drachma

1970s dawes super galaxy with sun-tour cyclone deraillers and center-pull brakes. 5 cogs in the back, 3 in the front. The lowest gears on each set are pretty clearly climbing gears as they are quite a bit larger/smaller than the rest of the set.

1. brake pads are 1/2 on the rim and 1/2 on the tire even adjusted all the way down. I have original rims, what's going on?
2. shifting with the chain under load often results in the chain getting tightly wedged between two of the rear cogs
3. backpedaling is not very smooth and often results in the chain jumping out of the derailler, or worse out of the back sprocket (getting wedged between small cog and frame)
4. in order to shift the front gear out to the largest gear, the derailler has to travel so far out that it actually hits the crank
5. would it be a good idea to re-pack the bearings in the hubs?


Anyways I'm quite new to cycling and restoration. And just looking for something to commute 5 miles to work. I don't want this to turn into a money pit, I'll sell it before I spend more than $100. I'm hoping there are some simple solutions to the above problems that I'm missing.

lostarchitect 

1. Do you have the original brakes? You're 100% sure the rims are original? Are they 700c or 27"? You may need a drop bolt or different brake calipers.
2. Do you have the right sized chain? It might be too narrow. Sometimes people think they need a 10 speed chain because their bike is a "10 speed," but the chain speeds refer to the number of cogs in the rear, so if you have a 5 speed freewheel, you should get a 5-7 speed chain.
3. Could be the same problem as #2 ...
4. Ditto?
5. Yes.

drachma

Thanks for the reply! The chain is what came on it and is probably pretty old so perhaps I should just replace it.

As for the rims, I can't say "100%" that they're original. For what it's worth, I got the bike from a family member who toured it cross country with the same rims/brakes. They must have fit at one point, although I did change the tires. I'll have to check the rim size but I think it's 27" as they are not new.

freeing up the rear sprocket to spin more freely will probably fix the backpedaling issue, right now there's quite a bit of drag, i'm assuming due to dirty bearings.

#4 is because the derailler is wide, and to get the inside edge to push the chain that far, the outside edge of the derailler is now in the path of the crank. Maybe there's a washer or some other part I can use as a spacer to move the crank out a few mm?

randomgear

The rim size should be plainly stamped into the rim; the tires will also have the same size markings on them.
I don't have center pull brakes and don't have any experience with them - list the brake manufacturer and model (Weinmann centerpull?) and someone here can easily tell you how to center them if that's the issue.
Post photos of the brake issue. And of the whole bike, we love our veloporn!

Don't shift under load,your derailers and chain aren't designed for it; learn to ease off just before shifting, get the chain on the right gear and then load it up . As LostArchitect noted make sure you have a new 5-7 speed chain (a new old stock chain for a 5 speed freewheel would also be quite fine, but likely more expensive)

Backpedaling - the derailers need to be trimmed correctly (the chain should make little to no noise when pedaling forward); if the chain is rubbing the derailer then it will derail when pedaling backwards.

Don't try to adjust the spacing of the crank by inserting a washer somewhere, you will only destroy the crank - adjust the front derailer: cable tension, hi-lo screws, and angle to the chainrings. If after you try all of those (and have someone else try) take a look at the bottom bracket spindle there is a small possibility that it may have been installed backwards with the drive side on the non-drive side, but this is an item of last resort.
A Dawes Galaxy is a fine bike; I would be fine putting far more than $100 into one (I have a Dawes Atlantis from the mid-eighties and have been slowly modifying it for years - new wheels, tires, brake levers, saddle, fenders...at some point I will convert it to a compact crank to make it easier for me on steepish hills). You will have to spend far more than that to buy a replacement as fine as a Galaxy.

randomgear

Looking at the pics in the C&V thread, it looks like someone may have added a third chainring. In the early 80's the Galaxy came with SR brand crank with 40/52 detachable chainrings; the Super Galaxy had TA Cyclotourist brand cranks with 36, 48, 52 detachable chainrings.
Please post more pictures of the crank including one showing the whole crank from the side. I'm starting to wonder if someone added an outer chainring to act as a chain guard for their pants.
Also, what are the front chainring sizes (number of teeth in each chainring)?
As far as back pedalling goes, I'm wondering if the rear derailer might be bent a bit.
Even in the early 80's, the Galaxy line came with 27x1 1/4" rims. If the rear is a 700c then that would appear to be the problem. Fix: change back to 27x1 1/4" or change out the brakes with a longer reach version, though this is difficult on your budget.