ttakata73

On the front page of https://www.moultonbicycles.co.uk is this new bike teaser of a modern APB with BMX tires and Vbrakes. People often ask about light offroad duty with folders so maybe this is your future.

Personally the lack of disc brakes bothers me as usual on such an expensive bike. I have a suspicion the thin tubes of a Moulton can't handle a disc brake's power. On Monday I missed hitting a 1 meter long monitor lizard by less than 25cm because my old Ultegra rim brakes simply suck in the rain. I don't know if my bike would have split/killed the lizard or if it would bite me running over it; glad the thing scurried out of my weak braking attempt.

termv

Interesting design. Should be fun to drive.

MovingViolation

To coin a phrase, "Bah Hia!"

From what I've seen of the beast in question, you would likely have come off worse than it.

Yep... we had a thread about this and related issues a while back. I think the Moulton design isn't going to work well with disc brakes at all. Add in frame separability and there goes yer hydros too. I don't see much point in disc brakes if they're cable operated.

Be interesting to see how many of these 'gravel bikes' they sell. Not many, I'd think. Neither fish nor fowl.

Now had you been clipped in, you might have been able to bunny hop the Hia!

Joe Remi

How many of anything does Moulton sell? I've never seen one live in person here in California, and I live one town over from Bruce Metras!

MovingViolation

Best lock up your accordions then!

See more in Asia, but still (and always will be) a very very niche product. The expat enclave where I live is strictly BSOs, real mountain bikes, and road bikes.

However, take a random sample of 10,000 ethnic Chinese shophouse dwellers in South-East Asia and you're just about likely to find one tricked out BoA Space Frame Moulton in amongst the Birdies and Bromptons.

Abu Mahendra

I think the real wealthy Chinese don't live, dwell in shop-houses (ruko, rumah toko, in Indonesian. Indonesia has the largest ehtnic Chinese population outside of China and Taiwan). They may own a ruko, or several, but their station now puts them in wholly residential properties. The ruko dwellers are the middle-class.

MovingViolation

Agreed certainly Re Indonesia.

Was painting with a (very) broad brush. In my Jkt days knew an Indonesian Chinese girl whose family made a point of living bang on the water in a mansion in Pluit so that the familiy could jump in the yacht and bug out to the 1,000 Islands at the beginning of any eruption of Interesting Times. Beats what happened to many a Glodok shophouse inhabitant in 1998.

I would point out, however, that Indonesian Chinese are a bit of an edge case being known far and wide for conspicuous consumption -- can't really blame them as acting all humble wouldn't make a jot of difference to the ledger when the next pogrom breaks out. They also have very big self-preservation incentives to get away from major built up areas as soon as they can afford to do so. Totally not an issue in (say) Bangkok or (randomly) Kota Kinabalu -- where can be found many a wealthy old Hakka trader in a white singlet shouting into a black telephone and loudly manipulating abacus in his open to the street ground floor while the grandkids play at his feet. OK, the 1980s have come to call me back. I'll take my coat

Ceterum autem censeo <Moulton XTB> esse delendam.

kidshibuya

You will notice they are direct mount on the Moulton, that is good and gives more force than center pivot. I have direct mount brakes on my Dahon, some highend TRP cyclocoss brakes and they are great, no issues in rain, I can still lock up the wheels. The rim brakes on my other bike though... I just dont ride that one in the wet lol.

Re the XTB, Moulton would have a bucket of my cash if they just dropped say 3kg off their bikes. They are way too heavy for something that looks like a pile of sticks. The XTB will be what, 13kg? Meh. Like the idea but meh.

dezzie

11.5kgs and £3000 in the UK, due October!
https://www.traditionalcycleshop.co....25/moulton-xtb

Winfried

"Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam", or "Ceterum autem censeo Carthaginem esse delendam" (English: "Furthermore, (moreover) I consider that Carthage must be destroyed"), […] The phrase is associated with the Roman senator Cato the Elder, who is said to have used it as the conclusion to all his speeches."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carthago_delenda_est

termv

I pass.

MovingViolation

Abu Mahendra

Not really. But that was the chorus aimed at me around here a couple of years ago when I too balked at the exorbitant Moulton pricing. Exorbitant then, exorbitant now.

pinholecam

It does not really bring much to the table for the asking price imo.
Its basically a TSR with V-brakes and fatter tires.
For just gravel riding (not X-country ), I'd reckon that a standard TSR if it somehow can take 1.65-1.75" tires will already do.
A lot of gravel riding is about the traction and cushioning, and in fact any 406 folding bike will already be able to do that so long as they use wider tires for this purpose.

termv

A Mariner with let's say 2.1 the wall tires is then therefore able to beat this exorbitant money monster, if not driven like a complete maniac.

Abu Mahendra

Have you no appreciation for quality, lineage, aesthetics and history? It is hand-made in Britain. By the same noble masters who assemble the storied Pashley.. It's a Moulton. As in Dr. Alex Moulton. Have you no culture?. Philistines, you all...

termv

We own no Banks, we carry wallets.