splytz1

I got this frame on ebay for a song in March, though it had to be shipped from scotland. It came w/Campy headset and BB. Don't know how old they are but they're smooth as butter & want to keep them. Have Cinelli drops (Top 66, Giro d'Italia) & XA quill stem. Going to keep it classic, high-end, and in an ideal world italian parts.

Anyway, it's a Carlton Super Course, made in Worksop, England, the guy who sold it to me said it was from the early 80's, I don't know if this is true or not. Wide rear axle, 135mm. Reynolds 531c tubing, it's very light. A few cosmetic scratches, that's it. Serial #WS (assuming short for Worksop, where the Carlton factory was), 2002440. I can't find much online about these bikes. Anybody know anything?

My road bike was stolen in the fall (stupid drunk behavior on my part). I prefer riding fixed, but my 1 bike is fixed though it's a total crap beater & I could make this my nice, classy fixed ride for weekends, laps, & rides to the marshes of south brooklyn. & just commute/bad weather ride on the beater. Or I could convert it into a road bike & have 1 of each. Money is not an object, I'm slowly collecting nice parts as I have the cash to do so.

What would you do if you were me? (I'm sure some of you would probably sell it - I'm not selling it).

And (maybe more importantly), do I need to get a NOS drivetrain to make this into a road bike, if that's the way I choose to go. Any good resources for this? I kind of like the idea of having NOS parts rather than the latest bling on this bike, to keep with its tradition (plus it has brazeons for downtube shifters and whatnot). Thanks...

unworthy1

The Carlton factory was purchased/merged with Raleigh of Nottingham, and they continued to sell bikes under the Carlton name in the UK and Canada where Carlton had a better quality rep than Raleigh, though by the 80s the lines were pretty much identical and just the decals were changed.This could very well be an early 80s frame, but the rear must have been spread to 135 and that Campy BB is newer. The fact of the tubing being 531C helps date it, since Reynolds went to the different suffixes (C, T, Pro, etc.) at a certain date, which you can find in the archives. Check online for the Retro Raleighs site which may have serial numbers on Carltons, or links you can use to determine what it was fitted with when new.

Everest

Personally I would go with used vintage parts rather than NOS

roccobike

Going with used vintage parts sounds great, but I would not worry about matching it with only the exact brand and model it came with. For some reason, it doesn't seem to make much difference with bikes whether or not it is original. For anyone who collects cars or toy trains, a non stock piece can drop the value by 20-30%, more if a number of the parts are not original. I don't know why that doesn't appear to be true for bikes.

splytz1

thanks - the axle is actually 130mm, standard, I mismeasured it.

I have checked the retro Raleighs site, unfortunately it seems to be of little help w/r/t Carltons... but I'll check again.

OldVelo

Hi Splytz1

Nice frame!

From the frame number it was made by the Carlton Worksop factory as you guessed, and the precise date is probably in December 1982

A good starting point for you rebuild would be to collect info and images of other Carltons is Jerry's great web-site at https://www.carltoncycles.me.uk this includes a frame number database . It was built by Carlton while the company was under Raleigh ownership.

Have fun building it up, but beware carltons can be very addictive ( I know because I have three!)

I have a completely original RRA built at the same factorya few years before yours. I can send you details and pics of its campag componentry if it helps.

Good luck, and please post pics of the finished machine!

Jon

pinnah

Are you very sure the rear is spread to 135? 130 would be the modern norm, as I understand it.
https://www.sheldonbrown.com/frame-spacing.html

In any event, you will be able to put anything you want in the rear of that bike so long as you put in a long enough axle. As you go backwards and downwards in the number of cogs below 8, the more you can (and must) space the hub on the left side to take up the room. This has the advantage of allowing you to use less dish on the rear wheel.

One way to split the difference between the new (spacing, which you already have) and the old is to use a modern 8.9 or 10 speed cassette on a modern hub and then use vintage or NOS rear deraileur with friction shifting of your choice. This would allow you to use modern gear combinations and cassettes, which has some advantages imo.

I would go this way. Somebody has already cold set (read: bent) that frame out to 135 spacing. I wouldn't bend it back to 120 or 126 spacing just be period correct.