HOLDSWORTH PROFESSIONAL SPRINT TRACK

Here we have a completely original 

Holdsworth Professional Sprint Track bike..

as raced.

 Notice the large pop rivets, which aren't meant to be 

on the Pro frame sets.

Professional Sprint on top tube.

The classic Holdsworth seat wrap with their 

signature hand lining. 

Bike came fitted with

Sugino track cranks

Normandy hubs on Fiamme rims

3TTT seat pin

Concor saddle

3TTT stem

Cinelli bars

Rebuilt Bianchi and Saronni

I have been very slack at recording

all the beautiful, interesting frames and 

bikes I restore for other people,

so after enough tut tutting from everybody,

I have started to record the bikes that come through 

the workshop.

Here are a couple I have finished of late.

 Neils Bianchi.

 This one didn't actually have chrome on the fork crown,

lugs or rear caps, but when Neil stripped it, we saw that the 

whole bike had been chromed, just to have 

it's fork tips and right stay in chrome.

I spent the better part of a day polishing the lugs, 
fork crown and you can see the result,

  quite nice we both thought.

Dennis Saronni  

 This Saronni was the proverbial sow's ear, it's chrome

was very rough, and the frame had numerous little dents.

Rechroming was not really an option, as the work to get

the steel back to a condition where it could be redone was

just too prohibitive, especially for this frame set,

 maybe if it was a Colnago Saronni.....be it isn't.

 I managed to save the chrome on the fork ends,

cable guide on the rear stay and the chain holder, 

the rest was epoxy etch primed, and slowly built

up with spray putty.

Came out pretty nice.

Neils other Bianchi 980

 One of those rare frames that you don't have to do 

anything to (apart from one small dent), just

prime/decal/paint/clear-coat.

1983 PUCH ULTIMA or IN PRAISE OF THE MIXED GRUPPO

Well after nearly three years of on and off

negations I finally came to an agreement with the

owner of this very nice "83 Puch Ultima, and so

much to my pleasure I am now the proud owner of

one of Austria's finest.

The Puch as it arrived, in great original condition, 

just in need of a new wheel set, a tidy, and a good service, 
which I got straight into.

After a day of cleaning and servicing the Puch ready for
it's debut ride.
All I have changed is the stem (120mm), brake hoods
unfortunately the original Modolo anatomical hood were
perished.Some new toes straps, and a set of 28 hole 
Zeus/Mavic tub wheels.

On a short 50km test ride, wonderful.....

Everything on this bike seemed to just work so well together, 
which got me to thinking about the traditional mixed group set.
which have really become quite a rare sight.
Even restorers of classic road bikes (myself included!)
tend to build up their latest obsession with a single classic
gruppo in mind.
However in New Zealand at least, many road men would,
after buying their selected frameset, carefully select components
from various manufactures. Obviously taking into account
performance, price and their wallet. 

One of the reasons I was so interested in this bike, was it's
great mix of components.Cinelli stem and bars, Campagnolo
headset..classic combo.
I changed the original Cinelli for this longer one.

Modolo Equipe' brake set.

Campagnolo Pat. 83 Super Record
rear derailleur.
Suntour Winner freewheel.
Notice the chrome drop outs...nice.

 Campagnolo chainset/pedal set.
Omega bottom bracket.

Shimano Dura Ace front derailleur, black anodized to 
match the super record rear derailleur.

Simplex friction shifter, some say the best shifting
friction shifter made, I wouldn't argue.
Very pretty chrome fork crown and sharp white lug lining.

Neat cluster, Campagnolo SR seat pin.

Bernard Hinault/Turbo saddle, comfy. 

So all in all an extremely well thought out overall package,
that really does ride as good as it looks, and you defiantly 
can't say that about every bike.
Whomever originally put this together must have really known 
their stuff...a keeper for sure.

BTW if Puch and/or Austro Daimler are your thing there is
a really good history of the company and their bikes
here.

Persuit Japanese road bike

Here is a mystery 1970's (maybe early 80's) Japanese (?)

road bike I have just picked up.

I just couldn't help myself, I mean I definitely don't

need another bike, and certainly not a mid range 70's one...

But there was something about this one that I really liked,

maybe it was the unusual chromed head tube...

...and the super clean brazing on the lugs, that don't

look dissimilar to the ones on my 80's Colnago Mexico.

Or maybe it was that it is made of Tange 2, which is

kind of cool, in it's own sort of way...if you know what

I mean, or maybe you have to be a sad bike geek like me

to get that one?

Than again maybe it was because it had a reasonably 
sweet mixed group set, Suntour Cyclone derailleurs, 
Sugino crank set, with drilled chainrings (always nice), 
SKS black cage pedals, Dia Compe brakes,

with early drilled levers (always nice as well)...

The frame decals hung together pretty good too.

I even like the way it is Persuit, not Pursuit....

The only thing I will change is the wheelset, add some guards

and have myself a respectable winter/wet day ride.

Oh yeh.. it was real cheap too, which I also quite liked!

 

1970's(?) MASI TRACK BIKE

I am pretty excited about having just picking up this 

 early/mid seventies(?) Masi track bike.

I have been spending a bit of time on Bob Hovey's

excellent Masi site so am pretty sure I have got

the date approximately in the ball park.

All the information below was gleaned from
Bob's site, so check it out if Masi's are
your bag.

Bike is about to undergo full restoration.

Super tight clearance, maybe a pursuit frame?

I love that window cut out on the fork crown.

 The fluted seat stays where apparently made by relieving

the angle cut end with a curved file, and then brazing in

a piece of tube.

Long seat tube tang one of Faliero Masi's trade marks.

As is the filled seat lug ears.

Head badge obviously needs repaint, I am quite 

looking forward to this, the last one I did on the 

Cinelli came out pretty nice I thought.

I can already feel the ghosts of cycling lore

swirling around this frame, so am looking forward to 

making them happy by lovingly restoring this wonderful

frame set back to it's original glory.

SHORTER TT ROAD TEST

Just got back from taking the Shorter on it's 

second maiden voyage, I guess that's why I have my

happy face on.
Of course I had to change the straight cut TT block that
I had on in the original photos, although I did try it out,
and yes they did cause a high degree of discomfort into
even a moderate headwind, this wasn't helped by the 
Cinelli Unicanitor saddle, which is no Brooks professional.

Taken at The Little Red Bookshop

Check out our bookshop blog.

Prognosis; Well all I can say is that the men who built

this frame set knew exactly what they where doing, it feels like

it is only meant to go fast, and preferably in a straight line.

It feels quite fragile, unusually light, and very purposeful.
One thing I did notice, is that the drilled brake levers, although,
not actually serving any real purpose in terms of weight saving,
did add a good amount of morale to the ride, just looking
down at them instantly reminds you why you are aboard this
slightly uncomfortable and twitchy machine...  
pedal hard until your legs feel like lead, 
and your lungs are about to burst.

 A view from the cockpit.

So all and all not a Sunday cruiser, that's for sure.

 One to take out after spending the evening reading 
old English cycling magazines,  preferably some 70's ones,

and getting all enthused about the classic Brit TT scene.

Or is that just me....

 On my favorite 40km circuit, with more
reasonable freewheel for a man of my modest abilities.