1950''s W.F. Holdsworth Tornado?

[Illaveago]

Well I went and got it! SWMBO wasn't amused! "How Much?"
It is a bit rustier than I imagined but I will sort that out. I was given a few extra bits which have offset the price. Once home I started giving it a good clean with some washing up liquid in a bucket of hot water. The original colour was a light blue and not the greenish shade like the colour of Bianchi cycles. I discovered that it has 2 grease nipples, one in the BB and one on the head tube. I also discovered that it was built as a 10 speed as there is a bracket brazed to the seat tube for a front changer. I looked for a frame number but haven't found one yet.
I was hoping to be able to date the frame from the parts fitted but I am thinking that it might have originally been bought as a frame and built up. I was hoping that the cranks might have a date stamp but I found Raleigh stamped into them! The Weinmann brakes also drew a blank with no stamp. The wheel rims are Weinmann alloy. The rear derailleur which I thought was a Campagnolo Gran Sport turns out to be Zeus Criterium. The front gear lever has Dawes on it. The leather saddle seems to have A E stamped into the top of it.It doesn't ring a bell with me. I thought that perhaps it was a Lycett but the frame doesn't look like a Brooks type. So with nothing much to date it from I think that the frame is possibly late 50's or just into the 60's.
I took some pictures but they are still in my camera at the moment. Stupid lap top!

 

[Dogtrousers]

Well I went and got it! SWMBO wasn't amused! "How Much?"
It is a bit rustier than I imagined but I will sort that out

How much? ... For that rusty old thing!!!

Looking forward to pictures.

 

[biggs682]

How much? ... For that rusty old thing!!!

Looking forward to pictures.

I have had that comment quite a few times over the years bless her .

I am sure @Illaveago will get some pictures up soon

 

[Illaveago]

Here are some pictures.

 

[Illaveago]

Here is another couple of pictures.

 

[Illaveago]

I thought cleaning the bike was a struggle but it was nothing compared with trying to download my pictures. I wish they wouldn't mess with things when they do an update!

 

[Illaveago]

This is how my bike looked before I gave it a clean, there is still a lot more to do. I noticed that the saddle looks like it has the letters A and G stamped into the top.

 

[FrankCrank]

Nice patina

 

[Dogtrousers]

Is the seat post free?

 

[Illaveago]

Is the seat post free?

I haven't tried that yet. Doesn't look promising. I'm hoping that it will move.

 

[Illaveago]

I was chatting to the sellers uncle. It was his dad's bike. He said that his dad worked for Rolls Royce engine division at Filton Bristol. A place full of history.

 

[Illaveago]

I have been doing some de-rusting on my frame using some phosphoric acid a toothbrush and a flat screwdriver. Here are the results.
I found a nasty rust spot on the frame so I thought I would investigate it with a file. There is quite a thickness of paint and it seems like the frame has been sprayed several times in the past a similar colour. I think I have caught the frame just in time.
Oh! the seat post came out easily. I just put the saddle back on and it came out without any difficulty.

 

[biggs682]

That's coming along nicely

 

[Illaveago]

The bike seems to be made up of a mixture of other bike parts. The saddle looks like it might be a Dawes Ace , the cranks are Raleigh and the brake levers and calipers are Weinmann which originally would have been GB. The rear derailleur is a Zeus Criterium which would have been much later.

 

[raleighnut]

The bike seems to be made up of a mixture of other bike parts. The saddle looks like it might be a Dawes Ace , the cranks are Raleigh and the brake levers and calipers are Weinmann which originally would have been GB. The rear derailleur is a Zeus Criterium which would have been much later.

Years ago it would just have been an old bike so repaired with whatever you could get (or had) to keep it rolling.