Holdsworth Professional, Sturges Park

So, what about that Holdsworth?

Readers with long memories may recall my plan to touch up the worst of the paint damage on my Holdsworth Professional frame and build it into a late 60s racing steed as it once was.
The more astute among you might well infer that my long silence on the subject says that all is not well.

After months of desultory action, I gave up on my efforts to touch up the paintwork, ordered a set of transfers from Lloyds and entrusted the job to the multi-talented Walter Thorburn.

A couple of weeks later, Walter called to tell me that beadblasting had exposed a crack underneath the bottom headlug. Being financially and emotionally invested in the project, I rejected the idea of chucking the frame in a skip, and set to replacing the downtube and headlug.

The first problem is that I needed a plain, long point headlug.

The Holdsworth's lugs look like a modified Prugnat Type S, which are probably fairly easy to find, but I decided it was better to make some progress while I was still in the mood.

I dug out a set of Prugnat lugs with triangular cutouts and a some bits of scrap tube, and brazed bits of steel tube scrap into the cutouts. After a morning of filing and sanding I had a passable lookalike of the original.

I quite probably have the correct Reynolds 531 downtube in my inventory, but chose to use Ishiwata 024, because it was closer to the top of the pile, just the right length, and a bit heavier, which seems appropriate on a frame that is earmarked for this year's edition of l'Eroica.
It's a few years since I have replaced a downtube, but to my eyes the end result doesn't look too bad at all.

While I had the frame back, I took the opportunity to cold set the rear dropouts to 126mm so that I can use a 7 speed freewheel. Usually my inner purist would frown at this, but I figure that I was already across the line in the sand when I decided to get the frame repainted, and anyway, a sub-athlete like me needs a wide range of gears for a life threatening outing like Eroica.

Keeping up appearances

Other projects and obligations have kept the Holdsworth Professional on the backburner lately, but in anticipation of it's eventual completion, I have bought the matching cap.

Holdsworth Professional

P1010026
Originally uploaded by bensondoc

An unexpected addition to the stable.
I traded this, plus a yet-unseen parts package, for my Condor Italia loaner.
Like CT-B's Holdsworth Italia it was built by Reg Collard for the F.W Holdsworth retail shop.
The lack of chrome and brazed on brake cable hanger suggest 1968 or 69.
Despite the italian influence that held sway at F.W Holdsworth, this frame is a laidback Luxo-Cruiser, with 103cm wheelbase and parallel 72.5 degree angles. It has a full set of braze-ons, including downtube guides & stops for bar end shifters.

I should point out that I don't have any secret knowledge about these frames- everything that I think I know comes from Norman Kilgariff's excelent Holdsworth website, especially the pages on the Holdsworth Campagnolo professional team, and the Holdsworth Professional.