Finding the age of a Dawes Galaxy
 

I recently aqquired a Dawes Galaxy and I don't know the year it was made, as the previous owner didn't know either, and i found what i think is the bike's serial number on the bottom of the bike and i was wondering if anyone knew what month/year it was made in.

The Markings i found said "565", but this was all i found.

The bike is a Dawes Galaxy (AFAIK) as i posted it before on this forum and i have some pictures of the bike at http://vintagedawesgalaxy.blogspot.com/ if this helps.

Also, the frame is Reynolds 531, it has Suntour Deraileurs and shifters, and weinmann centerpull brakes, and is from the UK if this helps.


Thanks in advance.

Jack

Jack,
I am not going to be much help but my best guess prior to 1970 mainly due to the style of script and the head badge. Hopefully someone will be able to hit it closer than that. Mine is a 1975, has chrome tips on the forks and rear triangle. Also it has a boss on the right fork for a head light.

Aaron:)

Jack,

Hard to say. I had a 71 Galaxy, and like Aaron's, it had chrome fork tips and chrome on the rear triangle. The head badge was different too... a torch emblem. I also have a 56 Dawes, passed down from an uncle. The head badge on that is an enamelled "torch" with a D in the middle. It also has the lamp boss on the right fork blade. I heard there was a factory fire and most serial number records were lost.

You did not mention which type or Reynolds 531 your frame was made out of. My 71 Galaxy was plain guage 531 main triangle. My 56 is full double butted 531, including the fork and stays.

Based only mainly on the headbadge, I tend to agree with Aaron... prior to 1970. Why do you think its a Galaxy? What few I have seen all said "Galaxy" on them. My 56 was not marked with a model, similar to yours...in fact it is also blue, but that is a rattlecan job i did back in the 80s. My uncle, now long gone, called it a Dawes Courier. He rode it as a fixte/ss with a flip flop hub. All those parts were trashed when i got it, and I could only rescue the frame. One of these years I'll get a digital camera and post up some pics....

At any rate, enjoy the bike.

Pete

As far as i know, this one did have Galaxy written on the top tube, but it has rusted away, and also i posted it here a few months ago and almost everyone said it was a Galaxy.


I looked on vintage-trek.com and according to the date codes on my front deraileur it was made in October 1989, although I was pretty sure the derailleurs was original.

We need to find some Dawes catalogs...Suntour stopped making components around 1991 when they went bankrupt. Did Dawes revert to the older style script in the late 80's? The headbadge should be the clue, but like I said, I am not up to date on those. I can see ghost images of the Galaxy logo in the pictures on the top tube. FWIW mine is all but missing, but at the right angle in a strong light you can still see it.

Aaron:)

New to forum, saw this and was wondering type of bicycle this is, any help is much appreciated thank you. The Badge says, " GALAXY G PAR EXCELLENCE" .
http://www.flickr.com/photos/71814157@N06/

By applying some of the information in How Old Is My Bike? you should be able to determine the age of the Dawes. And, you might find it interesting to go through the process of doing so.

Low end bike boom bike, probably from around 1974 +/- about 2 years. Nothing special and I wouldn't put a whole lot of money into it.

Aaron :)

How about "A long time ago with a Dawes in a Galaxy far, far away..." I see a good science fiction story here. :D

Aaron :)

Thank you, didn't pay much for it ,took it apart, other than surface rust and replacing the ball bearings, it is in god shape. Thanks for answering . Happy Holidays , and a prosperous New Year!