Moulton bicycle
Bicycle
1959 (designed), 1962 (introduced), 1965 (made)
1959 (designed), 1962 (introduced), 1965 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The unique feature of the Moulton bicycle when it was launched in 1962 was the innovative rubber cone spring design invented and developed by Alex Moulton and first used on the British Motor Corporation Austin / Morris Mini when it was introduced in 1959. Other innovations included the unconventional, step through frame design which meant that the bicycle was unisex and the rider could dismount quickly in an emergency and small wheels with high pressure tyres developed in association with Dunlop which meant that the rider could accelerate and go faster than on a conventional bicycle.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Moulton bicycle (manufacturer's title) |
| Materials and techniques | Steel and rubber |
| Brief description | Moulton bicycle, steel and rubber suspension, designed by Alex Moulton and manufactured by Moulton Bicycles Ltd., Bradford-upon-Avon, 1965. Winner of the Design Council Award 1964. |
| Physical description | Moulton bicycle, mild steel frame and rubber suspension. The innovations introduced into the design of the Moulton bicycle included a step through frame, eliminating the high crossbar on the conventional bicycle design which Moulton regarded as dangerous and impractical, small wheels which used high pressure tyres, developed in association with Dunlop and front and rear rubber suspension which was truly novel at the time. It took another 30 years before this became a standard feature in bicycle design. |
| Dimensions |
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| Production type | Mass produced |
| Credit line | Gift of the manufacturer |
| Object history | Historical significance: Winner of the Design Centre Award in 1964. Blue metallic Moulton bicycle, Alex Moulton, Moulton Bicycles Ltd. |
| Association | |
| Summary | The unique feature of the Moulton bicycle when it was launched in 1962 was the innovative rubber cone spring design invented and developed by Alex Moulton and first used on the British Motor Corporation Austin / Morris Mini when it was introduced in 1959. Other innovations included the unconventional, step through frame design which meant that the bicycle was unisex and the rider could dismount quickly in an emergency and small wheels with high pressure tyres developed in association with Dunlop which meant that the rider could accelerate and go faster than on a conventional bicycle. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | CIRC.125-1965 |
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| Record created | April 26, 2011 |
| Record URL |
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