i know nothing..---------pics now added---------------

[dirtjumper_dmr]

If I were you I wouldnt change a thing on this bike, Its a period road bike from the early 80s and a good one at that! Your dad knew his onions when he bought it way back when. These things are becoming collectable big time lately and a Carlton too, probably one of the last. (Didnt Raleigh own the name by the 80s?) Simply give it a good clean and polish the alloy parts with some T cut and leave well alone. In another few years it'll be worth more than a few hundred if it isnt already. As far as the Derailleurs go, leave them as they are, they make a change from the usual Campag Nuovo Record kit of the day and are of interest as quality pieces in their own right. Get it set up to fit you and the ride will be less painful, converting it to modern 8-9 speed will be costly and devalue the bike as a period piece. As will fixie-ing it.

Downtube Shifters are a pain but thats all we had back in them days and we did OK, I know if my dad gave me a classic lightweight British racer I'd be preserving it as original and hanging on to it for my kids. ; )

See

http://www.classiclightweights.co.uk/carlton.html

http://www.carltoncycles.me.uk/

Thanks for that so i guess this is a reasonable bike then, i mean my dad isn't one to do things by half so i presumed it must be pretty ok... plans are to leave it as it is. it's in pretty good nick all round, cosmetically abit scratched from years of being in the shed and having other bikes (mainly mine ) leaned against it. the wheels were rebuilt a year or two ago with mavic rims on the old campag hubs but other than that it's original. i have vague memories of another one of these in the house when i was a kid, i think it was his 'spare' and almost identical but that is unconfirmed and i don't know what happened to it! My dad and his mate used to do long runs for charity and stuff, there's pics somewhere of them riding along with the old (mk2) escort van from his garage (he was a ford dealer) with a board on top saying "Caution, Cyclists", i'll try and get him to dig them out.

Rich

 

[NickD]

I'd agree that it's a fairly good bike. The Shimano 600 stuff seems to be going up in price ATM, not that I mind, I have a complete groupset from about the same era as yours.

I have a Carlton too, but it's a few years older (1965) which will be set up as a fixed wheel - I can't see how that devalues a bike though, not if the frame is left as original.