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We would like to draw our members’ attention to a scam which very nearly lost a member a large amount of money when trying to sell his expensive bike.
A person (calling himself Chris Turner, allegedly based in France)) contacted the seller to say he wished to buy the bike he had for sale. He was happy to pay the full price. He asked a favour. He would send a cheque for more than the amount for the bike, the surplus to be forwarded to his courier. The surplus was quite large but the buyer explained this was because the courier was going to do a large amount of work for him. The courier was based in Ireland.
The cheque arrived for the purchase of the bike and was paid into the seller’s bank. However, the seller’s bank wouldn’t accept it as it was in euros! A stroke of luck!

The seller of the bike then learnt through a friend, that the same person (Chris Turner) had bought a tandem from a member of the ‘Tandem Bicycle Club.’ This person had been scammed out of nearly £6,000.00!!!

‘Chris Turner’ is not a member of the MBC, so how did he get the information re the sale? It transpires that the seller also put the bike on another organisation’s website with no log-in requirements. The likelihood is that the scammer saw it advertised there. Our sales can only be accessed by members who need to sign in. 

Without going into complex details, the scam revolves around the buyer’s cheque bouncing!

Please be mindful when selling a bike.

Robert and Clive invite you to participate in a genteel soiree around Richmond Park, the largest of London's Royal Parks.

Can't help it about the shape my Moulton’s in, can't pedal, I ain't pretty and my tyres are thin

Don't ask me what I think of yours, might not give the answer that will bring applause!

No matter the state of your F-Frame, be it virginal, restored, or ‘age-worn,’ bring it along to this special ride to celebrate the life of Michael Woolf.

Meet at Roehampton Gate Car Park to set off at 11:00 A.M.
The ride is at a very leisurely pace of about 12 miles in length, mainly off road, following the park’s Tamsin Trail.
It is ideal for those who prefer a gentle amble on their F frames. There is one optional hill!
There are plenty of refreshment stops and places of interest, with a picnic close to Pembroke Lodge.
Bring food or buy snacks at the Pembroke Lodge Kiosk nearby.
The event ends at the Roehampton Gate Tea Room and disperses by about 3pm.
Looking forward to seeing you there.

Robert & Clive

When: Saturday 22nd April from 09:30 to 12:30 & Sunday 23rd morning.

Where: The Moulton Bicycle Company,
Holt Road, Bradford–on-Avon, BA15 1AH

Why is it so late in the month? We normally try to arrange this event on the weekend closest to Alex Moulton’s birthday, 9th April but this year, that’s Easter Sunday.

Local accommodation & traffic would be more difficult over Easter. Similarly for the following weekend, due to the school holidays.

The Club Committee agreed that it would be held on the weekend of 22nd & 23rd. The following weekend is another bank holiday in England.

A footnote – This is a ‘Club Members Only’ event.

In previous years we have offered a weekend membership to newcomers to sample our event. We have been strongly advised to stop this.

His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs sees this practice as an abuse of our Mutual Association status.
They are clamping down on organisations offering this temporary membership. Entrants will have to have full annual membership only from now on.

We remember the passing of Michael Woolf, a year ago today. He was a leading light with Moulton enthusiasts and many of us will remember the help he gave us in keeping our Moultons on the road.

He learnt to cycle on a Moulton Deluxe in the mid 60s and managed to acquire a rather second-hand one with wobbly steering bearings in the mid 70s.  His quest for replacement bearings led him to Alex Moulton and new bearings were forthcoming.

His invitation to The Hall to show his ‘preserved’ F-frame led to his creation of Moulton Preservation, when he was told that there was no (then) existing preservation group.

A chance meeting with Mark Ottaway, Sunday Times Travel Writer and a Moulton rider himself, led to an article in that paper in 1980.

Many letters poured in from Moulton owners who wanted help for their much-loved machines off-the-road for want of unavailable Moulton-unique parts. Michael sent a list of “problem spares” to The Hall and remaining stocks were made available to him.

One of those letters came from Tony Hadland. This led to Tony’s writing of ‘The Moulton Bicycle’, a book about the original F-Frame design launched in November 1962 at the Cycle Show at Earls Court in London. 

Alex Moulton requested Michael to re-shape the ailing Moulton Bicycle Club and with Tony Hadland as magazine editor, the Club began its resurgence.

Michael was the guiding heartbeat of the Moulton Bicycle Club for many years. We miss his enthusiasm and dedication to the world of Moultoneering.