57.5cm Carlton Massed Start Vintage British Road Bike Frame

✓ Original vintage frame - built in the 1940s/50s
✓ Lightweight for the era - just 2.8 kg
✓ Suitable for historic cycling events such as L'Eroica
✓ Thoroughly checked over & photographed in detail
✓ Worldwide shipping

Founded in the latter part of the 19th Century, Carlton managed almost 100 years of bicycle manufacturing in the East Midlands. They were amongst the most sought after and readily available British bikes of the 1930s, thanks to some nifty salesmanship from Dan O'Donovan who was to later take over the company, and whose son Gerald became a frame designing legend. Following a buy-out by Raleigh in 1960 and a rebrand for the US market to 'Raleigh-Carlton' the company grew and grew through the bike boom with the doors finally shutting at their Worksop factory in 1981.

This late 1940s or very early 1950s Massed Start is a wonderful post-war all-rounder. Like all Carltons at the time, the Massed Start was mass-produced, but still to some extent customisable by the buyer, with colour, braze-on and lug style options. Featuring distinctively shaped lugs, mudguard braze-ons and fine attention to detail this will build into a wonderful ervey day vintage bike.

If you're taking part in L'Eroica or a similar vintage event, this frame is of the correct age, so you won't be disqualified for being a rule breaker!

The frame's been carefully checked by one of our mechanics to confirm the alignment's correct and there's no damage to the threads. If there are any minor issues worth noting we will do so in the overview section below. Please take a good look at the detailed photos so you can see the cosmetic condition of the frame before you buy.

OVERVIEW

---

Era - 1940s/1950s
Country - British
Frame Material - Steel
Tubing - Reynolds 531
Weight - 2.805 kg
Stock Code - U-F-R48V

SIZING

---

Size Guide* - Medium/Large (Approx 34" Inside Leg)
Seat Tube (ctc) - 57.5 cm
Top Tube (ctc) - 57 cm
Head Tube - 162 mm
Chainstay Length - 43.5 cm
Wheelbase - 102 cm

*This is just a guide, not a guarantee the frame will fit as every rider is different. If you're unsure of your size we'd always recommend trying out a bike with similar frame dimensions first.

TECHNICAL INFO

---

Rear Spacing - 114 mm
Front Spacing - 102 mm
Seatpost Diameter - 27.0 mm
Wheel Size - 27"
Brake Fixing - External Hex Nut
Brake Drop - 52 mm / 54 mm
Bottom Bracket Thread - Chater Lea Thread
Headset Thread - Standard ISO (24 TPI - British/Italian)
Headset Stack Height - 37 mm
Fork Crown Race - 26.4 mm (ISO)
Shifter Fittings - N/A
Headtube Internal Diameter - 30.2 mm
Steerer Internal Diameter - 22.2 mm (Standard)

▼SHIPPING, TAXES & RETURNS

---

We've been safely sending orders around the world since 2010. Orders are carefully packed, sent with tracking & insurance, and normally collected around midday on Tuesdays and Fridays. Larger items may occasionally require an extra day or two to prepare.

We accept returns, please notify us within 14 days and ensure the item arrives back with us no later than 30 days after the order was received.

EU orders under €150 (excluding shipping) - import VAT and the new €3 customs duty are paid as part of your order, so there's nothing further to pay on delivery.

EU orders over €150 (excluding shipping) - import fees are payable to the carrier before delivery, with nothing collected at checkout.

USA orders - import fees are collected at checkout for all orders to the USA, so there won’t be any surprise charges when your order arrives.

Other international orders - local import fees may apply and are not collected by us. Please check your country's import rules before purchasing.