Moulton tandem
“Moulton don’t make tandems, but as a lifelong Moulton rider since 1965, I wanted one to accommodate my wife, Mihoko, as she never learned to ride a solo.
In 1989 I had purchased a Moulton ATB, mainly for off-road use, as it had the largest tyre width clearance of all Moulton models. Around the turn of the century, I learned of tandem adaptions of this model made in Australia, by inserting an extra section between the two halves of the separable ATB frame.
In 2012 I discovered that UK framebuilder Doug Pinkerton had built some, so ordered one from him, additionally fitting a Rohloff 14 speed hub gear with rear disc brake. We enjoyed using this, and I can still optionally use it in solo form.
We wanted to be able to travel further and in hillier territory despite increasing age, so when the ARCC e-Moulton was announced, I asked them to fit a conversion. Starting with the 4Ah battery, we were able to overcome the limited range this gives on the heavier tandem by carrying a fast charger, and using it (with permission, which has never been refused) at refreshment stops. It takes only 35 minutes to fully recharge. When the 6Ah battery appeared, I acquired one to carry as a spare, hence more than doubling the range.
We like riding on traffic-free tracks as much as possible, and have ridden most of the Peak District former railway tracks, the Bath Two Tunnels ride, and the Cambridge Busway bridlepath. Climbing Dunstable Downs from Leighton Buzzard really demonstrated the hill-climbing capability, we could never have coped unassisted. The tandem fits into our car with just the front section detached, which takes only a few minutes to attach.
Having an early conversion, we have had some minor problems, and ARCC have always been willing and able to promptly resolve them under warranty by fitting improved components, so we can’t fault the service received.
Overall we are very satisfied customers, our cycling capabilities have been very much expanded.”
Keith