> Recently I was given a plain gauge Carlton > with Capella lugs although this was an > inexpensive frame the finish was superb > fully chromed with a red lacquer... Mick, I remember those well. A fair number reached the NYC area when I was a young teenager. Unlike today, when people think their children are deprived unless they have "the finest", no one in those days would buy a top-of-the-line Carlton for a 13 year old. So those plain gauge Carltons were frequently seen on American Youth Hostel rides and tours during the '60s. Since they were so nicely built and looked so fine, we didn't care that they were a pound or 2 heavier than the better Carltons. It's hard to imagine someone being so jaded as to cut one up - even a VCC member. Unfortunately, that's one of the down sides of current levels of prosperity in the UK and USA. On the other hand, the current generation of bike messengers adore those frames since they make such nice fixed-gear (fixed-wheel) conversions. Cheers, Fred Rednor - Arlington, Virginia (USA) +------------------------------------------+ | Keeping the world free for top posting | | since 1979. | +------------------------------------------+