Moulton Bicycle Club

BoA 2011 Detail

Dear all members, As most will be aware, the latest Moultoneer is now out.

Unfortunately there is one detail missing from the application form to be sent to Arthur Smith - who to make cheques payable to! We can only apologise for this, please make cheques payable to MOULTON BICYCLE CLUB, not Arthur! Hopefully this has not caused too many problems, quite how such a detail slipped through past our eyes on checking the magazine prior to print I don't know!

One other thing, is there anyone willing to write up this year's club weekend for the next issue? 2/3 pages ideally, I am sure there will be plenty of nice photos flying about to use. Please email me at themoultoneer@yahoo.co.uk if you can help. Apologies and we look forward to a (hopefully) sunny and warm weekend

Meet the manufacturer: Shaun Moulton of Moulton Bicycles | BIKEMINDED

The Moulton is engineered to give the most comfortable and efficient ride, but structurally we like to think that it is a work of art which can be used for super-long distance we have completed Race Across America, speed events the bicycle holds a world speed record and commuting will soak up pot-holes due to its suspension, whilst being able to out-sprint many large-wheeled alternatives and it separates into two halves in less than a minute to go in the boot of a car or take on a train or plane.

via BIKEMINDED | Meet the manufacturer: Shaun Moulton of Moulton Bicycles | BIKEMINDED.

Villiers Velo Ride

By Tim Evans

It was a perfect day for this gentle pootle with friends, the sky was blue and the sun was hot. Twenty of us gathered at Paul Villiers’ workshop at Pier Approach, Gillingham, Kent. In the case of my TSR Rohloff it was a return to the place of its birth. We stoked up on tea, coffee and delicious home made cakes whilst discussing Moultons and also admiring some of Paul’s handbuilt frames; I could be seduced by that curly Hetchins inspired frame with chrome fork ends and beautiful lug work but I can’t think it would ride as well as my TSR.

Unusually there were no F-frames on this ride. The closest was Arthur Smith’s AS1, which is Moulton MK3 frame with AM front forks and AM rear triangle. Pure Moulton and much admired. Ah! what might have been if, 40 years ago, Raleigh had not known the price of everything and the value of nothing. Arthur’s done Lands End to John O’Groats and many other rides on it. Then there was Grace Elliott’s Bridgestone Moulton and an SP Brompton, which owes much to the Moulton MK3.

Eventually Paul called us to order and we set off to ride along the Medway estuary path which had an amazing number of width restrictors to prevent use by unauthorised vehicles or horses. The smell of the sea was lovely. There was a bit of a reference back to Charles Dickens with hulks sitting rotting in the marshes, but no prisoners. Eventually we joined quiet country lanes and arrived at Upchurch with its beautiful 14th century church with its unusual 'candle-snuffer' steeple. Wikipedia says the distinctive shape is believed to have been chosen to serve as a navigational aid for shipping on the River Thames and that in Roman times the village was the site of a community for ex-soldiers who wanted to settle in England.

Next stop was the Three Tuns Pub in Lower Halstow, built in 1468 and with an ale licence since 1764. They’ve changed the barrels many times since then and the hand-pulled Kent ale was in perfect condition. The food was good too. After a leisurely lunch in the garden we cycled back to Villiers Velos for more cake, squash and tea. The track from George Coulouris’ GPS is at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=zdlrwfflzbktckhk. It was a bit of a Garmin ride as well as a Moulton ride with 2 Garmin Edge 605s (both using Open Street Maps free maps) and 2 Edge 800s. George’s pics are here as well http://tinyurl.com/63jssqj. His advice about how to get the best from a Garmin Edge GPS is at http://www.coulouris.net/biking/Garmin605.html.

Stolen Bike Alert

A number of Moulton bicycles have been stolen recently, so all intending buyers should be on the lookout for "bargains" that may not be what they seem. Details of two such thefts below.

Stolen Pylon

Moulton NS Pylon was stolen on the 12th April from outside Islington Town Hall Upper Street London N1 at 6.30-7.30pm.
The theif cut through the rear triangle to release one of the locks leaving the lock, back wheel, and three 1" section of the swingarm.

Moulton New Series Stainless Speed (Pylon)
Reg 004902 (the 4th one made)
See photo
Equipped with campagnolo record gear
Day rack, day bag
Black forks
Note - x2 groves worn on the top front flexitor (from cables)
The front hub is a Hope replacement.
Brookes Swift saddle
swing arm upgraded to the 2006 standard (more lattice work)

Stolen APB
Stolen on 15th April, at approx 1pm in Mill Road, Cambridge.

Unique Moulton APB, burgundy colour, with sidepull brakes.
Threadless fork, no V-brake mounts - this is a factory prototype.
No frame number.
Drop bars with Campagnolo 24 speed Ergopower.
Mudguards.
Thomson in-line seatpost (31.6mm)

This is one of my development bikes and a reward is offered for its safe return.

Any information, please contact me (dan AT moultonbicycles DOT co DOT uk) or
contact Cambridge Police quoting crime no. CF0159450411.

Easy Miles around the Chichester Plain

by Aynsley Brown

On Sunday 27^th March, I attended Arthur Smiths’ Chichester Ride with my AM2.

As advertised, it was an easy ride of 26 miles. Just right for me after a relatively non-cycling winter.

It was a sunny coolish morning. 14 of us gathered at Chichester Station, including Brian Wey, who’d badly broken his wrist at BoA in September last year. This was his first ride after the accident. Good to see him back in the saddle.

We set off on cycle paths and quiet roads out of Chichester, then out through Fishbourne, Bosham Hoe to Bosham.

It was like cycling in the Netherlands. Dead flat. Easy going.

Unfortunately, one of our number at a short stop, discovered that he’d lost his wallet out of an un-zipped pocket. Accompanied by another who knew the route, he cycled back towards our starting point to see if it’d fallen out on the road. A bit further on another of us took a tumble negotiating a not-so-dropped kerb. No great damage done, so we all continued.

Our first stop was at the Bosham Art and Craft Centre for a welcome cuppa. While we were enjoying our teas and coffees, the two who had turned back, rejoined us. The wallet hadn’t fallen out after all; just mis-placed.

On through beautiful countryside via Chidham and Prinsted to Thornham Marina for lunch at Boaters Bar.

The food was good and lots of it! So good, that some of the day’s specials had sold out. I’d blame it on Arthur’s puncture, which delayed us a while. We ate out in glorious sunshine. Not bad for late-March!

After lunch we rode on returning to Chichester via Southbourne and Woodmancote, stopping at the café at Fishbourne’s Roman Palace.

It was a lovely day’s ride, with riders from as far away as Oxfordshire, Surrey and the Isle of Wight.

Arthur’s next Ride in May won’t be as flat – so I’m told. Think I’ll bring the Speedsix!

Aynsley Brown