's myself. Definetly a Galaxy.

juvela

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Thanks very much non-fixie; our master researcher striketh ecnore une fois!

I had not seen the brake cable guides in the first image. Superannuated occipital receptors abiding here.

Appears it may have once enjoyed a chainstay stop which hath gone walkabout...

Dropout puzzling that it appears forged with a threaded adjuster hole yet is flat on its inner face. The way the gear hanger comes straight down at the front is reminiscent of Juy.

Is there a no-slide pib on the underside of the DT?

Crown looks to be model DL.

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non-fixie 

All the stops for the shifter cables are still there, and appear solid too. Two on the underside of the right chainstay, two on the downtube.

Yes sir. Can be just seen here:

juvela

Grazie Mille unfixed one!

So be routing for stern mech under BB but routing for bow mech above BB?

"juvela, I'll get me sumpthin' wroyte wunnuh these yars..."

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3speedslow

I wish my Dawes still had the original fork. Damn Italian chrome makeover!

cambiker71

Well this month I've been doing the "my pedal to Paris" for the Royal British Legion (460km spread over September) my Dawes Flair has been pressed into action this week with its old drop handlebars back in place because the upright ones gave me awful back ache (that and age I guess!)

3speedslow

Looks all business. What's the total you want to do to " make it to Paris"?

cambiker71

The challenge is to ride 460km in September, the same distance as riding from London to Paris, I've only got 15km to go right now too

non-fixie 

I really hate loose ends: did you make it?

Oh, and I love your last pic: the cultural contrast between the classic English Dawes bicycle and the Ssangyong and Kia cars is awesome.

cambiker71

Yes, I made it, actually got to a little over 500km. Still waiting to get all the sponsorship money in but I'll have raised £240 once I've sent it all over
I work for a ssangyong/Subaru dealer, hence the pic too!

non-fixie 

Thank you.

And well done!

Insidious C. 

Here's an updated pic of my Galaxy. Just because. I've replaced most components, but calipers are still original.

mattwales

I hope nobody minds me joining in here, trying to ID a bike I have been given. Despite Poyners of Wolverhampton decals it says Dawes on the rear drop out and BB is stamped BJ278. All help welcome, I think around 1977-78? Not yet allowed to post photos I think sorry.

Dawes-man

[QUOTE=mattwales;20912430]I hope nobody minds me joining in here, trying to ID a bike I have been given. Despite Poyners of Wolverhampton decals it says Dawes on the rear drop out and BB is stamped BJ278. All help welcome, I think around 1977-78? Not yet allowed to post photos I think sorry.[/QUOTE

Can you describe the headbadge? That can tell you the approximate years.

mattwales

No headbadge I'm sorry it's been fiddled with over the years I think. I've asked the moderator if I can upload some images. Thanks for your help!

Dawes-man

Any holes in the head tube? Or remains of any? Such signs would suggest pre-1981 as from then on the badges were simply glued on.

There's a Facebook group, Dawes Cycles Heritage, where you could ask for info about your frame. If you are already on FB it will be easy for you to upload pics.

SurferRosa

My first Dawes!

I'm tearing it down now. This is the craigs ad photo:



531 decal on the seat tube. Suntour shifters and rear mech. Weinmann brakeset. French high-flange hubs. Serial on the nds rear dropout reads AD1847.

skiron_2500

I had no idea that Dawes were from Nottingham--I thought they were an American company! Glad that I have now learnt this.

SurferRosa

Well, that worked out pretty well. It cleaned up nicely. The engraved bars and Dawes bar-end plugs are a nice touch.







.

rgvg

As found. Bought from 1st owner who says he purchased it in 1970. According to him not too many miles. It does look relatively unused, but the decals on the top and down tubes are gone, so possibly more miles than he implied. I was told the derailleurs are replacements and so are the tires. He did not recall changing the saddle, but I think that ought to have been a Brook or Wrights. The bb is loose, as is the headset.

If anybody knows whether any bits on these are non standard, please let me know. I'm thinking along the lines of bb and headset threading and that sort of thing.

Anyway, the pics

3speedslow

Me thinks the HS is a TDC model. Threading not sure. Definitely an English company! Nice bike! I have two, one frame same age as yours and an unknown early 80’s model.

rgvg

Question about the headset. Do you know what size the bearings are? They fit through the 1/8ths hole but since there's no smaller hole in my ruler I don't know if that's the smallest size bearings are made. Also, did the british measure ball bearings the same way (fractions of an inch)?

The other question I had is the top race is not pressed into the frame. It is separate from another part which is pressed into the frame (It's like a little tub). It's the bottom one in the included picture.

Should there be grease between the race and the pressed in part? I think I do see a "T.D.C" on the top race, so you're probably correct it's a TDC.

3speedslow

rgvg

Its a TDC...

bearings are tiny! Right now I can’t remember exactly but 5/16 seems to come to mind? Others will know for sure. I am away from those bikes for a year.

grease is okay between the float race and the outer cups.

Thats a nice Dawes. Upgrade the components and enjoy the 531 straight gauge frame!