The bike is a late 1970s Dawes Galaxy with the Reynolds 531 frame and 27 inch wheels. The previous owner kept it pretty much original apart from the handlebars which were changed from dropped, racing style, to a more relaxed 'touring' variety.
I have added a better saddle (and a new, longer seat stem), two bottle cages, rear rack, lights, kick stand, handlebar bag, mini pump and cycle computer. The wheels looked fine with no signs of rust, but the tyres were a little perished so I replaced those, along with the inner tubes.
For luggage, I bought two new Ortlieb fully waterproof rear panniers and a Carradice handlebar bag for valuables and maps. The handlebar bag can quickly transform into an over-the-shoulder bag when I need to leave the bike unattended for a short while.
The Saddle
I chose a Brooks B17 leather saddle because the new gel saddle that I initially put on the bike was extremely painful after a few miles of riding, despite (or because of) its spongey feel. Partly due to my inability to moderate, the Brooks saddle I ended up with is rock hard, but supports the 'sit bones' properly. After a couple of weeks of bruised sit bones, the saddle is beginning to shape itself to my backside, and my backside is becoming more used to sitting on a harder surface. Cycling shorts help. I hope this sorts itself out fully before the actual ride.
