(Kevin Hopton, July 2025) I’m looking to rebuild my dad’s Carpenter Supalite special frame. I know this as I’ve found the original receipt from June 1950.

I know that the gear shift was a bar-end type (Simplex?) as I remember seeing it hung up in the garage with the missing handlebars, as a teenager (now many moons ago). I’d like to restore with the bar-end gear shift. Would this restrict my choice of handlebars & stem?

My bike shop was somewhat puzzled by the derailleur- a Campagnolo Gran Sport, as the ‘cogs’ appeared to have no teeth! Can anyone say if this is just very worn or is that how they are (were)? (No – this is how Gran Sport jockey wheels were. This mech is no earlier than late ’53, (updated cage), no later than late ’59 (still incorporates a cable adjuster)