This is my latest restoration project. I picked this machine from Surrey yesterday. The bike is in remarkable original and most importantly unmolested condition - save for a non standard chainset and flat bars. The owner did have the original GB drops too. This was hi granddads bike and has spent pretty much most of the last 40 years in the garage. Its rare to find a machine that has not been mucked around with like this.
A 420 mile plus round trip to Surrey from Plymouth. Bike has no major surprises, jus how I thought it would be, still rides, but needs some fettling. This one has a 22-22.5inch frame so is a little bigger than my current Continental. The guards are in great nick a few marks, but Bluemels Sprint Veloce models are very rare and expensive in themselves. It even still has its original pump, these always get lost. Basically it needs a good degrease, clean and re-lubing to all major bearings - BB and both wheels. The tyres will be replaced as will the tubes, new brake blocks, new bar tape, new cables. The W3N Wrights saddle just needs proofide. I have some new fork decals so this will improve the fork tops. Frame paint and decals have some wear but are in remarkable condition. All in all a good days work. Dismantling will commence soon.
I should add wheels are true and all C bolts are clean and accounted for! This project will take a few weeks as I want to return the bike to exactly how it was when it left the Worksop factory.
The Continental was the entry level Carlton BITD, but when you compare it to the entry level Raleigh's it (to my view) still shone out with that unmistakable Carlton brand cache - probably why Raleigh bought the company to start with.
Here are a few images of the bike newly placed in my workshop ready for dismantling.
A 420 mile plus round trip to Surrey from Plymouth. Bike has no major surprises, jus how I thought it would be, still rides, but needs some fettling. This one has a 22-22.5inch frame so is a little bigger than my current Continental. The guards are in great nick a few marks, but Bluemels Sprint Veloce models are very rare and expensive in themselves. It even still has its original pump, these always get lost. Basically it needs a good degrease, clean and re-lubing to all major bearings - BB and both wheels. The tyres will be replaced as will the tubes, new brake blocks, new bar tape, new cables. The W3N Wrights saddle just needs proofide. I have some new fork decals so this will improve the fork tops. Frame paint and decals have some wear but are in remarkable condition. All in all a good days work. Dismantling will commence soon.
I should add wheels are true and all C bolts are clean and accounted for! This project will take a few weeks as I want to return the bike to exactly how it was when it left the Worksop factory.
The Continental was the entry level Carlton BITD, but when you compare it to the entry level Raleigh's it (to my view) still shone out with that unmistakable Carlton brand cache - probably why Raleigh bought the company to start with.
Here are a few images of the bike newly placed in my workshop ready for dismantling.
