[CR]........track Moultons and Tommy Simpson

(Example: Events:Cirque du Cyclisme)

From: <GRIFFKS@aol.com>
Date: Wed, 29 Nov 2006 17:44:19 EST
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Subject: [CR]........track Moultons and Tommy Simpson

.........I believe the photo of Tommy Simpson taken on the modified Moulton at the Good Friday Meeting at Herne Hill in 1963 may just have been an opportune picture taken of Tom trying out and seeing how the "new small wheeled track iron" handled in between the afternoons events......most of the crowd would have loved to have had a go on it too! (I know as I was there) I don't recall Tom riding the machine competitively that day, this Moulton was first used in a major track event the following Easter Monday at Coventry and ridden with distinction by Mick Ives (Coventry CC) in the Individual Pursuit won that day by Derek Woodings, the Moulton had special 17in. sprints pumped to a pressure of 140lb per square inch and at 90in. had the correct gearing required for a team pursuit later on in the programme, there is a marvellous picture taken that Easter Monday of the Team Pursuit with four identical track Moultons being ridden at speed in the following weeks edition of "Cycling" .......taken just before they caught their marker team on the finishing line who were riding on conventional bikes, the Moulton/Coventry CC team consisted of Mick Ives, Tony Millard, Colin Groom and A.Collins, There was a lot of consultation and head scratching between the officials also about the design and its relative advantages over conventional machines ( shades of the UCI versus the Boardman and Obree bikes thirty years later) the regulations of the day appeared to permit the Moultons to be used in International events although I don't think any ever were, John Woodburn and Vic Nicholson put multi geared road versions to good use a couple of years later in successful record attempts, hope this information to be of interest, regards Griff King-Spooner (London UK)