carlton corsa

[Greybeard]

Steve,
What was it like before the rebuild? I'm looking at what I THINK is a Continental, from that 1968-72 period (Crespera lugs). It has the high flange hubs (with butterflies; not QRs), but it also has half-chromed forks. Does yours?

Hello, spanner48.
The spec of yours doesn't match what I had I'm afraid. No chrome on the frame other than the 'chromoplastic' transfers. The Continental was only 5-speed and had small flange hubs with standard axle nuts - the Maillards that I fitted came off a mate's bike.
The picture shows it complete with various alterations over the years - this horrible chainset and gear levers have gone, it was a chromed single chainwheel. The original derailleur was a Huret. If memory serves it also had full length guards.


I see it's cropped the front wheel again Steve

[cjchambers]

Spanner48,

Here's what I think is an early 70s Continental. As Greybeard says - originally 5 speed with huret deraileur. This one had atom hubs with nutted axles (albeit nuts with little 'C' for Carlton on the end ).


(Click for bigger image)

This website (http://bulgier.net/pics/bike/Catalogs/carlton70/) lists some .jpg scans of a 1970s carlton catalogue. If you're lucky yours might be in there! One other possible clue - looking at your picture it seems it has cotterless rather than cottered cranks. Does anyone know when Raleigh/Carlton switched from cottered to cotterless?

[spanner48]

Thanks, Greybeard and cjc both. You're right, it can't be a Continental. So I wonder what it is? The hubs, the chainset and the Huret front and rear mechs are not the originals; but the Weinmann centre-pulls and the Brooks Competition saddle are. Anyone out there recognise it? Because I've scoured the Carlton catalogues for that period, and can't see anything that fits . . .
Thanks again,
Giles

[blackbike]

Nice to see some pics of Carlton Corsas.

I bought mine in 1971 as a 13 yr old with my entire savings of £33 when my dad said he wouldn't buy me a 5 speed 'racer' as I didn't need one for cycling round our flat, Manchester suburb and its surrounding areas. He relented a couple of weeks after and gave me the money.

The Corsa was an ordinary steel framed bike, with a steel, cotter pinned chainset. The wheels had chromed steel rims. The gears were by Huret. The brakes were centre pull Weinman. There was a sticker on the frame saying 'TI Raleigh' tubing. The forks were chromed on the bottom half - a desirable feature at the time.

I rode mine for years and the gears came in handy when I went to university in Leeds, a city with hills.

[squeaker]

I have a Carlton Corsa (and a lovely bike she is too), but alas, having just looked at my frame, nothing but the frame number is on it.

And that's where mine went - glad you are still enjoying it
Always was a bit on the small side for me, whereas the surprise replacement Cotic Roadrat is a delightful fit