Holdsworth Zephyr Track

Oxo
Oxo Posts: 144
edited April 2012 in Road general
My first restoration job. I was kindly given a scruffy, un-identified old track frame by a friend as I fancied building a fixed gear/single speed bike for myself. I stripped it back to bare-metal with loads of elbow-grease, wire-brushes and wet 'n' dry then had it professionally resprayed in Old English White by my local auto-repairers. With a bit of research and some help from the guys over on the Retro Bike forum, I was able to identify the frame as a 1957/58 Holdsworth Zephyr. I had a very limited budget to build it up, but managed to pick up a second-hand 42-T Sugino Messenger chain gear which I stripped and polished to match up with a polished up Shimano crank set. My LBS (Delta Bikes in Dursley) built me up some nice strong wheels from 32-H Ambrosio Excursion rims with System-X track hubs and plain gauge SS spokes. I was lucky enough to get a great old Brookes Pro copper saddle off EBay and some 3T Pista bars off my mate. The Diacompe MX brake lever and stem were NOS and picked up for peanuts. In all, it's taken me about 4 months to finish.

I'll probably be ostracised by purists, but I love the thing! It rides like a dream, really comfortable, fast and totally silent - a very eerie but exhilarating experience. Just need to perfect the art of starting and stopping on a fixed gear with slightly less drama than the last few days :oops:

driveside.jpg
Front.jpg
Sunday Best: 2013 Colnago Master 30th Anniversary
Foul Weather: 2010 Kinesis Racelight T2
Commuter: 1958 Holdsworth Zephyr Fixed Gear

Comments

  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,181
    I am a purist and I do like your restoration a lot...
    Yes, you could have found vintage rims, but they are worse than modern ones... yes, the brake lever on the bars... but it's useful and yes.... the modern chainset... but finding a period track chainset is like spotting a white fly...

    So, it makes a lot of sense and it is beautiful... of course, being a Holdsworth, it should be orange... :twisted:
    left the forum March 2023