Sun "Maybe Chris Barber" bike

[Tony Raynor]

OK after seeing @Spokesmann nice Chris Barber bike I feel a little ashamed to show this but hey ho. I got it a month or 2 ago thinking it might be the same bike. Paint scheme was right, crank was right but then when I got it home I noticed the wrap over seat stay. Plus it's truwell and I can't find reference to snipes using try well tubing.
This then means it's must be a snipe but the lugs don't look right so now I'm stumped. Also not even sure of the date as can't find much info.
Anyway it's totally stripped so I can get it sand blasted and see what to do after that.

 

[biggs682]

@Tony Raynor got to love that crank

 

[Tony Raynor]

Ok might be wrong but he 69 sun catalog looks like the Chris barber had a wrap over stay. Hard to say for sure. Other thing is the crank was only on he 1970 model.

http://veterancycleclublibrary.org.uk/ncl/pics/Sun catalogue 1969 (V-CC Library).pdf


http://bulgier.net/pics/bike/catalogs/Sun-70/Sun70_3.html

 

[mikeymustard]

Have you seen this one? http://cyclingarchives.com/ploegfiche.php?id=4658

 

[Tony Raynor]

Cheers @mikeymustard thats pretty much the same. Might have to change the title now lol

 

[Spokesmann]

OK after seeing @Spokesmann nice Chris Barber bike I feel a little ashamed to show this but hey ho. I got it a month or 2 ago thinking it might be the same bike. Paint scheme was right, crank was right but then when I got it home I noticed the wrap over seat stay. Plus it's truwell and I can't find reference to snipes using try well tubing.
This then means it's must be a snipe but the lugs don't look right so now I'm stumped. Also not even sure of the date as can't find much info.
Anyway it's totally stripped so I can get it sand blasted and see what to do after that.

Graphics look different, ie lack of chequers pattern, that said Carlton alway did/do this... throw in something which baffles latter day collectors. If there are no vestiges of the original top tube decal them it may be fair to assume it was sold as another Sun model. This may have been a Carlton model or destined to be one, but somehow ended up as a Sun. With both marques in the same factory, Im pretty sure there were crossover from time to time, although never seen a Cartlon like this without wrap over sat stays.

 

[Spokesmann]

I should add that this machine is many respects is not a replica, but merely a mimic of the actual team bikes. They (the actual team bikes) used 531 tubing, Nervex lugs and Campag components...

 

[Spokesmann]

For information I can date mine to 68.

 

[Tony Raynor]

@Spokesmann is there info on how to date from the serial number? I don't seem to be able to find since a certain Carlton site went down

 

[Spokesmann]

@Spokesmann is there info on how to date from the serial number? I don't seem to be able to find since a certain Carlton site went down

Well this period was when numbering at Worksop went to pot... The letter prefixes were dropped for most bikes and an all digit system was brought in, until about 72 when they started to use the W prefix for Worksop and N preifx for Nottingham. I've dated mine from the saddle, which Brooks used to very kindly stamp with a simple letter and 2-digit number on the underside of the chassis, OK if you have a complete bike, confusing if you don't. As for the all numbering set up used for 4 years or so, sorry I have no idea. A latter-day nightmare to work out

 

[Spokesmann]

On another point about the tubing, Sun it seems tended to use EUUT tubes as opposed to Tru-Wel on the Carlton. I'm pretty sure some sort of product exclusivity went on at Worksop, ensuring that the Carltons were, lets say, top dog, and Sun machines demoted to a secondary line. That said, Sun were gradually relegated to the bargain basement by the late 70s. This was sadly the effect that a marketing department at Raleigh with no idea how the market and push the many marques they inherited when TI took over everything back in the late 50s/early 60s.

 

[Tony Raynor]

Ooooh I forgot the brooks saddle, it's totally unusable but might help. Also need to check the brakes as well.

 

[mikeymustard]

Interesting stuff!

 

[10gearseatshift]

Hi guys,....just signed up....
' just wondering if any of you have done the Chris Barber crossbar decals yet as I have received a yellow frame version in for restoration and the customer (maybe one of you here!!?) wants it changed to white/green/ chrome and I'll need these and don't want to reproduce them if you have them available.I don't have any of the fancy decals on this one that Spokesmann has on his, just the metallic green bands and the fancy Sun in black-edged white on green on the down tube. I've recently done a Carlton Criterium and also have a white/chrome Raleigh winners from late 70's in progress in Hastings, plus others....

 

[Spokesmann]

Out on mine today.