I decided to build something I haven't had in quite a few years. Heck I think it's been close to ten years since I rode something with no derailleurs. I acquired this Holdsworth Cyclone built with 531(not sure if straight or DB tubing) from David (Oddjobs2) this past fall for the Cannondale pre Black Lightning "Black Lightning" frame. I'm guessing the frame is mid to early 70's. Never checked out the serial number or looked too find into the brand if the build date is in there somewhere. I actually had it completely built up with entry level sort of period correct Campag group. The group was a mixture of steel Sport cranks and GS shifters, Valentino FD and Velox RD and some Gnutti/Super Champion tubular wheels. I wanted this to my vintage back roads bike so I was looking around for reasonably priced filled tread cross tubulars(yeah I know...reasonably price tubular cross tires. Haha!) It looked pretty nice but I wanted specifically a tan side wall file treaded tire. I could of picked up some practice tubulars or the normal YJ pair and spare but riding 23mm tubulars on gravel roads doesn't sound like fun.






So I figured for the price of a pair of tires I could get a new set of wheels and build something I've been thinking of riding again. Did a search on eBay for some cheaper fixed wheelsets and discovered the decent selection Velomine had to offer. So I checked out their website and actually found them cheaper($150 ebay vs $120 on they site). So with some money I received for Christmas I treated myself to some new shiny new wheels, 19t cog and lockring! These have your standard semi polished high flange Origin (Formula) sealed hubs laced with stainless straight 14g DT spokes to Sun M13 polished double wall polished box style rims. Overall I'm pretty darn happy with them and run pretty staight and don't look out of place.

I'm about 80% done with my Holdsworth Cylone fixed commuter project. Only problem is that this bike came stock with 27's and I went to a 700c clincher rim so the pads are not able to fully reach the sidewall completely now. It has your standard of the time Weinmann 610 centerpulls. What are my options for a period correct and centerpull with a slightly longer reach? I could get out a small round file and take off probably 5mm to get the reach I need for the front and the rears maybe 2-3mm if I don't find anything I'm happy with. I've never really cared for centerpulls but they're growing on me. I was going to enter this into the velo cheapo contest but wanted some decent fixed wheels so they pushed my budget completely out. Say la vie!




Now I'm just waiting on a matching Campag Record NDS crank arm. I've got the steel Sport crank arm on there now. I would of loved to use the Sport crankset but the rings are riveted together and 116mm BCD rings aren't hen's teeth but not super common and the chainring bolts are smaller then normal bolts also. I may also drop down to a 42t as it's fairly flat but quite a few long rollers here in the thumb.

Looks great Henry! It cleaned up well. I can check if I have any long reach CPs next week.

c'est la vie

i might file those calipers if i thought the pads would reach. it's worked before on a 700c conversion i did on a grand jubilé.

nice bike.

I like the color.

The solution for the brakes is easy. You need the long reach version 750 centerpulls. 610 are medium reach. Easily available on ebay, or newly reissued for that matter. That's way too much to file away in the slot. Bad idea. You need some extra room there anyway, as centerpulls tend to run into the tire as the pads wear away.

Great looking project, btw! Too bad you couldn't find cheap cyclocross sewups. They existed once, but are more or less extinct. Clinchers are more practical and look perfectly appropriate.


(nowadays people refer to medium reach brakes as "long reach", and long reach brakes as "extra long reach", which is probably confusing, but I digress)

Congrats! Your ride just got simple and worry free.

Nice build and a great choice for a frame to use. I always keep one like that in my stable down here on the coast.

Very nice!!

It's so easy to just take a rear brake and substitute it. Looks to me like filing won't do the trick in this case. Love the color. One day I might try fixed. And one day I might try tubular.

When I had it built up with the Valentino and Velox derailleurs. Wow even with new cables and rebuilt freewheel and new chain. It was crude shifting. I couldn't get it to shift correctly and it jumped every other cog and had to back step the rear shifter to get any in between cogs. The Valentino FD...just because something looks and quacks like a duck. Lol.

Henry named the Edsel car after his son.

Tullio named the Valentino derailleurs after his son.

The Valentino front was basically a reincarnation of the original pushrod Gran Sport, which works fine for half-step gearing (e.g., either my 49-46 or the original 52-48 on my Capo Sieger), but not much else.

I second the vote to try a 750-length Weinmann caliper in front.

You can tell whether you have straight or butted 531 from you seatpost diameter, which will be either 26.4 or 27.2mm, respectively, for a standard 28.6mm seat tube.

Looks absolutely great. Love the paint! If you haven't ridden fixed in a long time I think you're in for a pleasant surprise. Perfect for Winter riding, I'm loving my own recent conversion. I think you chose a great frame for the build. Did you keep the rear brake so you can run it SS as well?

I've got a Weinmann 750 caliper that should fix that reach problem, if you're interested.

I'm not hardcore anymore so I've got brakes front and rear plus I like the uniformity of having two levers as I'm a hood rider. Though this bike is comfy in the drops also.

Looks fantastic, Henry! It seems practical and beautiful at the same time.