[David Balkwill]

Well, new, old, member. I sold my last Moulton in 89. Just thinking about buying another one. I wrote a long message and posted it but it hasn’t appeared on the forum so I’m trying again before I write any more.

David

[David Balkwill]

Ah, OK, that worked.

So hello all. I’m an English industrial designer, and obviously aware of the Moulton story from the early days. I found a Speedsix for a friend back in the seventies under a pile of bikes in a second hand shop in Brixton. She loved it. I was looking for some tyres for her and went into Condor cycles in London. Spoke to the owner (Monty Young?) and he said I might be interested in something he had in the cellar. It was very dusty but instantly recognisable. We put some air in the tyres, and I tried it on the pavement and almost fell off it was so unlike anything I had ever ridden. So I became a happy and surprised owner of an S Speed in around 79. I rode it a lot, and took it with me when I moved to Paris. I used to ride in the evenings on the circuit in the bois de Vincennes, getting astonished looks from French cyclists. They would speed up and only talk to me if I was still there after half an hour. I got fit!

It had six gears, although there were marks in the paint where a front changer had been fitted at some time. One problem with this set-up was a tendancy for the chain to jump off the chainring as I changed into top. This of course was always at speed, and the chain would drop onto the road, and on several occasions went under the back tyre, locking the wheel, and leading to a burst tub’. I learned how to make a smooth change, but I ran out of suppliers for the beautiful silk walled tubular tyres, so I had a pair of wheels made with AM rims and tyres.

In 97 I ran into financial problems, and I had to sell the bike. It went to Mr Aoki in Japan, and I have since seen photos of it on exhibition there, looking untouched and identical to the way it was when I used to ride it.

What a bike! Highly strung and nervous, and capable of more than my amateur legs could give. The 531 main tube is so thin you can feel it move if you squeeze it between thumb and fingers. I was always terrified going down hills incase there was metal fatigue, but never actually had any problems.

So I’m looking for a Moulton for my daily commute. I know I won’t find an S Speed, and it’s not really a commuter bike, but if anyone has anything interesting lurking in their cellar, please let me know.

David

[kenneth buttterfield]

Thanks for the info David, that accounts for all six machines supplied to condor in my records…welcome to this forum and I hope you find something suitably sporting…like these on my flickr…ken B
http://www.flickr.com/photos/worksmoulton/

[David Balkwill]

Hello Ken,
So the distant memory I have of somebody telling me there were only six S Speeds might well be Monty Young saying that Condor only had six? The bike had definately been used, with lots of scratches on the paint, and as I said, marks from a front changer. Do you know anything about Condor’s activity at the time? There is an advert for a racing team, so there must have been several riders…

[kenneth buttterfield]

There were indeed six at condors used as sort of “demonstrators” for serious competition cyclists, with a view to forming a Moulton racing team, the raleigh take over stopped this happening.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/worksmoulton/3199681042/in/set-72157612078356866

ken

[David Balkwill]

Yes, that’s the ad I was thinking of.

So where do I go to find a good bike for sale? eBay and Gumtree of course, but there must be other adverts somewhere?

Options are to use an old F frame and fit new wheels and tyres, or to get a more recent bike, I mean AM or later. Prices go up as they get newer and newer, so there must be a reasonable compromise.

[kenneth buttterfield]

The club event at BoA in September would be a good bet?…there are always bikes for sale in the sales tent and outside!..and if not you could try out the new ones?

[David Balkwill]

OK, thanks.

[David Balkwill]

I just bought a Mk3 on eBay. Have to come over to the UK to pick up some things fairly soon, so I should be riding before it gets too hot!
Now I need to find some good wheels, and sort out cranks, chainwheel, gears etc.
The Shimano Capreo hubs sounds good on paper. Does anyone have any experience using one?

[kenneth buttterfield]

Well done david, A great choice for a sporting moulton, I have done many miles on the mk3 and find the short wheelbase and ease of mods very good….sorry no knowledge of capreo…might not be cheap tho’…?…your choice of rims will be 17″ or16″ with the modern high pressure tyres fitted…..chainwheels are available from HPV type places?..ken

[David Balkwill]

Thanks Ken, 17″ it will be I think. The Capreo option with the small sprockets means the chainwheel doesn’t have to be as big, so availability becomes easier there. In fact for this shortish commute, I could probably get away with a single gear, but then there are windy days, and I may well find some time for riding other than getting to work.
Somebody asked about getting tubs made next to one of your photos. Was that you? I remember thinking the same thing when I had the S Speed. There must be some moulds somewhere, and there must be a factory making standard tubs who know how to do it. In fact once the tread is moulded onto the fabric, the rest is just stitching carefully. You get good at it mending punctures. I had tubs from Vittoria I remember, “juniores seta” and “inperforabile”. The silk ones were incredibly thin.
I see a cotterless bottom bracket axle for sale for the Mk3 on eBay. Is this something I should jump on?
David

[kenneth buttterfield]

I think that it was me asking about tubs, but since then I have commisioned a batch from a world known maker and should be arriving soon, so my first go on tubs then!
As for axle ..not sure …is it the right length?..ken

[David Balkwill]

Wow, brave man ! Do you already have a waiting list of people wanting these ?

The Capreo hub information I have found says
“It comes set up for 135 mm spacing, but the left side of the axle has two removable spacing washers, one of which is 4 mm and the other 8 mm thick. By removing spacers and trimming the axle, this hub could easily be adapted to other spacings, though this would result in a wheel with more dish”.
The Sturmey archer fits a 116mm spacing, so this should work OK, well it’s within a few mm.

The bottom bracket axle for sale is described as a special part made for the Mk3 so you can fit cotterless craks, so it must be the right length and avoids the need to change the cups with the Raleigh threads… But tell me what you know since you’ve already done this.

David

[David Balkwill]

Next question, are these rims any good ?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PAIR-17-inch-369-20-24H-SILVER-DOUBLE-WALL-ALLOY-RIMS-MOULTON-/270964884963?pt=UK_sportsleisure_cycling_bikeparts_SR&hash=item3f16c405e3

[David Balkwill]

And another question, do the 32-349 tyres fit on the standard 16 inch steel rims ?

Thanks

David

[kenneth buttterfield]

16″x1 3/8″ is 32-349 and is right for moultons using the 16″ steel rims…remember the modern ones can use higher pressures to give less rolling resistance…ken

[David Balkwill]

Thanks Ken, that’s exactly why I was asking. I probably won’t change anythng else other than the tyres to start with, and if I get into the swing of things and use it on a more or less daily basis, then I’ll upgrade to some lighter wheels and more efficient transmission. Anyway, one thing at a time.
David

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