Moulton Experiences?

[LittleWheelsandBig]

http://www.moultonbicycles.co.uk/models/SST.html suggests that both 105 and Potenza variants use the same Moulton-specific cassette, freehub and wheels.

[nobby]

I bought my wife a holiday in Rome for her 50th,

My wife wouldn't be wiling to go by herself.

[igauk]

http://www.moultonbicycles.co.uk/models/SST.html suggests that both 105 and Potenza variants use the same Moulton-specific cassette, freehub and wheels.

It looks like that on the Moulton site, but on making enquiries with a dealer a few years ago they told me it was made of different material. I can't find the correspondence now. Of course they could have just been spinning me a line.

[LittleWheelsandBig]

When I was looking at potential Moultons for PBP11, there was only the one 10-28t 11sp cassette for ludicrous money (if you were a high mileage type). We went for somewhat affordable 11-25t 10sp Campag cassettes and triple rings instead. Given we use them for 1000+km brevets in all weathers, replacing chains at less than 0.75% wear can be a bit impractical.

Perhaps Moulton have since issued a somewhat cheaper 11sp cassette. Using expensive bits for frequently-replaced consumables has always seemed a bit silly to me.

[nobby]

Well, that went well 
Waiting for a reply from Velorution.
Bike shops seem to have become incapable of using the phone "due to high demand because of Covid 19".

Two emails to Velorution unanswered.
So I phones Hackney store and despite the phone message about super busy it is picked up by a chap who shares my surname, works around the corner from where I was born and lives in a bit of Kent that we emigrated to in 1956. Serendipity!
I tells him that I want a Forest Green TSR 8 with mudguards and front pannier carrier and they sold their last one yesterday! What's worse is that Moulton & Pashley are not keeping pace with demand. Their order book has gone up from either 25,000 or 250,000 (I'm a bit hard of remembering) to 1.5 million. "None for ages. Maybe 10 months but I'll enquire and ring you back."
A nervous hour later and there's four coming in 7 to 10 days away. Two midnight blue, one red and one yellow. I've got a red bike and a yellow bike and I really wanted a Forest Green but Midnight Blue sounds dark enough for me. 
Just waiting for the final price and the 0% finance forms. There's no point in me putting out the thick end of £2K and losing the interest on it when somebody may advance me the cash at no loss, is there?

I hope I haven't hijacked this thread. I can't remember what the beginning of it was. Sorry if I have.

[igauk]

Glad you've managed to track one down Nobby. I think the midnight blue will look classy. For a YACF thread I think this has remained remarkably on topic.

[igauk]

When I was looking at potential Moultons for PBP11, there was only the one 10-28t 11sp cassette for ludicrous money (if you were a high mileage type). We went for somewhat affordable 11-25t 10sp Campag cassettes and triple rings instead. Given we use them for 1000+km brevets in all weathers, replacing chains at less than 0.75% wear can be a bit impractical.

Perhaps Moulton have since issued a somewhat cheaper 11sp cassette. Using expensive bits for frequently-replaced consumables has always seemed a bit silly to me.

11-23 10sp Campag Triple is what I have, although finding 10sp 11-something Campag cassettes seems to be getting harder. I could have sworn the SSTs had 11 as their smallest cog as well but looking at LittleWheelsandBig's link again I see they're both 10, which must mean pricy custom Moulton. A seem to recall seeing a single 10 cog was about £100 on ebay.

[bhoot]

I think the midnight blue will look classy.

I have a TSR2 in that colour and it does

[nobby]

I think the midnight blue will look classy.

I have a TSR2 in that colour and it does

I am worrying about a potential colour clash with my green Carradice saddlebag.
I may have to go back to the smaller and tattier 1970's black Karrimor saddlebag and tour without camping kit. Hotels and B&B's being a hidden cost of a Midnight Blue Moulton.

[nobby]

Glad you've managed to track one down Nobby. I think the midnight blue will look classy. For a YACF thread I think this has remained remarkably on topic.

Thanks igauk

[nobby]

Is there a Moulton related club worth joining for technical info, spares etc.?

I'm not interested in social; I see enough bearded old blokes each day in the mirrors around the house. 

[LittleWheelsandBig]

Moulton Bicycle Club is very useful for parts and knowledge for owners of F-frame and other old Moultons. The owners tend to fit the stereotype though.
http://www.moultonbuzz.com/

[nobby]

Moulton Bicycle Club is very useful for parts and knowledge for owners of F-frame and other old Moultons. The owners tend to fit the stereotype though.
http://www.moultonbuzz.com/

Cheers

Do you know of anything more TSR orientated?

[LittleWheelsandBig]

The club is for all Moulton owners but modern replacement stuff (= spaceframes) is available from the factory and bike shops. The club has instructions on rebuilding modern forks and plenty of folk with applicable knowledge.

[HeltorChasca]

I have recently registered on the above site. Good shout thank you. I notice there’s a SST 22 second hand...For MORE than a new one Confucius reigns.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[rogerzilla]

The club is for all Moulton owners but modern replacement stuff (= spaceframes) is available from the factory and bike shops. The club has instructions on rebuilding modern forks and plenty of folk with applicable knowledge.

I remember rebuilding a TSR fork (for a spring change) to be a somewhat greasy experience.  I wish they had a total lockout for climbing - surely not that hard to engineer?

[LittleWheelsandBig]

Moulton tends to keep the same suspension systems for a very long time and lockouts (= NS) are not expected to be used. I think a Lauf-style front suspension with through-axle and disc brake would be a perfect match with the Moulton philosophy but the factory doesn’t agree.
https://www.laufcycling.com/product/lauf-grit-sl

[nobby]

Moulton tends to keep the same suspension systems for a very long time and lockouts (= NS) are not expected to be used. I think a Lauf-style front suspension with through-axle and disc brake would be a perfect match with the Moulton philosophy but the factory doesn’t agree.
https://www.laufcycling.com/product/lauf-grit-sl

That's clever.

[nobby]

My Midnight Blue TSRA8 arrived today and I have changed the saddle, fitted QR pedals and chipped the paint.
Did 8km to check it out and it seems to work better than I expected with gear range of 30 to 80 inches 

They were keeping my bike in the Hackney branch of Velorution until the mudguards and front pannier rack arrived. They are going to be another four weeks!
I am very glad I phoned.

[Brucey]

good work!  First scratch is a rite of passage....

cheers

[nobby]

I knocked up some Correx mudguards and went out in the rain this morning for an urban bimble. Very enjoyable. Two and a half weeks until my proper guards turn up.

I have a question.
This Moulton TSR is the Shimano Alfine 8 speed version and the stock gearing is 30" to 90" from a 54t chainring and 18T sprocket.
My usual preference is 23" to 93" with a Shimano 11 of which I have a spare but in a 26" wheel. I'm not inclined to swop it over as yet in case I decide to fit the TSR with a Bafang motor.

I am not a speedy cyclist (Cycleman of this parish is my coach and trainer  ) so I have been riding the bike without using the top gear and I haven't missed it.
My thoughts are to change the stock 18T sprocket for a 20T to get gears of 25" to 80". I would change the chain at the same time because I have yards of HG-71 and I will fit a Shimano CT 500 chain tensioner (the double pulley wheel one) because there is not a lot of chain tension movement available in the semi horizontal dropout slots.

Does that sound a reasonable approach? Any advice welcome 

[Brucey]

That sounds OK. However the chain lengths might not work out without a tensioner like you say or they might work out perfectly.   There are several things you can do about this

a) check before you fit something different; 2T on the sprocket or the chainring is 'worth' 1/4" of wheel movement
b) you can calculate the exact chain length provided the centres are a known distance apart (there are online calculators for this purpose)
c) a 1T difference in chainring or sprocket gives a 1/8" wheel movement.

So if the wheel is perfectly positioned with 54/18 gearing (i.e. with an amount of rearwards adjustment available to allow for subsequent chain wear) then 54/20 will move the axle 1/4" forwards. If you use 52/20 gearing the wheel will return to the original position. 53/20 would be 1/8" forwards of that, etc etc.

Since a 130BCD chainring in 52 or 53T sizes is about the same cost as a tensioner and (esp on a small-wheeler) is easier to live with in the long term (the chain will get dirty at about half the rate and there are no pulleys to maintain vs occasional wheel movements to adjust chain tension as it wears), I'd probably get a different chainring rather than a tensioner.

cheers

[GavinC]

My only comment is that I’ve converted my TSR30 to fixed wheel and I have found the dropouts (which AFAIK are the same on all TSRs except the ‘2) plenty long enough for adequate chain tension adjustment.

[nobby]

That sounds OK. However the chain lengths might not work out without a tensioner like you say or they might work out perfectly.   There are several things you can do about this

a) check before you fit something different; 2T on the sprocket or the chainring is 'worth' 1/4" of wheel movement
b) you can calculate the exact chain length provided the centres are a known distance apart (there are online calculators for this purpose)
c) a 1T difference in chainring or sprocket gives a 1/8" wheel movement.

So if the wheel is perfectly positioned with 54/18 gearing (i.e. with an amount of rearwards adjustment available to allow for subsequent chain wear) then 54/20 will move the axle 1/4" forwards. If you use 52/20 gearing the wheel will return to the original position. 53/20 would be 1/8" forwards of that, etc etc.

Since a 130BCD chainring in 52 or 53T sizes is about the same cost as a tensioner and (esp on a small-wheeler) is easier to live with in the long term (the chain will get dirty at about half the rate and there are no pulleys to maintain vs occasional wheel movements to adjust chain tension as it wears), I'd probably get a different chainring rather than a tensioner.

cheers

Thanks Bruce that is useful to know but I've already got a tensioner.
Also, as it is now the locating 'pips' on the washers that stop the axle turning are only just in the slots but I could try turning them through 180º   

[nobby]

My only comment is that I’ve converted my TSR30 to fixed wheel and I have found the dropouts (which AFAIK are the same on all TSRs except the ‘2) plenty long enough for adequate chain tension adjustment.

That is interesting.
I think the Alfine 8 IGH is a trifle tight in the dropouts and I have to spring the frame a little to get the wheel in. Once it is in, and the serrated washers that stop the axle rotating are located in the slots, it is very difficult to move the wheel at all.
I have read it gets easier as the powder coat is scratched off the dropouts over time but I'm not doing that deliberately!