disco_kevin30

I know photos make this easier but I have never been able to figure out how to post them for some reason. I will try and sort that out tomorrow. In the meantime however, maybe a description of what I have will be enough to get a start at least.

​​​​So, the bike definitely dates back to at least 1971 as there is a sticker for an Oakland California bicycle license that expired December 31st of that year. The head badge has a white background and white lettering and a gold torch. From what I have read that is an older badge style that would match up with the license sticker date.
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I​​​​​t also has a GB stem and engraved bars. What little info I was able to find on Dawes someone mentioned the model name being stamped on the bar. Sure enough, there is something stamped, but it's a jumble of letters. Made in England is stamped twice and the model name appears to be Mamses or Maemsas, it's hard to say because there are letters superimposed.

So my question is, does that name or even anything close to it sound familiar? Its amazingly difficult to find info on old Dawes bikes. I am interested in knowing more just for the sake of the knowledge but it's not easy to come by.

Anyway, I will sort out photos tomorrow If need be there is anything left unclear let me know and I will try and be more specific.

100bikes

What is the serial number?

Does it have chrome fork tips and seat/chain stays?

Does it have brazed on cable guides?

There is a FB group devoted to Dawes bicycles, may want to explore there.
rusty

nlerner

Maes bars, but that doesn’t tell you much about the frame. If the color scheme is green and yellow, I’d guess it’s a Galaxy, which seem to be pretty commonly found in the US. Pretty similar in characteristics to the Raleigh SuperCourse.

non-fixie 

The writing on the bars would be "Maes", which came standard on many Dawes models, together with a CB stem.

Looking forward to images!

EDIT: dang, I should type faster!

juvela

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The two most common Dawes models seen in the U.S. at this era were the Realm Rider and the Galaxy.

The Realm Rider was roughly parallel to the Raleigh Gran Prix & Peugeot UO8.

The Galaxy roughly parallel to the Raleigh Super Course.

Both models came with cottered steel Stronglight brand cranksets, Simplex gears & Weinmann brakes

The two most common finishes were green and brown

The licensing of the cycle was performed at a fire station in 1968. Cycle may have been purchased new that year.

There will be a symbol stamped into the frame at the time of lecensing which somewhat resembles a mushroom. This is intended to represent an oak tree for Oakland.

The highest Dawes model in the U.S. at this time was called the Double Blue and is fairly rare as compared with the other two mentioned.
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disco_kevin30

It does have brazed on cable guides and chrome forks and chain/seat stays. Thank you for the heads up on the Facebook group, I should have guessed there would be one.

Also, thank you to everyone for the responses. I will get to the pics

3speedslow

Late to the party, your Dawes will probably be straight gauge Reynolds 531 tubing. It’s a great frame for modding with nicer parts... the Dawes company philosophy.

eager to see pics!

disco_kevin30

This is as purchased aside from the rear derailleur and saddle. The paint is not entirely original; the person I bought it from added the blue. Components are a mix. The Brooks straps are nice but I am on the fence about keeping them and I wasn't a fan of the dynamo and planned to remove it, but it's actually kind of cool. It came with a Brooks Saddle but the leather was torn so I have this one on until I can figure out what I want to do.

The first few times I rode it I wasn't impressed and figured I would hang on to it for a a while and sell when the weather got nicer. It needed some adjustments and the shifting wasn't great. I determined the rear derailleur was causing problems but I couldn't determine what was wrong exactly. I swapped derailleurs, gave it a light tune up, and got the seat height dialed in and now I think I love it.

​​​​​I plan to make a few changes to it. First I plan to get wrap bars with cloth and then I want fenders and a rack, as well as a different saddle. I am thinking a may go back to a Brooks. Anyway, that's the bike.

juvela

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Appears to have begun life as the Galaxy model and has enjoyed numerous upgrades since.

Headset, chainset, pedals and gears are all replacements.

The stock headsets on these were distinctive. They were produced by the British firm Brampton and feature floating U-races and 1/8" balls. Someone probably decided they did not wish to mess with this and upgraded to the present Tange Levin headset.

Thanks very much for the pictures!

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non-fixie 

It does indeed look like a Galaxy. Nice! The quintessential British touring bike. Randy has a couple of pages on them worth checking out here: MyTenspeeds/Dawes_Galaxy.

Like 3speedslow says, they respond well to upgrading. Dawes did it themselves with the Super Galaxy.

3speedslow

My Dawes Galaxy headset was made by TDC.

juvela

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Thanks very much for putting this right!

Me very imperfect memory striketh again.

Both firms did the floating U-race design so I sometimes fail to keep them straight.

Thomas D. Cross & Sons Ltd also did the cottered bottom bracket assemblies on Dawes cycles.

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100bikes

My Dawes Galaxy -1974 was very similar.
Carries a W4050 serial number.
Only the main triangle was 531 plain gauge.

The 1974 Galaxy model only had chrome fork tips, the chain and seat stays were painted- a definite cost saving measure.

I can't explain the 1971 license, but am surprised with braze on cable guides.
Haven't seen anything in the more modest range of bicycles with them before 1973.

rusty

disco_kevin30

I can't explain the 1971 license, but am surprised with braze on cable guides.
Haven't seen anything in the more modest range of bicycles with them before 1973.


I would like to make a correction here. It does not have a brazed on cable guide but it has brazed on stops. Not sure why I got that mixed up. I apologize for any confusion.

Mr. 66

The Disco King! I thought the description sounded familiar, that was mine. Just to reconfirmed, Juvela is correct. Your bike did start as a Galaxy, the Brooks saddle had a manufacturing stamp from 1968. The original gooseneck was a GB smear point version it was longer but was broken at the expander, and was replaced for safety's sake. The barrel adjuster on the brake levers were replaced also, the originals were sunbaked plastic that turned white. I replaced the original headset with the Tange.

I'm attaching the pictures of the colored area before and after my paint touch, and the closest picture I could find of the color combo. Yours did not have the foil tape on the black bands, and the logo on the seat tube is different, but the text fonts of the branding is the same.











Sorry to hear the rd didn't work as well as I hoped. That was a really fun build.

juvela

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Thank you so much for this clarification - mondo piccolo!

Interesting to see the "before" image to learn that it came with a NICKLIN chainset rather than the Stronglight of the boom era.

Curious about the Weinmann brake calipers. Are the ones we see on the "after" bicycle the originals? Asking because I think 1968 was the changeover year for Weinmann centrepulls from the old style marking to the new. We have a current thread on the forum about a 1968 Schwinn Paramount whose brakes exhibit the older marking.

https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...1968+paramount

The trapezoid shaped Weinmann cable anchors are a helpful dating aid as they were only in use for about two years.

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disco_kevin30

Hey! I figured you probably catch this thread. I changed phones and lost some numbers so it was easier to post here and look for more info.
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Thank you for the photos before the paint touch-up; I thought you had painted the blue as well. I couldn't figure out what was wrong with Honor so I swapped to a Suntour Seven I had laying around. I put the hangar in a vice and bent it back to mostly straight and now the shifting is really smooth.

On an unrelated note, I will post some pictures when I build up the Peugeot. I have been fixing and selling a bunch of stuff. I am slowly getting to it.

Mr. 66

@juvela the brake calipers on disco's bike are original and made in France, if recall correctly. I have seen the foil labeled version also made in Switzerland and West Germany.

I had never seen the trapezoid straddle clip like that before those are also original.

Mr. 66

On the paint, I did do the color and black bands. I still have the paint if you want it, or retouch if needed.

Let me know if you need anything for the Peugeot. I've gone through a couple a more French bikes since the last time you came by. I'll send you a pm.

disco_kevin30

Cool! Sounds good