The Moulton Bicycle Company have launched their new website at www.moultonbicycles.co.uk.
It's a very sleek, modern design, which is easy to navigate, and has lots of pretty pictures, including new photography of the bicycle range, and accessories.
The range shows the entire range of bicycles previously under the separate Alex Moulton and Pashley ranges. It also features the AM-GT and AM-Speed "classics". The website states that "these iconic bicycles feature the original Alex Moulton designs, unchanged from their first conception".
Also shown is the Limited Edition Moulton 50 as shown below.
Tag: pylon
Moulton and Pashley to merge under Alex Moulton name
Alex Moulton Bicycles and Pashley are expected to announce that they are to combine their capital, administration and brands into a single company for the production of Moulton Bicycles. The combined company will use the Alex Moulton name. This probably means that there will no longer be a distinction between "Pashley Moulton" and "Alex Moulton".
Production of the bicycles will initially remain unchanged, so the TSR will continue to be made in Stratford-upon-Avon, while the Esprit, New Series and Double Pylon models will continue to be made at Bradford-on-Avon.
A single website will feature the combined range.
Many questions remain, such as:
- does this mean that one can order any Alex Moulton bicycle throughany Pashley dealer.
- will there be any staff redundancies?
- will there be a clean split between the company producing the traditional Pashley range, and the new combined Pashley Moulton/Alex Moulton entity?
- will the premises in Stratford continue to be shared?
- where will new design and development work be done?
Let's hope the official announcement comes soon and we get lots of answers!
Exciting Moulton Announcement This Week?
Alex Moulton Bicycles and Pashley are being very tight lipped, but both confirmed that they will make a big announcement, probably later this week.
The announcement is expected to define how the two companies will work together in the future.
Frame brazing at Alex Moulton Bicycles in Bradford-on-Avon. Photo by Ben Wilson
It is unclear, at this point, whether this means some kind of merger, a joint venture by both companies, or simply, a manufacture under licence agreement.
The APB was the first bicycle produced in cooperation between the two companies. The bicycle was designed by Alex Moulton, who then sought a manufacturer to produce the bicycle under licence using Moulton's tooling. While Raleigh was considered at first, thankfully it was WR Pashley who eventually manufactured the APB at its premises in Stratford-upon-Avon.
Picture: Pashley
The TSR was designed and manufactured by Pashley.
So what is this new partnership likely to involve?
One possibility is that the Esprit could be manufactured by Pashley. From day one, the Esprit was manufactured in a separate unit to the New Series/Pylons and by separate staff, so this could be moved to a different site relatively easily. Also, the hairpin design is more like the APB/TSR and this lends itself to slightly higher volume, lower cost manufacture. Such a deal would be likely to see the Esprit being marketed more agressively than any Bradford built bike, as we have seen with the TSR since it's introduction.
Whatever the announcement, it is likely that we will see more Moulton bicycles rolling out of Pashley's doors in the near future.
Picture: Pashley
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. | |
