Originally Posted by
T-Mar
As for the spacing and 27" wheels, the British tend to be a very conservative people compared to the Americans who love to embrace the latest technology. Crica 1980, both 6 speed frewheels and 700C clinchers were still relatively new. Even in North America, they were found primarily on the upper mid-range and higher and definitely weren't the dominant configuration. 120mm spacing and 700C was still primarily the realm of racing oriented models. While they were dominant in North America by the mid-1980s, I can envision things holding out much longer in conservative Britain. Look at how long they held onto their beloved internally geared hubs after derailleurs had taken over the continent.
I'd add that the Holdsworthy range had shrunk a bit by the early '80s and the mistral took position as their "dedicated touring" frame with long wheelbase, slack(er) angles (72º parallel) long Campy 1010 dropouts...but did have eyelets for "mudguards" and racks and WB bosses. Even in the US, the idea of keeping the 27" wheel for Tourists stuck around for much later than you'd think (certainly after 700C was well established for Sport bicycle use) among brands such as Trek as well as some Japanese makes.
The idea being you could find 27" tires (and tubes too but that's a little silly) out in the smallest town with any shop that sold bikes (drugstore, lawnmower repair, Dept. or Toy store, Auto parts, etc.) but you'd have to get to a
real bike shop if you needed to replace a 700C tire.
The 120 spacing also made sense since you'd probably have a triple crank to get the desired gear range, but a 5-speed wheel was stronger (less likely to break an axle) and that was important when carrying weight.