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Picture of your Bike...[BICYCLES ONLY PLEASE]
- Thread starter crdean1
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I know what you mean, Carlton's tend to have more ornate lugs don't they, but some did become less ornate, perhaps unsurprisingly more like Raleigh's of the era.
This frame is much more reminiscent of a Raleigh frame (though Raleigh occasionally used ornate lugs as well), when I first saw it I thought it was a Raleigh Professional Track but I'm not sure on the lugs, maybe hmai18 could post some more detailed photo's of them?
That said, I wouldn't be at all surprised if it turned out to be a Raleigh Carlton frame either.
That it has holes in the head tube is potentially interesting in trying to establish the manufacturer, what is the spacing of the two holes?
But it's the serial number that's bothering me in this instance in that it begins with an M.
Raleigh AFAIK didn't use 'M' and the Raleigh Carlton's appear to have used 'W' as did later Carlton frames.
Carlton did use an 'M' which denotes a '64 frame apparently but they only started putting the serial numbers on the bottom bracket post '68, previous to this they were stamped on the drop out, though as the owner of that website suggests, it may not be 100% percent accurate.
Actually... 'M' may indicate that the frame could've been built in Malaysia, but even then, that the next symbol is a number perhaps rules this out, as it should be another letter and then a number, and your serial is a digit too short. Hmmmm.
It may be worth your while contacting Raleigh, and enquiring whether they can match the serial to any Raleigh or Carlton frame.
Just out of interest... what country are you in? That might help us narrow down a probable manufacturer, process of elimination etc.
I had a Saturday job in a bike shop until 1980 and the later Carlton's were just Raleigh frames with nicer paint jobs and slightly better kit bolted on.
The Raleigh Professional bikes of the time were still really good though.
It's not a photo of the bike, but my first 'injury' on one since starting again last week...
Today, being my birthday! It decided to rain heavily. I rode to work as normal, no use in chickening out because of a little rain.
I found the tyres aren't too grippy in the wet on tarmac/pavement and they spit up mud and water easily. I got to a point where the rain was stopping me from seeing through my glasses, so I slipped them down, and got a stone or some mud in my eye. When I got into work, I fortunately have showers here, but after getting clean, starting to do my hair, my eye was like this:
On the bright side, my bike has 35km on it, I lost 1lb this week, but that's from me not being too strict and my legs getting strength rather than it being purely aerobic. My legs do definitely feel stronger though. The rain put 3 minutes onto my time into work this morning
Also, a couple of things - I'm feeling a little sore on my hands from holding the handlebars, and the saddle is still a little uncomfortable. Not as bad as when I started because I moved it up higher, but still like perching my butt on a piece of wood. I feel like that will change as I get fitter and lighter, but still, it would be good for me to not walk like John Wayne at work...
I'm probably going to get some mudguards, as my jacket and shorts are covered in mud at the back, and hopefully what went into my eye wouldn't come into it when a front guard is on. If anyone can recommend a cheap saddle for commuting and then on weekends going for a ride (just roads/pavements rather than full on mtb) and anything else for a cycling newbie like me, that'd be cool! I'm thinking about tyres for road use that fit mountain bike wheels too, I saw some for £10 each on wiggle.co.uk that look like they might be good....
Today, being my birthday! It decided to rain heavily. I rode to work as normal, no use in chickening out because of a little rain.
I found the tyres aren't too grippy in the wet on tarmac/pavement and they spit up mud and water easily. I got to a point where the rain was stopping me from seeing through my glasses, so I slipped them down, and got a stone or some mud in my eye. When I got into work, I fortunately have showers here, but after getting clean, starting to do my hair, my eye was like this:
On the bright side, my bike has 35km on it, I lost 1lb this week, but that's from me not being too strict and my legs getting strength rather than it being purely aerobic. My legs do definitely feel stronger though. The rain put 3 minutes onto my time into work this morning
Also, a couple of things - I'm feeling a little sore on my hands from holding the handlebars, and the saddle is still a little uncomfortable. Not as bad as when I started because I moved it up higher, but still like perching my butt on a piece of wood. I feel like that will change as I get fitter and lighter, but still, it would be good for me to not walk like John Wayne at work...
I'm probably going to get some mudguards, as my jacket and shorts are covered in mud at the back, and hopefully what went into my eye wouldn't come into it when a front guard is on. If anyone can recommend a cheap saddle for commuting and then on weekends going for a ride (just roads/pavements rather than full on mtb) and anything else for a cycling newbie like me, that'd be cool! I'm thinking about tyres for road use that fit mountain bike wheels too, I saw some for £10 each on wiggle.co.uk that look like they might be good....
same thing happened to my uncle a few weeks ago on RAGBRAI on the one rainy day we had. he got some prescription eye drops that cleared it right up.
Invest in some fenders. They work wonders on rainy days. Not so much for glasses but to keep the mud and water from the tires off of you.
On really cold, wet, windy, or whatever days, I usually wear my snowboarding goggles. They brighten things up and they will keep everything out of your eyes
On really cold, wet, windy, or whatever days, I usually wear my snowboarding goggles. They brighten things up and they will keep everything out of your eyes
I'm not so convinced they're Haden lugs now… could quite possibly be a Prugnat lug, they look awfully long and pointed for Haden's close up.
That is has Shimano stamped on the dropout, probably confirms it as a 1970's frame at the very least I suppose, they certainly look very similar indeed to Dura-Ace items of the time. Though your crankset looks like a Campag though… is that right? Did you buy it like that?
I've spent this morning having a look for what frame it could be, and I've turned up nothing, lots and lots of look-a-likes, similar lugs etc, but eventually ruled them out after checking known serial numbers.
Have you tried posting this on a retrobike/fixed wheel website? Given that it had a headstock badge, I suspect it's more likely to be from a more well known company, rather than a smaller frame builder.
Yeah, some mudguards (if that's what you mean
) are good in wet weather - no wet/muddy back Great idea.
Could somebody link me some websites as to where I could possibly purchase a bike for someone looking to get into cycling? Ive looked around but I'm pretty clueless and have no clue what I'm looking for. Price range around < $1000 USD or equal too, maybe slightly over. I'd love to pick up a new hobby and get back into shape in my free time. Thanks!
Haven't posted it anywhere else. I might send it to FixedGearGallery and ask for help from them. The crankset is a Sugino (I think Super Mighty?).
i'd really recommend going to your local bike shop if you are just getting into it. they can get you fitted (very important) on a bike in your price range and most offer a free tune up after a year or so, plus things like cable adjustment, etc. it is well worth the $100-200 or so you'd save by shopping online. plus being able to test ride a few different bikes is invaluable. every bike feels different and after you get on a few, you should be able to tell which one feels right.
++
Plus you can probably talk them into a deal with the pedals (most road bikes prices do not include pedals or only standard flat pedals) and other stuff which is much easier in person rather than talking to a website.
Look out for end of season sales as you can usually snag a bargain for last season bikes. I got a deal from (a not so local) local bike shop that simply could not be matched online anywhere.
Gorgeous bike. Giant and Trek are my two favourite brands; their bikes are amazing.
All done! He's gonna love it. Cheap-ass freewheel though, which is loud and clunky. Also still needs a rear brake.
Love the bike!!
Out of curiosity, how hard is it to build your own single-speed bike? I don't really know anything about bike components, but I was going to take some bike repair classes to become more familiar with sizes and components, which I'm sure would help me. After that, I was hoping to build my own bike one day. Just wondering if it's something I should leave to the professionals.
Also, how did you know what size you needed? Did you just go out and find a bike that fits you perfectly, get the dimensions of the frame, and buy a similar frame?
Love the bike!!
Out of curiosity, how hard is it to build your own single-speed bike? I don't really know anything about bike components, but I was going to take some bike repair classes to become more familiar with sizes and components, which I'm sure would help me. After that, I was hoping to build my own bike one day. Just wondering if it's something I should leave to the professionals.
Also, how did you know what size you needed? Did you just go out and find a bike that fits you perfectly, get the dimensions of the frame, and buy a similar frame?
First of all, for anyone looking to build a bike, or even just begin riding, I strongly suggest you go to http://www.sheldonbrown.com and read through any relevant sections. He has sections on pretty much anything, and an extensive glossary. Don't know what a word means? Sheldon will tell you!
It's really not difficult at all. A bike with a single speed (whether a fixed gear or true SS like this one) are among the easiest bikes to build/assemble on your own. As for bike fit, I think you should go into a bike shop and have them fit you on the type of frame you're looking to buy (they will likely sell singlespeed or fixed gear specific frames). The type of frame matters because often the geometry of bikes is quite different between types. You'll get a general idea of how long a top tube should be for your body (IMHO, top tube length is the best indicator of frame size; not seat tube length). I'm obligated to tell you first, that when you go try on bikes for sizing, you are NOT meant to be able to sit on the saddle of the bike and reach the ground with your feet comfortably. If you're trying to do so, then you're mounting the bike wrong in the first place.
Once you've gotten an idea of sizing, then you'll know what sort of sizing to look for in a frame. One important thing to look out for is that, if you're building a singlespeed in particular, you may prefer a frame that has what are called "horizontal drop outs" or "track ends." These are the rear end of the back triangle of the bike, where the rear wheel is mounted. Horizontal drop outs and track ends are slotted horizontally (or nearly so) so that you can move the rear wheel backwards and forwards in order to set chain tension (which is important; a loose chain will fall off easily, and an overly tight chain can be loud and prone to stretch). Otherwise you will need what's called a jockey wheel, which will artificially apply tension to the chain.
Then of course, the rear wheel must have a single speed freewheel (as in, not a multi-cogged cassette that you would normally see on a geared bicycle) which means the hub of the rear wheel (the thing in the centre that the rims are laced to with spokes) must have ss-freewheel compatible threading to it.
Sheldonbrown.com and YouTube videos will definitely tell you more. You can look up videos on "single speed conversions."
Good luck, and happy riding!