Pashley Moulton

[Old Ned]

A very good friend of mine (who is also well known to members of RB, especially the MTB'ers amongst us) has been offered the opportunity of buying a Pashley Moulton space-frame TSR (?) model complete bike (he thinks non-folding). As he is a friend of the vendor (who is in need of the cash!) he doesn't want to offer them a silly low price and would therefore appreciate knowing what the current 'pre-owned' value of such a machine would be. He and I would appreciate the help anyone can give.

I know this isn't necessarily a 'proper' RB query - but I don't know where else to ask!

(Possibly on CTC website??)

 

[ZG862]

There's one on eBay at the moment with the bidding currently at £920.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1980-s-Vinta ... SwDtdesA4Y

Very cool indeed, but I never did figure out why they went with the CLB brakes.

 

[Old Ned]

There's one on eBay at the moment with the bidding currently at £920.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1980-s-Vinta ... SwDtdesA4Y

Very cool indeed, but I never did figure out why they went with the CLB brakes.

Thanks, but that's a 'proper' Moulton space frame model and hence, more sought after - and expensive. The Pashley version started c. 2005 and was less expensive to begin with. It's one of these that my friend is concerned with.

In case you think I'm a Moulton 'expert - I ain't! I've just been on the Moulton Bicycle Club's website!

 

[ZG862]

To someone who knows as little about these as me, you're an expert Ned. Land of the blind, one-eyed-man and all that.

I did keep browsing a bit on eBay and saw that there is a book (which costs more than I can afford right now) on the subject that would probably help us both with the finer details. Also, if you look in Completed listings, there are quite a few other 531 framed versions that sold for closer to the £750 mark.
If it were my friend, I might suggest they list it for a "Buy it Now" ridiculous number + "Accept Offers" on the off chance that there's a nutter out there who wants one really badly. When it doesn't sell, you both might have a better idea of what people are offering without having committed to sell. Not the most principled strategy (& I'd be miffed as a potential buyer - lack of good faith etc) but maybe another way to get a market valuation.

Z

 

[archaeologyboy]

Hi,
I've got a few...

There are two (and a half) sorts of Pashley-built Moultons. The first sort was the APB, first made in about 1992 as a spaceframe Moulton built down to a price. The second sort is the TSR, first made in about 2006, as a significantly improved cheaper spaceframe. These are still current. There is also the SST, also current, which is a slightly posher TSR with an improved rear pivot.

APBs improved greatly in their lifetime - the early ones were a bit agricultural while the later ones were often 531 and somewhat better. There was a non-separable 531 line called the FX8 but AFAICR some of the others were offered as non-separable too - cheaper and lighter.

TSRs are more desirable and will command a higher price but I would be surprised if any eBay APB went for less than £500.

How do you tell whether you have an APB or a TSR? Well you could post pictures here and I'll try and tell you, but the easiest way to tell between the two is the rear pivot. If the rear pivot is above the bottom bracket giving a Unified Rear Triangle, it's a TSR (or possibly SST). If the rear pivot is behind the bottom bracket, it's an APB.

 

[Old Ned]

My friend is buying not selling and has agreed a price with the vendor who is a personal and old friend. It's definitely a TSR but a neighbour of mine has an APB that he remembers buying around '96/97 and which he uses quite frequently.

Sorry to say to those who appreciate Moultons that they don't do a lot for me. John Woodburn breaking a relatively easy RRA record on one BITD didn't help one bit either! Speaking to John years later I don't think he was overwhelmed by the experience.

The ride not the talking......................

 

[ZG862]

Thank goodness archeologyboy rocked up. I was confused by which old/new friend was doing what, so it was good to learn something about the development history and values from someone who knows. I remember them mostly from the bike magazines, who heaped praise on the engineering but scratched their heads about the concept. If I had that kind of money for a small-wheeled bike nowadays I'd be looking at the Hummingbird.