Thursday 28 January 2021

Farewell Dawes Galaxy

 "SLIDING DAWES" in Cycling Plus, March 2021 (magazines get ahead of themselves) - an article by Rob Ainsley.

So, farewell Dawes Galaxy. Is the touring bike an endangered species? Or will things go full cycle?

 Scimitar Oryx; Candango Mouse; Aru Flying Fox; Dawes Galaxy… going, going, gone. (The first three are extinct/near-extinct mammals, not brand names. Though they do sound respectively like a gravel, folding and triathlon bike.)

 But yes. Dawes has discontinued the iconic tourer. No longer viable. It has gone to meet its frame maker in Taiwan. That’s sad. It was a nostalgic exemplar of the English-pattern steel touring bike, the sort you see in chirpy 1950s films: drop bars, comfy upright position, mudguards, rack, panniers. When ‘energy gel’ was the meat paste in sandwiches.

 But self-supported long-distance journeying, like nostalgia, isn’t what it was. Bikepackers cycle rackless now as they explore remote, unmanaged places, such as the bottom of their saddlebag as they rummage in vain for their gloves.

 And modern, domestic multi-day travel is often super-light. Why cart a tent when there’s a Premier Inn and Airbnb, or a boutique guest house in that former youth hostel? Why carry bags if you’re doing the End-to-End or North Coast 500 in an organised group with support van? Unencumbered, you can do a 100 miles a day, get it over with quickly, return home to watch your helmetcam video, see what it was like and decide if you enjoyed it.

 “The Dawes Galaxy tourer has outlasted five prime ministers and proved rather more trustworthy”

Tastes are changing. I recently contributed to a book on world cycle tours. Its ‘What to take?’ chapter suggested gravel, road or mountain bikes – but not tourers. I was taken aback, but the publishers presumably know their market. Ditto bike retailers, whose websites’ ‘touring’ sections are virtually all road and gravel models  ........................................................................................

Just an extract. Is this why we no longer belong to a Cycling Touring Club? Any other thoughts?

 


Thursday 7 January 2021

Disused Railways

 Sorry, my hyperlink does not work.  If you put in your search 'change.org/p/highways' I think you will be able to get to the petition. Nigel

Disused Railways

 I have received an email from a representative of Cycle Carlisle saying Highways England is intending to destroy disused railways routes so as to prevent pedestrian and cycle use. It is said '.... As we all know disused railways are ideal for cycleways rather than sitting idle whilst we struggle on parallel busy and / or steep roads. This is to ask Highways England to protect these vital routes.'. Below is a link to the Petition site:

Petition · Highways England: Protect our railway heritage from Highways England's wrecking ball · Change.org 

I have added my name. Do you want to add your's?

Regards and compliments of the season, Nigel (as Campaigns Officer)