For me, it's the Carlton-Raleighs, with some actual Carltons mixed in....
- plentiful - cheap ( not seen as 'works of art' ) - modern standard ( 68 mm bb, 27.2 seatpost, english threads elsewhere) - great variety of models (legnano, pr-10, simplex/huret/campy/TA/normandy) - my first bike catalogue was the 1972 raleigh catalogue (i was 10) - little harm is done (in fact it's probably an improvement) to restore one ...
Now, through random chance my first four purchases were all 1974 bikes, and so I decided to "go with the flow" and try to collect a "full house" of 1974 models. A side-benefit is that I need only worry about PAT 73 campagnolo products. The only thing I'm lacking right now is a track bike and a raleigh record. The track bikes aren't cheap, and the raleigh records are TOO cheap ...
I like to purchase bikes needing frame repair and/or repaints, as I enjoy nursing bikes back to health more than I'd enjoy de-flowering or caring-for a NOS machine ...
- Don Gillies
San Diego, CA, USA