Originally Posted by
Oldpeddaller
Update - Found it, in York? Looks like an excellent operation.
They are indeed in York - they have a storefront under the Lendal Bridge, but they mainly have city bikes and 3-speeds there. The treasure trove is their warehouse location on Walmgate - I think that they regularly stock c.250+ bikes there (Road, 3-Speed, Kids, etc) that are awaiting restoration and overhauls. They did a fantastic job on the Carlton, and I will try to post some pics tomorrow if I get a chance to get it out on the trails. As a bonus, they support charitable aims, which makes rescuing a frame feel better.
Originally Posted by
rootboy
Sounds like a good deal, but this sentence scares me. By "needs to be hydrated", what do you mean? If either are dry, hard and showing signs of cracks, I personally would steer clear. But at twenty pounds you might get a pretty good saddle for the money.
I did not see any obvious cracks in the leather when I was there today, and they were apparently treated with a leather 'hydrator' recently. Were I to pick one up, I would probably use something like a leather conditioner before setting up on the Carlton. Some of the metal parts could do with a good clean as well, but maybe I will head back and investigate further tomorrow.