A Visit to Justin Burls

It fits! It fits! Some of you would argue on account of and due-to but the new seatpost does indeed fit. In keeping with quite a few budget models, it seems quite tight but from another vantage point this means water and ingress are unlikely to find their way into the seat-tube. Not that the Zephyr is a winter mount but I treat all my bikes very much the same-a liberal application of Framesaver or similar sloshing around the tubes, a stout greasing of all contact points etc, etc.

Need an old fashioned Campagnolo or Miche saddle bolt to secure it in place (obviously) before I can turn my attention to a suitable headset- seen a nice FSA unit with a suitably low stack height(in black oddly enough) which will take care of the front end but I fear this might still prove on the tall side and the venerable Tange Levin, a faithful Campag Record copy might just save the day...

Tucked away in a quiet corner of Harwich is frame builder Justin Burls (http://www.burls.co.uk/).

A background in classic vehicle restoration and metal forming has equipped him with an unsurpassed attention to detail making the transition to frame building a surprisingly easy one. He still has his first frame- A TT mount built for his own pleasure back in 1997 sporting super smooth fillet brazing and deep, luxurious blue livery. Typical of many artisan craftspeople, Justin speaks with a very genuine modesty. Self taught, he believed the mythical black art would demand several attempts before he produced anything remotely ride able but from the outset, he clearly found it a very natural process.
Amused by the horror in my face at the sight of his battle weary, salt encrusted winter bike, Justin confesses his passion lies in building and engineering to the highest standards at the detriment of his bike’s maintenance. This, his second build, again crafted from Columbus tubing still retains an air of majesty beneath the grime. His experience as a coachbuilder saw him finish his early frames in cellulose paints topped off with clear coat two-Pac. However, cellulose attracts every airborne imperfection, demanding laborious application and rubbing between coats.
Leading me through his enormous workshop (which is close to, if not larger than his house) hangs another frame- a road fixed built to Manchester track specification but with drilling for a front brake. Used predominantly for time trailing, it sports deliciously machined ends and a custom made chain-ring. Elsewhere forks stand in neat line along the floor and a Brian Rourke track frame adorns the wall. Whilst busy taking orders from the UK, Ireland and as far afield as Finland and Canada, Justin is reticent to perform cut and shut frame end surgery.Less conscientious builders might be satisfied with simply extracting the old road dropouts and brazing new track units in but Justin’s attention to detail demands he makes an exacting job complete with fresh enamel and in many cases this exceeds the donor frame’s value. Similarly, whilst cheerfully fabricating bespoke forks to complement a frameset, he has a preference for carbon models.

Most recently he’s been importing high-end (grade 9) Titanium framesets from a supplier east of Moscow (His wife, Mila being Russian, is pivotal in this side of the business and negotiating with suppliers). These feature drillings for brakes, one set of bottle mounts, fender points and 23mm tyres. Titanium whilst expensive, is very given to winter duties thanks to the wonder metal's corrosion and fatigue resistance and I found myself salivating at the low weight and minimalist splendour of his personal machine, complete with Reynolds carbon fork. He used to offer a unicrown Ti option but this has ceased thanks to a lack of continuity from the supplier and the fact Titanium in his opinion shows its best qualities as a frame material . Elsewhere there’s a Dawes Galaxy tandem on which he introduced Mila to Cycling- it’s needing some light TLC and a wheel re-build so is out of commission for the moment. A chill coastal wind brought us back into the comfort of the house where more frames including a bespoke MTB frameset for Mila crept from behind sofas and televisions. There’s a real sense of old world charm, an interest in people and the desire in seeing a job executed to perfection which drives him and so many others above financial gain. We’ve promised to meet for a ride sometime soon and the only downside to meeting Justin is a sudden and irrational yearning for a Russian Ti road fixer!

Evolution- the solution?

The cycling equivalent of a life laundry continues. Further foraging has uncovered a set of unused Cinelli Spinacchi mini-tri-bars. Once popular amongst the professional ranks thanks to their provision of alternative hand positioning without falling foul of UCI ,they've largely fallen into obscurity. However, They're ideal for the Holdsworth build- offering useful aero advantage on ten mile TT courses (my chosen outlet for the constructive exorcism of inner demons) without detracting from the classic lines/period feel.

It would appear I am a man of contradiction, serendipity seeing me opting in favour of flared (46cm) WTB drops, colour co-ordinated stem and 400mm Outland seat post over the silver anodised/polished parts initially earmarked for the build. Seat post choice was more limited than I had hoped, although there were some very fetching silver Nitto models and even SR’s legendary TCO (Tall cool one)- a one time MTB aftermarket favourite I hadn’t seen for a good eighteen years and almost bought out of sentiment.

I’ve found the wheelset and a suitable, dual pivot brake calliper so as not to fall foul of the law. Meanwhile, back in the jungle, the Ka’s expiring clutch cannot be ignored any further and I’m still battling an errant publisher for considerable monies owing. The sudden and unprecedented cold snap has demanded the bespoke road mount enjoy some enforced rest. Sleet, snow, ice and lashings of road salt has restricted anything beyond virtual riding to the venerable Univega RTB. Should this much hyped "Big freeze" continue I'll be looking to fit Nokian studded snow rubber! Ideal conditions for a fixed in many respects- braking by holding off against the cranks gives a notably smoother, more predictable passage over slippery surfaces.

Stout and sure footed as the Ilpompino's 38mm WTB rubber may be, an mtb configuration remains my chosen steed for ice and snow. On the subject of big freezes, this is precisely what my bank has actioned on my account thanks to the antics of online thieves (describing these people as "hackers" gives them an unwarranted air of legitimacy/honour) further adding to my fiscal frustrations.

Joshua hasn’t been out on his tag-along for a couple of weeks given the blend of ice and wind chill, although he’s very pleased by the addition of a basic suspension post, taking the sting out of rougher lanes and trails. Coil sprung units, whilst hardly the last word in refinement are very simple, unaffected by weather to the same degree as elastomer models and provide adequate damping for lighter riders.

I am also considering some very simple modification to his tag along’s hitch which, endemic to the breed is a little sloppy, translating in a whippy ride under load. My plan is to upgrade the simple roller pin with some thin nylon washers, reducing some of the play without adversely affecting handling or voiding the warranty.

The Cleat again...Sounds like a sequel to a 50's horror flick. The recent chill has seen me opt in preference for my mtb race shoes with stainless Spd pattern cleats-primarily as the rancid odour from my trainer type was stripping wallpaper. Cursory inspection of cleat integrity suggested they were good for another few thousand miles. Updating the Univega's pedals in favour of more contemporary Spd designs raised a compatibility question mark and explains my relative nonchalance at their failure to clunk, clip every trip. Rapidly nearing the lane's end, feet fully engaged I was relaxed and enjoying the ride. This casual indifference was once again to prove my undoing upon my return home...

Releasing my right foot, my left flatly refused to disengage. Desperation set in after a couple of minutes and only after exiting my foot from the shoe and manipulating it in every conceivable direction effected disengagement. Today's culprit? Rider indifference and loose cleat screws...Lessons have be learned.... Now where have we heard that before?

New Year's Revolutions

The holiday season has seen the resurrection of my classic road bike (custom built for me back in 1991) whilst I continue to source parts for the Road Path build. My readiness to trust other’s measurements has led me on a something of a bum steer. The seat post diameter is in fact 26.8, not 27.2 putting paid to my plans to use some very fine offerings. Needing a 110mm square taper B/B and a one inch headset with a very low stack height- I’m eager to avoid Shimano if at all possible- most of their stuff is great but with the notable exception of Dura Ace, their headsets and chains have never fired my imagination. However, I’m reticent to hand over money for new, fairly nondescript posts etc right now- not least as someone typically offers me something gratis a week later. Besides, the global economic climate is having a pronounced effect upon the publishing world and the micro climate of my finances. So, I’ve taken this opportunity to treat the Holdsworth internally with a liberal application of Corrosion Block.

Outclassed in technical terms and looking a little quaint by modern standards, my bespoke road bike has been dry stored for the best part of a decade and only needed some fresh bar tape and a new seat post to brighten it up. It’s as exciting to ride as it was back in the summer of ’91 and maybe for a couple of short hours, I was seventeen again, imagining my ascent of the famous mountain stages of Le Tour a’la my teenage idols of Theunisse and Rooks. There’s a lot of fond memories integral to the bike. Rose tinted glasses removed, It was admittedly a time of great angst on many levels but equally one of great possibilities… University was just around the corner, myself and a few friends were going to change the world and live quietly decadent (in a bohemian sense) lifestyles- back bedrooms with bikes of every discipline adorning the walls in neat, orderly fashion, garages sheltering old, heavyweight Italian motorcycles etc, etc. Ah yes, the summer of ’91 where my family entrusted me to house sitting duties whilst they embarked on a fortnight's holiday.

I discovered my mother’s Rolling Stones albums, we rode all day, there were serious outbreaks of unrequited love and curiously, the kitchen ceiling fell in without the aid of unruly house parties or similar antics. So, the 6am runs involved copious philosophising and quiet reflection-yep, that’s more talk of women, adventures awheel and racing tractors then…No, not groups of hooch filled hillbillies charging across the rural landscape. The object of this foolish fun was to spot a tractor in the distance and wind up enough speed to overtake it at the last minute- my finest demonstration of the craft being the passing of a Ford at 37mph. This coupled with moped racing is another game well suited to fixed.

Around this time the fabled 501 framed Raleigh conversion was alive and well. Bowling along the pancake flat back roads one scorching summers afternoon, I happened upon the infuriating whine of a small capacity two-stroke (an 80cc Honda Vision if memory serves me right). With a deft snatch of the cranks, crouching as low as possible on the 42cm wide drops, lungs bursting we were soon neck and neck, nudging 42mph! Throttle against the stop, the moped’s pilot desperately trying to save his blushes whilst I battled lactic acid and a sneaking fear the old Maillard hub might snatch in the frame’s horizontal ends (Hadn’t been introduced to chain tugs back then). Turning a cadence of 135rpm I drew ahead for those precious few euphoric seconds- a fleeting victory earning me a lecture on group etiquette from my riding companions! Eighteen years back, wireless cycle computers were rare and fairly big beasts as the Vetta demonstrates (yes it still works!) I may have the odd dubious 99.9mph reading whilst climbing but I put this down to our proximity to the old Magnox nuclear reactor… In the name of nostalgia, I took to icy roads for a blast along memory lanes. Mercifully tractor racing was off the menu as there were none to pit my wits and moreover, legs against.

Thrusting warp-speed to the present day and I’m planning on adorning the road bike with some bespoke Maple wood guards (fenders) leaving the Holdsworth pared to the essentials, ready for a summer of time trialling and ahem, tractor racing. The hand of fate deals a mixed deck of cards sometimes…. Sunday night saw curiosity get the better of me and I popped the Vredesteins I’d earmarked for the Zephyr aboard the road mount. After checking both tyre and tube were properly seated, a not unreasonable 100psi from the track pump saw the sidewall explode in my face.

My five year old screamed and my mother demanded to know if I’d been firing a shotgun inside the garage. Both were mildly amused to find it was just a tyre… I’m relieved it blew in the safety of the garage, as the consequences of a roadside incident don’t bear thinking about. Unearthed some Stronglight cranks for the Zephyr and have plumped in favour of wide, 46cm black WTB drops and colour coordinated Raleigh Aheadstem.

A "Dirty Harry" lever has landed in my lap and some relaxed, festive surfing has uncovered a nice, serviceable and very keenly priced track wheelset...

So to 2009. My action plan is a little more bite-sized. I'm turning my attention to the redrafting of some short fictional works and providing a publisher with a synopsis of my book proposal by the close of next week.

Live Long and Prosper!

The Season of Goodwill

The once orphaned Holdsworth, lovingly tucked away under an acre of bubble wrap in my bedroom appears to be a Zephyr of mid 1950s vintage. The seat tube diameter measures the time-honoured 27.2mm and oddly enough, I prefer the unoriginal fork-especially the detailing around the crown. I’m opting in favour of silver components as they’ve a timeless quality- looking at my custom road bike from 1991, reveals an ill-advised purple phase (some would say haze) in the mid 90s- really en-vogue at the time but now looking decidedly dated.

Initially lusting after some pale blue cartridge bearing hubs, my inclination is to play it safe and plump for a pair of silver medium flange System EX units. I’m reaping further rewards of squirreling stuff away, having uncovered a pristine Mavic Open Pro hoop and a pair of unused Vredestein Racer 23mm tyres which had been quietly maturing in an outbuilding.

Such prudence has not extended to headsets so the search is on for a nice mid – high-end threaded model, stopping short of a Chris King or similar exotica, more likely a Campagnolo, Primax or maybe even a Miche…However, the season brings with it other financial commitments… Not least “Florence”; my faithful Ka who has developed a sudden and slightly disconcerting clutch fault. Diagnosis points to a weeping hydraulic assembly which will require £300 outlay in the New Year.

I had earmarked a nice Cro-moly framed Raleigh for Joshua but it appears to have been eliminated from the range, meaning I need to look elsewhere. Specialized, Trek and Giant all produce nice bikes for little people so might merit further investigation. There’s also an agent in the village for re-cycle- a charity that exports unwanted bicycles to Africa. He often trades in second hand machines so I might hunt for some buried treasure…Viscount used to make some fantastic children’s bikes with proper ball bearings rather than the plastic sleeve stuff all too prevalent nowadays. Knowing the hectic nature of our seasonal schedules, Sharon and I chose to spend last weekend together. I put a further 600 miles on the Ka’s odometer and we enjoyed a delightful carol concert by candlelight, bringing a really spiritual and genuinely festive flavour to the season. Hosted by Angela, a long-standing family friend who’s appeared on national television it was a really warming experience, influenced in no small part by her soulful voice and consummate direction of the choir.

Angela has a gorgeous little baby boy named Josiah whose face radiated excitement at the merest hint of his mother breaking into song- it was the sort to soften the hearts of even the most ardent cynics. Even I managed to behave myself and avoid suggestion that the bearded fella bearing gifts would appear on a fixie complete with fenders, dynohub and towing a bulging Bob Yak….

There’s not much of a fixed scene in Coventry- this seems largely the preserve of London and Manchester, although as the gallery demonstrates there are plenty of folk a wheel (or should that be a-fixed) in the midlands. The economic situation is starting to bite hard here in the UK, particularly amongst the retail, building and what’s left of the nation’s comparatively minute and oft forgotten manufacturing sector.

The latter I find really sad. Not all British manufacturing was memorable for the right reasons (as anyone who’s ridden a Panther motorcycle & Sidecar outfit will confirm) but the sight of Viking, Coventry Eagle, Freddy Grubb, Holdsworth and others still makes my soul sing.

Now, you’ll have to excuse me while I leave some WD40, a bottle of Coke and eco-friendly chain-lube by the hearth….

Happy Christmas Everyone

Primed, Painted and Restored to its Former Glory

After some considerable sanding and flattening of the filled areas, Thursday dawned with the naked Holdsworth eagerly awaiting the zinc-chromate. For those of you who skipped chemistry (or like myself- there in body but mentally “out on a ride”); Zinc offers excellent defence against rust and oxidisation, explaining its widespread use in marine applications. Powder coating might provide an extremely thick, protective cocoon for metal but without the zinc, any pinholes, chipping or comparable imperfection invites moisture and ultimately corrosion to fester beneath.Bottom bracket and fork steerer threads were masked along with the seat and head tubes, leaving Graham free to work his magic. Moving seamlessly around the frame and forks in a cloud of grey powder, he took a matter of minutes to achieve the rich, blemish free undercoat before passing the Holdsworth along the conveyor for five minutes cooking at 150 degrees.
It was getting progressively harder to contain my excitement as Chris foraged in the paint store for Sharon’s chosen blue. A few anxious moments later and he emerged triumphant with the huge bag of polyester powder. Graham explained that 5012 was in fact a satin finish so they would be applying a lacquer topcoat to effect a really luxurious shine. Compressor running and several pumps of the trigger feed later, he set about bringing the rear triangle to life in a mist of pale blue before tackling the main tubes.In my experience, high volume “We’re doing black this week” finishers will usually apply a chromate but are often poor when it comes to finer detail. By contrast, Maldon Shot-blasting and Powder coating, rather like the Powder Coat Studio (who also supply this colour for those of you in the states) specialise in one-offs and Graham was as thorough as he was fast.
Satisfied of even coverage, frame and forks were passed through the tunnel of love for a further ten minutes at 200 degrees. Whilst I braved intense heat to photograph its passage, the boys were already loading the gun with clear coat. Emerging from the oven, some pinholes had formed around the frame's head tube but were deftly removed before the paint’s final curing and subsequent cooling. Some clear coats can be applied directly to hot surfaces but Chris and Graham opted for a brand that leaves the gun as a flat white to ensure consistent coverage. Two Pac colours could’ve been applied atop the blue akin to the motorcycle tank pictured- had I wanted something more flamboyant but in my opinion, frames of this era deserve "Classic and Timeless" over “Tart’s Handbag”.

I am delighted with the end result, which unlike powder finishes of old, hasn't obscured the intricate lugwork. Moreover, this has become my preferred colour scheme for a future VW project car. Sharon and I have talked about buying a mechanically sound 1600cc Beetle (Her father owning a succession when she was a small child) and having it refinished in what we’ve collectively dubbed “Ninja” blue. Being bolted, rather than welded in place, panels are easily removed, making them ideal candidates for this paint process. However, in the meantime I’ve to find a bargain wheelset and a suitable solo for Joshua.

Road Path to Restoration:Blasting back to happiness

The good folks at Maldon Shot Blasting and Powder Coating have been indulging in some highly skilled, constructive vandalism inside their big blue shot blast cabinet. We had initially hoped the frameset would fit in their vapour blast unit but this proved impractical, requiring a more traditional approach. Under Trevor's watchful eye and steady hand, it took less than three minutes to blast the forks and half the frameset free of the old livery and back to bare metal.

Closer inspection revealed some slight denting/pitting along the top tube- repaired using Thermabond 3 (a filler specifically designed for powder coating). However, this delayed the painting process by a day or so as the product needs oven curing and laborious filing with emery cloth before zinc chromate and powder coating are applied.

Contrary to popular belief, Holdsworth and their subsequent acquisitions of Freddy Grubb and Claud Butler (forming the Holdsworthy company at the close of the 1950s) weren’t bespoke builders but small-scale batch producers of high quality frames.

Claud Butler enjoyed a reputation for ostentatious and fancy lugwork but with the end of Petrol rationing in 1957, quickly fell into receivership. History repeated itself in 1986 where after prolonged financial difficulty, Holdsworthy was bought by the Elswick group, moving from Wandsworth in London to Humberside. Today, as with many other famous marques, all that remains is their reputation and decals placed on lower end frames mass-produced in the Far East.

Some critics, particularly those in the US rightly cite that to achieve smooth uniform welds on such production volumes requires extensive use of filler. We shouldn't lose sight of the fact that manufacturers turned to Taiwan for reasons of profit maximisation and twenty years ago, weld for weld, firms employing home grown craftsmen couldn’t compete with those contracting out to Asia.

Now, there's nothing wrong with Taiwanese built framesets-I own several and am generally pleased by the standards of manufacture. However, I also appreciate the skill and craftsmanship of traditional frame construction. Brazing on the Holdsworth is to a comparatively higher standard than a frame tailor made for me some seventeen years ago. I had toyed with the idea of having bottle mounts added to the seat and/or downtubes but the availability of seat post mounting brackets and intricate cage design allows me to preserve the period feel.

My other notable deviation from the concors script is my preference for 700C hoops. I’d a set of 27 inch, thirty-six hole Mavic Super Champions hanging up somewhere but tyre and hub choice are limited at best. Something along the lines of Mavic Open Pros laced two cross to a pair of colour coordinated, large flange, sealed bearing IRO hubs topped off with 25mm continental rubber would, forgive the pun, round things off nicely

On the component front, Arty the border collie and I have been stocktaking. We've uncovered a bevy of component beauties including a set of Nitto TT bars, high lustre stem, Ahead adaptor and there’s a choice of On-One Twelfty, Thompson or Campagnolo victory seat posts topped off with a twenty year old Brooks B17 saddle.

Elsewhere, rummaging has unearthed Ritchey copy SPDs, 170mm polished alloy crank set, a Tektro dual pivot brake calliper, choices of half-link or traditional Miche track chains and last but by no means least-an EAI superstar track sprocket. All that’s required now is a UN53 or similar sealed, square taper bottom bracket, a good quality one inch needle roller bearing headset, brake lever and chain tugs…Watch this Space…

Next Week: The Moment of Truth

Restoration, Relaxation and an Unwelcome Ressurection

Since taking delivery of the fabled frameset last Thursday, I have managed to uncover some clues as to its identity.Constructive vandalism courtesy of a wire brush revealed the numbers 3670 with the prefix J or possibly P stamped on the bottom bracket shell. I initially thought it a Hill Special from this era but further investigation suggests it’s a Holdsworth of similar vintage. The forks whilst not original are very fetching and period appropriate. Centre to top, the seat tube measures 23 inches whilst the top tube a more modest 21.5- nigh on perfect for my long in the leg, short in the torso proportions. Having mislaid my micrometer, I’m needing to confer with the previous owner regarding seat tube diameter. Tradition suggests 27.2 but I know of quite a few builders who opted in favour of 27.0 so as to preserve tube-wall thickness.

Sharon (my girlfriend) masterminded colour selection and we’ve entrusted Maldon Shotblasting and Powder Coating with the task of blast cleaning and applying paint code 5012 to its tubes- a slightly different shade to the existing, neatly brush painted Greeves “Mooreland" blue in the photographs. For the uninitiated, Greeves were a highly respected small-scale British manufacturer of trials motorcycles, regarded by many as being ahead of their time before managerial incompetence, more dependable Japanese imports and widespread car ownership sounded the industry’s death knell in the early 1970s.

Joshua now seems convinced Santa will arrive astride a 50’s Road Path Bike sporting studded snow tyres and towing a 4130 cro-moly trailer full of goodies (five year olds are blissfully unaware of the present economic climate!). Followers in North America and cooler European climes will be laughing uncontrollably at the suggestion the UK has snow, let alone cold snaps. Having spent some of my formative years in Utah, I know the true meaning of chill winters- snow chains on cars until late spring, the sound of snow-blowers racing around suburban lawns etc, etc. Here in England, the merest mention of the white stuff grounds the nation and its infrastructure to a resounding halt!

Ignoring the mirth and mockery for a moment, we’ve been chasing through the lanes, I captaining the faithful, geared Univega RTB (wouldn’t manage trailer tugging’ in these parts on a fixed given the gradients) and my young apprentice aboard the single speed tag-a-long. I get some resistance training whilst he indulges in the scenery, a growing passion for cycling and there's usually opportunity for both to reflect upon life in general. In fairness, so long as we regularly brake for cake and something warming he’ll motor up the climbs like the proverbial mountain goat.

Chrome three piece BMX cranks limit scope for pedal upgrades so I might drill the OEM resin units to accommodate clips and straps, providing more efficient power transfer and maybe Santa will have a budget suspension seat post in his trailer....

Four miles across the water stands the now decommissioned Bradwell Power Station being the UK’s first phase one nuclear power plant constructed in 1963. The location was chosen given the sea effected cooling for the reactors. My late grandfather was one of a team of highly skilled welders who fabricated the Magnox unit. His initial excitement at being chosen for the project soon turned to guilt upon uncovering how potentially lethal the technology was.

Towards the end of his life and despite crippling illness, he revealed how they were building to a maximum design life of twenty five years. The notorious Magnox reactor had been in continuous service for considerably longer before the official decommissioning in 2002, courting further controversy when Nyrex proposed a nuclear waste dump at the site some sixteen years previously.

Local protests saw the project shelved but the regret of not putting down the torch, turning off the shielding gas and walking away tormented my grandfather until his death in 1998.

Once again, the site is being earmarked by the nuclear industry for new generation reactor despite mounting local opposition. It is widely acknowledged that fossil fuels cannot last indefinitely; neither should they be depleted to the point of exhaustion.

However, nuclear energy opens a real Pandora’s Box- as Three Mile Island and Chernobyl clearly illustrate. There are many alternatives but it would appear once more, the commercial interests of the few are riding roughshod over the welfare of millions.