A series of events have conspired against faster progress of the Holdsworth build- most notably the relative difficulty in obtaining one inch threaded headsets. There’s a misconception, an urban myth banded about on club runs that one inch components are in plentiful supply. On the contrary, try looking for a good quality threaded fork or headset and you’ll discover they’re as rare as rocking horse droppings. I had settled for a chrome or aluminium Tange Levin but along with the other black components, serendipity has secured two! A black Levin and an alloy Acor unit running on an interesting ball/needle bearing hybrid. Two decades outsourcing to Taiwan coinciding with the dominance of mtb design, is forcing the traditional binder bolt to the point of extinction. Mercifully, Lloyd at Ison distribution (http://www.ison-distribution.com/) has come to my rescue, supplying a couple of 19mm Campagnolo copies.
The recent inclement weather sweeping the UK has presented me with some welcome additional research/surfing time and I was hunting for a suitable square taper bottom bracket (68X110). The simplest solution was to plump for Shimano’s venerable UN52/3/4 fit and forget staple- I’ve had several of them churn merrily up to 10,000 miles without flinching and £24 was well within budget. However, I have a leaning toward the esoteric and spotted an Acor unit- seemingly identical in composition but ten pounds cheaper- a saving which will be channelled into handlebar wrap and some decent brake cable. There’s no doubt from a mechanical perspective, ISIS systems are stiffer and a better bet for powerful riders weighing closer to 90 kilos but my 181 cm 70 kilo frame finds taper units perfectly adequate.
The sudden flurry of snow which has literally gripped the nation (Readers from Utah will now fall from their snow-blowers in hysterics) hasn’t unleashed a great deal of pioneering spirit-aside from my trip around the motorway in “blizzard” conditions. Make no mistake, despite only being a few inches, the UK infrastructure isn’t geared up to tackle this, meaning widespread chaos- the only place I didn’t see a uniform covering of snow was atop the Magnox reactor some four miles across the water. I’d toyed with shoding the Univega with Nokian studded snow rubber but haven’t put theory into practice as yet and I’ve bought in a five litre drum of Waxoyl rather than brewing my own to internally safeguard the Holdsworth and Ka chassis-silly really given the ingredients are readily (not to mention cheaply) available….
What you’ll need:
2.5 Quarts Turpentine
12 Oz Bees/Candle wax
1 Quart Light Machine oil
A liberal application of common sense
Boil, Boil, Toil & Trouble
Before any of the congregation write threatening litigation, Here comes the disclaimer. First and foremost this is a potentially explosive mixture- keep away from naked flame and sources of ignition. If you have even the smallest doubt in your mind, go the commercially available route- when I last looked, brewing your own corrosion inhibitor wasn’t covered by most household insurance policies. Ensure plenty of ventilation before you start. Store the mix, clearly labelled and safely out of the reach of children and pets.
Grate the candle/beeswax into the turpentine and stir laboriously with an old wooden spoon until fully dissolved- this can take some time. Performing this task in a warm room accelerates the process but be very careful. When fully dissolved, apply the machine oil to thin the consistency to the point where it can be sprayed. For best results buy a cheap pesticides spray kit from a garden centre and pour the contents inside (CLEARLY MARKING THE CONTAINER).
Apply liberally inside the bottom bracket or seat-tube, placing a layering of newspaper beneath to collect any over-spill/leakage. Ensure even coverage by rotating the frameset or bike and allow to stand overnight in a warm corner of the house. Later applications will demand softening by standing the mix in hot water for twenty minutes. Remember to cleanse the pump spray nozzle with thinners/white spirit before storing.
What you’ll need:2.5 Quarts Turpentine
12 Oz Bees/Candle wax
1 Quart Light Machine oil
A liberal application of common sense
Boil, Boil, Toil & Trouble
Before any of the congregation write threatening litigation, Here comes the disclaimer. First and foremost this is a potentially explosive mixture- keep away from naked flame and sources of ignition. If you have even the smallest doubt in your mind, go the commercially available route- when I last looked, brewing your own corrosion inhibitor wasn’t covered by most household insurance policies. Ensure plenty of ventilation before you start. Store the mix, clearly labelled and safely out of the reach of children and pets.
Grate the candle/beeswax into the turpentine and stir laboriously with an old wooden spoon until fully dissolved- this can take some time. Performing this task in a warm room accelerates the process but be very careful. When fully dissolved, apply the machine oil to thin the consistency to the point where it can be sprayed. For best results buy a cheap pesticides spray kit from a garden centre and pour the contents inside (CLEARLY MARKING THE CONTAINER).
Apply liberally inside the bottom bracket or seat-tube, placing a layering of newspaper beneath to collect any over-spill/leakage. Ensure even coverage by rotating the frameset or bike and allow to stand overnight in a warm corner of the house. Later applications will demand softening by standing the mix in hot water for twenty minutes. Remember to cleanse the pump spray nozzle with thinners/white spirit before storing. 
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