Hairylegs66
Old School Hero
This is my Dad's Holdsworth Mistral road bike, frame number 7513, size 23.5". The Reynolds Ti decal suggests it is a 80s frame, I can't make sense of the CB/Holdsworth frame numbers on the page on the forum (apologies to the authors).
Dad bought this 2nd hand from Heales Cycles in Highams Park. (Shop is still there, sadly the owner, Winnie Heales, passed away a long while ago). Dad used to cycle to work in Tottenham where he worked as a welder, he'd been a keen cyclist since 1950.
Dad retired 20 years ago and subsequently mostly used the bike to go shopping, stuffing his Carradice Longflap and pannier with the weekly shop at Morrisons. He'd occasionally venture out to High Beech and twiddle up the hills in Epping Forest.
Sadly , time, the pandemic and dementia has finally caught up with Dad, who is now 89 and in full time care.
Clearing the family home now prior to sale and I said I'd do something with the Holdsworth, which has been sitting inside gathering dust. I brought it home with me and had a look at it, not knowing a lot about Holdsworth bikes. First job was cleaning 35+ years of grime from every part of the bike - I think Dad's anti-theft tactic was to never clean anything. The frame is 531 forks, stays and tubes with Campag drop outs. Years of patina are evident in the paint that remains with an interesting dent in the seat tube near the bottom bracket on the drive side...also Dad's party trick of touching in scratches with gloss house paint
.
Here's the components -
Suntour SVX 6 speed front and rear derailleurs
Shimano freewheel and chain.
Suntour Power Shifter clamp on friction gear levers
Campagnolo Gran Sport Strada chainset and cranks, Campag bottom bracket that needs a service.
Mafac drillium brake levers and hoods
Weinmann Vainqueur 999 centre pull calipers
Lyotard pedals with GB Professional toe clips/Christophe straps
ITM Special handlebars,Cinelli cork tape, unknown alloy stem
Turbo Special leather saddle (comfy)
Unbranded alloy seatpost
Tange headset
Wheels are 36 hole Specialized sealed bearing quick release hubs (silky smooth) with a Mavic Module 4 rim , galvanised spokes, at the front and a Mavic rim bearing a ' handmade by Mercian' decal on the rear, with stainless spokes . Both run true.
A combination of Schwalbe and the inevitable Michelin World Tour 27 x 1& 1/4" clincher tyres are fitted.
Alloy rack and Esge chromoplastic mudguards complete the parts.
So nothing exotic but all reliable and useable after a clean. To get it more rideable/safer I have changed the brake inner and outer cables, rear gear cable and outer , replaced the rear tyre for something less bald and fitted the cork handlebar tape. Also found a lot of loose brake nuts, eek.
So what to do with the Holdsworth? I have a modern Trek enduro aluminium road bike (disc brakes, 32mm tyres, 22 gears, heavy but age appropriately comfy) and my Sanderson 853 steel mountain bike and I can't see me poodling down to the local tearoom in Blackmore on the Holdsworth anytime soon on it.
Do I sell it? These were a popular model so not rare, and it needs some more TLC - I don't have the time..
What would Dad do?; I have been wondering. He'd ride it until it fell to bits but the bike has outlasted him. So I am planning to donate it to one of the local charities who renovate cycles and pass them onto worthy recipients.
I think Dad would approve.
Thanks for reading if you've made it this far
Dad bought this 2nd hand from Heales Cycles in Highams Park. (Shop is still there, sadly the owner, Winnie Heales, passed away a long while ago). Dad used to cycle to work in Tottenham where he worked as a welder, he'd been a keen cyclist since 1950.
Dad retired 20 years ago and subsequently mostly used the bike to go shopping, stuffing his Carradice Longflap and pannier with the weekly shop at Morrisons. He'd occasionally venture out to High Beech and twiddle up the hills in Epping Forest.
Sadly , time, the pandemic and dementia has finally caught up with Dad, who is now 89 and in full time care.
Clearing the family home now prior to sale and I said I'd do something with the Holdsworth, which has been sitting inside gathering dust. I brought it home with me and had a look at it, not knowing a lot about Holdsworth bikes. First job was cleaning 35+ years of grime from every part of the bike - I think Dad's anti-theft tactic was to never clean anything. The frame is 531 forks, stays and tubes with Campag drop outs. Years of patina are evident in the paint that remains with an interesting dent in the seat tube near the bottom bracket on the drive side...also Dad's party trick of touching in scratches with gloss house paint
.Here's the components -
Suntour SVX 6 speed front and rear derailleurs
Shimano freewheel and chain.
Suntour Power Shifter clamp on friction gear levers
Campagnolo Gran Sport Strada chainset and cranks, Campag bottom bracket that needs a service.
Mafac drillium brake levers and hoods
Weinmann Vainqueur 999 centre pull calipers
Lyotard pedals with GB Professional toe clips/Christophe straps
ITM Special handlebars,Cinelli cork tape, unknown alloy stem
Turbo Special leather saddle (comfy)
Unbranded alloy seatpost
Tange headset
Wheels are 36 hole Specialized sealed bearing quick release hubs (silky smooth) with a Mavic Module 4 rim , galvanised spokes, at the front and a Mavic rim bearing a ' handmade by Mercian' decal on the rear, with stainless spokes . Both run true.
A combination of Schwalbe and the inevitable Michelin World Tour 27 x 1& 1/4" clincher tyres are fitted.
Alloy rack and Esge chromoplastic mudguards complete the parts.
So nothing exotic but all reliable and useable after a clean. To get it more rideable/safer I have changed the brake inner and outer cables, rear gear cable and outer , replaced the rear tyre for something less bald and fitted the cork handlebar tape. Also found a lot of loose brake nuts, eek.
So what to do with the Holdsworth? I have a modern Trek enduro aluminium road bike (disc brakes, 32mm tyres, 22 gears, heavy but age appropriately comfy) and my Sanderson 853 steel mountain bike and I can't see me poodling down to the local tearoom in Blackmore on the Holdsworth anytime soon on it.
Do I sell it? These were a popular model so not rare, and it needs some more TLC - I don't have the time..
What would Dad do?; I have been wondering. He'd ride it until it fell to bits but the bike has outlasted him. So I am planning to donate it to one of the local charities who renovate cycles and pass them onto worthy recipients.
I think Dad would approve.
Thanks for reading if you've made it this far
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