1971 Dawes Galaxy

1971 Dawes Galaxy
Dawes Galaxy on train platform

Saturday, December 31, 2011

Vintage Dawes Galaxy restoration notes

I am beginning the restoration of a 1971 Dawes Galaxy. It was purchased from Turin Bicycle Co-op in Chicago, and I bought it from the son of the original owner. The Dawes Galaxy is well-known as a touring bicycle and was, it is said, hand-built. 1971 is, I believe, the first year they were made. They were the first "off-the-peg" tourer one could buy. Which would mean they were not custom fabricated for individual buyers, but were built by hand in production quantities. From what I have found out, the Dawes factory burned down at one point, and serial number registers and other information was lost. What is know is that Dawes still makes bicycles, and there is still a Dawes Galaxy in their lineup.