1959 Holdsworth Hurricane

ScillySuffolk

Retro Guru
I found a 1960 bike on Classic Lightweights s/n 27338, so mine (27250) looks to be 1959/60.

Seems it's a Hurricane: Zephyr and Cyclone had wrapover seat stays; Monsoon didn't have pump pegs or a lamp bracket. Intriguingly the Hurricane was available (up to 1959) as fixed gear: my wheelset (Racelite) is of the period and the DTS bosses and gear hanger look unused.

A couple of things that don't quite tie-in though: now the wheels are off, I have confirmed that it has Campag dropouts and not Agrati; my pump pegs are on the seat tube and the '58 had them on the down tube and by '60/'61 they were on the top tube.

Other discoveries are a Villiers lockring and GB bars. Could the mudguards be original? The '58 catalogue describes them as being of "celluloid": this is early plastic? Any ideas on the chainset?

More pics here.

01.jpg
 
Lovely old holdsworth - yes hes right its a Williams chainset and this was standard on Holdsworths at this time.
I might change the seat to a Brooks and that stem but apart rom that it looks classic.
 
Thanks gents!

Of course it needs a Brooks and a GB stem (that'll cost me), apart from that I'm now convinced it is as it left the shop in '59 (except for the tyres).
 
Ticks all the boxes for me. Just loose that saddle. Only a Brooks or Lycett will do!
 
After a bit of research on Williams, I was able to find their branding on the cranks.

Now 95% certain that this was fixed gear when it left the shop, rather than being a conversion, albeit with some variations to the catalogue spec: pump peg position and Campag dropouts.

As it is in such great condition, I'll be doing a "patina refurbishment" rather than a restoration: so basically just cleaning & polishing, fitting gumwall tyres & B15 Swallow and sourcing a suitable stem.

00.jpg
 
Nice :)

Interesting stem.....does it have milling on the sides only, triangular retaining nut for the handlebar bolt, and a sort of thin black anodising that should have been black but looks brown in the sunlight ?

Shaun
 

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