Moulton

[petitpal]

I was getting my stripped XT crank thread sorted out (for my daughter's Hardrock) yesterday by a local guy in Redditch - Doug Pinkerton. Found him by accident on Google but turned out to be a genuinely nice guy with a deeply interesting workshop full of lovely things (mainly bent and waiting to be fixed!). First thing he dragged out was a Moulton - which I'd never heard of or seen before. Looked a little like the attached (although not this model).

First thing I noticed was the frame. Then the full suspension :shock:

Reading around a bit it seems as though these things had full suspension back in the early 60s and that they launched an MTB version in '88 (AM ATB). I'm not remotely entering into the 'who invented what about mountain biking' debate - I largely don't care, I'm just happy it's here and hooray for those wonderful repack dudes.

I just thought I'd share the bike and company, in case anyone else hadn't seen them either. Also interested if anyone on here has one and what they ride like off road - especially in an era when wheels are getting bigger!

Apparently they're still in production as well: http://www.moultonbicycles.co.uk/

(Call me weird... but I like it )

 

[xerxes]

Re:

When I was a teenager and a member of a road cycling club, we would go to time trial events and the occassional oddball would turn up and ride on a Moulton kitted out with drop bars and a massive chainring to get a high enough gear with the tiny 20" wheels.

I've never ridden one, but they look like fun.

 

[petitpal]

They do look like a laugh yep - I think they come in 16 and 20 wheels? 20 I could live with (bmx boy) but 16 seems tiny!

 

[danson67]

There was a cheaper version, the APB, branded and made under licence by Pashley.
Also a Land Rover badged one.

All the best,

 

[The History Man]

Always fancied one for the engineering. Something attractive.

 

[Joe_Rides]

Re:

They're a cool thing but pretty sought after and expensive hence I've never tried to buy one!

Alex Moulton rides & talks about one on this programme (which is a gem by the way);

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0QjhGr73Ns

 

[petitpal]

Beautiful link - thank you. Lovely to see those old guys building in their workshop. (For anyone interested specifically in Moulton - they kick in after about 39 minutes)

 

[Racin'snake]

Re: Re:

They're a cool thing but pretty sought after and expensive hence I've never tried to buy one!

Alex Moulton rides & talks about one on this programme (which is a gem by the way);

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0QjhGr73Ns

that is a great link indeed.... a very interesting hour, thankyou

 

[Kell]

As a Brompton owner, and a member of 'other forums' dedicated to folding bikes, Moultons crop up quite a lot. Mainly because people think they're folding bikes, but they're not. They're bikes that you can disassemble rather than fold.

I know there was a guy I'd see regularly at Marylebone with one, and he was clearly getting away with putting on rush hour trains as most people thought it was a folder.

Funnily enough, not seen one in ages, but then saw a guy absolutely tanking one round Marble Arch this morning.

 

[petitpal]

History of them is interesting - and oddly very British! Hadn't realised they even existed until I saw one last week - let alone that Moulton was invented hydrolastic suspension (amongst many other things)