montagna_lunga

Just picked up this lovely old frame, well...if you consider "1969" old...and if you consider yellow lovely! Frankly feels earlier but with a light 69xxx stamping on the bottom bracket constraint says to look past the shift cable bosses on the downtube and chainstay. There is no evidence of a center pull cable stop on the seat stays. Dig the massive wraparound of the seatstays. This will be a fun build!

Robvolz 

OK, congrats. I looked at that everyday wondering if I needed a new project.

Here's what you got.

There was much discussion on a different site featuring some serious collectors and people studied in all things HOLDSWORTH.

You have what's known as a shop bike. This was a custom build. Either for a racer or a high end client.

Serious.

When it comes to Holdsworth, the diffences are very subtle, as to where they were made, who made them, what angles, etc. The paint jobs may be similar, even the model name may be the same. Apparently it takes a more studied approach to knowing all this than I care to attempt.

What you have is the best of the best.

Now go DUCKS!

masispecial

There were two independent entities building Holdsworth frames from 1958 until around 1974.
Volume production of standard models was by Holdsworthy Ltd, while specials like this frame were built at the W.F Holdsworth shop in Putney.

According to more knowledgeable people on the Facebook Holdsworth group, your frame is a Holdsworth Italia Specialissimo.

The lugs and cable stops and guides are very similar to my orange 1969 Holdsworth which can be seen earlier in this thread.

Wileyone 

It looks to be a Reg Collard frame from 1969. Probably an Italia.

​​​​​​​You sir have a gem.

montagna_lunga

And this is on the way from a long-time CR friend, two Holdsworth shop builds for this winter! 1969 also...

sn69xxx

dwscrimshaw@bti

I guess the red one is a Pista being as it has track ends? I'll add my Strada Speciallissimo from 1965 into he mix too. Intending to just clean it u and get it back together.

1989Pre 

Didn't Reg Collard leave Holdsworth in 1957?

dwscrimshaw@bti

I believe he stayed there into the 60's possibly through out. I understand he built a frame for himself in 1961. https://nkilgariff.com/

nvmat

Holdsworth no. 066857 with internal cabling through top tube. I can’t find any reference to a Holdsworth with cables through top tube. Guessing it is a 1980’s model but which?

Aardwolf

You can put pics in your own gallery I think.
Gallery (top left of screen) -> My Pictures

The limit on posting pics is to stop spam merchants, and it works quite well.

cb400bill

Pic Assist - https://www.bikeforums.net/g/user/564430

nvmat

I am wondering if it is a mistral? Any made with internal top tube cabling?

machinist42

1985.

Not a Mistral as that model was not in the Catalog that year. (Wrong head tube lugs anyway.)

Likely a respray, so through tube cable routing may have been added at that time.

If you pull the fork, you may find traces of original colour, which could help identify the model?

More detail photos of dropouts and relevant frame details would help.

Congratulations on your acquisition.

nvmat

Thanks. It has campag headset, canelli bars and campag headset. These, if original, point at a competition or professional frame. I tried attaching photos of drop outs and fork ends but as new to site I am still struggling to attach photos! Administrator kindly added previous photos. Drop outs and fork ends silver in color and may be campag I think. The guy I got bike off said previous owner had taken it to a special place in Derby…. I wonder if this was a respray at Mercian?

machinist42

Don't mean to burst your bubble, but as those do not appear to be Campagnolo dropouts, your Holdsworth is probably not a competition or professional frame.



Again, the Catalog suggests the original colour may be a way to distinguish models for 1985. There may be remnants and vestiges on the fork's steerer tube and in the bottom bracket shell. Also, downtube shifter braze-ons differed, and if you upload photos to your album, @juvela should be able to identify them and the lugset and provide a definitive answer on the dropouts, which if they were Campagnolo, would have "Campagnolo" imprinted on them somewhere.

There is no way to know if any of the "bits" are original, and so they are not really useful in identifying the specific model, especially as the frame's been altered and it is likely a respray, and all those bits would have been removed.

nvmat

Further thoughts…it perhaps is a Triath Elan of some sort, it does have mudguard eyes.

juvela

-----

lug pattern appears to be Prugnat 62/d

ends - there is some variation in the Campag 1010 set

some receive a deeper marking with the Campag name than others

some exhibit more parting line flash than others

this set is certainly not ZEUS so am thinking it is a 1010 set whose name was lightly struck and has been polished away in preparation for plating

the frame's other features seem a bit late for it to have been constructed with 1010's; this makes me wonder if it may be earlier than it appears at first glance with a respray (wylde speculation on me part; have no Holdsworthy expertise)


-----

Mr. 66

Careful, the last picture looks like it may have a crack along the adjuster.

machinist42

1985 Catalog specs 1010B DOs for two models, the Professional and the Competition, but neither present with eyelets in the depictions. All other models are equipped with "Forged" DOs.

ehcoplex 

98% sure a Pro wouldn't have fender eyelets...

ehcoplex 

'79 Pro in 'rat-rod' livery. Really wasn't sure if I would keep it or not, but built it up like this to test-ride when we had a brief 'false spring' a few weeks ago. Really like it, so it's a keeper. I'm going to scour the old primer off and get it down to bare metal and linseed-oil it for this season (really rat-rod..). If $$ allow, I'll get it painted next year.

nvmat

thank you, can you suggest a place in the West Midlands that I could check this out with?

nvmat

Yes you are right. I have reinspected the number and it is 056857 and looking at the fork steerer there is a splash of blue on it so originally a blue Triath Elan I think which has been resprayed and modified with internal cable in top tube. Thanks for you help!

machinist42

Your reassessment of the serial number now marks it as a 1984 model, and though the Triath-Elan was introduced that year, the colour is not specified. The Special, which did sport eyelets, was offered in a Blue.

Would you please upload at least a full bike photo (taken of the Drive Side?) It's the price of doing business here.

fvernon

I recently picked up this frankenbuilt 1975 Holdsworth Mistral for $20...it's now a spring project with the goal of turning it into a nice french fit, randonneuse/eroica style bike for my wife. The full frameset clocked in at a very respectable 2660g, and I think the low trail will match a 650b wheelset nicely. I'm going to strip the paint, add water bottle mounts, braze-on center pull bosses, DT and CS cable stops, and then repaint with new decals.