In 1956, the Suez Crisis caused a shortage of gasoline in Britain and the introducing of rationing. (Don't know about it? Watch The Hour) Engineer Alex Moulton was involved in a number of responses to the high cost of gas: The Austin Mini (he designed the lightweight rubber suspension that helped keep the car small and light) and the Moulton Bike. According to the Guardian, Moulton’s bike, launched to enormous interest in 1962, was a reinvention of the classical bicycle. He used small wheels, which he argued gave better acceleration and faster overall speeds; springs, again of rubber, and a new feature on bicycles; and a new design of the step-through frame – he considered the top tube of the traditional bike dangerous and an obstacle to dismounting in emergency. The Moulton went through many evolutions from his original “F” frame to later exotic handbuilt stainless steel space-frame machines. However, the success of his design showed their practicality and pointed the way for other small-wheeled and stowable bikes.
Norman Foster called it "the greatest work of 20th-century British design."
The space frame design that I so lust after was not the original; it was developed in the 80s and is still made by his grand-nephew at Moulton Bicycles. It is built by hand and isn't cheap, and isn't mass-produced; Moulton wrote that “Man should make things … Make a profit, of course, but don’t take the money gain as the prime judgment.”
A number of TreeHugger writers over the years, including founder Graham Hill, have been avid folding bike riders. They are easier to store in smaller spaces (Graham used to hang his in his closet on special hooks) and they are great for going multi-modal. Their small wheels give them great maneuverability in crowded cities.
Alex Moulton was the first to design and build one that was as good as, or in fact better, than a conventional bike.
Alex Moulton, dead at 92.
Wiki
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_Moultonfonte:
http://www.treehugger.com/bikes/alex-moulton-master-folding-bike-1920-2012.html
