Small Wheels and a Belt Drive: the Moulton TSR2

Despite seeing plenty of Moultons, old and new, over the past several years, I cannot get used to the sight of these bicycles. The "spaceframe," resembling an elaborate truss bridge, is like a puzzle that both intrigues and frustrates me. I don't know why, but that is the reaction I have to these bikes. Briefly riding a Moulton two years ago brought me no closer to forming a more defined impression, and it took me until now to work up to trying it again. This Moulton isJon Harris'spersonal bikeand it is a TSR2model: featuring a 2-speed kick shift drivetrain with coaster brake and belt drive.






Founded in 1962, Moulton is an English manufacturer that championed the concept of small wheeled bikes. I will not delve into the history here, as I have already done this in an earlier post. You can also read about it on the company heritage page, as well as on the Moulton Bicycle Club website. Today, Moulton bicycles continue to be handmade in Bradford-upon-Avon, England, offering a number of road and city models. [edited to add 10th Dec. : read this morning the sad news that Dr. Alex Moulton, the founder of Mouton Cycles, has died at the age of 92.]






Following the original F-frame, the spaceframe design was launched in 1983 after years of research and development. The intent was to create an extremely stiff, performance-oriented frame. The adjustable suspension in the fork and rear triangle was designed to counteract the resultant harshness of ride quality.






The combination of frame stiffness and dampening is said to provide a uniquely responsive and comfortable ride.






At the top of Moulton's lineup are state of the art racing bikes, but the TSR models are its low-key offerings. The TSR2 is the humblest of them all - deigned as a minimalist, low-maintenance city bike with hub gears and a belt drive.






Flat handlebars with single brake lever.






V-brakes front and rear. 20" wheels withContinental Contact 37mm tires.








TSR frames are separable: Removing a pin in the center allows the frame to disassemble into two halves for ease of transport. While not a folding bike, this feature makes it convenient for travel.






I rode the Moulton TSR2 on two separate occasions, several miles each time. Congruent with the manufacturer's description, the bike felt stiff and responsive. Even this 2-speed city model is not a cruiser or a small wheel shopper exactly. The positioning is aggressive, and the handling is similar to that of a roadbike retrofitted with straight handlebars. The adjustable stem makes it easy to change handlebar height, accommodating riders of different sizes. While the fit worked well for me with the handlebars set level with the saddle, I did not like the flat and narrow bars that are standard with the build. But I understand this is possible to change.




As far as handling, the bike accelerates quickly, holds speed nicely, and is responsive to pedaling effort. Those who like fast and aggressive, yet upright bikes, will enjoy this. The ride quality did not feel harsh on bumpy and pot-hole ridden roads. I could feel the suspension in the front and rear, but could not decide whether it was too much for my taste or just enough.






The TSR2's dropouts are split to accommodate the belt, which cannot be separated the way a bicycle chain can. This is the now third bike I have test-ridden with a belt drive (see the others here and here). Unlike the previous times, this is a Delta belt drive and not a Gates carbon drive, but in the limited context of the test rides, I was not able to discern any difference. The belt was smooth and quiet.




The TSR2 is the second bike I have test-ridden with the Sturmey Archer 2-speed kick shift hub (see here for detailed impressions). This hub - also known as the Duomatic - is unusual in that it both brakes and shifts via back-pedaling: You push back lightly to switch gears, and you push back harder to brake. The Duomatic is a lot of fun, though I would not choose it for my own bike. In particular, the coaster brake action does not feel right to me on a bike with positioning and handling as aggressive as the Moulton's. That said, I know others who run this hub quite happily on bikes with drop bars, so it really comes down to personal preferences.






The MoultonTSR2 can be accessorised with fenders, as well as custom front and rear racks and bags. Considering it is a city bike, I would have liked to see these features included. This would allow me to get a sense for how convenient it would be to carry my stuff on this bike and what effect the load would have on handling. As is, I have no idea. There are also no provisions for lighting.




TheMoultonTSR models are worth considering for those looking for a compact, small wheel bike that is performance oriented. Handmade in England and famous for their engineering,Moulton bicycles are costly, with TSR models starting at $1,600. My favourite aspects are the compactness, the separable frame, and the handling. Though this bike has become less of a mystery to me, I am still mesmerised and confused by the spaceframe when I see it, unable to decide whether I think it is wonderful or ridiculous. If the opportunity presents itself, I would like to try a Moulton with derailleur gearing and provisions for carrying luggage. Many thanks to Harris Cyclery for this and other Moulton encounters.

Update from Salt Lake City :: Nearing the End

Two more days... then the Research Marathon will be over. It has been an incredible seven weeks (and a few days) and I feel so fortunate to have been able to spend so much time here. Now all I have to do is find (or take) the time to go through all of the stuff that I've gathered.



The majority of my time was spent on the second floor using the microfilms – nearly 500 rolls have been pulled and reviewed. Of course, some of them were used only for a few minutes but others yielded numerous documents. Everything was scanned – microfilm to jpg files and books to pdfs, which resulted in nearly 2,000 new files. Several estate packets yielded 40 to 90+ documents and confirmed relationships previously found in undocumented publications!



Midst all the wonderful documents collected there was some degree of frustration now and then. Microfilm images were not always of the greatest quality. Some were downright awful - faded or extremely dark or handwriting that was totally illegible. And then there were the record groups you wanted to view but were not available at the library. Yes, believe it or not The Library does not have everything! LOL.





This is one of the better quality images – clear and sharp. But the handwriting leaves a little to be desired. The sixth entry from the top is my guy – Christian Schuder/Shuder in the 1842 tax list for Jefferson Township, Montgomery County, Ohio. The only way I knew for sure it was him is the first name is legible as is the description of the land '5 3 25 26' (R5 T3 S25 & S26) that he owned.



But just being here and having the opportunity to access so many records in one location was absolutely marvelous. All in all, I've tremendously enjoyed my stay here in Salt Lake City and have gotten a lot accomplished - almost everything that I had hoped to get and so much more. Of course, there is always more research that could be done but I think I need to spend some time to review and absorb all that was gotten – and get the information entered into my Legacy database!



I'll be leaving Monday morning – heading south, hopefully toward warmer weather in southern Arizona or perhaps southern California. I haven't decided on a specific destination yet but do know that I'll be returning to Salt Lake City in February - for the RootsTech conference! I'm excited about that. I was really disappointed to miss it last year. It couldn't be helped and hopefully nothing will come up that will keep me away this year! I'm looking forward to the conference, attending the sessions, and seeing some of my genea-blogging friends again!



Speaking of genea-blogging friends, I'd like to thank A. C. Ivory for stopping by to say “Hello” whenever he was at the library (did you hear about his sky-diving escapades?). Also, thanks to Ruby Coleman for spending time with me when she was here in October working on her new book. It was great to see you both again!

Happy Holidays!

The Co-Habitant and I celebrate four holidays during the Festivus season! - and since one of them is already in progress, our cats urged us to send everybody some warm wishes. They even agreed to pose for these photos inside my Pashley basket.



To give you a sense of the size of the basket, our kitties are Norwegian Forest Cats, which are almost as large as Maine Coons. One is black and white, and the other is brown. They have asked that we not reveal their identities, and as you can see they are a bit camera shy.



And here is Eustacia Vye in her entirety, bedecked in a festive red bow. The holiday season has been good to us so far and we now own some better quality digital cameras - which will, hopefully, lead to nicer bike pictures on this weblog. Having read the holiday wishlists posted on some of the bicycle blogs out there, I realise that I am actually pretty satiated in the velo department and have no bicycle themed items on my list. It is good to be happy with what you have... Either that, or I better get my thinking cap on!

Fall Colors at Gunflint Narrows

Flashing back a little bit here to late September at Gunflint Lake on the Gunflint Trail in northern Minnesota. The vibrant leaf colors made for a stark contrast to the fire-scarred Canadian shoreline of Gunflint Lake. I wanted to share this one with you after shooting it, but it got lost in the shuffle and I forgot about it until now!

Rain, Rain...Go Away

We have had a few days of solid rain with lots of wind, and here is the end result:



I know I said we were right on the water before, but I was speaking figuratively. It is about to become a literal statement:





Hopefully the rain has stopped...or we'll be switching sites!



Living the life in wet and cloudy Virginia!

Mind the Moderating Rules

I have a fairly hands-off moderating policy on this blog. At the same time, it is important to me that readers are comfortable participating in discussions without feeling intimidated by others. The policy so far has been to "approve all comments other than spam, unsubstantiated slander, inflammatory remarks, or blatant rudeness," and this will not change. However, I would like to elaborate on some of these terms.



Spam has become harder to deal with, as increasingly I find businesses using the comments inappropriately. Industry members are always welcome to participate in discussions. What is not welcome, is for a business to comment incognito in order to endorse themselves or criticise a competitor. I will remove those comments and will not deal with any company that uses such tactics.Comments promoting your business in response toa thematically unrelatedpost are likewise inappropriate.



Slander refers to posting malicious allegations against industry members and other individuals. (Example: "I heard Company X uses child labor to make their products." Another example:"Hey, I saw that guy beating his wifeafter the Podunk Brevet.") I cannothost random slander aimed at companies or persons; please take it elsewhere.



Rudeness seems like an obvious enough concept, but it can be a slippery slope. Criticism in itself is not rude. There are also comments meant to be humourous or tongue-in-cheek that can get misread by those who don't get the joke. I consider comments rude when they outright insult others or address them in a bullying tone.



Inflammatory comments are those designed to taunt a specific individual or to provoke a so-called "flame war." I do not always read comments thoroughly, and may not notice these until a full-blown hostile exchange is in progress. In cases like these, I may go back and remove the entire thread, no matter whose started it.



The way I see it, the less moderating I do the better. I hate being in a position of "allowing" versus "not allowing" stuff. Plus I simply have no time to carefully consider the wording of every comment. Long time readers get the benefit of the doubt more so than unknown ones.I use my judgment. Please use yours and mind the moderating rules.

Review of "Spoke Count" at the Chorus Gallery

On Saturday night I stopped by the opening of Spoke Count, a group exhibition at the Chorus Gallery in Somerville Mass., which is affiliated with Open Bicycle. As someone who has both exhibited at and curated a fair number of shows, I thought it would be interesting to write an informal review of this one. Despite my friendly affiliation with Open, I believe that I can be objective, and I hope the organisers of the show will not take offense at anything expressed here.

Spoke Count is a collaborative installation of over 100 small works about bicycles, submitted by local artists. Each piece is no greater than 8" in one direction and the work is arranged in a large grid along the gallery's main wall, in much the same manner as we are accustomed to seeing a set of "thumbnails" in a virtual image gallery.

I felt that arranging the work in this way made an impact on several levels. In the most basic sense, it illustrated the sheer variety of possibilities when the concept of "bicycle" is evoked. Submissions included images of vintage 3-speeds, slick track bikes, stately roadsters, and even penny farthings.

Additionally, it showed the variety of personalities of the people who ride bicycles. The type of artwork a person makes, the colours they choose, the themes they portray - all of this is information that gives the viewer a glimpse of the artist's inner world.

There were many, many different inner worlds on display, rather than just some single stereotypical notion of "cyclist".

Indeed it was refreshing that the exhibition was not dominated by glossy images of excruciatingly hip young people doing excruciatingly hip things with track bikes. It really was representative of the community at large.

And the fact that all the pieces are the same size and priced equally, communicated the idea that everybody's vision of "bicycle" is equally valid, equally important, equally valuable.

In addition to the grid of small works on the main wall, Spoke Count displays several bicycles that are of historical interest. These hang suspended from the ceiling, their gentle swaying evoking the comparison of cycling to the feeling of flying. Among the bicycles on display is my 1936 Raleigh Lady's Tourist (not for sale).

All in all, I felt that Spoke Count is a successful exhibition both in terms of the way it is put together and in terms of what it communicates. An additional question that is often asked in a themed show like this, is whether it stands on its own as an art exhibition per se, rather than just being a show for bicycle enthusiasts. For the most part, my answer to that would be "Yes". Joshua Kampa knows what he is doing when it comes to aesthetics and critical theory. And in terms of relevance, Spoke Count succeeds as a meditation on a significant social change that is currently taking place in the community. It is a small, cozy show that does not attempt any grand gestures. And yet it sends a strong, personal message.

In general, I would describe the Chorus Gallery not as a place that exhibits "bicycle themed art", but as a gallery featuring a diverse selection of young local artists whose work is occasionally related to the theme of bicycles or self-propelled movement. Having said that, one thing I believe would help the gallery affirm itself as a community art space, is making an effort to reach out to a more diverse audience. The openings at Chorus are always exceptionally well attended. But in some previous ones I have been to, there was a feeling that all the attendees knew each other and that the event was more of a party than an art opening. And while such an atmosphere is fun and full of energy, it can feel alienating to visitors who have come to see the art and are not part of "the scene". At Spoke Count, I noted a more diverse group of visitors than at previous openings, and I hope this trend continues. As a community art space in Union Square in Somerville, the Chorus Gallery has tremendous potential and I am looking forward to its future shows.

New Hampshire & Massachusetts

My earlier experience with New Hampshire on this trip lasted about 45 minutes – traversing it to get from Vermont to Maine.

Rather than simply adding it to the list of states I've been in, I figured it would be nice if I spent more than an hour there but I didn't really have the time to spare. At least I drove through it again. The weather was pleasant – sunshine and blue skies - and it was mostly a nice drive. I spent the night in Concord. The next morning, Thursday (October 8th), was also a very nice day for traveling although there was quite a bit of traffic and congestion through Dover, Manchester, and Nashua.

By noon I was in Massachusetts and, 30 minutes later, at Pine Grove Cemetery in Leominster, where Joseph and Sarah (Tarbell) Joslin and his grandfather Peter Joslin are buried. Joseph and Sarah are (probably, most likely) my 6th great-grandparents which would make Peter my 8th great-grandfather. Photographs of their tombstones are posted on find-a-grave but I wanted to visit their graves myself.

Pine Grove Cemetery, established in 1742, is the oldest of the four cemeteries in Leominster. It was closed to burials in 1937 and is on the National Register of Historic Places – there are nearly 100 veterans of the Revolutionary War buried there. It took me about half an hour to locate the Joslin gravesites. It was a pleasant walk through history. I recognized other surnames that had married into the Joslin line – Wilder, Whitcomb, Gardner – undoubtedly some very distant relatives. But how they were related I knew not. I haven't done enough research on those lines to make the determination.

Did I mention that black slate tombstones are really, really hard to photograph! Particularly when they are in the shade.

That's me at the gravesites of Joseph and Sarah (Tarbell) Joslin.

In memory of
Lieut. Joseph Joslin
who died
August. 18. 1829
Aet. 86

In memory of
Mrs. SARAH JOSLIN
wife of
Lieut. JOSEPH JOSLIN
who died 28 Aug. 1810
aged 69

Inscription at bottom of Sarah's stone:
The happy soul that conquers sin;
Shall everlasting glory win.
Shall see the end of war & pain.
And with the King of glory reign.

By far the oldest tombstone of an ancestor (or probable ancestor) that I have personally photographed is that of Peter Joslin/Joslyn (below). I was delighted to find that it was out in the sun. The lighting was perfect!

In Memory of Capt.
PETER JOSLYN
who Died April. ye
18th Domini 1759
Aged 94 Years.

O Death Thoust conquered me
by thy Dart am Slain.
But CHRIST has conquered thee
And I shall rise again.

Phend-Fisher Family Reunion Ledger - 1897

As mentioned in a post on this year's Phend Family Reunion, it was on June 27, 1897 that the first Phend Family Reunion was held. The events of the day were recorded in an old ledger book. Sadly, the fragile pages have turned brown and have separated from the binding. They are, in effect, disintegrating. I'm in the process of carefully scanning the pages in an attempt to save the information they contain. Hopefully, someday, some other member of the family will be interested in them. I don't know how much longer the pages themselves will stand up to the passage of time but at least we will have the scanned images. The ledger is 5 1/4 inches wide by 11 1/2 inches long.


According to the newspaper article, published on June 30, 1897 in The Nappanee News, (and the ledger) Jacob and Louisa were celebrating the anniversary of their 69th birthday which puts their year of birth at 1828. The gravemarker inscription says that Jacob was born on June 27, 1828 and that Louisa was born on June 27, 1829. Her inscription also says that she died on April 4, 1897 which was 2 1/2 months BEFORE the celebration!

[notes and "missing" information within brackets, commas were added in some of the name lists] From the ledger:

Nappanee
The Phend Family was called to order

June 27. 1897

being being [sic] the 69 birthday aniversery of Jacob and Louisa Phend. there was a family gathering, at their residence on Saturday evening

[first 3 words -A formal Program- were crossed out] Meeting was caled to order at 5:30 by Clarance Phend
An informal Program was rendered
Miss Grace Tintsman Presiding at the Organ
Scripture reading by Chris Phend. Prayer by Christian Ringgenburg opened the program of singing
welcome addrss by Father Phend responce by Henry Phend. declamation by Do [Dora ?] Phend. the Golden Sunbeam. Dare to be true, by Ralph Ernest. A Happy little boy by Freddie Ernest. Select Reading by Carrie Phend.

Supper was Served

[Attending] were
[John Phend a]nd wife and [children] william, Harl, Edwin, Luly.
Christian Phend wife and children Clarance, Orian, Carrie, Delvin, Hattie, Harry, Iva, Bell, Grover, waldo & Clifford
Jacob J. Phend wife and children Moses, Catie, Raman, Surelda & Samuel Phend wife and children Lillie, Quince, Clide, Dora Arlington & Howard. John Ernest wife and children Ralph and Freddie
William Phend wife and child Owen. Harl Phend wife and 2 children Goldie and Ivo. Jacob Seniff wife and 2 children Archie and Iva. Mrs. Caraline Ringenberg. Rev. Christian ringenburg. Claud & Goldie Ringenberger. Rev Hofferbert wife and child Nellie.

The family consists of Father mother six children, thirty two grandchildren [and] five great grand chldren.

A permanent organization was Effected with Henry Phend as President. Christian Phend assistant. Mrs John Ernest Secretary and a board of directers as follows. Clarance Phend, John and Elisabeth Phend, Lillie Phend.a motion was made made [sic] to invite the fisher family. a vote was taken which was satisfactory to that effect. Christian Ringenburger was elected as a director and representative of that family.

Mrs John Ernest Secretary
= = end of ledger transcription = =

Missing in the list of those attending was Henry Phend and family. Henry was there as he gave a response to Father Phend's welcoming address. Most likely Henry's wife, Susie, and their children Victor, Cecil and Gladys were also in attendance.

The Ledger contains entries from the next reunion, which was in 1909. The last entry has the notation "no reunion" and is dated 1943.

Updated September 8, .. - added 3rd page for 1897.

Beware of the Warm and Cozy

Watching Bikeyfaceride around the studio in circles as the sun shoneweaklythrough frost-covered windows, I had a terrible realisation: If we weren't careful, we could fall prey to the Cozy Neighbourhood Winter Madness Syndrome. Ever since I moved to the Cambridge/Somerville area it's gotten me every year.




Not to be confused with the Winter Doldrums or Seasonal Depression, the Cozy Neighbourhood Winter Madness Syndrome is characterised by the claustrophobia of becoming trapped by winter in our immediate surroundings. Particularly vulnerable are residents of certain urban yet peripheral neighbourhoods like ours. On the one hand, our neighbourhood is self-sufficient and has everything we need: Cafes, grocery stores, shops and a multitude of other services are within walking distance or just a short bike ride away. On the other hand, it is village-like and does not feel altogether connected to the outside world. This makes it both convenient to stay close to home once the freezing temps and snow set in, and frustrating to feel yourself trapped in a pattern of doing just that. Soon, Boston proper begins to seem as distant and foreign as Hong Kong; the outer suburbs as desolate and forbidding as Siberia.Sure, we know that it's all in our heads, that we could and should venture out beyond our shrunken travel radius. But the 'ville keeps us firmly in its clutches with its cozy cafes, charming shops and poorly plowed roads leading out of town. "Stay put, baby," the neighbourhood whispers seductively, "it's cold outside." As the winter progresses, we slowly begin to go mad from lack of contact with the outside world. Before we know it, we are speaking a dialect that only the local coffee shop baristas understand. When we finally emerge in spring the folk across the river can sense we're different.




Well, not this year. I was worldly now. I was tough. I would not be deterred by the warm, inviting glow of the Wine and Cheese Cask whilst attempting to ride past it on my way out of town.




"Bikeyface," I said, my voice ringing with festive determination. "I am prepared to go anywhere for lunch! I have donned many layers of wool and my bike is geared for adventure." Bravely, we bundled up and stepped into the cold. Things were going well, until we happened past a new coffee house down the road. We tried not to look directly at it. But oh how tiny it was. How comfy the people inside looked. Through the fogged up window we could make out a small unoccupied table with two chairs, just waiting for us...




Next thing I recall, I was sitting across from Bikeyface, chewing on a delicious spinach pie and sipping a hot cappuccino. A David Bowie song played in the background. Humming along, the barista glanced in our direction meaningfully, as if to say "You see ladies? No need to go anywhere; we got everything you need right here." A customer approached the counter and ordered a hot beverage. It was only January, and already he spoke in the local dialect.