Carlton Corsair, new arrival

[Gunk]

How much do you want for the suede saddle?

Looks like an 1980’s Selle Italia Turbo

 

[RichardB]

How much do you want for the suede saddle?

It's tatty ... you sure? Will send you a DM with photo.

 

[Smokin Joe]

Black saddle, white bar tape. You know it makes sense.

 

[Rhys jones]

It's tatty ... you sure? Will send you a DM with photo.

Thanks for the photos Richard. I see what you mean it's a bit tatty so I'll give it a miss if you don't mind. Thanks for your trouble anyway, cheers .

 

[RichardB]

A question about gearing for the wise and knowledgeable:

The bike has a 14-24 SunTour Perfect freewheel. I'd like to know if this is the original block. I've no reason to think that it has been replaced, as my old 1982 bike had the same brand of freewheel (but with 14-34) and the bike has obviously not been modified much from new. But whereas a 14-34 block is wide-ratio and suitable for touring, a 14-24 is fairly close-ratio and half way to a racing spec.

Thing is, the Corsair is a light tourer. It comes with a rear rack and guards, with appropriate braze-ons, but no facility for a front rack, so it sits between a sports bike and a full tourer like the Dawes Galaxy. It has full mudguards, and the frame angles are classic tourer at 72 parallel. Crucially, the rear mech is a wide-ratio mech. It's identical to the one on my old bike, and that coped with a 34T sprocket no problem. So what is the 14-24 doing there? Does anyone know if this is how they came from the factory with this block? All the images I have seen, including the brochure pics further up this thread, seem to show a large gear on the back. Maybe it was a change that happened when the Corsair GT (my old one) superseded the older version. A 47" low gear on a light tourer doesn't make sense.

It's a bit of a mystery to me, and I am just curious. I'd like to replace the block with something more suited to old legs and local hills. I haven't seen a 14-34 anywhere, but there are some 14-32 blocks around, usually at silly prices. Presumably the SunTour freewheel is long out of production, but are there any reliable sources for NOS or something equivalent?

(Dodged the showers and had another spin out on it today. It's a really lovely ride, better than I remember.)

 

[RichardB]

Thanks for the photos Richard. I see what you mean it's a bit tatty so I'll give it a miss if you don't mind. Thanks for your trouble anyway, cheers .

No problem. It'll go in the spares bin, and join the other 597.

 

[RichardB]

Looks like an 1980’s Selle Italia Turbo

It's got Made In Italy on the underside, so yes, could be.

 

[midlife]

A question about gearing for the wise and knowledgeable:

The bike has a 14-24 SunTour Perfect freewheel. I'd like to know if this is the original block. I've no reason to think that it has been replaced, as my old 1982 bike had the same brand of freewheel (but with 14-34) and the bike has obviously not been modified much from new. But whereas a 14-34 block is wide-ratio and suitable for touring, a 14-24 is fairly close-ratio and half way to a racing spec.

Thing is, the Corsair is a light tourer. It comes with a rear rack and guards, with appropriate braze-ons, but no facility for a front rack, so it sits between a sports bike and a full tourer like the Dawes Galaxy. It has full mudguards, and the frame angles are classic tourer at 72 parallel. Crucially, the rear mech is a wide-ratio mech. It's identical to the one on my old bike, and that coped with a 34T sprocket no problem. So what is the 14-24 doing there? Does anyone know if this is how they came from the factory with this block? All the images I have seen, including the brochure pics further up this thread, seem to show a large gear on the back. Maybe it was a change that happened when the Corsair GT (my old one) superseded the older version. A 47" low gear on a light tourer doesn't make sense.

It's a bit of a mystery to me, and I am just curious. I'd like to replace the block with something more suited to old legs and local hills. I haven't seen a 14-34 anywhere, but there are some 14-32 blocks around, usually at silly prices. Presumably the SunTour freewheel is long out of production, but are there any reliable sources for NOS or something equivalent?

(Dodged the showers and had another spin out on it today. It's a really lovely ride, better than I remember.)

The answer lies in what it was. A "Demi Course", not a class of bike you hear about nowadays and being a French phrase didn't appear much in the brochures. With a road bike (the Pro Am) all you had was a musette (bonk bag) so basically you set out after breakfast, ate lunch on the road and was back for tea.

The rear rack on the Corsair meant you could carry breakfast, lunch and tea and be out all day

Plus as it was launched with its stablemate the "Pro Am" 1978 so to keep costs down they shared a lot of stuff. As time went on it became a bit more of a touring bike.

Started off as a ten speed and when moved to twelve I guess the freewheel range got a bit bigger.

 

[midlife]

Trying to remember when Raleigh had the Royal, its Dawes Galaxy rival and they wouldn't have a Carlton bike to go head to head with the Royal.

 

[Gunk]

Trying to remember when Raleigh had the Royal, its Dawes Galaxy rival and they wouldn't have a Carlton bike to go head to head with the Royal.

I recently restored an early ‘80’s Royal they were produced for most of that decade.

 

[RichardB]

Started off as a ten speed and when moved to twelve I guess the freewheel range got a bit bigger.

Thanks for the explanation. Makes sense. My 1982 was a ten-speed, though, so they must have changed to 12-speed after that date.

I recently restored an early ‘80’s Royal they were produced for most of that decade.

That is nice! Can I ask where you got the handlebars? I've been looking for some like that for a while.

 

[Gunk]

Thanks for the explanation. Makes sense. My 1982 was a ten-speed, though, so they must have changed to 12-speed after that date.



That is nice! Can I ask where you got the handlebars? I've been looking for some like that for a while.

they were on it when I bought it, cut down MTB downhill bars.

 

[carpenter]

I have used these on a couple of bikes:

Amazon product ASIN B002OBKRGUView: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Raleigh-RNH360-Rounder-Comfort-Handlebar/dp/B002OBKRGU/ref=pd_lpo_200_t_0/259-5556536-0388052?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B002OBKRGU&pd_rd_r=2b18cd15-84d9-497c-b802-1213be5afda3&pd_rd_w=UiLtF&pd_rd_wg=uDhC3&pf_rd_p=7b8e3b03-1439-4489-abd4-4a138cf4eca6&pf_rd_r=NB9XJCP2KCXKDK9F1BQC&psc=1&refRID=NB9XJCP2KCXKDK9F1BQC

 

[avecReynolds531]

Congrats on the beautiful Carlton & thanks for the thread - really interesting.

I was puzzled about the gearing too: the freewheel and chainset didn't seem to be for a light tourer at all. That lovely brochure scan on the first page of the thread shows a bigger freewheel (not a 24), but still with a road chainset. View attachment 529549

Thanks to midlife for the explanation of the Pro Am history & shared components. I love the term velo demi-course which would (I think!) translate as half road racing bike.

My early 80s 531 is similar but I ditched the rear rack. Photo included to show the gearing (all original): 5 speed 14/34 Suntour Perfect freewheel, Suntour derailleurs & downtube levers, & a nice 48/36 Sakae chainset. That combination seems to work well for the type of bike. I don't use the 34 too much, but it's good to have it there.

Regarding the contact points and colour: for what it's worth, I'm very happy with the B17 and tape on the SR Road Champion bars like this.
( https://www.velovitality.co.uk/coll...tape/products/gecko-grip-all-weather-bar-tape )

All the best with the Corsair & many happy miles ahead!

 

[carpenter]

Love the use of those (velo orange) mudguards - still trying to decide which bike to put mine on

I think that your post has helped me to decide.