Dawes Galaxy conversion

i'm going to try and convert my dad's galaxy with vertical drops and need to know how to get the right chain tension (possibly without stretching to an eccentric hub) i'll use a half link chain so that should make it a little easier

cheers all

trying to convert a dawes galaxy with touring geometry and weight is a bad idea.

trying to convert a dawes galaxy with vertical dropouts is an even worse idea.

yeah it's not too practical but is it doable? i've not got too much alternative

I think it's rather brave of him pj....

treflip it is said you can convert anything - if pj says this kind of thing I'd be inclined to take it on board as he is knowledgable about such matters. It might avoid Dad's Galaxy lying in pieces for ten years..

if it's vertical dropouts it won't be from a particularly good era of the Dawes saga either unfortunately (in general, not Galaxy and Supergalaxy as these are kind of the pride of Dawes)- if you're a steadfast Dawes apologist like myself then have a look round on ebay, there are some lovely bikes up to about 1985.. I bought my Renown for £67 in March. Reynolds 531, paintwork astonishingly good for age. It's my current roll and yes the decals, for the moment, are staying on as I am proud of my Brummie heritage and don't care about ignorami who might look at my Dawes and see anything of the Dawes of today in it.

your dawes is not a tourer... or is it? i forget. i didn't think it was.

if i was you, i'd keep the dawes galaxy as it is, having a tourer is very handy. if at all possible, look for something lighter, slightly more race-shaped, with horizontal dropouts, and preferably a 120mm rear spacing, you can get something cheap on the bay. i picked up a 531 raleigh, frame, HS, BB, chainset, for £21 last week.

yeah i might check ebay out (for some reason i've not bothered yet) and you dudes know what your on about so a frame might be in order, converting it is probably possible but i have little experience in these matters

well - if you get the right frame with hoz drops, it's going to be a fuckload easier than converting a galaxy with verts.

I've recently converted a Dawes Star Celeste. Fun to ride around on (till the cranks broke), but it had horizontal dropouts. I would not bother with vertical dropouts unless it was a very special frame.

there's frames on here all the time. there is a carlton in another thread even as i type.

The Dawes Galaxy is a great tourer, I'd leave it as is and get a frame of 't ebay

aye well anything would be decent might just buy a complete bike and see how it works out

sorry treflip yeah, mine is also not a tourer so I don't have those epic clearances (even though they're not exactly cigarette-paper tight).

The bargains are there to be had in the conversion market, no doubt about it. In general people seem to get excited about Reynolds tubing and track frames will usually be more expensive but look around on ebay every day for an hour or so (yes tongue in cheek but yes also the kind of time commitment I gave itfor a couple of months) and you can bid on a sleeper. I'm not kidding, though the bike I bought quickly fell apart (exacerbated by a collision with a yoot which buckled wheels and jarred the BB), I am still riding a 531 frame which I think is gorgeous, original headset, stem and front weinmann brake. And the original bike, geared, gave me two months' pleasure that I will always remember. Fixed it's a dream come true.

Best of luck dude.

aye well anything would be decent might just buy a complete bike and see how it works out

a good plan, there's about 8 team bananas on there right now. although there 18-23, and heavy fuckers, they still have a certain cachet amongst 30+yr old males who used to eye them up in their youth.

i.e me.

also good for cheap conversion.

pj (pj)

    there's frames on here all the time. there is a carlton in another thread even as i type.

aye well it looks tempting but i'm based up in Edinburgh so i'll check ebay
good idea though

you'll probably get a better deal through a pick-up only edinburgh.

team bananas
do you mean these

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Team-Raleigh-Banana-Scott-Racer-Vintage-Bike-complete_W0QQitemZ160261113859QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item160261113859&_trksid=p3286.m14.l1318

+1 always better to go for pickup only and somewhere remote. Take a train ride.

team bananas?

Yellow and black Raleigh produced for race-dreaming boys in the mid eighties. decaled up to the nines.

you should be able to pick up a frame for <£50 - if you convert the galaxy it'll never be completely satisfying.

I assume you're talking about going fixed rather than SS?

If you're really dead set, you can use a magic gear, but the problem is that it costs more as you arse around with specific numbers of teeth, you're constantly worried about chain stretch (leading you to buy a more expensive chain) and it's really hard to change your gear ratio, so unless you know exactly what you want, you could end up stuck with the wrong gear ratio. You'll need to cold press your frame to get a rear wheel in (or use spacers = more cost / hassle), though you may have to do this on a regular conversion anyway.

(ignore all the above if you're talking about going ss).

None of the above should put you off, it's just a cost/hassle issue, though I reckon it'll be a false economy. What should put you off is that the geometry on the frame is build for touring. The angles are different and it'll ride and look strangely. You'll get more flex and less power (=control/braking when riding fixed). It'll be comfortable but harder to get around corners as the wheelbase will be longer.

As pj & horatio say, this isn;t worth doing on a bike unless the frame is really special.

7 posts in the time it took me to write that!

well i'll just go to the bikestation cos at least then i know the frames been checked over a few times

7 posts in the time it took me to write that!

it was worth seven too dude, nice response.

cheers for all the advice as it's given me a complete re-think i'll try and build a frame with the dawes parts and get some new wheels

sorry if in your mind your budget has just been blown - reality is your time line and disappointment appetite has just halved...

so still not going to keep the Galaxy intact eh?

sigh...... ;)

a good plan, there's about 8 team bananas on there right now. although there 18-23, and heavy fuckers, they still have a certain cachet amongst 30+yr old males who used to eye them up in their youth.

i.e me.

also good for cheap conversion.

+1 on the Team Banana love!