moulton apb aquired any advise greatfully recieved thanks

[rocky ridge]

hi all i just aquired a moulton apb for 125.00 after looking on ebay that seems quite a low price considering what they sell for
anyway its a 3 speed sturmey has 95 on so would asume its a 1995 ish
its now in bits on the floor and i would apreciate some advise as to the best way to rebuild it what works best with theese what doesnt work
im 6ft 3 with a 34" inside leg and i have wrist and shoulder issues
cant decide wheather to have drop bars with sti shifters or flat bars etc
i have many double chainsets hubs bars and lots of lovely do dads ive collected over the years for racers mtb etc
but never had a moulton so would love some advise is it worth getting a 5 speed sturmey or nexus type hub with a double chainring or go with a
7-8 speed deraileur set up
what seems the best way to ditch the horrid seatpost thats fitted now
thanks very much
i already have two racing bikes and three mtb
dave

 

[Citoyen du monde]

Since nobody else is saying anything; I would suggest that you sell it to me.

 

[JeRkY]

I'd love one if it helps, but alas not much use with advice on them.

 

[rocky ridge]

ha ha nice try matey
no chance matey ive been after one of theese for ages just couldnt bring myself to pay what they usually sell for ive never understood how they sell for 500-1000
but for 125.00
ive spent today stripping the paint ready for a respray as it was red and i hate red
dave

 

[mass199]

The Moulton has its own club and forum, you could ask on that

I don't tink you can run a double or triple chainset as you can't fit a front mech.

My mate has one but he is just over 5 foot so he won't be any help for set up but he could help you out with gear options, let me no if you want any info and I will ask him

 

[spark303]

I don't know if I would class myself as a Moulton expert, although I have a 60's F-frame and an APB Land Rover, which is currently set up with drop bars and 1 x 10 gearing.

Some APB's have a braze on for a front mech, but I don't think the APB3 does so, as Mass199 says, you're stuck with a sinlge chainring up front.

Also before considering any changes to the gearing, check what the rear spacing is - with a 3 speed Sturmey it may only be 120mm in which case you're going to be limited to an old 5 or 6 speed derailleur setup or a hub gear of some description (Sturmey still make 2, 3, 5 and 8 speeds with ~120mm spacing). If it's 130mm, then no worries

I think the seatpost on old APB's is 34.8mm. You can get a shim from SJS to use a 27.2mm post instead.

Lastly, you should defintely check out the Moulton group on Yahoo. Loads of very knoweldgeable people there.

Hope that helps

Gav

 

[rocky ridge]

my apb has no braze on
but i may get one fitted before i repaint it
the rear spacings 130mm

 

[spark303]

my apb has no braze on
but i may get one fitted before i repaint it
the rear spacings 130mm

That should make life easier.

My APB doesn't have the front mech braze on either, as it originally came with a Sachs 3x7 hybrid hub gear/derraileur setup. But I'm running a 1 x 10 setup with a 50t ring at the front and an 11-36 cassette at the back. Gives me gears of around 25" to 85" which is fine for me.

Riding a Moulton is a unique experience and I'm sure you'll enjoy yours once it's up and running. Don't forget to post some pix when it's done.

 

[Citoyen du monde]

The shop that I worked in back in the early 80's was one of the largest retailers of Alex Moulton bikes in the world and before they officially came out with the AM14, we had already "upgraded" some AM7 bikes to double chainring by adding on a tab for a front derailleur. I would be very interested in getting a double chainring APB or similar if they could be found at a reasonable price. If anybody has any leads, I am all ears.

BTW, when you first ride an Alex Moulton, you must be aware that you can adjust the suspension to your own settings and that modifying the settings can completely alter the ride. One friend of mine purchased an Alex Moulton from a fellow who despised the ride. My friend modified the suspension and let the original owner take it for a spin. The original owner was then upset that he had sold the bike and later purchased a second one which he kept for a number of years...

 

[GrahamJohnWallace]

I own an 1984 AM7 and a first production run Pashley made 12 speed APB in black, the only colour they made at first. It does not have a frame number and was pre-ordered from a Pashley dealer in the early 90s after I read about them in a design magazine.

The two Moulton's are very different. The AM7 weighs about 23lbs and is very fast with soft front suspension. The APB weighs about 35lbs and is made from un-named plain gauge tubing and stiffly sprung front suspension. I suspect that later APBs became more refined and lightweight. Though not as fast as the AM7, the APB's road holding feels much more self-assured, with its bigger 20" x 1.75" tyres and cantilever brakes. Neither are first rate hill climbers due to rear suspension induced bob, but the suspension means that cornering on rough ground is much less scary than of rigid framed high pressure tyred bikes.

My APB is currently fitted with track bars and modern high pressure tyres. It is a very comfortable ride and is my wife's favorite bike for use on road.