Well it's nearly 6 months since I ordered a Dawes Galaxy and it is promised early next week.
In the meantime I bought a cheap Apollo (Halfords) hybrid to get to work but it started to fall apart after a few hundred miles. However it served a very good purpose as the scum (socially disadvantaged to the PC out there) who nicked my Super Galaxy came back and nicked the Apollo, highlighting every weakness in security such as what they can't cut with bolt cutters and what they can't break with crow bars. They couldn't cut through Kryptonite cables so they smashed the shed up to free what it was locked to and then nicked it with a huge pair of ladders that it was chained to.
So the Galaxy will be chained to something solid with Kryptonite locks in a shed like a fortress and a much improved 8ft fence fitted with anti-personnel nails at the back of the garden.
In the meantime I bought a cheap Apollo (Halfords) hybrid to get to work but it started to fall apart after a few hundred miles. However it served a very good purpose as the scum (socially disadvantaged to the PC out there) who nicked my Super Galaxy came back and nicked the Apollo, highlighting every weakness in security such as what they can't cut with bolt cutters and what they can't break with crow bars. They couldn't cut through Kryptonite cables so they smashed the shed up to free what it was locked to and then nicked it with a huge pair of ladders that it was chained to.
Holy cow! Thise are some seriously persistent toerags you have there. I have a concrete fence post sunk into a big lump of concrete in the position where my shed will be, with anchor bolts in it, so I can chain the mower up when the shed is built.
The bikes live under the house in a bike shed. Apart from the ones which live in the kitchen...
Re earlier questions - I just did E2E on my 2 yr old Galaxy Tour, 1738 km with full camping gear. The bike was very good - stable, comfortable etc except for one broken spoke and painful bum. Spoke prob due to rapid descents and potholes but others say poor wheel build quality - but I was heavily loaded and have thrashed it about since new with no other probs. Hitched from Loch Carron to Dingwall for prompt repair at Dryburgh Cycles. Hitching very quick with broken wheel - only waited about ten minutes there and back Saddle was Brooks Pro - I always rated it highly but it seems now to have become pain in [censored] - either my bum or the saddle is deteriorating - is tightening the adjuster likely to improve it? The leather seems very hard and un-stretchable. It has been wet for longish periods - unavoidable if you tour in Britain, perhaps spoiled the leather? Had 4 panniers - balance improved by having in front least weight and panniers set back as far as poss. If opposite then I got a pendulum effect wobble when heaving up hills. I think Dawes bikes have been carefully thought out to give optimum value for money . You can pay a lot more but law of diminishing returns comes in and you gain little for the extra cash and higher spec.
