Mercifully, Monday brought the eagerly awaited fitting tool allowing the installation of the venerable UN53 copy with much grease and minimal fuss. However, this state of euphoria was short lived upon discovering the disintegration of the plastic cable guides-hardly a crisis but means waiting a few days for the postman to call with a replacement
Sliding the Stronglight cranks aboard the traditional square tapers had my senses screaming with alarm- the inner ring was apparently warped! Removal and inspection of their integrity atop a flat surface revealed this to be little more than a trick of the light. However, I took the opportunity to re-grease and thoroughly tighten the fasteners.
Justin (Burls) remains indisposed at the moment so, with much of the drivetrain aboard the frame and other components coming together, progress is restricted to installing a new plastic guide and wiring up the derailleurs. The finishing touches such as bars, stem and braking will have to remain on ice until such time as Justin can work his magic.
This resurrection of a treasured machine has forced me to reconsider the Holdsworth’s role in my fleet. Make no mistake, he’s here to stay but rather than becoming a pure TT mount, I’m returning to the basics of the Road Path principle-bikes that are simple to maintain, a blast, yet not “too nice to ride”. In short, pared to the essentials during the brighter months, winter will see it sport Maplewood fenders and 28mm tyres for practical, low maintenance fun.
Sliding the Stronglight cranks aboard the traditional square tapers had my senses screaming with alarm- the inner ring was apparently warped! Removal and inspection of their integrity atop a flat surface revealed this to be little more than a trick of the light. However, I took the opportunity to re-grease and thoroughly tighten the fasteners.Justin (Burls) remains indisposed at the moment so, with much of the drivetrain aboard the frame and other components coming together, progress is restricted to installing a new plastic guide and wiring up the derailleurs. The finishing touches such as bars, stem and braking will have to remain on ice until such time as Justin can work his magic. This resurrection of a treasured machine has forced me to reconsider the Holdsworth’s role in my fleet. Make no mistake, he’s here to stay but rather than becoming a pure TT mount, I’m returning to the basics of the Road Path principle-bikes that are simple to maintain, a blast, yet not “too nice to ride”. In short, pared to the essentials during the brighter months, winter will see it sport Maplewood fenders and 28mm tyres for practical, low maintenance fun.
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