Holdsworth Special from sometime in the 80s. 531 frame and fork. Silstar crankset and Suntour front mech. 8-speed Dura-Ace brifters and rear mech. The wheels are Alex DA16s and came courtesy of this forum's 'bobb' (and they are running very nicely, ta bobb).
This has been a project bike for a little while. I bought it off eBay to keep me going (after my old bike got stolen) until the Ride2Work scheme rolled round again. There's nothing particularly 'special' about this bike (by Holdsworth standards) and it does weigh a fair bit, even for steel, but the frame size is good for me and it's a nice comfy ride.
When I bought it, the components were largely original (Universal callipers, suicide levers, 5-speed drivetrain, 27inch wheels with no mudguard clearance, etc) and the guy selling it was obviously something of a purist. That's all very well, but it's a much nicer bike to ride with lighter wheels, 8-speed cassette and STI levers and to be able to put mudguards on when it's raining, so I have no qualms with the upgrades. Other than the crankset, which I'd like to replace with something more modern, I'm very happy with it. Dura-Ace – albeit mid-90s, 8-speed Dura-Ace – may be a bit over-the-top for a commuter, but it shifts like a dream - minimal effort, no fuss, clean every time.
