Carlton Super Course

[fossyant]

Love the Suntour rear mech. Lubberly jubberly

 

[Hacienda71]

An inch higher and I would struggle with the toptube height. I will have to take it for a proper ride. Only ridden it for a couple of miles so far.

 

[Hacienda71]

Love the Suntour rear mech. Lubberly jubberly

175g

 

[fossyant]

Woo, that's good. Bet the chain rings weigh bugger all.

 

[Hacienda71]

I am slightly worried that the gearing may preclude any particularly hilly rides with a lowest gear of 42:18, although I might take it over The Cat.

 

[fossyant]

Man gears....

Now not even I was daft enough. 42 x 21 was my gearing as a yoof. Was not pretty up Winnats or Mow Cop.

 

[Hacienda71]

Think I would fall off. Will be avoiding Pyms Chair, Winnats and Mow Cop on it.

 

[Sterba]

An unusually small largest cog at the back. Freewheels with 14 - 28 ratios are now given away free in cornflake packets

 

[Sterba]

And the Suntour that everyone is swooning about could handle a few more teeth without interference.

 

[Hacienda71]

And the Suntour that everyone is swooning about could handle a few more teeth without interference.

I think it will take upto a 24t as is. I'm not in a rush to change from the Shimano 600 freewheel at present as I have two other road bikes one running a compact and one with a triple, so for any very hilly rides will use the other bikes. I rode it up to Macclesfield this morning which is not hilly but mildly lumpy and it was fine. A very smooth compliant ride. Much nicer than my alu bike and for that matter my last steel bike which was a chromo (main tubes) frame. Reaching for the levers and the trimming process took some remembering as I haven't had a bike with down tube shifters for over twenty years, but I do like the fact you can trim everything whilst sti type levers you are much more constrained.

 

[Hacienda71]

Mmm, quite quick averaged 22.3mph for the 10 mile commute home tonight.

 

[biggs682]

Mmm, quite quick averaged 22.3mph for the 10 mile commute home tonight.

steel is the real thing

 

[Keith Bines]

Great to see this. My first real bike was a Super Course and it was a great bike. I got the frame on 29th of July 1981 - the day of Charles and Di's wedding. So while the rest of the country was inside watching tv mooning and swooning over some over privileged inbreeds getting married, I was in the shed with my dads tools, a new frame and a heap of borrowed components gathered from local clubs by a very supportive school teacher, Andy Marshall. One happy 15 year old that day. Bike was stolen while I was at Kingston Polytechnic in 1988. Thanks for putting this up. Lovely to see one of these still in use.

 

[thegravestoneman]

At 6'3" I would have thought a bit more post showing would be apt I am 6'2" and ride a similar frame and have a bit more post than that. The cyclone gears were very good in their day and I used them on a couple of cycles preferring them to either shimano or campag. I would have been very happy to be gifted such a bike, good luck and enjoy.

 

[Hacienda71]

At 6'3" I would have thought a bit more post showing would be apt I am 6'2" and ride a similar frame and have a bit more post than that. The cyclone gears were very good in their day and I used them on a couple of cycles preferring them to either shimano or campag. I would have been very happy to be gifted such a bike, good luck and enjoy.

After yesterdays first proper ride on it with cleats the saddle has gone up 15mm.