Pre 1950s rides of LFGSS: old bikes, vintage rats, classic lightweights

Not strictly eligible as it’s 1960/1 but this is now on the boil.
Question is - best way to remove the headbadge rivets without knackering the bagde. And then, refixing after?

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Do you want to remove it for a respray?

Looks nice btw

Indeed, and thank you!

Just mask it in that case, unless the sprayer you are using is au fait with the process?

Ah, ok. Not sure if I can stretch to getting it done professionally so if it’s rattlecan that’ll do :)

Just buy decent tape and take your time.

BUT - I do like the paint as it is, i think it suits the bike an the components TBH

It’s definitely good from far but far from good! It was originally gold (traces of the old finish are there), quite like the idea of that.

Nice looking Holdsworth. Worth googling the guy who does the frame number register and having the frame number added. He also might know some of its history.

Cheers. The Nik Kilgriff blog?
Have the numbers matching on f&f so wil do that.

This chap I think http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=362572

He contacted me via ebay when I sold my owned from new 1979 Holdsworth Special (sadly too small for me) last year.

Just checked, it was indeed Dave Scrimshaw who contacted me.

Done, cheers

A close-up of the headbadge would help with the rivet question. The Factory used "pop" rivets, which are easy to drill out. Shop frames used a brass spike that was spread inside the head tube, just fatigue those off from the inside.

Ah, they’re pop I think not screws so perhaps I could very carefully drill them out.

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I've drilled out pop rivets on the rear suspension of Moultons. Start small and they should fall apart before you get near the width of the badge hole, just need a steady hand.

a steady hand

Might need to borrow one

not cheap but a very nice proper FH Grubb in Ruislip.

So, I'm thinking with the weather (hopefully) getting better soonish, and being as we haven't done one for an age, anyone up for a lfgss vintage/classic lightweights ride somewhere this spring? I don't really have the time/knowledge/fancy strava-type computer thingy for planning routes but I'm guessing somewhere we can do in a day and get the train back, starting in or near London....? Like the ride we did to Cambridge....Anyone got any ideas. routes etc?

I'm in.

One reason to refresh the Holdsworth I've used last time or finish either the Gillott or the other Holdsworth!

always good to have an excuse too built up a new (old) frame....

In, although haven't ridden much more than my commute since breaking my back.
Looking forward to seeing you all!

you broke your back?
Christ, how?

I could be up for this (that's to say the ride, not the back injury)

One possibility would be to use part of the Hard Day in January route - a Fairly Easy Day in May.

The route is shown in that thread - I can suggest other cafe stops short of Berinsfield according to the taste and strength of who ever turns up. I'm afraid this does involve asking the participants to come to the west of London to start (Staines), but there is a good train service from Waterloo.

All variations of the route will include some climbing, but I think most of the bikes we would be using have variable gears - even if you are going to put your faith in a Simplex Tour de France! If Gino Bartali could win the Tour (1948) using a Cambio Corsa, I'm confident we should be able to manage in the Chilterns with the kit you have been writing about in this thread - although I think we may give the Christmas Common climb a miss.

It seems to me to be desirable to have a route that finishes where it starts, rather than making the use of a train unavoidable.

Let me know what you think.

Well I'm up for this @clubman, the route will certainly be new to me and May sounds like a good shout, I'm assuming a Sunday would work best for everybody ?

Not really across (shudder) the forum these days, but would like to join you all. Could someone tag me when you fix a day?

Also if anyone fancies a weekend shakedown ride beforehand, I’d like to do a Cambridge or Southend route, fixed. Last minute planning more up my street according to forecasts.