55.5cm Holdsworth Vintage British Road Bike Frame

55.5cm Holdsworth Vintage British Road Bike FrameOriginal vintage frame built in the 1980s Lightweight for the era just 2. 8 kg Suitable for historic cycling events such as L'Eroica Thoroughly checked over & photographed in detail Worldwide shipping Holdsworth started as a side project by William Frank (Sandy) Holdsworth in the late 1920s after he bought a bike shop in Putney and asked his brother in law to run it. The business did very well and by the end of the 1930s had three more shops. With a

✓ Original vintage frame - built in the 1980s
✓ Lightweight for the era - just 2.8 kg
✓ Suitable for historic cycling events such as L'Eroica
✓ Thoroughly checked over & photographed in detail
✓ Worldwide shipping

Holdsworth started as a side project by William Frank (Sandy) Holdsworth in the late 1920s after he bought a bike shop in Putney and asked his brother in law to run it. The business did very well and by the end of the 1930s had three more shops. With a reputation already for providing excellent cycling clothing, the company employed the legendary Bill Hurlow to build frames for them in 1938. In the 50s and 60s Holdsworth bought the business and brands of Freddie Grubb, Claud Butler and Macleans, all famous London builders, but they had become too big to offer the personalised frame-building they were once known for. In the 1970s the company split into two factions and Roy Thame took over the W.F. Holdsworth shop, continuing to build bikes under the Holdsworth brand into the 1990s.

This mid 80s W. F. Holdsworth frame is probably one of the frame only options available at the time and is very well put together. The Reynolds 531 tube set is built with precise lugs and a semi-sloping Haden fork crown, finished in a very dark metallic grey, almost black. The frame has no mudguard eyelets but the clearance is good, it would build into a lively and comfortable every day bike, or of course a classic Eroica build!

If you're taking part in L'Eroica or a similar vintage event, this frame is of the correct age, so you won't be disqualified for being a rule breaker!

The frame's been carefully checked by one of our mechanics to confirm the alignment's correct and there's no damage to the threads. If there are any minor issues worth noting we will do so in the overview section below. Please take a good look at the detailed photos so you can see the cosmetic condition of the frame before you buy.

OVERVIEW

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Era - 1980s
Country - British
Frame Material - Steel
Tubing - Reynolds 531
Weight - 2.82 kg
Stock Code - U-F-R59V

SIZING

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Size Guide* - Medium (Approx 32 1/2" Inside Leg)
Seat Tube (ctc) - 55.5 cm
Top Tube (ctc) - 57 cm
Head Tube - 139 mm
Chainstay Length - 42 cm
Wheelbase - 101 cm

*This is just a guide, not a guarantee the frame will fit as every rider is different. If you're unsure of your size we'd always recommend trying out a bike with similar frame dimensions first.

TECHNICAL INFO

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Rear Spacing - 126 mm
Front Spacing - 96 mm
Seatpost Diameter - 27.2 mm
Wheel Size - 700c/28"
Brake Fixing - External Hex Nut
Brake Drop - 51 mm / 49 mm
Bottom Bracket Thread - English/British/ISO Thread
Headset Thread - Standard ISO (24 TPI - British/Italian)
Headset Stack Height - 38 mm
Fork Crown Race - 26.4 mm (ISO)
Shifter Fittings - Downtube Braze-On
Headtube Internal Diameter - 30.2 mm
Steerer Internal Diameter - 22.2 mm (Standard)

▼SHIPPING, TAXES & RETURNS

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We've been safely sending orders around the world since 2010. There's a handy shipping calculator on the shopping cart page so you can see the cost of postage as soon as you've added it to your basket. Your order will be carefully packed and sent with tracking & insurance, we despatch most orders within 2-3 days but larger items and orders placed before the weekend can take an extra day or two to process.

We accept returns, please notify us within 14 days and ensure the item arrives back with us no later than 30 days after the order was received.

EU Customers – for orders under €150 (excluding shipping), VAT will be collected at checkout, but from 1st July 2026, due to new EU import regulations, there may also be a customs duty payable to the carrier. For orders over €150, all import fees will be payable to the carrier, with nothing collected at checkout.

USA Customers – import fees are now collected at checkout for all orders to the US, so there won’t be any surprise charges when your order arrives.

Other International Customers – local import fees may still apply, charged by your customs office or courier before delivery. These are not collected by us, so please check your local rates before purchasing.

Any applicable fees will appear at checkout.