Yet Another Cycling Forum

General Category => The Knowledge => Topic started by: nobby on 28 April, 2021, 07:27:21 pm

Title: Rubber front suspension bellows for Moulton APB
Post by: nobby on 28 April, 2021, 07:27:21 pm

Does anyone know where I can buy one of these, please?

Title: Re: Rubber front suspension bellows for Moulton APB
Post by: LittleWheelsandBig on 28 April, 2021, 07:40:31 pm

They haven’t been available for a fair while (decades?). Most folk who are looking to maintain the appearance fit a random automotive rubber bellows that vaguely looks similar. The TSR front suspension is largely the same as the APB (interchangeable, depending on the APB’s age) and incorporates a wiper seal in place of the bellows. That requires replacement of a few associated bits though.

Title: Re: Rubber front suspension bellows for Moulton APB
Post by: nobby on 28 April, 2021, 08:21:52 pm

Thanks for reply LW&B.
I'm not to bothered about how it looks as long as there is something that does the same job. Is the job of the bellows just to keep muck away from the sliding bits up the head tube?
If so, I think I could sew up a nylon gaiter.

Title: Re: Rubber front suspension bellows for Moulton APB
Post by: GavinC on 28 April, 2021, 10:18:52 pm

I did wonder if the bellows fitted to the bike were original as they didn’t seem like a great fit. I didn’t know the bellow-less Moulton models (which existed before and after the APB!) had a wiper seal though.

One thought that occurs is that the current Moulton XTB is also fitted with bellows over the front suspension, so maybe Moulton could supply one?

Title: Re: Rubber front suspension bellows for Moulton APB
Post by: nobby on 29 April, 2021, 07:21:37 am

Quote from: GavinC on 28 April, 2021, 10:18:52 pm

I did wonder if the bellows fitted to the bike were original as they didn’t seem like a great fit. I didn’t know the bellow-less Moulton models (which existed before and after the APB!) had a wiper seal though.

One thought that occurs is that the current Moulton XTB is also fitted with bellows over the front suspension, so maybe Moulton could supply one?

Thanks Gavin,
I will explore that.

Title: Re: Rubber front suspension bellows for Moulton APB
Post by: nobby on 02 May, 2021, 09:25:06 am

Spoke to Dan Farrell at Moulton on Friday and it turns out that the new XTB rubber bellows was designed to also fit the APB's.
If you have a later APB the bore of the fixed fork is smaller and will take the later wiper seal making a bellows unnecessary.
Mine is a member of the 12th July 1996 batch so it needs a bellows.
Ordered and paid by phone - £18.50 incl P&P - and it arrived by Royal Mail on Saturday morning and it is now on the forks.
It was lovely to be working on a bike again.

Title: Re: Rubber front suspension bellows for Moulton APB
Post by: GavinC on 03 May, 2021, 09:43:49 am

Quote from: nobby on 02 May, 2021, 09:25:06 am

it turns out that the new XTB rubber bellows was designed to also fit the APB's.

Great news  :thumbsup: