!965 moulton speedsix

[lotus 30]

I just bought this and i am doing a strip and rebuild just like the history of these bikes six speed in 65 and eleven tooth bottom gear well before it's time i think could be wrong. I had a demonstrator when i was eleven years old from RG Callow Newport still got it.

[garygkn]

Congratulations it looks almost complete.
What does it need?

I'm a trendy consumer. Just look at my Moto G (4) using hovercraft full of eels.

[Brucey]

it looks very much like the original spec to me


from sept 1965
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JLNGotdAEdo/Ub7NAl3FWAI/AAAAAAAAB0o/NllRQEq5PnQ/s1600/Moulton+(1155x1600).jpg

IIRC the 11T sprocket was part of a special piece, a pair of sprockets that screwed on to a standard cyclo freewheel (in place of the fifth sprocket) and this increased it from 5s to 6s and allowed a smaller top sprocket to be used, because both sprocket five and sprocket six overhung the freewheel body.

This is as close to the original reported gear ratios as I can get

http://ritzelrechner.de/?GR=DERS&KB=60&RZ=11,12,13,15,17,19&UF=1320&TF=90&SL=2.6&UN=KMH&DV=gearInches

and those were presumably looked up in a table or calculated longhand; I can't make them 'fit' exactly. What sprockets do you have in fact?

cheers

[speedsixdave]

Very nice! If you haven't done so already, do join the Moulton Bicycle Club. This gets you access to a wealth of knowledge and spare parts, and the opportunity to go to the twice-annual club meetings to show off your fantastic bike to other people who will appreciate it. There are various groups on the Facebook too which are worth a look, although the Facebook is a poor tool compared to a proper forum such as this.

If you can find a copy, Paul Grogan has just revised and reissued his book The Classic Moulton, which contains a huge amount of information about the original spec of F-Frame Moultons.

As Brucey says the spec on that looks pretty original, which people prefer nowadays. You will need a lower strut for the rear carrier before carrying anything significant on it, otherwise the tail beam may bend. The rear pivot sometimes seizes on early Moultons, this may be worth an investigation. Does it have the friction dampers for the rear suspension too?

Is this your first Moulton? If so, welcome to the rabbit hole!

Edit: just re-read your mention of the demonstrator. Would you post a pic of that too? Quite interesting in itself!

[Chris Jeggo]

Those gear ratios in the 'Cycling' article can't be right. Using a spreadsheet,
90.1 / 83.6 = 1.07775 = 1 + 1/12.86, approximately 14/13!
83.6 / 77.7 = 1.07593 = 1 + 1/13.17, approximately 14/13 again!
77.7 / 68.0 = 1.14265 = 1 + 1/7.01 = 16/14 which is credible
68.0 / 60.4 = 1.12583 = 1 + 1/7.95 = 18/16 which is credible
60.4 / 51.7 = 1.16828 = 1 + 1/5.94 = 21/18 which is credible.

Hence the closest I can get to the quoted ratios is:
for 60t chainring, wheel diameter = 18.12",
spr gear
12t 90.6
13t 83.6
14t 77.7
16t 68.0
18t 60.4
21t 51.8,
but the article says the wheels are 17" and the smallest sprocket is 11t.

Tony Hadland in his 'The Moulton Bicycle' (2nd ed., 1982) agrees with the 'Cycling' article in that Ken Evans rode a Speedsix with 17" wheels, 60t chainring, 11t smallest sprocket. Hadland also reproduces a Speedsix Moulton brochure which gives gear ratios of 92.7, 78.5, 72.9, 63.8, 56.7 and 48.6", which are just what you get from a 11-13-14-16-18-21t freewheel block. So 'Cycling' got at least the top two gear ratios wrong, and maybe all of them.

[Cyril Haearn]

Plus One for the article from Cycling Weakly, surprise: riding back to London, 100 miles
The gears are too high, was the quoted price high compared to values now?

May females ride moultons too? (all references in the article are to males )

[garygkn]

It's an old article with errors it's written no doubt by a male journalist from a males perspective to a male audience. Times were different 50 years ago. The good news is that women can and do ride Moulton bicycles.

I'm a trendy consumer. Just look at my Moto G (4) using hovercraft full of eels.

[garygkn]

https://judithswallow.wordpress.com/category/moulton/

I'm a trendy consumer. Just look at my Moto G (4) using hovercraft full of eels.

[lotus 30]

Wow I never expected that response thank you all great read while the misses is watching that dancing program LOL.
Got the S6 last Saturday i decided to strip it and clean every thing (and pollish) i have looked for 2 years for the right one at the right price and it's been worth the wait. The only bits not as supplied are the Brooks saddle and pedals. all is as it should be otherwise. to answer some questions Yes I am a member of the moulton club. Yes it does have the rear suspension stiffener fitted. I ordered some new tyres a couple of days before collection. I had to travel for 600 miles to get it left at 2/30AM sat morning collected at 9am back on the road home so worked for this one LOL. The rear six speed block is as original nice piece of history that. Its going back together just the detail takes time i spent 3 hours this morning getting all the gears to work without it dropping the chain of the front ring, Got it all sorted now. Some pics of what i have done. And my 1963 Deluxe number 71 billiard cue. ex allows of newport demo bike

[garygkn]

Thanks for the pictures. Will you add the missing rear lower rack strut? Paint the rack and spear yellow?

I'm a trendy consumer. Just look at my Moto G (4) using hovercraft full of eels.

[lotus 30]

Yes to all when i go down my local car spray shop and match the shade but i will not paint the frame just a good coat of wax apparently a good few replicas out there.

[garygkn]

Yes no need to touch the frame.

I'm a trendy consumer. Just look at my Moto G (4) using hovercraft full of eels.

[lotus 30]

A few years back i would have painted the frame but times have changed with the value so replicas out there passing off as genuine. It's hard to replicate 50 years of service on a frame

[lotus 30]

Got the speedsix back together weather was so nice i rushed the last bit to get out got 20 mile in making adjustments long cranks on these bikes. I needed to adjust the saddle 4 times as the miles clocked up and the knees complained. Just about there now a mother twenty and it should be where i want it.

[garygkn]

Looks good.
What else needs doing to it?

I'm a trendy consumer. Just look at my Moto G (4) using hovercraft full of eels.