J. A. Holland Track

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  • My first thread on the forum: Here's me my newest project, which is actually quite close to some closure already.

    Frame was kindly shipped for me to Finland by rogan and it arrived on Monday.

    For now I'm waiting for my beautiful 135mm Cinelli A1 to arrive from the States.. Then strip the black anodization off the bar and that'll be pretty much it on the cockpit.

    When the crusty old turbo wears out completely, I'll replace it with the lovely Rolls I bough today. A brown one with queer texture, can't imagine a saddle that would suit this build much better.

    Still need to find a front wheel for the winter, for the rear I have a somewhat light bulk one. Thanks to the 27"(?) clearances, I'll be able to fit proper tires to push trough the snow.

    Looking for a decent chainring and maybe some better fitting pedals – I do like the straps tho.

    Current setup:

    J.A. Holland track 55 cm x 52 cm
    Turbo – No name aero seatpost
    ITM scatto – Pro low rise – Brand-X Lock On – Shimano 600 headset
    Shimano 600 road cranks 170mm x Eightinch 46t – Campagnolo Veloce 111mm – Restraps – Dumpster dived Wellgos
    No name 16t – Campagnolo Record – DT swiss – Mavic Open Pro – Specialized All Condition
    Campagnolo Record road – DT Swiss – Mavic Open Pro – Vittoria Zaffiro Pro tech

    Everything besides the grips and straps are second hand.

    http://koti.mbnet.fi/arrogant/z/ja-holland.jpg

    The chainline, straight enough to my tolerance..

    http://koti.mbnet.fi/arrogant/z/drivetrain.jpg

  • Glad you got rid of the ugly black headset :D

    Lookin nice!

  • Perfect rat bike that, good job

  • This lovely piece of aluminum was waiting in my corridor today.

    135mm Cinelli A1 & the riser now sanded.

  • That frame and forks was my father in laws he raced track on it then it just became his work bike to commute to and from his job at Rolls Royce until he retired in march this year funny to see that it's travelled all the way to Finland, when he sold it as a complete bike it didn't have that damage to the paint around the seat tube, and as I remember he didn't get a lot of money for it

  • Cheers, I'm really glad to hear more about the bike's history. Any chance you'd have photos of the bike back in the day when your father in law owned it? Would be nice to see how it was back then.

    Took a new photo on my morning commute today. Now fitted with Schwalbe Active Winter on Ofmega hub DT laced to Mavic 190 FB for front and cheap rear wheel with 18t Euro-Asia and Nokian A1 stud tire.

    http://koti.mbnet.fi/arrogant/z/talviaende.jpg

  • When my father in law bought the frame in 1983 for £20 it was already 30 years old, being a 1953 A.J.Holland,
    It was a frame which could be used for either fixed wheel or gears as it had a rear gear mech hanger attached to the right hand rear track end which my father in law sawed off as he was using it to race on the local velodrome track and didn't want to look silly, it also had eyelets along the top tube that he also removed ( if you look closely you will see where they have been removed as there are some dents across the top tube) that's why the rear bridge is drilled for a brake. The frame is made from Reynolds 531 tubing not virus as the sticker indicates,
    Also there is extensive corrosion on the right hand chain stay where it meets the bottom bracket. My father in law says the burn marks on the frame must be where the person who bought it from him tried to remove the seat pillar and headset bearings. My father in law sold it to presumably the person who sold it to you about 6 months ago as a complete bike for £50, my father in law says he hopes this information helps and is of interest to you.

  • Interesting, I bought it for £150 off a guy about 5 months ago who said he bought it for £200, seems he swindled me! i sold it on for what i bought it to Juho!

  • It was a frame which could be used for either fixed wheel or gears as it had a rear gear mech hanger attached to the right hand rear track end which my father in law sawed off as he was using it to race on the local velodrome track and didn't want to look silly,

    your father has a soul of a true HHSB-er!

  • your father has a soul of a true HHSB-er!

    What's a HHSBer? And it's my father in law not my father ;-)

  • Interesting, I bought it for £150 off a guy about 5 months ago who said he bought it for £200, seems he swindled me! i sold it on for what i bought it to Juho!

    Looks like he swindled you a little bit, but the guy that bought it off my father-in-law was a bit of a dealer apparently he puts wanted ads in the local press all over the uk and then waits for replies and drives around picking up all the bikes, it might have cost him £200 factoring in fuel for his trip to Nottingham to collect it.
    My father-in-law only stumbled upon his old frame for sale on this very forum while looking online at fixed wheel frames for sale(he's retired has lots of time on his hands I'm not sure he wants another frame I think it was just for fun) I came on just to give a bit of background info on the history of the bike my father in law isn't really one for going on forums(he's not too keen on typing) its nice to see the old frame (of the work bike)that was always leaning on the wall of the kitchen of my wife's mum and dads house all those years (while I was courting her) still being used

  • HHSBer is somebody who puts looks over performance, that was a joke but you can get the reference from here

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J. A. Holland Track

Posted by Avatar for juho @juho

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