Holdsworth was founded in London, England in 1927 by William Frank “Sandy” Holdsworth. The company would become one of the most famous names in British cycling. Known for making high quality road bikes.
It started when Sandy Holdsworth bought Ashlone Cycle Works. The shop was located at 132 Lower Richmond Rd. Some frame building started in a shed in the back, but didn’t really pick up till frame-builder Bill Hurlow was hired in 1938.
In the 1950s and 60s they acquired Freddy Grubb, Claud Butler, and Macleans brands. Roy Thame was hired in 1953, and he established a professional racing team that they co-sponsored with Campagnolo. Holdsworth had the rights to distribute Campy in the UK.
Sandy Holdsworth died in 1961, but his wife Margaret continued the company until her death in the 1970s when Roy Thame inherited the retail side of the company, W.F. Holdsworth. The Holdsworth family owned the rights to the wholesale and mass-productions side.
In 1987 the family sold to Elswick who would sell the company to Planet X in 2013. Planet X now offers Holdsworth bikes.
Models
Avanti – mid-level road bike
Elan – mid-level road bike
Lady Mistral – high quality ladies touring bike
Mistral –high quality touring bike
Professional – top of the line road bike
Tornado – one of their earlier models
Photo Gallery
1981 Holdsworth Professional
Really nice example of a Holdsworth professional with Campagnolo components.
Frugal Average Bicyclist 
My brother has a Holdsworth Mistral from (I think) the early 70s. My neighbor was a bike racer in the 60s and has two Professionals that he kept. There is a shop near me that has a new frameset from the 80s if you want one. Never built up, but it’s a size 58cm, so you’d need to be tall.
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That sounds really neat, but not my size. You find the Holdsworrh quality is up there with the other brands of the time?
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To the best of my knowledge, they were up there with the other bigger makers in France and Italy. England was also home to some individual framebuilders like Bob Jackson, Ron Cooper, and Jack Taylor.
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Nice post. You must have a huge stable of vintage bikes to play with based on your blog postings. Must be difficult, though, to source parts for these bikes. I know Ebay is a great place for vintage stuff. That’s the only place where I’ve seen them listed, especially the old Campy stuff. But the rumor is that the old Campy stuff supposedly still works efficiently. Can’t comment on old Shimano stuff. I would assume it doesn’t hold up as well over time.
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Thank you. I’ve made friends with lots of people with lots of bikes. eBay can be expensive, but lots there.
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I can attest to the fact that my Shimano 600 and Deore XT from 1988 both still work fine.
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That’s great to know. New bikes have become exorbitantly expensive as well as replacement parts, and just like every other business, the cycling industry likes to push the latest and greatest releases as the best ever. I must admit, I was sucked into that mindset for a while. Truth is, if you maintain your bike on a regular basis and treat it like a queen, you’ll be continually rewarded with years of reliable riding fun.
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