Moulton Bicycle Aka Bicycle Of The Future Or Suspension Bicycles (1963)

Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire.
Alex Moulton, well-known designer of suspension units for cars, has invented the first bicycle with suspension.
Shots of Moulton riding the bike down country lanes. C/U of prototype bike models. Moulton is shown with another man at a drawing board. Moulton holds bits of the bike against the design.
Shots of different stages of bicycle production in the workshop. Outside the completed bikes are lined up, Moulton and Commercial Manager, David Duffield, are seen testing out the suspension mechanisms. The bike has an adjustable seat and no cross bar so anyone can ride it!
Shots of Wendy Holbrook using the bike to go shopping. A man is shown using the 'stowaway' model - he takes the bike apart and places it in the boot of his car. John Tovey - a Moulton employee - demonstrates the racing version along a country road.
Cuts exists - see separate record.
FILM ID:229.15
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[@Cobwobbler]

I remember seeing a Moulton Mountain bike at a race meet in the 80’s. yellow. Flew.

[@1960malcolm1]

Yes James. It's Bradford on Avon in Wiltshire. I worked there 1963 to '66

[@chunkybuster7203]

I used to race bikes in the late 60's and l remember Moulton had one professional rider. My god you should have seen the enormous chainwheel to compensate for the small wheels!

[@user-kw1kp2sp3o]

Классно, хотелось бы такой!Стильный и удобный,быстрый.

[@whiskywhippet]

Oh dear, I’ll have to bid on that Moulton on eBay now.

[@v8pilot]

I rebuilt a Moulton like those in the 1980's. I built a rear wheel with a 5-speed Sturmey
Archer hub gear. It was a pleasure to ride but the only tyres of the correct size were rated for children's bikes and if you inflated them to more than 35 psi, they rapidly failed.

[@tupmankolanks2638]

I have one of these old Moultons. My dad bought it when I was a kid and my sister and I would ride around on the luggage racks (mine has front and rear racks).
At some point in the last 45 years, it was in a flood up to the hub and the transmission got filled with water and seized up. I took it to a bike shop and they cleaned it, but it sometimes pops out of gear or like goes into neutral (between the gears in a way) when I try to shift. The guy said that's as good as it is going to get because the parts aren't available.
Good to know about the tires. Another reason to not actually try to ride the bike.
It's cool garage art, but it seems like that's about all it is at this point.

[@v8pilot]

@@tupmankolanks2638 With 35 psi the bike is rideable but inflating to a normal pressure such as 60 psi, the tyres (if made for a kid's bike) will rapidly fail.
It should be possible to find a normal bicycle old and in poor condition very cheap with a four speed Sturmey Archer hub gear (if that is what your Moulton has) and then a mechanic who knows SA could swap the innards.
I enjoyed riding my Moulton. About 40 years ago I was member of the Moulton club and enjoyed club rides.

[@davids8449]

Very old idea.......Goes right back to the Autocycle

[@1960malcolm1]

Was that a young David Duffield and Wendy Holbrook/Ward?

[@charlesadams8541]

Yep def The Duff

[@charlesadams8541]

My next door neighbour in Middle Rank, B-on-A

[@1960malcolm1]

@@charlesadams8541 Was that David or Wendy Charles?

[@charlesadams8541]

@@1960malcolm1 David. I aften cycled from B-on-A to Salisbury and back with him pushing me to the limit. Still in touch with his widow - Jackie.. My Dad drove him when he was commentating La Tour one year. When I was 13 David lent me a Pre-production Raleigh MK1 Chopper for three months to get some marketing feedback. I couldn’t cycle for more than half a mile without getting stopped by people in cars and on the street in amazement of its innovation. Still own a Moulton AM7.

[@Liofa73]

50mph? Lol. No.

[@gregtaylor6146]

..... you never been down hill with a following tailwind???

[@astralciaran]

An Alex Moulton AM surpassed 50 mph in 1985.

[@matthewcain2880]

Folding bikes are the future