Any thoughts on an old Holdsworth bicycle?

[MotorsportTom]

As per the title really.

I've been looking an older road frame to get a bit fitter as a mountain bike is just not cutting it at all, I'm looking at older bikes just to keep initial cost down (I know it's likely to cost more in maintenance etc)


http://www.gumtree.com/p/for-sale/holdsworth-road-...

Here's a link to the advert (hope I'm not breaking rules as I say I'm not affiliated with it just looking to purchase). The bike is fairly local to me, read 25 miles away, so would you say it's worth taking a punt on or even worth looking at?


Thanks in advance.

[Rob_T]

I bought a holdsworth frame off eBay a few weeks ago. It's a steel frame and has been restored and badged up as an equipe. I took it to the lbs and built it up using modern components including an 8 speed hub gear. I have to say it rides extremely well. Not ridden a still frame before but it really is vey smooth. it's not fast, my average speed for a well travelled 27mile loop is a good 4mph down on my usual average. As long as the frame has integrity then I say go for it.

Here's a link for the thread I made about the bike together with some pictures that don't really do the bike justice!

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

Edited to add: I note from your profile you're an apple charmer in Somerset. Is that code for owning Thatchers, possibly the finest cider known to man?

Edited by Rob_T on Sunday 30th December 13:57

[MotorsportTom]

Wow yours is certainly a looker and you haven't helped me wanting it

I may go along and have a look at it and see if I can knock him down slightly.

With regard to my profile I'm not part of Thatchers, although I do enjoy tasting various ciders of the local area

[MrB1obby]

It will blow up.

[MotorsportTom]

MrB1obby said:

It will blow up.

Are you sure? I had heard that about them.
Apparently if you pedal more than 3 times downhill the rear hub implodes

[MrB1obby]

Nope as soon as you sit on it. The whole bike explodes and then you are left sitting in mid air.








Rear hub implodes...little dig there I see? tt.

[MotorsportTom]

Ah right ok I understand now.


And I thought it was quite a big dig, do you know someone whose rear hub imploded and left them stranded near Chippenham?

[MrB1obby]

Not a clue. He must of been a fking hero though.

[Fastpedeller]

Years ago (80's) I had a couple of bad experiences with Holdsworth. Apparently they were one of the good old hand-build frames until being swallowed up by a large co (usual story) Both frames I had were strange in the brake mount set up - the blocks for the front brake had to go right to the bottom of the calipers, and the rear had to be right at the top (there was no room for a rear mudguard), the end of my little finger would just pass between the brake mounting tube and the tyre! The second of the frames I had developed a crack in the down tube at the end of the lug joining it to the headtube - the supplier took it for repair etc and it did it again (I suspect it wasn't properly repaired, just resprayed! Thus ended my association with Holdsworth.
The bike looks ok in the photo - just look for the brake clearance issues, any cracking, good alignment etc (as you would with any frame) Good luck.

[Matt_N]

My Dad's still got his trusty 1982 (I think) Holdsworth Elan.

They were good bikes, but quality seemed to drop a bit when they were bought out by the Townsend group in the mid to late 80s.

Here's the data sheets for the Elan:





The groupset on my Dads has been changed to Shimano 600 though, it's in lovely condition still and he still uses it.

You should be able to find your model on here with lots of info about them:

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/nkilgariff/Models.htm

[MotorsportTom]

What an excellent bit of info thanks, by the looks of things the one I'm considering purchasing is known as the "Avanti"


With regard to the issues Fastpedeller mentioned, has anyone else had this or was it a possibly low volume/one-off issue with the Holdsworth company?

Thanks again guys

[Matt_N]

MotorsportTom said:

What an excellent bit of info thanks, by the looks of things the one I'm considering purchasing is known as the "Avanti"


With regard to the issues Fastpedeller mentioned, has anyone else had this or was it a possibly low volume/one-off issue with the Holdsworth company?

Thanks again guys

Onyl experience I've known is my Dads and that has been positive.

Still got many of the original parts on it and the frame seems to be in fine fettle, even the paint is near mint.

As said, they were taken over in the mid 80s by the Townsend group and from then on it seems quality suffered a bit, but prior to this they were very well respected and were the choice of Team GB in the 70s.

[MotorsportTom]

Right so I'm going to view the bike tomorrow.

I've been told its a 1984 bike so is it likely to be a slightly lower quality frame? Wikipedia just states mid-1980's as the take over date also :/

Are there any particular weak points of the frame to keep an eye out for?

[Matt_N]

I'd say that at 1984 it's still a proper Holdsworth, that page I linked to shows them changing name to Malboro-Holdsworth in 86 and a change of factory, then Falcon-Holdsworth in 1990.

[Fastpedeller]

[quote=MotorsportTom]Right so I'm going to view the bike tomorrow.

what was the outcome of the viewing???

[seadragon]

I saw this last night and funny I remembered seeing it when I saw the post just now. Normally my memory is awful lol.

I dont know anything about Holdworth but if this is of any use to you then good luck, this is a 1978 one.

http://www.theoldbicycleshowroom.co.uk/1978-holdwo...