Holdsworth Cyclone De Luxe

 What a beautiful Holdsworth Cyclone De Luxe, with what appears to be bi-laminate lugs, and excellent craftsmanship. The sad thing is that the toptube is rusted out, and that was found after the repaint was striped and little tiny holes became visible under closer inspection. To replace the top is quite a task, one that would probably ruin the lugs, so new ones would have to be fabricated. 


This Cyclone De Luxe was the top of the line model during it's short life(from 1948-1951).

Early 1950s Claud Butler Jubilee Model

Claud Butler was a very popular bicycle manufacturer for many decades. Best known for filet brazed (lugless) frame construction and paradoxically at the same time beautifully ornate 'lugs' on other models using the 'Bilaminate' technique. Bilaminate lugs were basically thin cut sheets of metal that were brazed over a filet brazed frame. One might consider them more as a decoration than an actual structural part of the frame, but of course it is argued that there is a little more stiffing around the joint, but that was not the intial intended purpose. Lugless bicycles at the time were generally regarded as cheap compared to lugged frames, which required more attention and skill.

This bicycle is the Jubilee model and is in mostly original stock condition, minus a few small details. Well one possible major incorrect part is the fork. The fork crown did not look right with the bike when I looked at it in person. The fork crown looks crude, compared to the rest of the bicycle, but the rake looks period for an early 1950s British bicycle and it also has the brazeon for a lamp to be mounted. The seat clamp collar is Italian and of that time period, but not a Claud Butler one. The seatpost and Brooks saddle are also incorrect, both later. One piece I was unsure of was the pedals, they look like 1960s Phillips pedals, but maybe they were also available back in the early 1950s.

It is a very nice example of a period bicycle with original finish that would not take much to turn this bicycle into a Concourse bike.