The 'Giro' was the bike I was VERY luck to get as a 15 year old and I set it up with Carradice saddle bags for my Youth Hostelling and touring adventures, starting with a 3 day round trip from Manchester to Llangollen, in the Easter school hols of 1979. It stayed with me until the night of Thursday the 13th December 1984, when it was stolen. In 2013 I was idling around at work and found myself on ebay searching for a Carlton Giro. At that time I'd no idea there was any kind of retro scene & I was gob smacked to see what was being sold on there. I was absolutely floored, to see this Carlton Giro example & devastated that it had just sold, for the sum of £123 - eight quid less than Dad paid for mine in 1979. Anyway I contacted the seller & he put me in touch with the buyer. In 2014 I signed up to the Carlton Cycles of Worksop, facebook Group. We had less than 50 members that first year. We now have over 2,400 all over the world. Back to the Giro. In 2020 (I think), the guy who had bought the Giro got in touch and we agreed £200 inc P&P - at last I had 'my' Giro back, and a near mint, all original (save for new tyres), example. It survived so well as it only came out of it's shop box, in 2012. It was ridden around 50 miles by its second owner, not at all by it's first & I have yet to ride it more than around the block - I've so many more Carlton's, some finished, some tinkered with & many, many waiting their turn. My regular ride has been a Feb 1981 Corsair & another 1979 Carlton I restored. I thought you might want to see my, fresh out of the factory, example & wish you good luck with yours - Phil.
