[Tim Fisher]

Hello, I have a 1965 F frame Moulton. I’ve already added two external gears to the five speed rear hub, getting 10 speed. Steep hills still are a pain. Having already cycled Lands end to John O Groats twice for charity, considering a third for charity on my Moulton. I, not the bike, need to have a front Derailleur, a double or triple, clamped on to the frame.
HELP
Thanks
Tim

[Nigel Page]

Lack of hill climbing of the old F frame gear setup concerns me too.
I spent my summer holidays pushing my Standard up the narrow lanes of Cornwall. Although it was August and I could blackberry my way up past the hedge rows.
Short trips around town it’s OK to stand up on the pedals for a few moments but not on long steady climbs when out on day rides. I’d rather spin than grind.

With a 15 tooth rear sprocket I’ve got about a 30 inch lowest gear but could be much better. I’ve got old legs you know.

The other day I was looking at the new bikes in Go-Outdoors! out door sporting goods mega shop. They have a range of the new popular gravel bike concept. Wider tyres of a mountain bike with drop handle bars. Or are they racer road bikes with fat tyres ? Pretty good bike for bouncing around on our local town’s potholed streets.

These bikes by Compass where surprisingly light with their aluminium frames made with fat aluminum tubes of around 2 inch or 40 mm diameter. Roughly the same circumference as the saddle tube of an F frame Moulton.

So thinking back the basic brand front derailleur clamp could be persuaded to fit around the oval tube of the Moulton. Compass probably use the economy range from Shimano, so are steel which is usually easy enough to bend, persuade or cold form to the new shape ?

All this from memory though I was meant to be shopping for a new tyre and waterproof jacket.

Looking at my mountain bike compared to my Moulton front derailleur you need about 4 inches or 80 mm of tube above the top of the largest chain wheel and it seems there’s enough tube available on the F frame to clamp a derailleur on. I’m guessing but such a front derailleur could be transferred to an old F with little expense and Shimano quality. Even their basic is good.

How to fit a new crank axle and 3 wheel crank wheel-set is another problem but I see many old bikes fitted with modern square axle and crank sets.

Onward.

• This reply was modified 5 months, 2 weeks ago by Nigel Page.
• This reply was modified 5 months, 2 weeks ago by Nigel Page.

[Danny Neumann]

Nigel, I have a front derailleur set-up on both my F-frames but in both cases I had a derailleur mount brazed on by my friendly local frame-builder. Both bikes run a front triple (56-42-32 on the touring bike and 60-46-32 on the road bike) and a Shimano Sora derailleur. Because of the slope of the chain on an F-frame, the derailleur needs to be angled back more than on a conventional frame and in fact I used a little wedge-shaped shim on one of them (these are available as standard accessories from bike shops) to get enough angle.
Good luck with the clamp-on project. Depending on your model of F-frame, the tube may be oval rather than circular in section?
Danny

[NeillSlater]

fitting a front mech to a series I or II F-Frame Can be done..however,its Not recommended..if you closely examine the series I and II F-frame you will see that the front chainring sits perilously close to the frame..that means there is precious little room for additional chainrings..in addition,once the chain goes lower than the big chainring its highly likely to strike/scrape the frame..its much better to fit a front mech to a Moulton MKIII F-Frame.what is much easier for a series I or II F-Frame is to fit an 11 speed Shimano Alfine or 14 Speed Rohloff SPEEHUB in the rear wheel..this Will give you the low gears and a decent enough top end into the bargain..all at the twist of the wrist..

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