My First Full Suspension Bike (Not What you Think)

Well, I was leaving for work this morning and there, sat with some other scrap metal was a bike. I'll admit, my first thought was, "Ooh, those wheels might do for my trailer project."

Even I recognised the name Moulton! Then of course the inevitable happened and I thought maybe I can save it instead? The frame looks quite tidy with the rear rim a bit of a shocker and no drive through the Sturmey Archer hub.

So I have a Raleigh made (I think) Moulton MK3 from the early 70s. I'm going to work on it in the loft as the wife isn't impressed with its current position in the kitchen.

Is the 3 speed hub likely to be dead or can they be worked on?

Here's a first pic as found.

I am sure the Raleigh versions had a big bolt on brace for the front end.

looks great though.

The brace was an addon, 'cause some of them broke without it.

ha lol love it. liked moultons premises also from that video ian raleigh showed .

You can probably fix the hub by drowning it in thin oil to free up the insides. There should be a plastic filler plug somewhere around the hub body (between the spokes). If not, you can unscrew the gear change chain and fill it from there. Stick a tablespoon of thin oil in and let it soak, then run it through the gears and it should free up. Most of that oil will find its way back out though - just to warn you!

Looks to me as though you have to much rubbish in your bike store.

its a practical shopper/commuter , just bomb through the pathways and verges down to the local co op ,its nice to see something different and historical

It has now left the kitchen! Cotter pins are out via a socket and a vice. Both cups came out of the bottom bracket and the chain had had an angle grinder (!) set on it and is now soaking in Plus Gas. The front wheel is going to be taken apart but, I am stuck!

Does anyone have one of these bikes? I need to know the size of the nut that secures the bolt that holds the rear suspension to the frame.

It is in a stupidly unreachable place. It seems like it should be 11mm as 12 is too large and 10 too small. I just can't get it to work though.

Does anyone know?

(JM you should have seen the kitchen last Saturday. It was knee deep in wood shavings from the first blade of the half scale aeroplane propeller. My wife is somewhat long suffering).

Iwasgoodonce":2ayyacts said:

Does anyone have one of these bikes? I need to know the size of the nut that secures the bolt that holds the rear suspension to the frame.

It is in a stupidly unreachable place. It seems like it should be 11mm as 12 is too large and 10 too small. I just can't get it to work though.

Click to expand...

If its English and 1970's, won't it be an imperial size?

It was indeed. I figured that this morning and went for the closest imperial size to 11mm. This came out to 7/16 which I didn't have. I then had to drill a hole through the existing hole in order to accommodate the bolt.

I have just emptied the boot in order to find my emergency socket set and behold! A 7/16. I have just got the little monkey out!