Hi All

I am an expat Brit now resident in the US. Before coming here i used to ride a nice old vintage 80s steel 531 framed Dawes Galaxy tourer. I sure miss the comfort and ride of that old beast. I have been watching ebay for a while but none have come up for sale and it seems they never really sold in the US.

What is the US equivalent that i can find, and fix up if i need too that provides the same kind of ride as my old Galaxy? For those who dont know it this kind of thing:

https://www.cyclesnack.com/2009/09/br...es-galaxy.html

Any suggestions warmly welcomed

Best

Andy

https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/...an_turismo.htm

So you are looking for a touring bike with 531 tubing? Trek had the 520s 620s and 720s that had the 531 tubing. There are a number of other bikes that have the 531 steel, I am just not familiar with all the models.

Trek 520 is probably the closest thing there is to a Dawes tourer. I had a Dawes Horizon for several years (bought from the UK), then got a Trek 520 when that needed replacing while I was living in the States.

Why not just import a new Galaxy? The new ones use Reynolds 631, or 853 if you go upmarket and get the Super Galaxy. Or if you really want to splash out there's an Ultra Galaxy in titanium - though personally I don't think it's worth the extra money. Anyway, shipping costs aren't that huge and you'd have the bike you want.

Are you looking for a new bike or a vintage bike? If vintage, similarly equipped bikes in a variety of brands show up on Craig's list or ebay with some regularity.

I find it very easy to get nostalgic about my 1960s and 70s vintage bikes. That is because I have not ridden them in years. If I was still riding them, there would be nothing to be nostalgic about.

Are you sure that you want; non-indexed gearing, shifting without assist by ramps/pins, water bottles that are strapped on instead of bolted to dedicated dropouts now that cages no longer come with straps, smaller diameter frame tubing that is less stiff than you remembered, downtube shifters, cloth or plastic bar tape instead of thicker cork/gel tape, ten or twelve or maybe 14 gears, etc.?

There are options as was mentioned. It sounds like you want a smooth riding steel rig. That price/budget do you have? That would help direct this discussion in the most useful way.

I lived in England from 1982-1986. Shortly after I arrived, I bought a Dawes Lightning, and rode it, literally, everywhere (I didn't have a car over there.) When I returned to the States, I fell out of bicycling for a long while (the first place I lived was extremely bike-unfriendly.) I gave the Dawes to a friend of mine. When I got back into cycling many years later (2002), I bought a new road bike and started really racking up the miles.

About two years later, my friend and his wife went away on vacation, and I was going over to their house once a day to give their dog her insulin shot. One day, as I was walking up to the house, I noticed my old bike in the yard, leaning up against the fence. Feeling kind of nostalgic, I walked over and looked at it for a while, and then went to pick it up . . . and it barely moved! I actually looked down for a second, thinking, "What, is it stuck in the mud or something???" No, it wasn't stuck, it was just that damn heavy, and I had gotten so used to being able to easily pick up my new bike with one hand! My moment of fond nostalgia came to a rude end.

I have a Trek 520 that I use for commuting and touring; agree that that's probably the closest readily-available bike to what the OP is looking for.

Yeah, wish I never sold that bike because it was a classic. I would look for something on Craigslist or Ebay would be your best bet.