Old Carlton
 

Hi I've got what I think is a 1979 Carlton Criterium - pics attached.

New and very cheap purchase. Does anyone know of good upgrade options for these, and whether it's worth doing?

I'm not totally sure whether Carlton's a good make, or just a cheap subsidiary of Raleigh - what I'm finding on the internet is that it started off good, and then deteriorated when taken over....

Just out of interest - wanting to increase my knowledge. Pics included in case that helps, thanks :)

Forks bent.

I don't personally see any compelling evidence that the fork is bent.

Thanks for the friendly welcome. Nice to meet you too :)

I'm guessing your not meaning the intentional bend in the fork? Because other than that I can't see a bend

Thanks Picchio :) Still rides lovelily (if that's a word?) so it wouldn't affect me too much personally as it cost me virtually nothing

There are some folks here who have "fork is bent" ready to paste into their "quick reply," regardless of what photo angles are offered.

Raleigh bought Carlton in 1960, but continued to market its lightweight models as "Carltons" in England. That looks like a decent low-mid-level bike with components that aren't sexy but should function well once the bike is cleaned up and maybe gets some new brake cables and other "freshening up." It could be a lot of fun to ride.

Even if the fork was bent it's an eye-opener to me just how nice to ride a road bike is compared to a mountain bike. Aside from the cramp in my back by the end of 5 miles, it was such a nice ride. So light and responsive, just have to learn not to let the front wheel hit my feet when turning, or leaning too much and letting the pedals hit the floor. Nottingham in the UK's got great cycle lanes everywhere - so nice being out of the car...

Sorry, feeling enthusiastic and my wife hasn't got back from work yet for me to talk at :)

Thanks - that reads like a very nice charitable reply :) So basically - nothing special, but decent quality and should be fun. Good, I think that was £20/$35 well spent.

If the bike was indeed built in Worksop rather than Nottingham, as per the other posting you made, then that means the tubing is of good quality.

Note I wasn't saying whether the fork is bent or not, just that there's no way to tell for anywhere near certain from the photos you posted. There are quite a few folks here who make definitive "bent fork" statements when something like, "You may want to check out that fork, as it may be bent" would be much more appropriate.

The fork looks bent to me.

The Bent Fork comentary comes from an observation of the angle of the top and mid-section of the fork in relation to the head-tube ( where the name badge is attached). It should be a straight line. Stand back and have a look, I suspect that you will see the top and mid section of the fork appears to be angled back, ever so slightly, in comarison to the headtube. This maybe why you're catching your toes in turns. Good news, a local mechanic should be able to pull it straight or find a spare fork from a donor bike for you. If you enjoy it now, just wait. It's a nice find and will make a super everyday rider. Clean it up a bit, a little grease and some attention to the fork and you're set for many, many miles of pure enjoyment! Good Luck with her.

It might just be the photo but it sure looks like it goes backwards once it leaves the headtube.

hi

yeah, the fork certainly does look bent.

welcome to the forums

May as well just change my username to "Bent Fork" then :)

Does it matter? Still rides well to my untrained senses, and from what I've read on older bikes they're shorter so you sometimes catch your feet. Must only make half an inch difference in position of the wheel....? Just interested - obviously if I was a purist and trying to sell it on, it'd matter, but it sounds like it's not good enough for that anyway...

Thanks for the welcomes anyway :)

It matters in that the fork was built straight, and may now not be straight. Which would affect the bike's intended handling, among other things.
Also you may want to insure that the stem is inserted properly into the steer tube, else you may end up riding along with the handlebars loose in your hands!
It appears to be barely inserted.

I agree, I do believe the fork is bent. nice looking bike. what and why do you want to upgrade it? there is a bloke there in Britania somewhere with a nice '93 Bianchi for sale. I would leave this alone, well aside from the fork

http://www.bikeforums.net/attachment...3&d=1287690673

Looks like the crown or joint between the crown and steerer is bent.

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=174830
I drew some lines on the picture and you can see that there is definitely a discrepincy. Could the fork be installed incorrectly?

Welcome! Are the dropouts stamped or forged? Those are Suntour ratcheting power shifters, which I'm not sure are of the same period, though I could be wrong. I concur w/ the bent fork perceivers. Usually those kinds of bends occur when a bike runs into the side of a car or truck, say, if one were to pull right in front of the rider going too fast to stop in time. Might be good to confirm there's no cracking in the steerer near where it meets the crown of the fork.

That seatpost looks very deep. It's not stuck in the seat tube, is it?

BTW, after going through many many various vintage bikes and trying to creatively upgrade, etc., I've found lately what can be most satisfying is simply restoring the mechanicals to new--put new cables and housing in for the brakes and derailers, replace all bearings and adjust hubs/bottom brackets/headset, replace pedals if need be, clean the drivetrain completely, and true and tension the wheels very well, and inflate the tires. Before adding any upgrades, just return the bike's functionality to new, and then see what you think it might really benefit from. My first choice w/o actually riding a bike would be putting in a newer front derailer.

Huh? Is there any way at all to install a fork incorrectly? I just think it's probably bent. The head tube angle looks pretty steep in the photo too so it would be a good idea to check for bulges around the lugs. This photo is taken from a strange angle so maybe that is playing it up a bit.

Let's take a closer look:
http://www.os2.dhs.org/~john/carlton.jpg

It could just be the angle the wheel is turned.

Is there any evidence of tube damage behind the head lug?

Bent fork aside, and I do think it may just be that the wheel is turned more than it looks coupled with the fact that the bike has a steep head tube, this is a pretty nice bike.
I had one just like it, but from '81, go through my hands half a year ago. The paint is really nice and it has decent alloy 700c wheels which is pretty good for a cheap bike from the ealry '80s. The frame is made of Ti Tru-Wel 205 Double Butted steel and is actually very light (lighter than my Tange 2 touring bike, slightly heavier than my Columbus SL/SP crit bike). The only thing lacking in this bike is finishing, the lugs are not tidy at all, and components.
My friend and I have so far replaced the levers on his with Tektro aero levers, taken off the ugly 'pant's protector' ring on the crankset and added a new front derailer (the old 'Raleigh' branded one shifted like frozen mud). The bike now rides like a dream and my buddy loves it, I'm sure you'll love yours too, it's a very underrated bike.
Oh by the way, if you're interested, it looks like your's is totally stock, it's got the exact same kit as mine did when I picked it up, right down to the bar tape.

It's a good frame. It's your size, I presume? The components are alloy,that's good. The rear derailler is definitely a good one. I wouldn't monkey with it too much. You could make it better but you would have to spend some real money to notice any real functional improvements.
Yeah, check the fork. Good tires make a big improvement, but I don't usually replace them unless I really have to. Luggers advice on the front derailler is probably valid. Cheap enough to change it, too.
Is the stem in all the way? They usually have a minimum insertion mark about 2" above the bottom end.
I've got a couple of Carlton Raleighs. They're my favorites.

no the fork is bent, and the stem is wayyyy too high....

we're not trying to insult your bike or anything, just letting you know, cause it's usually not a good thing....but it's fixable....like replacing the fork, which is cheap, i don't know if you can bend it back...


nice bike though