british frame builders | The Bicycle Story

Tag Archives: british frame builders

Tom Donhou’s Experiments in Speed

Posted on July 25, 2013 by josh| Leave a comment

Experiments in Speed is a mini documentary about going very, very fast. Tom Donhou, the frame builder behind Donhou Bicycles in Hackney, London, was inspired by the old land speed record attempts at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. The film chronicles Donhouâ€™s fascination with speed, the bikeâ€™s build, and his attempts at pushing the machine to its limits. It is beautifully shot and exciting to watch and a reminder that bicycles are amazing feats of engineering. A simple frame design and one gear enable a human to ride 100 miles per hour. Thatâ€™s incredible.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Cycling Media, Everything Else, Frame Builders

Tagged bonneville salt flats, british frame builders, experiments in speed, human powered speed record, landspeed record, tom donhou

Touring the Moulton Factory

Posted on August 30, 2012 by josh| Leave a comment

The first time I saw a Moulton bike, it was on a Seattle Randonneur‘s 100k populaire. I’d caught up to a man on a Moulton and rode with him for a while.

Making small talk, as one does when riding with a stranger, I said, “That’s a pretty wild looking bike you’re on.” Without missing a beat, he replied, “It rides beautifully.”

Dr. Alex Moulton’s unique design was introduced to the world with the 1962 launch of Moulton Bicycles in Bradford-upon-Avon, England. The many-triangle design is supposed to provide a natural suspension while making the bike stiff like a traditional double-diamond frame. The small wheels, run at high pressure, offer low rolling resistance. The compact design was meant to facilitate easy storage for commuters.

British filmmakers/branding firm Well Plastic produced a short documentary about the company, providing a glimpse into how the frames are made and the history of Moulton.