Help ID this Holdsworth Road Path frame

[sawston_vulcan]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/33024988@N03/?saved=1

Possibly an interesting one!.....Just bought a Holdsworth Road Path Frame but don't know anything about it.

I have done some research and it is inconclusive.....appreciate any pointers etc.....i'll tell you what i've got and what i can do.

Frame number is: 041592....found under the BB and the fork steerer.....but then things get a bit muddy.........according to what i've found the Zephyr was the Road-Path frame made by Holdsworth but reading their catalogues, the model was phased out in 1961.....the person i bought it from said it took a 27.2mm seatpost and short fitting brakes....nut not AK........i have not checked the seatpost diameter as i don't have a seatpost!......I will be doing that tonight at a friend's house and will report back.

The lugs are not special....a bit curly but nothing special and that includes the square fork crown.....the rear bridge is straight and not curved..both are drilled.

The decal says 531 tubing.....and has the TI address on it...same on the fork decals......this implies 531 plain gauge tubing which would normally have a seatpost of 26.4mm.....and i use the work 'usually' carefully....furthermore the decal was used between 1977 and 1984.....Did Holdworth [Holdsworthy.....as it has one of their labels on the frame...using the Oakfield Road address......this factory did not open until 1975]

A further twist is that on the steerer is stamped Reynolds Butted tubing.

I do not know if the decals are original or if it was repainted by Holdsworth.........i don't know if it has butted or plain gauge 531 tubing.....Anybody got any idea what i might have.......Seatpost size to follow

Any advice or opinions welcome......i have looked at the Holdsworth website.....http://homepage.ntlworld.com/nkilgariff/Holdsworth.htm and classic lightweights.......thanks in advance for any help.....could it be something else badged as a Holdsworth......it does not have a metal headbadge....has a decal type headbadge.

 

[chipper]

The graphics and indeed the colour suggest to me that your frame was refinished by the factory in the 80t's , this was a service they offered for there own frames at the time .

 

[sawston_vulcan]

The graphics and indeed the colour suggest to me that your frame was refinished by the factory in the 80t's , this was a service they offered for there own frames at the time .

It is similar to the Elan...http://homepage.ntlworld.com/nkilgariff ... s/Elan.htm

But as you say...was it refinished or made in the 1980s.....as i cannot see an Elan made in Road-Path style......but the frame is different to the Zephyr...so could it be a Claud Butler or Grubb?

 

[sawston_vulcan]

The graphics and indeed the colour suggest to me that your frame was refinished by the factory in the 80t's , this was a service they offered for there own frames at the time .

It is similar to the Elan...http://homepage.ntlworld.com/nkilgariff ... s/Elan.htm

But as you say...was it refinished or made in the 1980s.....as i cannot see an Elan made in Road-Path style......but the frame is different to the Zephyr...so could it be a Claud Butler or Grubb?....if a CB...a possible Olympic

 

[roadking]

Holdsworth Road Path frame

http://www.flickr.com/photos/33024988@N03/?saved=1Possibly an interesting one!.....Just bought a Holdsworth Road Path Frame but don't know anything about it. I have done some research and it is inconclusive.....appreciate any pointers etc.....i'll tell you what i've got and what i can do. Frame number is: 041592....found under the BB and the fork steerer.....but then things get a bit muddy.........according to what i've found the Zephyr was the Road-Path frame made by Holdsworth but reading their catalogues, the model was phased out in 1961.....the person i bought it from said it took a 27.2mm seatpost and short fitting brakes....nut not AK........i have not checked the seatpost diameter as i don't have a seatpost!......I will be doing that tonight at a friend's house and will report back. The lugs are not special....a bit curly but nothing special and that includes the square fork crown.....the rear bridge is straight and not curved..both are drilled. The decal says 531 tubing.....and has the TI address on it...same on the fork decals......this implies 531 plain gauge tubing which would normally have a seatpost of 26.4mm.....and i use the work 'usually' carefully....furthermore the decal was used between 1977 and 1984.....Did Holdworth [Holdsworthy.....as it has one of their labels on the frame...using the Oakfield Road address......this factory did not open until 1975] A further twist is that on the steerer is stamped Reynolds Butted tubing. I do not know if the decals are original or if it was repainted by Holdsworth.........i don't know if it has butted or plain gauge 531 tubing.....Anybody got any idea what i might have.......Seatpost size to follow. Any advice or opinions welcome......i have looked at the Holdsworth website.....http://homepage.ntlworld.com/nkilgariff/Holdsworth.htm and classic lightweights.......thanks in advance for any help.....could it be something else badged as a Holdsworth......it does not have a metal headbadge....has a decal type headbadge.

A few thoughts based on a little knowledge of the works in Penge(Oakfield Rd), and the two Holdsworths that I have - both bought new. Firstly Holdsworth rarely put Reynolds stickers on fork legs, only having one at the top front of the seat tube.

Yours, if we take the stickers literally (always dangerous), clearly has only main tubes and forks of 531 - not a rear triangle. The forks to me don't look correct, do they have the same number as the frame? I also note there's no"trademark"seatstay wrapover.

Holdsworth frames, up to the late 1970s had metal badges fixed with two hollow rivets - head transfers denote a later frame - if indeed it is a Holdsworth. The Oakfield Rd sticker is in the usual place, and the Holdsworth typeface style (on the downtube - is the same on the seat tube?) is later than late 1970s...this font is usually found on later (1980s) framesets.

Finally I have rarely seen what you describe is stamped on the steerer - usually it is only the frame number.

I do not think this a Holdsworth.

Hope this helps, Rk.

 

[Midlife]

Track frames are bit of a nuisance to identify. They didn't follow fashion and don't have braze ons and other details that can date them.

They were also rebadged quite a bit, well certainly in my day they were. To my eye it doesn't look 60's as the lugs are too plain and the forks (if original) have too little rake.

I'd place it in the 70's IMHO. It has been probably re-finished as track bikes for some reason attracted garish finishes like spiral seat tube bands and panels plus a sprinkling of chrome. As it has eyes on the dropouts it's not destined for track use and looks like the "track"version of someones roadbike.

What's the wheelbase?

Shaun

 

[sawston_vulcan]

Track frames are bit of a nuisance to identify. They didn't follow fashion and don't have braze ons and other details that can date them.

They were also rebadged quite a bit, well certainly in my day they were. To my eye it doesn't look 60's as the lugs are too plain and the forks (if original) have too little rake.

I'd place it in the 70's IMHO. It has been probably re-finished as track bikes for some reason attracted garish finishes like spiral seat tube bands and panels plus a sprinkling of chrome. As it has eyes on the dropouts it's not destined for track use and looks like the "track"version of someones roadbike.

What's the wheelbase?

Shaun

Hi Shaun...aopogies for the delay...38.5'' or about 98cm.....it is similar in colour to the Holdsworth Elan but that used double butted tubing for the three main tubes whereas mine is plain gauge.

The frame number is the same on the BB and the fork steerer..so the forks must be original.

Can anyone date the frame from the frame number [041592]?

It def takes 700cc wheels and not 27'' and the nearest likeness i have found is to a Holdworthy/Holdsworth Claud Butler Olympic Sprint Frame....or do you think someone had the drop outs removed and replaced with the track ends and then had it resprayed?....seems a lot of fuss for an ordinary frame?

Here is the link and apart from the livery....is identical in every way....what do you think?

http://picasaweb.google.com/10691045080 ... 7344348162

It looks like the brakes are also short drop too?

So if it is a CB OS....i am not going to rush out and get it resprayed and properly badged as a CB....as i don't think its worth doing.

I think 1970s is a reasonable assertion with a possible refinishing in the 1980s a possibility too.

 

[Midlife]

Hi

That's quite a wheelbase for a track bike so puts it late 60's or early 70's...I'd plump for the 70 though LOL

Any later and the wheelbase would have been shorter, even for a shop bought track frame. I always wanted a Viner Pro track frame but could only afford a Falcon Pro, even then it was pretty twitchy

They usually took very short brakes, weinmann 500's were probably the most popular, even then they were a tight fit.

Does look like an Olympic sprint to me, going back to the early 60's it would have had much fancier lugs and fork crown with chrome.

By the time I left cycling in the late 70's Claud Butler were not a sought after frame, despite the England track squad having them (whether they made them I know not LOL) and wonder if it was changed to a more worthy marque deliberately....

Good luck with the sale by the way

Cheers


Shaun