My good friend, and fellow Moultoneer, Erik Zo handed me a bag full of Alex Moulton goodies a couple weeks ago… If you don’t know Erik, he is one of the most interesting guys you can ever hope to meet. His love of bicycles is rooted deep in his bones and I know his veins pump nothing but vintage Campagnolo grease.
In the 1980s, Erik started making bags for messengers and has been doing the same thing ever since – his work is traditional and, most importantly, hand made in the exact same way he’s been doing it for more than 20 years. Aside from his vast knowledge of all things related to sewing, fabric, and how to find anything for free, Erik has also had quite an illustrious cycling career stretching far back into his youth. A road racer turned courier, and now a widely recognized World Champion in cargo bike events as well as having multiple Cycle Courier Championships under his belt, Erik has raced across the world and collected countless victories and stories along his two-wheeled trip.
We like to consider Erik something of an Oracle here in San Francisco, he possesses a wealth of knowledge, an infallible authority, prophetic opinion, and a happens to brew one hell of a cup of coffee. When he opens up and starts sharing stories about bikes, I would drop just about any date just to listen and be part of the conversation. His smile is infectious when he gets on a roll and starts talking excitedly about some of the most obscure and rare bicycle parts in the world. Not only does he know the precise threading of an impossible to find Swiss headset, but he can tell you the history of the company that made it as well as which racers won or lost using the same equipment. Erik’s stories of San Francisco are even more amazing, as he has been around to experience so much that many of us were not involved in. The best word I can think of to describe Erik is “giving”, he is happy to give advice, give opinions, give knowledge, and give history — he shares his stories at no cost and I really appreciate that. He’s a walking encyclopedia for all things punk, all things DIY, and all things related to the bicycle. He does not discriminate, nor does he narrow his focus – instead, he collects all the wisdom he can on any and every subject and that makes him a very amazing individual.
Ok, back to his latest gift -in the bag of goodies that he so nicely donated to me were the following items: Two books by Tony Hadland (the Moulton bicycle, 1980 and The Spaceframe Moultons, 1994), some old brochures (even Japanese editions), an old Moultoneer publication, a few catalogs and AM-7 & AM-2 assembly instructions.
I was so stoked. I’ve had my AM since last december, but have to admit, I’ve never taken it apart- I couldn’t figure it out since the spaceframe is a very complex bicycle. As a fellow mechanical engineer, I must say of Sir Alex Moulton that he is beyond genius. His dedication produce an amazing invention that’s not so quite easy to decode still amazes me.
Let me say no more, I’ll let these illustrations speak for themselves.
Click on the images below. Best viewed LARGE! Enjoy!
*** Editor’s Note:
Stay tuned for more “ZO’s Gifts” posts to come in the future!
2 comments
