Originally Posted by
cudak888
If it fits and it's not north of $200, buy it first and ask questions later. Agree with everyone above that it has all the hallmarks of a UK build.
[MENTION=61614]verktyg[/MENTION], did you happen to notice the subtle curve on the rear brake bridge? Do you know if any Holdworths carried this detail? -Kurt
Originally Posted by
juvela
whilst clearly a Holdsworthy product it may have been badged as C. Butler, Harding, Grubb or any of of number of contract done badges
My 1973 W.F. Holdsworth Competizone has a curved rear brake bridge,
The eBay seller listed the bike as a 1973 Holdsworth Professional and wrote 3 pages of vainglorious BS claiming that's what it was. I knew it wasn't a Pro but I bought it anyway figuring that if I didn't like the bike I could part it out.
Original eBay picture
After much research, I concluded that it's most likely a 1973 W.F. Holdsworth Competizone frame as pictured in their 1974 catalog but in orange and blue Team Kit.
The catalog says the frame was "Built with good quality tubing..." whatever that means. It's fairly clunky so I suspected that it may have been built with Reynolds 531 0.9mm straight gauge tubes. The seat post is 26.8mm diameter. WRONG!
Two years ago when I changed to 3/4" shorter shoes, I tried to lower the seatpost. It wouldn't go so I tried to run a reamer down the seat tube. It wouldn't go any further either.
That's when I discovered the seat tube was cheap seamed gas pipe tubing with about a 1.5mm wall thickness!
You can clearly see the seam in the poorly reamed seat tube. I re-reamed it a further 1" down now all is well.
The lug work and other cosmetics are on a par with other Holdsworth products but why would they waste the time and effort on a gas pipe frame (the forks and stays may be Reynolds or some other lighter gauge tubing than gas pipe).
Even though it weighs a ton, the bike rides and handles superbly.
verktyg
