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Dawes Galaxy vs Dawes Super Galaxy

Posted: 16 Apr 2011, 4:00pm
by Sarah1
The price difference of these two touring bikes is only £140 on spa cycles, so i would like to know from experienced tourers: what are the important differences (and why they are important), and is the super galaxy worth the extra money? Thanks :)

Re: Dawes Galaxy vs Dawes Super Galaxy

Posted: 16 Apr 2011, 8:45pm
by Barrenfluffit
The shifting system is different, the super galaxy uses gear levers built into the brake levers (STI) whilst the galaxy uses bar end shifters. Intuitively I think the former is much easier particularly if your riding on the hoods but have almost no experience of either. From MTB I'd say that having the gears easily to hand means spending more time in the right gear but I'm sure others have more relevant experience.

Re: Dawes Galaxy vs Dawes Super Galaxy

Posted: 16 Apr 2011, 9:50pm
by random37
Well, I have owned 2 Galaxies, and 1 Super Galaxy, but they were old Galaxies. They all had Reynolds 531ST frames, but different equipment.

My understanding is the "Plain" Galaxy is made of Reynolds 631, and the "Super" is 853, and has slightly tighter angles.

Now, if you're doing what these bikes are supposed to be designed for, loaded touring with racks and panniers, any arguments about bike weight are a bit silly. So it's best to try them both and see which one you like.

Personally, unless they are a good deal, I don't really see the point of the Galaxy anymore. They used to be expensive, but a lot cheaper than a custom frame. Now, they aren't. Of course, that doesn't mean they're a bad bike; it's just that you can get something more special without spending any more money than the list price. So have a look around.

Re: Dawes Galaxy vs Dawes Super Galaxy

Posted: 16 Apr 2011, 10:11pm
by horizon
chris667 wrote:My understanding is the "Plain" Galaxy is made of Reynolds 631, and the "Super" is 853, and has slightly tighter angles.

.


AFAIK they have the same frame, 631 butted.

Sarah: there are differences and these have produced a 1kg weight saving. You need to comb through the specs on the Dawes website to compare properly - it shows up on things like hubs. However chris667 is right - the big difference is the shifters. If you are choosing between these two bikes, I would base your decision on this (and the colour!). If the STIs are what you want I would definitely pay the extra. I once had a Super Galaxy and replaced it with the lower specc'd Horizon (same frame) and I really noticed the difference in the ride and transmission. You won't go far wrong on either bike (though as other posters have said, there are a lot of bikes out there now).

Re: Dawes Galaxy vs Dawes Super Galaxy

Posted: 16 Apr 2011, 10:38pm
by Father Jack
Seems more of a MTB tourer (MTB gears) and not a tourer with road gearing. I guess if you're riding in Buxton area would come in handy. My tourer is 30-42-52 f, 13-26 r.

Re: Dawes Galaxy vs Dawes Super Galaxy

Posted: 16 Apr 2011, 11:38pm
by horizon
Father Jack wrote:Seems more of a MTB tourer (MTB gears) and not a tourer with road gearing. I guess if you're riding in Buxton area would come in handy. My tourer is 30-42-52 f, 13-26 r.


A low gear of 26T front and 32T rear is standard loaded touring gearing - another good reason for going for a proper touring bike. Both Galaxy and the S/Galaxy have this. And yes, it's thanks to MTB technology!

Re: Dawes Galaxy vs Dawes Super Galaxy

Posted: 16 Apr 2011, 11:48pm
by Father Jack
Do you need such low gearing though? And with lack of high gears, will you top out?

Re: Dawes Galaxy vs Dawes Super Galaxy

Posted: 17 Apr 2011, 12:18am
by horizon
Father Jack wrote:Do you need such low gearing though? And with lack of high gears, will you top out?


Yes you do need such low gearing. It's for carrying loads up hills even on road. You could go even lower. Try a 24kg camping load on a 1 in 8 hill. And yes you may top out - that's the price you pay for the lower gears. But at over 20 - 25mph that really isn't a problem and on long down hills you won't need any gears. If you aren't carrying a load you could use a faster Audax bike. The Galaxy and Super Galaxy are load carriers for long tours - fast and stable with two or four panniers plus tent. It's the right bike and the right gears for the job. And the bikes are comfortable for long days in the saddle; yes, you can go faster, lighter, with higher gears and more stretched out over the bars but that is a different sort of cycling. Some people prefer it but for long distance touring with a load these bikes are ideal.

Re: Dawes Galaxy vs Dawes Super Galaxy

Posted: 17 Apr 2011, 7:21am
by PeterBL
Father Jack wrote:And with lack of high gears, will you top out?


A 44/11 is the same top gear as yours, so you are not missing out much.

Re: Dawes Galaxy vs Dawes Super Galaxy

Posted: 17 Apr 2011, 10:40am
by vjosullivan
chris667 wrote:They used to be expensive, but a lot cheaper than a custom frame. Now, they aren't.

Can you give an example of a custom frame bike that costs about the same as a Galaxy, bearing in mind that Galaxys can be had from £840.

Re: Dawes Galaxy vs Dawes Super Galaxy

Posted: 17 Apr 2011, 11:11am
by random37
vjosullivan wrote:Can you give an example of a custom frame bike that costs about the same as a Galaxy, bearing in mind that Galaxys can be had from £840.


Like I said originally, unless you can find a good deal. According to the Dawes website, the cheapest Galaxy is £1,199 with the Super at £1,399. That's firmly in the range of a custom builder.

Of course, I'd just buy a secondhand one. My 2010 Ridgeback tourer cost me the grand total of £95 (although I did have to rebuild the nasty machine-built wheels). 8)

Re: Dawes Galaxy vs Dawes Super Galaxy

Posted: 17 Apr 2011, 1:02pm
by Father Jack
My steel tourer Veloce groupset cost £350 second hand. Pretty new, nothing worn.

Re: Dawes Galaxy vs Dawes Super Galaxy

Posted: 17 Apr 2011, 5:09pm
by vjosullivan
chris667 wrote:
vjosullivan wrote:Can you give an example of a custom frame bike that costs about the same as a Galaxy, bearing in mind that Galaxys can be had from £840.


Like I said originally, unless you can find a good deal. According to the Dawes website, the cheapest Galaxy is £1,199 with the Super at £1,399. That's firmly in the range of a custom builder.

The list prices of the bikes are indeed as you describe. Nevertheless, both models are available to buy (and that's the only price that counts) for under a thousand pounds. I'm still curious to see an example of a similarly specced custom frame touring bike that matches these prices or - failing that - beats the manufacturer's list prices.

It's not that I don't believe you or am trying to be awkward. It's just that I recently ordered a new Ultra Galaxy for myself (for £1105) after failing to find any custom frame tourers that I could afford.

Re: Dawes Galaxy vs Dawes Super Galaxy

Posted: 18 Apr 2011, 11:22am
by horizon
I don't think Dawes pretend to be any other than a mass market, very conventional bike put-togetherer. For most people that is exactly what is required. Anybody who has cycled for a bit however will want to explore a custom built bike, or maybe just buy an off the peg frame to build up. I would be surprised if people like Dawes couldn't do it more cheaply but there's so much out there that someone who does know what they are looking for should be able to run them close. The sad thing actually is that most people never get to see the full Dawes range, never mind a custom built offering: their trip to Halfords and even the LBS won't give them a glimmer of what they could have - they won't even know that such bikes exist.

Re: Dawes Galaxy vs Dawes Super Galaxy

Posted: 18 Apr 2011, 11:48am
by nez
horizon wrote:
chris667 wrote:My understanding is the "Plain" Galaxy is made of Reynolds 631, and the "Super" is 853, and has slightly tighter angles.

.


AFAIK they have the same frame, 631 butted.
.


I have a two year old Super Galaxy. The saddle wasn't much cop - I have a fizik mtb saddle on it now after a flirtation with a B17. My old Brompton B17 is lovely. The modern one was a pain. The frame is 853. I changed the front brake for a tektro 520 - didn't like the Oryx much. And I swapped out the granny ring for the smallest one I could find (22, I think from an American specialist) on the basis that the smallest ring should be just that and get me plus gear up any hill. No problems with gear changing. It's a lovely bike but no racer. But then if I'd wanted a racer...