Rescued this Holdsworth today....

[JonF]

...or saved someone else from taking it to the dump. Complete with cob webs and bird droppings everywhere, It's looking very sorry for itself at the moment, It might even be beyond my refurb skills, but once I've got the rubbish taken off it and it's first clean I'll take it from there.

Has anyone got any more info on it? Approx year of manufacture? Whats with the 'J Holmes' on the top tube?

Any info into it would be greatly appreciated.

 

[biggs682]

i would say holmes was a previous owner rider ?

seeing as it looks original try checking on back of brake calipers for a date circle and also check the hubs for 2 sets of 2 digits which indicate month and year , rough guess mid to late 70's .

nice find and easy resto job , see my thread http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=249003

 

[mcshroom]

Nice find.

The Agnews still own Ainfield Cycles and are still trading. They might be able to give you a bit more information on it.
http://www.ainfieldcycles.co.uk/

 

[JonF]

Thanks for that input Briggs682, I did think that myself about the name, it's in the same colour/font as the 'Holdsworth' on the down tube (albeit not much left now), but I suppose the supplying shop could have done that. I wondered if it might have been the factory fabricators/welders name. I new to this vintage lark

 

[JonF]

Cheers mcshroom, just emailed them, hopefully I'll get a reply.

 

[wisdom]

Nice find,especially as its intact and original.
I think youll see a different bike after a clean up.
It will make a nice project.
Dont forget to post pictures as you go along.
Good luck

 

[Spokesmann]

Thats a great project to get your teeth into.

 

[Andrew_Culture]

Chain looks a bit... Hang on, what has happened to the chain?

It's a lovely looking bike though.

 

[shouldbeinbed]

wow half your luck, that looks like it'll scrub up into a nice bike.

 

[Herr-B]

I don't know what Andrew is on about, that chain is identical to mine.

 

[jonny jeez]

Lovely find, cant believe your luck.

I may start camping out at my local dump.

I've got a few of regrets in life (i always think those that don't just haven't been trying hard enough) but my most niggling is the fact that i dumped...or allowed to be dumped my childhood Peugeot 531 reynolds frame chrome tipped roadie, i see posts like this and dream that i will one day find it up in the attic or my dads barn.

I dont actually recall dumping it but am told that i did. I had a massive clear out when i moved out of my parents and this was a probable casualty.

Don't blame me, i was young and didn't know any better!

This post helps to make it harder, she looked almost identical to the op picture....grrr

 

[Davidc]

I'm jealous!

Restored that will be a lovely bike.

There's a website dedicated to Holdsworth bikes, and you may be able to get more information there. The frame number database still exists somewhere too.

I'd still end up doing life if I met the ***t who stole my Holdsworth Cyclone in 1974.

 

[JonF]

ha, the chain is far from slack, stiff as a board, but I'm sure nothing half a can of gt85 won't sort. I got the bike from a customer of mine FOC, I did spy it a while ago in one of his barns but was busy tarting up my last one (pic below) so never asked about the Holdsworth until last week when I sold the Banana.

 

[Alex11]

Certainly saveable!

 

[Sterba]

The Holdsworth shop is at 132 Lower Richmond Road in Putney.
The Classic Lightweights website has a lot about the brand.
Yours is probably from the mid-70s.
Anything made from 531 is worth restoring.
I rescued a Raleigh Chopper from my council dump once. It stayed in the garden for a year. Then the Missus made me take it back there. I still regret it.