Kekec1965

Last Sunday purchase and same day pick up, a lovely Holdsworth (?) path/track bike. Wraparound seatstays, Nervex lugs, Nervex bottom bracket shell, 27.2mm seat pin, some excellent parts such as Campagnolo Pista chainset and pedals, Airlite hubs laced to newish Open Sport rims etc. A classy machine indeed. What I can't decipher is it's age/model from a 6 digit serial number 101160, stamped on both frame and fork steerer.

Questions to the knowledgeable audience on here - is it Holdsworth? If so what year/model could it be? If not what else could it be? Any reason why serial number on fork is stamped vertically? Any give-away of three dots stamped on steerer (near bottom of it)?









Thanks in advance as always

unworthy1

can't provide an ID for this but the stamping of the serial numbers (stacked and inline) certainly do look like they could be Holdsworth and likely an early-ish example. You don't see many with Nervex Pro lugs and BB shell, but Holdsworth/Claude Butler/Roy Thames could be custom (bespoke) so would be made per the client's wishes.
The wrap-over stays are not as "chunky" as some of the "shop-made" frames featured and came to be a clue to differentiate those from the "factory made" frames, but it mostly came down to which builder got a certain job order.
You might check this thread and see where your serial number lands with others:
https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...e-numbers.html

another thread:
https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...er-update.html
if this is a Holdsworth then your six-digit number suggests 1978

unworthy1

based on a bit more digging, the catalogs archived from Norman Kigariff includes one from "the Shop" 1967 that mentions any frame can be custom-ordered with Nervex pro lugset and BB shell at additional cost:
https://nkilgariff.com/Holdsworth%20...log%201967.pdf

Also the last catalogs that offered a specific "road/path" model are earlier still (1961) and that model was the Zephyr, the version of the road Cyclone with track-ends (are yours branded Campag?) and round-bladed fork (but drilled for a front fork)

So if I was guessing (and I am) mine is that this was a custom-order, might have been built at the Shop on Putney Rd, and customer paid for the "Nervex package"

clubman 

That's a gem.

Kekec1965

Thanks very much unworthy1 great info supplied. Looked at the above catalogue and for Track frame it does not mention that it is built with Campagnolo ends? This bike ^ does not have any stamps on the ends at all, front or rear. Judging by the parts on it I may fit in the late 70s as you have suggested, although Campagnolo Pista crankset has number 1 stamped in a circle which should be 1981?

It may be that it was repainted and parts changed, but as have seen other bikes owned by the seller quite unlikely, most were in very good condition.

Thanks again for your replies.

sced

Others from the same clan https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...orth-here.html