Tag: bridgestone

Alex Moulton’s new city bicycle can be ready in an instant

Alex Moulton’s new city bicycle can be ready in an instant.

Inventor Alex Moulton may be 90 years old today, but that did not stop him from launching his latest creation, a new, small-wheeled unisex bicycle.

The Moulton bike, which can be dissembled for ease of transport, is a common sight on London's streets. But today he launched what he described as a radical redesign.

The carbon-framed MDev 90 is a more comfortable, slimline version of the bike which first made his name in 1962.

Its ground-breaking feature is that it can be put together by a dealer, anywhere in the world, in about 20 minutes, rather than cyclists having the usual two-to-three-day wait for the shop to build it.

Speaking at his birthday/launch party in the grounds of his Jacobean manor house in Wiltshire, Dr Moulton told the Evening Standard: “We'll continue to make the frame parts in the UK while exporting the design across the globe.”

He said the MDev 90 will enhance the global reputation of UK manufacturing and prod our next government “to get Britain making things again — something which is absolutely vital”.

Popular versions of his full-suspension bikes are still made by Alex Moulton Bicycles, which is now owned by venerable UK bike maker Pashley famed for its classic university-style cycles, and Bridgestone in Japan.

via Alex Moulton’s new city bicycle can be ready in an instant | Business.

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/

AM Esprit Specification

The website of Alex Moulton Bicycles is now showing the Esprit, complete with specification.

The specification is as follows:

Frame: Manufactured to Moulton specifications, as used on Moulton Double Pylon, for the lightest stiffest frame.
 
Components: Front Rim: Velocity 17" silver 24h Central spoking
  Rear Rim: Velocity 17" silver 24h offset spoking
  Rim Tape: Bridgestone IRC
  Tube: Schwalbe 17" presta valve
  Tyre: Schwalbe 17" Stelvio l00psi high pressure
  Handle Bar Grips: "Grab-On" foam grips
  Mudguards: Alloy polished silver or black
  Saddle: Fiz'ik Aliante Gamma
  Bottom Bracket: Shimano 105
  Crankset: Shimano 105 52/39 t
  Headset: Shimano 105
  Rear Derailleur Shimano 105 Short cage
  Front Derailleur Shimano 105, double changer only
  Chain Shimano 105
  Brakes Shimano BRA 550 long reach
  Rear Hub Capreo 24/32 hole
  Front Hub Capreo 24/32 hole
  Cassette Capreo Cassette. 9, 10, 11, 13, 15, 17, 20, 23, 26/28 teeth
  Handle Bar Stem Kalloy adjustable quill
  Pedals MKS Detachable, flat
  Seat pillar Nitto, diameter 31.6mm, with integral 5mm Allen key for seat pillar and frame separation
  Handle Bars Nitto Drop Bars 380/400mm width or Nitto Mosquito bars.
  Gear Shifters Drop bar Shimano STI 105 or Rapidfire gearshifter with Crane Creek levers.
 
Suspension: Front: AM Stainless Steel leading link with Adjustable damping and preload. Choice of soft, medium or hard coil spring.
  Rear: AM Rubber cone spring. Choice of Standard or hard. High tensile cold drawn seamless 9.5mm tube.

BoA 2007: Demo bikes

After the meeting, members could try out any of the Moulton models.

There were three samples of the Esprit, a Bridgestone, a Double Pylon and an older New Series...

The test track was just too small for the Metro...

This NS had nice narrow flat bars and indexed trigger shifters...

The Double Pylon looks even more exquisite in real life than in any photo you've ever seen...

Two Double Pylons in a corner...

New Style Flexitor unit of the Double Pylon. Having the forks outside the Flexitor unit (instead of inside as with earlier New Series models) gives more steering rake for a more stable ride.

The Demo bike had the softest of the available rubber compounds, so the soft lockout was engaged for demo riders...

Bradford on Avon 2007

I have seen well over a thousand pictures of the BoA event in previous years, and studied them in great detail. So when I arrived for the first time on Saturday, it looked somewhat familiar. But nothing could have prepared me for the magic of actually being there.

Firstly, the sheer scale of the place is massive. Secondly, how many 17th century mansions will one get to camp outside? Fewer still, where the owner will encourage the campers to move further into the garden!

Photo from BOA 2005, by David Sanders

The weather was fantastic - beautiful sunshine for most of Saturday. And it was great to meet lots of people, all of whom shared a passion for Moultons.

Saturday morning was the bring and buy sale. Lots of bargains to be had, and a few bikes changing hands.

The highlight of the weekend was the Saturday afternoon assembly. The organisers called owners of all the models from the very beginning to line up and show off their bikes. Each model was called individually, and most had 3 or 4 examples for show.

Photo from Flickr user Group51uk

The experts, including Alex Moulton himself scrutinised the bikes in great detail and awarded a certificate for the best example of each model. The parade was cut short due to lack of time, so they never got beyond the AM-GT.

New product announcements followed. Highlights include:
- the new Esprit, the new version of the AM.
- framesets available for the Esprit and the Bridgestone
- frameskins and HED wheels.
- Pashley were showing off a few custom colours and finishes
- The superb new large bag for the TSR.
- Two new Moulton books

There was also a few words from a Moultoneer who had just completed Paris Brest Paris on a Pashley Moulton TSR 30.

I will write in much more detail over the next day or two, and post a few pictures.

Until then, there are lots of pictures on the Moulton Bicycle Pool on Flickr