Who made Carrera's early steel frames?

[Stick Legs]

I have just dropped my Peugeot 531 pro off to the Powder coaters and there was a early 1990's Carrera Epic (501 tubed) frame there.

It looked very tidy, good lug design, nice details, not even too heavy!

Who made these for Halfords? I reckon it must have been someone because this is to my mind much better than the Raleigh Record Sprint or Peugeot Carbolite stuff it probably competed with.

I know they made a nice 531 frame too, yellow and grey IIRC. Almost tempted to track one down!

 

[Old Ned]

I sold one of the Grey/Yellow 531 ones (main tubes only) on here a few months ago and I'm sure there was a sticker somewhere on it that said where it was made, possibly in the Far East somewhere?

Mind you, at my age and with my memory being what it is these days, I could well be getting confused.

Now then, where are my glasses.................... :roll:

 

[JeRkY]

At one stage they were saracen, not sure f that stage is the era you are referring to though. Early-mid 90's carrera's were always a peg above the usual.

 

[Agency_Scum]

Yes, they were high-end Saracens. Sometimes even Carrera-badged frames had Saracen " interupted top tubes " with the big S on them.

 

[Stick Legs]

That explains a lot, as I say I was very impressed with the ones I have seen. A grey and yellow 531 tubed model would be a lovely daily rider!

 

[orbeas]

carrera bikes

Dont forget that there is a seperate Carrera bike firm in italy, still building beautiful bikes.
Its their bikes that the likes of Roche, Pantani rode.
Carrera from Halfords was I think the work of ex X champ Chris Wregitt who went to work for Halfords after retiring, and he rode for Carrera in Italy.
www.carrera-podium.it

 

[David B]

Re: carrera bikes

Dont forget that there is a seperate Carrera bike firm in italy, still building beautiful bikes.
Its their bikes that the likes of Roche, Pantani rode.
Carrera from Halfords was I think the work of ex X champ Chris Wregitt who went to work for Halfords after retiring, and he rode for Carrera in Italy.
www.carrera-podium.it

There were also the Carrera team bikes ridden by the Ever Ready-Halfords squad on the domestic circuit (with Reynolds 708 and/or 753 frames), which were very different beasts from the ones sold in Halfords shops. Construction of these was contracted out to a respected small-volume builder, but I forget who. Could well have been Brian Rourke.

David

 

[Stick Legs]

Of course the Italian Carrera has no relevance to the Halfords bikes!