Harry Hall

[drumnagorrach]

Hi Folks
Heres a few pics of my restoration project, anyone know how old its likely to be. It appears that the new Harry Hall shop has no records or interest in the handbuilt jobs their founder produced.

 

[Goldie]

Wild guess: late eighties or early nineties? Are you based in Manchester? I think you can still get new Harry Hall branded bikes, although I'm not sure who makes the frames for them - at any rate, they've got a few bare HH frames upstairs at the back. It might be worth popping in and talking to whoever looks after that side of the business.

 

[drumnagorrach]

Wild guess: late eighties or early nineties? Are you based in Manchester? I think you can still get new Harry Hall branded bikes, although I'm not sure who makes the frames for them - at any rate, they've got a few bare HH frames upstairs at the back. It might be worth popping in and talking to whoever looks after that side of the business.

Couldn't be much further away,between Aberdeen and Inverness, but I am originally from Nelson,about 30 miles north.
I think the frame could be earlier,due to the reynolds renovated sticker,that would indicate that it has been painted before,probably had the shimano brakes fitted at the same time,but retained it's original stronglight crankset.
I only want an idea of age so hat I can get the correct reynolds sticker for after the paint job.
cheers

 

[roadking]

Harry Hall.

HH was a famous guy in pro cycling...worth saving frame - keep his name in the unofficial Hall of Fame!

Shame shop not into preserving their heritage(something you can't buy)-and its free advertising.

Doh!

Roadking.

 

[bhill22]

hi
pretty sure i have a very similar HH frame, mind you its had a front end smack, will try and take some pics in am

 

[drumnagorrach]

HH

Another question re HH restoration, my stonglight chainset has the chainwheels held on by hollow cap screws. Mine,like a lot of the fixings on my bike are rusty,they work fine but look messy .
Are they available ?

 

[elalpine]

Wild guess: late eighties or early nineties? Are you based in Manchester? I think you can still get new Harry Hall branded bikes, although I'm not sure who makes the frames for them - at any rate, they've got a few bare HH frames upstairs at the back. It might be worth popping in and talking to whoever looks after that side of the business.

I worked at Harry Hall's around that period. He gradually phased Reynolds 531 in around 1989/90 and only sold them as touring frames with pannier eyelets. All the race frames went over to Columbus slx. I would say this is a 1981-1986 model as the bottom bracket gear braze-ons are external and Stronglight cranks were not stocked by 1990 either as far as I can remember. Your forks are not originals, 531 originals were embossed HH and usually painted the colour of the frame. Also are the decals modern stick-on ones? (if so it's post 1987), before then they were always wafer thin water applied decals and clear lacquered (much smoother, better, but more time consuming.)


Hope this helps albeit maybe 18 months too late!

I had one of these 531's I bought direct from him. He built it to my leg/forearm measurement, How silly was I to sell it. Also may I add Nick Saunders (off the telly) got into the Guinness Book of Records in the 1980's by riding a Harry Hall 531 around the world in 79 days. It used to be displayed in the shop on Hanging Ditch in Manchester and was pearl white with red decals and a shimano 105 groupset. It came back an absolute wreck!

 

[drumnagorrach]

Really pleased you posted,thanks. Heres more questions, Did the great man actually make the frames,or were they bought in ,and if so who actually cut the steel and brazed it together.Incidentaly ,under the bottom bracket is the no 608 stamped in,or 809 depending on how you look at it,does it relate to anything ?
The frame stickers were just stuck on ,but I think the bike was renovated ,before being left to rust,the forks are alloy,the rear mech is shimano,the front Galli,handle bars cinnelli,hubs Campag as is seat post. The seat was a french leather Ideal and the pedals french lyotard. Quite a mix of original and "modernised". The hubs were rebuilt by someone called Mike Gadd,and are Mavic,and the brakes were Shimano Exage ( levers still are )gearchange levers are Simplex.
I have been riding it now for over a year,it rides just a light as the Specialised Allezes,that a couple of workmates have just bought,it would be interesting to know just how much my old bike was when new,was it a top end clubmans racer ,or more like the entry level bikes of my workmates .

 

[Featch]

I had two Harry Hall frames back in 1969/70 both 531. They were actually built by Bob Jackson in Leeds who Harry used for many years. He may well have used other builders over the years but wasn't a frame builder himself. His wheels, however, were legendary and he used to devote pretty much every weekend to providing Race Service at events all over the country.
I'd date your frame as mid 70's, after the "no braze-ons" period of the 60's but before under bracket cable guides which started to appear in the mid to late 70's. Those over bracket cable guides were a pain to braze on and even worse to get a decent paint finish round, I was glad to see the back of them.

 

[gmac123]

must be early (pre 80s) based on the gear cable routing alone..

he used to give the top amateurs his bikes, and work out the bill t the end of the season based on the number of times they got a pic' of them riding it cycling weekly