I should have been out buying packing materials for the Marinated Marinoni today, but I had to make an unscheduled dash out the door this afternoon to make sure I didn't miss out on some other pre-marinated goodness. Ad was up for three days, and by some miracle, the first person who was supposed to pick it up was a no-show - for once, a flaky buyer working in my favor instead of wasting my time
The last time I was offered a Moulton was via fellow forum member
Chris_in_Miami, but his Raleigh-produced Mk.III was just a bit later than the Mk.I or II that tickled my fancy. I particularly wished to dig up something similar to the one
clubman frequently posts, and it looks as if my wishes were finally granted:
This is a '65 (FW hub is dated January 1965), US-spec model, one of the 5,000 (claimed production #, no idea where that number comes from and whether it's true or not) imported between '64-'65 and sold by Huffy here in the States. There's a small oval "Huffy" sticker that disgraces the seattube.
While I've had as many Raleigh Twenties as underwear for the week, I've
never ridden, much less seen a Moulton in person, and it's the first bike in a long time to be genuinely tickling my curiosity (and I'm hoping I won't regret the proverbial "meet with the hero").
First impression is that its long wheelbase - which seems longer than the Twenty, though the 16" tires might have something to do with it - means it still manages to be just under a foot of the Gitane TdF that it's parked next to at the moment. Not quite sure I buy into the "takes up less room than a normal bike" sales pitch, but the smaller wheels do make room for those wonderful racks - the rear of which has been damaged, but should be fixable with a bit of brazing.
Second impression is that the surface rust might just come off with an OA bath, so that's probably soon to come - after I figure out the need for possible reinforcement on the rear forks. (This is one case where the phrase "rear forks" certainly seems more appropriate than "rear triangle.") I'm no lightweight and I hear these crack. Depending on how well (or not) this thing cleans up, I might have it braced regardless.
I
really wanted to try it thing out when I got home, but the BB is completely loose; apparently due to a fixed cup spinning itself out. Plus, the FW hub is gummed up and its wearing its original Dunlop tires and tubes (!). I did manage to get the front inflated to an extent. Rear tire has a big bulge in it, so that's not happening.
Really curious to discover how it rides in comparison to the Twenties. Can't be any worse than that intolerable, contemporary Riese & Müller Birdy BD-1 that I learned to hate so quickly.
-Kurt