Carlton Kermesse

[Oldfentiger]

I had a half-hearted punt at this Carlton Kermesse yesterday and was surprised to win the auction at 55 quid.

Having had a good look over it this morning, it's in better nick than I anticipated.
What I think I know about it.
1986 maybe? If so it's one of the last made.
All original, as far as my limited research has shown.

It's fitted with 700C rims, and given the position of the brake blocks in the calipers, look like that's what the bike was supplied with.

I don't think it needs much work other than a good clean-up, new bar tape, replace the hoods, and clean the seat up. Even the tyres look serviceable.
Frame number is WG60020080

If any of you more knowledgeable chaps could confirm my deductions or otherwise I would be grateful.

 

[Cycleops]

Nice one. Haven't seen that model before. As you say doesn't look like its had much use judging by the chainwheel and sprockets.

 

[Deleted member 35268]

Oh that is lovely

 

[raleighnut]

Very nice.

 

[biggs682]

very nice @Oldfentiger , you need @Spokesmann

 

[mikeymustard]

Excellent buy, I was keeping an eye on this but Maldon is way too far for me. Have a look at the 1987 Raleigh cat, it's basically the Competition 12 in Carlton livery. These "handbuilt" 501 frames ride really nicely, proper racing bike feel; I've been using a (slightly lowlier) Pro Race all winter and been really enjoying it

 

[Drago]

That's a pretty thing. That'll come up a treat.

 

[Spokesmann]

A Carlton which was made by Raleigh in Nottingham after the Worksop factory closed in 1981. Not a bad machine at all. Still used a W prefix on the frame number for added confusion in later years...

 

[midlife]

The Carlton Kermesse morphed a bit over the years but was always 501 with all chrome forks. The earlier ones were lagoon blue with chrome forks, white head tubes and sometimes yellow panels.

The quintessential Carlton colour scheme

Yours should scrub up well

Shaun

 

[Nigel-YZ1]

A bit of a thread resurrection - I was away when this got posted.
I was given an identical machine a few years back by a friend dying of cancer. Apart from a bit of a cleanup and new tyres I've done nothing with it and did a couple of 50 milers. It's been in the garage since while I've been mountain biking.
It's getting an outing on saturday as the MTB is going in for a service and I want to have a pootle round Penistone and if I can turn the gears I'll run up to Dunford Bridge.

 

[Nigel-YZ1]

Thanks to the mountain bike going for a service I thought I'd give mine an outing today along a bit of Tour de Yorkshire road. It's the first run it's had in years, but air in the tyres, some oil and a brake check and then 12 miles of smooth running. Only thing letting it down was the 49 years old engine!

Carlton Kermesse

• Nigel-YZ1
• 29 Apr 2017

Serial number starts with WL6, so think it's a Nottingham build from August 1986.
Originally...

 

[raleighnut]

Thanks to the mountain bike going for a service I thought I'd give mine an outing today along a bit of Tour de Yorkshire road. It's the first run it's had in years, but air in the tyres, some oil and a brake check and then 12 miles of smooth running. Only thing letting it down was the 49 years old engine!

Carlton Kermesse

• Nigel-YZ1
• 29 Apr 2017

Serial number starts with WL6, so think it's a Nottingham build from August 1986.
Originally...

Looks to have similar gearing to my Carlton Clubman (42-23 bottom gear) how I ever climbed on that is beyond me, but I never had to get off and push. Now (mid 50s and post accident) I need gears that low on the flat.

 

[Nigel-YZ1]

Looks to have similar gearing to my Carlton Clubman (42-23 bottom gear) how I ever climbed on that is beyond me, but I never had to get off and push. Now (mid 50s and post accident) I need gears that low on the flat.

Got to say climbing was a struggle but I'm too damn stubborn to get off. I've not got much kneecap cartilage left and they're sore tonight!
Cassette is pretty worn anyway so if I'm going to use her more I'll get some guidance on what cogs I need.
It's a 6 speed block but the lever has 7 stops.

I feel a minimalist restoration project coming on

 

[raleighnut]

Got to say climbing was a struggle but I'm too damn stubborn to get off. I've not got much kneecap cartilage left and they're sore tonight!
Cassette is pretty worn anyway so if I'm going to use her more I'll get some guidance on what cogs I need.
It's a 6 speed block but the lever has 7 stops.

I feel a minimalist restoration project coming on

I rebuilt mine in 87-88 after a lorry ran it over with 'New 105' running gear, front fork and wheels so it was me fitted the gear cluster, gawd I must have been a lot fitter then.
Mind you it's the bikes 50th this year.

 

[Illaveago]

I've just joined the club.
It was a bike I wanted in the early 70's. It was a light blue in those days, but as luck would have it I couldn't find one and so ended up with my Holdsworth.
I picked this one up the other day and have been doing a bit of fettling. Greased the rear hub bearings and did some cleaning and polishing of the ally bits and those lovely chrome forks.
My first ride didn't go as planned! I sort of set off but didn't! I was in the large chain ring. I did a bit more tinkering,I adjusted the gear cable as it wasn't going into 1st gear.
The second ride didn't go much better but I had move 30 yards. I hit a bump and the handlebars swivelled round. I almost went over the bars.
Back to tighten the clamp and set off again. This time I managed about a mile. The clamp isn't holding the bars. A bit of hard braking and the bars shifted again. I will make a shim out of some thin ally today and see if that works. The rest of the ride went well apart from a notchy feel to the steering. I will re grease the head bearings today.
I have a ride planned for later today so I hope my improvements work.