George J
Herefordshire member
If things work out nicely, I hope to dispose of my car. I have two nice bikes, being a Carlton from the early 1980s and a Raleigh Quadra [I think that is what it once was] from the late '80s.
The Raleigh is the one I would fit the Copenhagen wheel to as it is no longer set up as a road bike, but has a nice Nito comfort handlebar and new brake levers to compliment the Shimano 105 groupset as originally fitted and still good. The Carlton is set up as sort of 1950s road bike with a Great North Road handlebar, but using the Campag brake levers designed for normal drop bars. [Full 1980s Super Record groupset on the Carlton, including a very nice mushroom shaped steel headset]. The old SR bake levers fit well on the curve of the archaic design of handlebar, and fall to hand very well in the main hand position for quick progress.
I have a great many rather steep banks to deal with here, so for commuting, when quite possibly rather weary at the end of the day [and it being uphill all the way home!] I reckon that an electrified bike might be quite a good idea to replace the little Skoda Fabia. The cost of fitting would amount to one year of fixed costs for a car [Tax, Insurance and MOT, but not fuel].
The relatively short distance that the Copenhagen is suited for is no problem. Longer runs for fun would be reserved for the Carlton, which is quite a speedy cycle, being easy and responsive. The Raleigh is actually a Reynold 531, traditionally lugged, steel frame. It is a nice little bike, but does not quite have the get up and go of the Carlton which oddly is only 501 Reynolds traditionally lugged steel. It is still lighter than the Raleigh.
Best wishes from George
The Raleigh is the one I would fit the Copenhagen wheel to as it is no longer set up as a road bike, but has a nice Nito comfort handlebar and new brake levers to compliment the Shimano 105 groupset as originally fitted and still good. The Carlton is set up as sort of 1950s road bike with a Great North Road handlebar, but using the Campag brake levers designed for normal drop bars. [Full 1980s Super Record groupset on the Carlton, including a very nice mushroom shaped steel headset]. The old SR bake levers fit well on the curve of the archaic design of handlebar, and fall to hand very well in the main hand position for quick progress.
I have a great many rather steep banks to deal with here, so for commuting, when quite possibly rather weary at the end of the day [and it being uphill all the way home!] I reckon that an electrified bike might be quite a good idea to replace the little Skoda Fabia. The cost of fitting would amount to one year of fixed costs for a car [Tax, Insurance and MOT, but not fuel].
The relatively short distance that the Copenhagen is suited for is no problem. Longer runs for fun would be reserved for the Carlton, which is quite a speedy cycle, being easy and responsive. The Raleigh is actually a Reynold 531, traditionally lugged, steel frame. It is a nice little bike, but does not quite have the get up and go of the Carlton which oddly is only 501 Reynolds traditionally lugged steel. It is still lighter than the Raleigh.
Best wishes from George