Tag: alex moulton

Bridgestone Prototype Suspension

This picture shows Alex Moulton on a special Bridgestone Moulton. Two things stand out - firstly, the parallel wishbone stem and Mosquito handlebars. Standard issue on the Double Pylon, but I have never seen them on a Bridgestone before.

The second and more interesting feature is the suspension. Instead of the usual telescopic suspension, this bike features a hybrid unit - a flexitor system at the top and leading links at the bottom.

The flexitor assembly looks very similar to that fitted to the New Series / Double Pylon. The leading links are much larger than those fitted to the ATB/APB/TSR, due to the larger distance between the fixed forks.

Will this make it into production? Who knows?!

Picture from: http://moulton.egloos.com/

Overtaking Boris

Was it a Moulton that overtook Boris Johnson on an evening in February 2006?

The other night a woman overtook me on her bike on the climb up to Islington. Nothing unusual about that, except that her wheels were only the size of soup plates. How was it possible that the revolutions of her tiny wheels could cover the ground more quickly than my huge wheels, when as far as I could see our feet were pumping up and down at the same sort of rate. I gazed at her retreating form with the baffled awe of a tribesman seeing his first aeroplane. Was it an optical illusion? Was it the gears? Not for the first time, I wished I understood physics properly. Is it true that a clock loses weight as the spring unwinds? Does a boat really go more quickly through cold water than hot water? The worrying thing is that the nation of Newton and Faraday is becoming almost as ignorant as me. Over the past ten years the number of students taking A-level physics has fallen from 45,000 to 30,000, and the number of university physics departments has fallen by a third. It is madness, not least since physics graduates are the best paid of all.

One week after the article was published in the Spectator, the letters to the editor contained the following:

Sir: I was surprised to read that Boris Johnson, as a cyclist and historian, had not pondered on what had allowed the reduction of wheel size from the ordinary 'penny-farthing' with the crank drive to that of the conventional bicycle which he no doubt rides (Diary, 11 February). It is, of course, the chain drive with the larger chainwheel at the crank and a smaller sprocket at the hub which enables the revolution of the cranks to be independent of wheel size. The Starley 'Safety' incorporated this. Lord Hailsham was probably the first parliamentarian to enjoy the benefits of the yet further reduction of wheel size with the Moulton bicycle.

He acquired this in 1964.

The letter was signed Alex Moulton.

Hydrolastic Suspension

The Moulton Hydrolastic suspension was first featured in the Morris 1100. This photo shows Alex Moulton with Alec Issigonis, who famously designed the Mini, at the lauch of the 1100 in 1962.

In the background, is a chart detailing the design of the Hydrolastic suspension unit.

The Hydrolastic was a rubber suspension unit with integrated fluid damping. It was important for two reasons. Firstly, whereas a conventional suspension used separate springs and dampers, the Hydrolastic combined the two, thus saving space.

Secondly, the front and rear units were interconnected by a small diameter pipe, to reduce the tendency of a car to pitch when it went over a bump.

The Hydrolastic suspension was used in several cars from the 1100, to the Rover 100 and Metro. It was originally intended to be featured on the Mini, but wasn't quite ready when the Mini was launched. The first Minis with Hydrolastic suspension were produced in 1964.

A new implementation of the Hydrolastic suspension concept is currently in use in the Moulton New Series bicycle. Here, the fluid damped rubber unit contributes to the ultra smooth suspension.

The stiffness of the rear suspension can be increased for heavier loads, by pumping air into the valve at the rear of the unit. Earlier New Series models also featured a valve on the side of the Hydrolastic unit for adjusting the fluid damping, but this is not a feature of recent models.

Photo credits: Ken Butterfield and Alex Moulton Bicycles.

An Arty Spaceframe

Alex Moulton describes his bicycle concept as the "Advanced Engineering Bicycle".

The "Art Bike" by Thick Bikes, is, as the name suggests is heavy on the Art and, I suspect, light on engineering. I use the word "light" in the metaphorical sense of course, as it weighs in at over 40lbs or 18kgs.

Also, unlike Alex Moulton's bicycles, which are very finely silver or bronze brazed, the Art Bike is rather crudely welded. Still, it is quite spectacular looking and might attract more attention (and just as stealable) as a Moulton.

More on Velospace

The Spaceframe Moultons

If "The Moulton Bicycle" by Tony Hadland is the bible for F-frame Moultons, then "The Spaceframe Moultons" by the same author is the bible for spaceframes.

The book outlines in great detail, how the Moulton concept evolved from the original F-frame into the spaceframe, and contains lots of detail on the design process, and the various prototypes developed along the way. The numerous reproductions of sketches used by Alex Moulton as he refined the concept are fascinating.

Also covered are details of the launch of the AM in 1983, reaction in the media, and detailed specifications of the various models.

The Spaceframe Moultons covers the models produced in the period from 1983 to 1994, and covers the AM, ATB and APB/Pashley ranges, including the AM models produced in stainless steel. There are also chapters on the racing and touring achievements of AM bicycles.

Unfortunately, this book is now out of print, and it's becoming quite difficult to obtain - at least at a reasonable price.

A copy can be bought through Amazon.co.uk, for example, at a cost of £125.92. Copies do appear from time to time through sources like Amazon.co.uk and AbeBooks.co.uk. I bought my copy from Don Swift Books, via AbeBooks for £20.

The best bet may be to order a copy through your local bookshop, who might be able to get a copy through Gardners or another wholesaler.

Happy Hunting!