avecReynolds531
Veteran
- Location
- Small Island
+1
Carlton Corsair, new arrival
- Thread starter RichardB
- Start date
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Kempstonian
Has the memory of a goldfish
- Location
- Bedford
+ another 1
OP
OP
RichardB
Slightly retro
- Location
- West Wales
Quick update, and a question.
The Corsair came to me with a 14-24 block, which I am convinced is a later addition. My original Corsair had a 14-34 which I liked a lot. I managed to source a NOS Sun Tour 14-34 in the States and it arrived this week. Putting it on showed up a worn chain which I have now replaced, but it fitted perfectly like it was meant to be there. It's great on the hills round here and has made me even more enthusiastic about riding it.
I did a bit of touring with the old Corsair, and did a mod which I liked very much. I took off the 52T chainring, moved the 42T to the outside, and fitted a 36T to the inner position. This gave a gear range of 29-81", which I found very suitable for my kind of riding. I'm wondering if, as I am now 40 years older, I should do the same mod to this bike. Problem is, finding the correct SR Sakae chainring is proving a challenge. It looks like they made millions of the big ones and very few of the smaller ones, although I was able to buy the 36T over the counter at Cliff Pratts in the early 80s. It's got a BCD of 118mm, which is obsolete and narrows down the range of suitable rings to nearly zero. There are a few out there, but they are all 48T or bigger. I know I could replace the chainset with a modern one with a more mainstream BCD, but I like the look of the Raleigh parts and would prefer to keep things original. So, 1) does anyone have a 36T 118mm BCD chainring (preferably SR) banging around in their box of bits that they might like to sell to a good home, or 2) does anyone know of a source of these elusive bits? I have spent quite a while on the net looking but have drawn a blank so far.
Thanks for any suggestions.
The Corsair came to me with a 14-24 block, which I am convinced is a later addition. My original Corsair had a 14-34 which I liked a lot. I managed to source a NOS Sun Tour 14-34 in the States and it arrived this week. Putting it on showed up a worn chain which I have now replaced, but it fitted perfectly like it was meant to be there. It's great on the hills round here and has made me even more enthusiastic about riding it.
I did a bit of touring with the old Corsair, and did a mod which I liked very much. I took off the 52T chainring, moved the 42T to the outside, and fitted a 36T to the inner position. This gave a gear range of 29-81", which I found very suitable for my kind of riding. I'm wondering if, as I am now 40 years older, I should do the same mod to this bike. Problem is, finding the correct SR Sakae chainring is proving a challenge. It looks like they made millions of the big ones and very few of the smaller ones, although I was able to buy the 36T over the counter at Cliff Pratts in the early 80s. It's got a BCD of 118mm, which is obsolete and narrows down the range of suitable rings to nearly zero. There are a few out there, but they are all 48T or bigger. I know I could replace the chainset with a modern one with a more mainstream BCD, but I like the look of the Raleigh parts and would prefer to keep things original. So, 1) does anyone have a 36T 118mm BCD chainring (preferably SR) banging around in their box of bits that they might like to sell to a good home, or 2) does anyone know of a source of these elusive bits? I have spent quite a while on the net looking but have drawn a blank so far.
Thanks for any suggestions.
avecReynolds531
Veteran
- Location
- Small Island
I had a similar problem trying to locate a spare 36T chainring for a 118mm BCD. After spending a lot of time searching, I coudn't find anything.
My bike has an original Sakae double chainset (118BCD) with 48/36 chain rings - shown in Post 59 of your thread.
I had hoped to keep it original too, that's why I looked for spare chain rings for the future. With a 14-34 block, it's a nice range of gears.
There's a 42T chainring here: https://deadrats.co.uk/chainrings-5-bolt/ vintage steel 118bcd 42t – £12
Maybe a bike jumble, or the CTC forum would be a happier hunting ground.
Unless there's a company that can machine a 36T 118 BCD chain ring?
I'll probably have to get another chainset when the chain rings are worn: which is a shame. To me, the Sakae is beautiful, but 118mm is dead.
Hilary Stone has some chainsets worth looking at, & won't look out of place - there's a gorgeous classic TA with a 36T inner: http://hilarystone.com/cranksets2.html
For a modern replacement (although modern is maybe not applicable), Spa have a lot of options - for example: https://www.spacycles.co.uk/m8b0s109p2015/SPA-CYCLES-TD-2-Touring-Double-Chainset-with-TA-chainrings
I'm not sure any of this helps, but all the best with trying to do something like the original mod.
p.s. Glad you got the 14-34 freewheel, they make a decent difference in hilly areas
My bike has an original Sakae double chainset (118BCD) with 48/36 chain rings - shown in Post 59 of your thread.
I had hoped to keep it original too, that's why I looked for spare chain rings for the future. With a 14-34 block, it's a nice range of gears.
There's a 42T chainring here: https://deadrats.co.uk/chainrings-5-bolt/ vintage steel 118bcd 42t – £12
Maybe a bike jumble, or the CTC forum would be a happier hunting ground.
Unless there's a company that can machine a 36T 118 BCD chain ring?
I'll probably have to get another chainset when the chain rings are worn: which is a shame. To me, the Sakae is beautiful, but 118mm is dead.
Hilary Stone has some chainsets worth looking at, & won't look out of place - there's a gorgeous classic TA with a 36T inner: http://hilarystone.com/cranksets2.html
For a modern replacement (although modern is maybe not applicable), Spa have a lot of options - for example: https://www.spacycles.co.uk/m8b0s109p2015/SPA-CYCLES-TD-2-Touring-Double-Chainset-with-TA-chainrings
I'm not sure any of this helps, but all the best with trying to do something like the original mod.
p.s. Glad you got the 14-34 freewheel, they make a decent difference in hilly areas
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OP
OP
RichardB
Slightly retro
- Location
- West Wales
Thanks for your thoughts. I have an ebay alert set up and I will keep looking, but not holding out much hope for a genuine SR 36T. My smallest is already a 42T, but thanks for the link to that one.
I think I will hold off on making any major changes for the moment. Having got the 14-34 block, I can tackle any of the hills round here on a day ride. The 36T proved useful in the past when I was touring with full panniers and bar bag, but I don't anticipate doing that sort of thing in the near future, so the 52/42 setup will do for now. If the chainrings get badly worn, or if I suddenly out of the blue decide to start touring again, then I will have a rethink.
Meanwhile, if anyone has a spare 36T 118BCD chainring knocking around in their box of bits, let me know ...
I think I will hold off on making any major changes for the moment. Having got the 14-34 block, I can tackle any of the hills round here on a day ride. The 36T proved useful in the past when I was touring with full panniers and bar bag, but I don't anticipate doing that sort of thing in the near future, so the 52/42 setup will do for now. If the chainrings get badly worn, or if I suddenly out of the blue decide to start touring again, then I will have a rethink.
Meanwhile, if anyone has a spare 36T 118BCD chainring knocking around in their box of bits, let me know ...
Colin Grigson
Bass guitarist - Bad News
- Location
- Slovakia
Reading this thread has brought back many memories for me -mI had a Carlton Corsair in pale metallic green, from new in the late 70’s. It was my best bike ever - never let me down and looked amazing ... the ’Corsair’ logos were in a beautiful italic font and I was obsessed with not damaging the transfers ... those were the days !. My LBS sold it to me on the ‘never-never’ and I had to go in every week and pay it off from my paper-round and washing up money ... Ken Prescott cycles in Pokesdown - Bournemouth - Ken and his son were brilliant !. Love the Corsair in this thread !
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midlife
Guru
I can think of coming across a green Corsair, mind you it was a long time ago The Circuit was a nice pale metallic green (also in metallic lilac!).
OP
OP
RichardB
Slightly retro
- Location
- West Wales
My (original) one was early 80s, but if I had seen one in pale green alongside the bronze I might have been tempted. They were marketed as 'above average' at the time, but they have aged well. I took a longish ride on it today, and it rode like a dream. Smooth, quick and kind on the arse and hands. And I had the added bonus of being overtaken by a man and his son on modern road bikes, and later caught up with them at a shop. The man looked the bike over, and then suddenly said to his lad "hey, those are the shifters I was telling you about! On the down tube! They don't have indexing! The rider has to guess how far to move the lever!" The boy was baffled. It was like I had brought a Civil War firearm to a modern grouse shoot. I had to remind myself that the bike is 41 years old, and probably older than the father.
OP
OP
RichardB
Slightly retro
- Location
- West Wales
I think it looks well with the Carradice bag. Proper light touring rig. The bag never looked 'right' on a more modern bike.
Also, 14-34 block now fitted, and making a huge difference on the hills
Carradice, Brooks, Carlton - what's not to love?
Also, 14-34 block now fitted, and making a huge difference on the hills
Carradice, Brooks, Carlton - what's not to love?
avecReynolds531
Veteran
- Location
- Small Island
True words
