Moulton Standard.

[Rhythm Thief]

Picked this up tonight. I've sort of wanted one for ages, but every one I've seen on eBay seems to have been way overpriced. This one was £80, is rideable and was a ten minute walk from my house. Result!

 

[Rhythm Thief]

My boss Matt is a keen cyclist himself, but he really doesn't get my penchant for odd bikes. This is his response to the Moulton... 😂

 

[roley poley]

good little work horses on which i took out my mail as a postman for years ...until i cracked the rear trailing forks so donated it to the moulton preservation society ...they went all space frame and pricey losing the utility they once had for a common man like me good luck with it

 

[Rhythm Thief]

Just having a very quick look at it this morning, as it was almost dark when I got it home last night (and I was four beers into my Friday evening). I'm no expert on these, by any stretch, but I think it's a Mk 1. The hub is a four speed and is dated December 1964, and the pedals are pretty worn but I think might be the original items. The brake calipers will be swapped for Weinmann items: original or not, I can't live with those horrible pressed steel things! The rear fork - a weak point on Mk 1 bikes, from what I've read - seems to be ok. There's a bit of play in the headset, but that's easily rebuilt.
I was toying with putting drop bars on this and maybe building wheels to take a cassette and fit it with a derailleur, but the more I look at it the more I think I'll just fettle it a bit and keep it reasonably original. Anyone know where I can get the pedals re-treaded?

 

[Rhythm Thief]

First ride to my local cafe by the river, after a quick and dirty fettle involving fitting the rear rack and tightening up a few things. This thing is an absolute hoot to ride!

 

[biggs682]

Picked this up tonight. I've sort of wanted one for ages, but every one I've seen on eBay seems to have been way overpriced. This one was £80, is rideable and was a ten minute walk from my house. Result!

I fell off one of them 40 + years ago and broke my arm , I was using to ride around a building site at the time

 

[Drago]

Love it!

 

[rogerzilla]

Yes, that's a series 1. The rear fork WILL eventually crack if you ride it and aren't sylph-like (men were on average about 2 stones lighter when this was built).

Is it a Bradford-on-Avon or Kirkby-built bike? The Kirkby ones have a K in front of the serial number or the year on the seat tube, and were built in a Merseyside washing machine factory. They are often quite poorly put together.

 

[dicko]

Nice to see your Moulton. Mine was a Moulton standard bought it in July 1963 from the shop it cost me around £34 brand new. Wish I still had mine.

 

[Rhythm Thief]

Yes, that's a series 1. The rear fork WILL eventually crack if you ride it and aren't sylph-like (men were on average about 2 stones lighter when this was built).

Is it a Bradford-on-Avon or Kirkby-built bike? The Kirkby ones have a K in front of the serial number or the year on the seat tube, and were built in a Merseyside washing machine factory. They are often quite poorly put together.

It's a Kirkby bike. K65 is stamped on one side of the seat tube, which indicates a 1965 build. Which ties in with the date on the rear hub. I am a big heavy lad at over 100kg, so I'm wary of riding the thing any distance! But if I do decide to restore this, I think getting the rear fork strengthened will be a priority.

 

[rogerzilla]

To strengthen them effectively requires stiffening gussets (which are near-invisible from above). Argos have done a couple for me.

 

[Drago]

Yes, that's a series 1. The rear fork WILL eventually crack if you ride it and aren't sylph-like (men were on average about 2 stones lighter when this was built).

Blimey. Men were only 18 stones back then?

Seriously, I'd love one, I think theyre brilliant pieces of design, but I'm a bit North of 270lbs so I know how it would eventually end.

 

[Rhythm Thief]

To strengthen them effectively requires stiffening gussets (which are near-invisible from above). Argos have done a couple for me.

Good to know Argos can do it.

 

[Espresso vecchio]

My brother and I were each given new ones in 1964. Within weeks his forks snapped off at the bottom of the steerer tube...over the handlebars and very significant deep facial scrapes resulted but nothing longterm. In those days no-one dreamt of seeking compensation. After metallurgical examination Moulton provided a new bike within days.

My bike's rear forks eventually cracked underneath after a few years. By then and after so many failures as above, the forks had been completely redesigned and were replaced (free, I think). It lasted 40 years and gave solid service so no real complaints. The design was completely let down by components (rims, brakes, cables, cranks & pedals) of the lowest quality

 

[Rhythm Thief]

My brother and I were each given new ones in 1964. Within weeks his forks snapped off at the bottom of the steerer tube...over the handlebars and very significant deep facial scrapes resulted but nothing longterm. In those days no-one dreamt of seeking compensation. After metallurgical examination Moulton provided a new bike within days.

My bike's rear forks eventually cracked underneath after a few years. By then and after so many failures as above, the forks had been completely redesigned and were replaced (free, I think). It lasted 40 years and gave solid service so no real complaints. The design was completely let down by components (rims, brakes, cables, cranks & pedals) of the lowest quality

Yes, I haven't really decided what to do with this yet, or even whether I'm going to keep it, but if I do keep it I think I'll be upgrading the components. A square taper bottom bracket, aluminium chain set, modern dual pivot brakes and new wheels built around a modern dynohub are all currently on my wish list. I was thinking to keep it as original as possible, but it's nothing particularly rare or special and will be a much more useable bike with a little gentle modernising.