# Bike and rider combo = 125 years



## Velobike (Jun 23, 2007)

Now that I'm getting old and frail, I thought I'd try this riding with gears business, and that new fangled suspension. I've always wanted a downhill bike.

So let's start with some moderate single track.



What a disappointment! It can't clear a jump, doesn't like little 5' drops, and the only good thing is that the rim polishers provide a slight amount of retardation on steep descents. As for the gears, I broke 25% of them in the first 3 miles.

Then it was on to the real scary stuff. Here I'm about to ride into the Path of Stinging Nettle Hell. Why did I wear short sleeves? Is it so I can still "enjoy" the sensation several hours later?

One good thing though - the fenders worked well in the next section - Horsesh*t Alley, narrow singletrack bordered by thorns and thistles and a popular place for local riders to deposit their horse exhaust. This gives you a choice of riding through a steaming pile or swerving to the side into the thorns and thistles. Luckily I was wearing a short sleeved shirt because then all the bleeding didn't stain my shirt.



I won the lottery of Bovine Dung Boulevard though. The byre was empty so there wasn't the usual malodorous slurry sheeting across the path.

And then a nice green lane for a few more miles to the local bike shop to get some parts. I was scandalised to discover they do not stock the part I needed. Don't know how these bike shops stay in business, you'd think they would have a 1965 Sturmey-Archer FW indicator rod handy to the counter, but no, and they don't even know the part number, they had to look it up. Tsk tsk.



I decided you can keep your modern downhill bikes, it's too dangerous, I'm going back to singlespeed and rigid. I think my next ride combo will be 150 years+

(The real story - I bought this 1965 Moulton a couple of weeks ago. After a bit of fettling decided to take it for a ride. Being unable to resist a dirt track the poor thing ended up spending most of the day getting dirty. It's probably not a good way to treat such an old bike, but if it breaks, I can fix it, so no harm.
There is some hyperbole above but only in relation to jumps and drops.  )


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## chazpat (Sep 23, 2006)

You had a lot of fun, didn't you? 

Thanks for sharing.


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Love Moultons! Quirky for sure. I've seen a few here in Toronto


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

I spotted 2 Moultons today

1) steel

The picnic basket is irresistible to bears 








2) Aluminium


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## bitflogger (Jan 12, 2004)

Some suspension under the seat. I believe the bike and rider combo is 110 years.


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