Help with an OLD (Pre 60's) HOLDSWORTH bike - date/model/ID

Hello,

I'm looking to date what appears to be a Holdsworth Frame. I aquired it as such but given that the wheels were different sizes/there is no headbadge and some of the components are clearly not original I would like to get a community view...

The Sturmey is dated to 1960, but investigation in to decals etc suggests an early 50's frame.

So the bike: http://photobucket.com/holdsworthbike
Serial Number: 39693 Clearly stamped on the head tube. To read the BB Shell I'd need to get the nitromores out however what I can make out clearly is the NERVEX stamp.

The rear drop out is fairly unusual IMHO

Components:
BB: Bayliss and Wiley
Stem: GB Hindiminum
Bars: Unknown but shim required for stem
Brakes: Weinnman Vanquier 999 centerpull with matching levers
Chainset: Williams
Pedals: Philips
Rear Wheel: Dunlop Special Lightweight steel rim 27 x 1 1/4 on a Sturmey Archer FW Hub
Front Wheel - cheapo 700c

Pictures:

http://photobucket.com/holdsworthbike
Sorry for the lack of inserted pics - I'm getting used to the system here!

Any help would be very much appreciated!!

Hi and welcome. Plenty of Holdsworth interest here.

Have you looked on this site? You might find the model in the brochures. Early 50's I'd guess.

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/nkilgariff/

I saw quite a few Holdsworth's in my time at a bike shop in the 70's, including some quite old ones.

Don't remember any with the spikey thing in front of the rear dropout, but there again my memory isn't what it used to be LOL

Not a lot of frames I came across had these (Lincoln imp?) and maybe that will help to identify it ?

Shaun

thanks so far

Looking through the catalogues I can't find the spiked rear drop out either.

The paint runs down to the metal so if it has been repainted It's been stripped first. I'm pretty beaten so far....I think I need to get the paint off the bb shell to have a look ay the numbers. [/quote][/i]

Hi, just some thoughts on the subject. It looks similar to a Holdsworth Hurricane from the late fifties, the drop outs look like a Claud one from the forties/early fifties, the serial number, if standard Holdsworth would be late sixties, early seventies ( the BB number would be useful ). A complete conflict, but when Holdsworth toke over Claud in the late fifties, there appears to be a mix and match period, and Claud serial numbers were all over the place. Just some thoughts. Terry

Good chance it is a Holdsworth, I've seen plenty with the"failsafe"dropouts.

It looks like it has two holes arranged in the vertical plane on the headtube - so it had a badge - as opposed to a decal.

Components and decal style(s) can be deceiving and trying to date a bike from them can mislead as components get updated and bikes repainted.

Holdsworth frame numbers on bracket shell, don't confuse with shell casting numbers.

Rk.