Classic Carlton Courette Mixte 1963

[Chdot]

Just bought - ‘cos of the way it looks (and its general quality/spec).

My wife had a Courette in the early’80s.

I didn’t realise the name had been used by Carlton before.

In fact since 1955, with mixtes from 1960.

Great details here - http://carltoncycles.uk/carlton-courette/

This would originally have had drops, but apart from the bars and brake levers, and pedals, it seems to be all original.

The alloy rims (Weinmann) were a catalogue option. Curiously the hubs are not a pair - front Normandy and rear Resillion. Factory mistake or ‘that’s all we’ve got’ or one replaced later? Probably never know.

Now the considerations of upgrades - don’t think a double chainset with only a 3 tooth difference is optimum!

 

[Jonny69]

The alloy rims (Weinmann) were a catalogue option. Curiously the hubs are not a pair - front Normandy and rear Resillion. Factory mistake or ‘that’s all we’ve got’ or one replaced later? Probably never know.

I don’t think either of those hubs came with the bike originally or belong with it. If I’ve remembered this correctly, the front Normandy pre-dates that bike by about 10 years, if the bike is 1963. Alloy Normandy hubs with round holes were early/mid 1950s (and I think by the 1960s they had slotted holes but someone would need to confirm that). I can’t see the Resilion at the rear, but if it’s a similar-looking hub but in chromed steel it’s also early 1950s.

 

[Chdot]

Thanks

That makes sense

That’s my ‘fault’ for underthinking - knowing the rims were ‘correct’ and the bike would have had large flange hubs.

 

[Chdot]

Got to this stage (since removed bb).

Can’t remember when I last removed cotter pins. Fortunately they were fairly easy. Strangely it was harder to remove one of the cranks!

Needed mole grips to hold the axle.

Now I’m going to leave it until next year…

Got to consider the options for wheels.