Open Discussion Group

Greetings Members! (16 posts)

  • Profile picture of Ian Spencer Ian Spencer said 1 year, 2 months ago:

    Hi,

    I’m Ian from the USA. I finally joined the club and wanted to introduce myself. My first Moulton experience was as a boy with my grandfathers 4 speed model. I still own this bike today and have preserved it in it’s original condition. I’ve been buying and restoring Moulton F frames and have about 13 bikes in my collection. Hopefully I’ll be able to make it to BOA in September.

    Ian

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  • Profile picture of kenneth buttterfield kenneth buttterfield said 1 year, 2 months ago:

    Welcome aboard Ian…Hope to meet up at BoA…you will be amazed…ken

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  • Profile picture of Tom Esslemont Tom Esslemont said 1 year, 2 months ago:

    Hi Ian,

    Welcome to the club, thought I would say hello, hope to see you at BoA in September.. This year will be an extra special one, plenty of F frames hopefully!! I am good friends with Moultoneers Ken and Paul Butterfield. It was Ken who got me into these bicycles in the first place! Looks like you have caught the bug too… 13 bikes, you’re doing well!!

    Tom

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  • Profile picture of Ian Spencer Ian Spencer said 1 year, 2 months ago:

    Thanks Tom… yep, I’ve got the bug! Both Ken and Paul have been very helpful to me and I’ve enjoyed getting to know them. They are both incredibly knowledgable.

    The pride of my collection is my grandfathers Huffy 4 speed. His store was a Huffy distributor and he bought the bike new in 1965. He kept the bike at his lake house, so it didn’t see much use during it’s life time. The bike is still unrestored and has both the front and rear wicker baskets. Pretty rare find in this condition. I’m also working on a speedsix, as well as a couple other special projects… Has Paul shared them with you?

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  • Profile picture of Tom Esslemont Tom Esslemont said 1 year, 2 months ago:

    Hi Ian…

    Congrats on the Huffy, they look nice bikes. Nice neat frames and lovely in that colour. I bet it is nice to have a bike with a family link, too. I am sure your grandfather would be very happy to know it is much admired. Paul mentioned you were busy working on projects! Glad you found a Speedsix, I too am working on a couple of projects at the moment……Thanks for your comments on the safari.

    Tom

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  • Profile picture of Ian Spencer Ian Spencer said 1 year, 2 months ago:

    Sure thing, it’s truly a wonderful bike. I’ll get a speedsix build thread going on here soon. Not sure how Ken is posting pictures… Ken, are you using direct HTML code to link your pics, or are you using BB code?

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  • Profile picture of kenneth buttterfield kenneth buttterfield said 1 year, 2 months ago:

    While we are on projects…I have been putting together parts for another moulton speed, the whole thing is based on a new old shop stock frame (they dont come more original than that?) in colorado red.
    I bought a nice set of wheels with fully refurbed SA 4 speed hub and some immaculate NOS? chrome guards…rear rack situation solved and I have a rechromed speed stem and some bit and piecesto finish…if I really want to go for it then I need the appropriate speed saddle…Tom do you remember that speed that I bought at Barton village hall and sold to you? Well I bought it because I loved that saddle!…looks better than the speedsix version?
    The bike now graces the Moulton Bicycle Company office wall at BoA now of course due to your sympathetic rebuild….If only you could have foreseen how it would change your life..Moultons have a way of doing that…ken

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  • Profile picture of Tom Esslemont Tom Esslemont said 1 year, 2 months ago:

    …yeah Ken! that bike was a gem, a real nice one to ride, too. I had many an enjoyable day out on that one, all credit is due to you for getting me into all this, I have always liked bicycles but one look at that pale grey standard you built years back started the small wheels turning for me…

    The bike has perhaps ended up in the best place, displayed for others to enjoy.. much more deserved that it’s Kirkby origins!

    The speed will always be one of my faves for that reason, a simple very basic bike… transformed with the additions of a few sporting extras.. No doubt this helped the incredible sales success of the bike in the sixties? there is a nice one on Ebay at the moment.. looks like it will do well price wise too?

    Tom

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  • Profile picture of kenneth buttterfield kenneth buttterfield said 1 year, 2 months ago:

    The pale grey standard, Now that takes me back..the bike was painted in 2Pack in someones garage, he only had one mask so I wore it as he sprayed..I still have pics of all the bits painted and in the boot/trunk of my car, must get them out.
    I sold the bike to a member of the moke club who wanted to partexchange a moulton in rough condition, and I mean rough…I nearly left it in a hedge!
    I hung the hulk up in the back of my garage for years, and then decided to have a closer look, imagine my delight when I found it was Bradford stamped ie eight neat digits.
    Always look for this on a Moulton as they are of a much superior quality…ken

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  • Profile picture of Alexander Johnston Alexander Johnston said 1 year, 2 months ago:

    Ken, not everyone would agree with you .
    Brian Perkins who knows a thing or two about Moultons has said “This rubbish about Kirby frames gets my goat. This is just BoA snobbery. The ratio of surviving Kirby frames to Bradford must be fifty to one. I have never seen a bottom bracket snap off….”
    Of course it is generally accepted that the best-made vintage Moulton bikes were made by Raleigh.
    Alex

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  • Profile picture of Ian Spencer Ian Spencer said 1 year, 2 months ago:

    Hi Alexander, nice to meet you.

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  • Profile picture of Alexander Johnston Alexander Johnston said 1 year, 2 months ago:

    Hello Ian, nice to “meet” you too.
    As Tom says there is a nice Speed on Ebay at the moment ( 280856764474) which has had 10 bids and reached £300 with 2 days to go.
    However all the bids seem to be from the same person.
    Alex

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  • Profile picture of Ian Spencer Ian Spencer said 1 year, 2 months ago:

    Yep. funny how words like “meet” have an entirely new perspective in this electronic world. I’m doing my best to make things fall into place for a visit to BOA this September to actually “meet” as many of you as I can in person. It’s been a little lonely here in the United States as very few people in this country even know what a Moulton is.

    I started a new topic to discuss frame differences between BOA and Kirkby. This is a very interesting discussion to me and though I would steer it away from my “greetings” thread in order to keep it on topic. Could you and Ken jump over to that topic and share some of your observations regarding these frames so I can learn more? Thanks!

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  • Profile picture of Alexander Johnston Alexander Johnston said 1 year, 2 months ago:

    Not many know what a Moulton is in the UK. I bought my first Moulton 2 years ago without ever knowingly having seen one.
    Ken is the expert with a very impressive collection.
    Alex

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  • Profile picture of Ian Spencer Ian Spencer said 1 year, 2 months ago:

    Yes, I’m starting to understand that. It’s funny really, I have visions of everyone in the UK riding their Moulton’s to work everyday… lol! Silly me!

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