1965 Huffy Moulton 4 speed
Back in December I purchased a 1965 Moulton "F" frame. I bought it from a women in Houston just a week before the passing of Alex Moulton. I began my search for the Moulton back in the late summer and finally found one that seemed to have potential.
My particular Moulton was imported by Huffy back in the 60s. Apparently, one of the distinguished features of the Huffy imported bikes is the detachable real carrier. From what I understand this feature came on the Stowaway model. The Stowaway could be broken down into two pieces and generally came as a single speed.
My Moulton has a 4 speed Sturmey hub and came with a front carrier, which, despite crappy paint, was very true. While I was in the market, I noticed several Moultons with front racks that looked like divining rods pointing straight into the dirt. I'm sure this was the function of an enthusiastic child attempting to hitch a ride. So finding one with a decent front rack was a plus for me.
The one thing about the front carrier that you notice straight away is that it doesn’t track the front wheel. That’s because it is attached to the frame, not the fork. It does take a bit of getting used. You have to pay attention when maneuvering the front end through close quarters.
Anyway, I bought this thing sight-unseen and the seller didn’t know much about the bike but she assured me it was totally rideable and all there. All I had were pictures, a promise, and a reasonable price so I went for it. Thankfully, it was the right choice. Below are some before and after pictures. I really just cleaned, greased, and tuned. The frame and fenders are straight and the paint is about a 7.5-8.
It rides really well. This was the first time I’ve ever ridden a bike with a Sturmey 4 speed and I am pleasantly surprised at the range and how well it shifted. I’m not sure why the 4 speed didn’t become more pervasive. I stopped by a neighbor's place yesterday. He has a 1965 Moulton SpeedSix hanging up in his garage. He jumped on my Moulton and took it out for a spin. As I was leaving he was talking about getting his out of the rafters and ready to ride.
My particular Moulton was imported by Huffy back in the 60s. Apparently, one of the distinguished features of the Huffy imported bikes is the detachable real carrier. From what I understand this feature came on the Stowaway model. The Stowaway could be broken down into two pieces and generally came as a single speed.
My Moulton has a 4 speed Sturmey hub and came with a front carrier, which, despite crappy paint, was very true. While I was in the market, I noticed several Moultons with front racks that looked like divining rods pointing straight into the dirt. I'm sure this was the function of an enthusiastic child attempting to hitch a ride. So finding one with a decent front rack was a plus for me.
The one thing about the front carrier that you notice straight away is that it doesn’t track the front wheel. That’s because it is attached to the frame, not the fork. It does take a bit of getting used. You have to pay attention when maneuvering the front end through close quarters.
Anyway, I bought this thing sight-unseen and the seller didn’t know much about the bike but she assured me it was totally rideable and all there. All I had were pictures, a promise, and a reasonable price so I went for it. Thankfully, it was the right choice. Below are some before and after pictures. I really just cleaned, greased, and tuned. The frame and fenders are straight and the paint is about a 7.5-8.
It rides really well. This was the first time I’ve ever ridden a bike with a Sturmey 4 speed and I am pleasantly surprised at the range and how well it shifted. I’m not sure why the 4 speed didn’t become more pervasive. I stopped by a neighbor's place yesterday. He has a 1965 Moulton SpeedSix hanging up in his garage. He jumped on my Moulton and took it out for a spin. As I was leaving he was talking about getting his out of the rafters and ready to ride.
Here is the picture sent to me by the seller... a little rough but I could see its potential!
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