Enter content here
Enter content here
Enter content here
Carlton cycles have been a part of my life since I was a kid. I got my first Carlton - a Continental, secondhand in 1975, that bike was 3 years old then, I still have it now and regularly use it for cycling to work. Other Carltons in my collection include a 1968 Corsa in polychromatic mauve, two 1975 Corsas in 22" and 23 1/2" frame sizes - both in polychromatic green, a 1975 Criterium 10-speed, in bronze, recently updated with many NOS parts and finally a 1980 Pro-Am 12.
This wonderful old company was finally killed off (along with Raleigh's racing credibility and several hundred jobs) by the idiots in the backroom at Raleigh in the early 1980s, when it was seen as diluting the Raleigh brand - by then the marque had gone from largely handbuilt jewels to run-of-the-mill Carlton-badged Raleigh mediocraty. In the US all the top end Carltons were marketed as Raleigh, albeit with a small acknowedgement in the form of a decal with the Carlton name on it. The way this once top level marque was ended is just disgraceful, and marks one of the lowest points in Raleigh history in my opinion. In the days when Britain had a proud and thriving bicycle manufacturing history the Carlton rider could hold his head up high along side the very best such as Hetchins, Guillot, or continental marques such as Rene Hearse or any of the top makers of the era.
As a result of my interest in the web and ebay! I have been able to update and extend my collection whilst preserving and restoring these classic cycles. All the cycles in my ownership are ridden - none of them are 'museum' pieces. Classics like these are now becoming a very rare sight on our roads, although technically 'inferior' to today carbon/titanium clones - they win hands down on looks and aesthetics as well as sheer quality in terms of build, above all they are a pleasure to ride. These cycles always turn heads when ridden, will todays stuff be around in 30-40 years time?
The Carlton Criterium (pictured below) was purchased from a private seller for £95. Since then it has been fitted with NOS twin levers, C-nuts and a Campagnolo Gran Turismo steel touring derailleur. The cycle is finished off with classic 1970s shorty mudgaurds - suffice to say it is only ridden in dry weather. Everything else on this cycle is original. My 21-1/2" mauve Corsa is a particular favourite, and is used for both communting and weekend trips. Its equipped with 10-speed deraileur (the rear changer being an old Ofmega from the Continental). The bike handles well, even with panniers and has some superbly preserved 'Acrylichrome' decals/stickers on the frame. The images below show some of the finer points of Carlton design and build, showing the various lug (Crespera on the Criterium for instance), patterns and components that these wonderful cycles exhibited. If any Carlton owners have suggestions and information relating to any of the information and images contained here - please get in touch.
For a wealth of other Carlton information and pictures, please go to my 'links' page and find the address of the Carlton site belonging to Jerry Mortimer - there besides wonderful images of Carltons you will find many other links to Carlton and classic cycle enthusiasts from the US as well as the UK and rest of the world.
A short video giving an overview on the Flyer
