Awesome Customer's Bike: 1940's Carlton

     This is a bike we recently put together for one of our customers. It is a 1940's Carlton that belonged to his father. I always love it when bikes are passed down from one generation to the next and are put back into service. He had it painted a nice forest green color and brought in some of the original parts and we assembled it for him. It is a bit of a mix.
      We used the original Campagnolo Record rear derailleur and shifter (shifter is closed "C" , so it is newer). It also has the original Brampton Alatet head set. We had to get a custom BB made for it as it took the oversize Chater Lea type (Whitworth threaded). The customer wanted to use more modern  (cotterless) cranks. Our solution was to use a Shimano cartridge bearing BB spindle of appropriate length and bearings, and have oversize Whitworth threaded BB cups and a spacer sleeve made. The solution, after a bit of tinkering, worked like a charm, buttery smooth and tight. So, the bike retains the original threading in the BB shell with a more modern cartridge bearing assembly and cotterless crank set. it has modern alloy wheels (27" double wall machined sidewall rims). it also has the original bar and stem, GB Maes (sleeved) bars with really cool stem of unknown make. It also has the original GB Hiduminium brake calipers with modern pads.Unfortunately, the paint is a bit thick on the underside of the BB shell, obscuring some serial numbers / factory codes. (see photos).
     The end result is an updated classic that hopefully will be ridden for many years to come and hopefully goes further down the generational line of the family.  Thanks for trusting us with its care!

Random image Fridays

Hugh Porter on a really cool Carlton. Photo from sporting Cyclist magazine June 1966

Amazing shop bike! early 1960's Carlton with International lug set

We have some pretty cool bikes in the shop's collection.

This is one of my favorites. It is an early 1960's Carlton. There are a couple reasons why I like this bike. First of course is the international lug set. Extremely ornate and well filed / thinned. The seat cluster with the ornate wrap over seat stays are quite elegant. The paint scheme is really sharp and the decals are the nicest I have ever seen from Carlton (in my opinion). The fork crown echoes the ornate lugs nicely. Borrowing a bit from Hetchins treatment perhaps but still all their own.The only thing that's missing is an arching rear brake bridge. I would not call the stays "pencil" but they are nice and thin.

I compare this bike at first glance to a Saluki, not the Rivendell bike, the dog. Very elegant and svelte. The second thing I like is that all the components are from smaller  British parts maker at the time. The British Hub Co. Airlite hubs, Williams crank set,  Benelux derailleurs and shifters, Mansfield saddle, GB Coureur 66' brakes, GB Superhood brake levers with hoods, and GB Maes bars. This is before Raleigh bought everything and is a nice example of what was available at the time from smaller firms doing their thing. So the overall picture is the last gasp of sorts of smaller British frame building and components. Enjoy!

Late 1960s Carlton

Beautiful, late 1960s Carlton. Original finish, and it appears the only components updated are the tires.

Milremo cranks, probably produced by Stronglight but stamped Milremo. TA chainrings.

Zeus dropouts and Campagnolo Record rear derailleur.

Late 1960s GB stem, with raised lip around the stem binder bolt. That was discontinued around 1969-1970, next version did not have the raised lip,  or the red sticker GB handlebar binder bolt, or the red size sticker(90mm). The GB Tourmalet (map of England) handlebars are beautiful as well.

Cool bikes seen at the Vintage Vagabond ride

 early 1970s Cinelli. repaint, after a cracked bottom bracket was repaired.

A rack of bicycles at the lunch stop. The Hill Cycle I rode, a beautiful wood rim restored Umberto Dei track bike, a fixed gear converted Scapin, and a mid to late 1960s Carlton.

 Rack 2- Peugeot PX-10 converted to a fixed gear with early Schwinn Paramount hubs and fork truss support. Chrome Maino fixed gear. Blue Trek 610 and then a Rivendell Bleriot 650b bike.

 Jed, one of the 2 ride organizers rode this stunning Carlton.

 The early Umberto Dei. Beautiful bike, and pretty fast rider as well!

 Chrome headlugs on the Maino, Italian built bike.

 Seat cluster treatment on the Maino.

 Front brake on the Dei, notice the cork brake pads for the wood rims.

British bikes stick together. 1970s Mercian and Raleigh Lenton Grand Prix- Reg Harris model.

 Colnago

 Beautiful, low miles Marinoni.