Dave Moulton
Encyclopedia
Edward David Moulton (born circa 1936, Surrey
, England
. Father: Edward Moulton) is a retired custom bicycle frame
builder.
Dave Moulton studied at Luton Technical College in England
and learned bicycle frame building from Albert "Pop" Hodges in Luton, beginning in 1957. He opened a frame-building business around 1975 in Worcester
, England. In 1976, Paul Carbutt
rode one of Moulton's bicycles in the Olympics
in Montreal
, Canada
. The bike frames were marked with Moulton's name, "Dave Moulton" in large lower-case letters.
Moulton began receiving orders from the United States
due to the increasing popularity of cycling as a sport and the scarcity of master frame-builders there. Moulton emigrated to the United States in 1979 and went to work for Vic and Mike Fraysse in Ridgefield Park, New Jersey
. He built bicycles for them under the Paris Sport brand that were used by the US Olympic Cycling Team. In 1980 he went to work for Masi Bicycles
in California until 1981. Shortly thereafter he rented space from Masi to start his own frame-building business. By 1983 he was doing well enough to move his business to a stand-alone location in San Marcos, California
. That year he went into partnership with Olympic cyclist John Howard
and manufactured bicycle frames under the John Howard name until 1984. In 1984 he began making frames under the Fuso label (Fuso is the Italian word for Molten), and, between 1985 and 1987, a small number under the Recherché label. The bicycles sold from US$1,500 to $3,000 in the late 1980s.
Moulton retired from frame building in 1993. However, many of his bicycles are still in use. Moulton's bicycles have been ridden in more than 20 world championships, in major races including the Tour de France
, and in Olympic events. The business was taken over by his former apprentice, Russ Denny, who manufactured his own frames under the Fuso name until 1997. Denny now markets frames under his own name.
Moulton now lives in Charleston, South Carolina
with his second wife Kathy and has become a writer and songwriter. He published his first book in 2003, Prodigal Child. (ISBN 0-9726693-4-5)
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Father: Edward Moulton) is a retired custom bicycle frame
Bicycle frame
A bicycle frame is the main component of a bicycle, on to which wheels and other components are fitted. The modern and most common frame design for an upright bicycle is based on the safety bicycle, and consists of two triangles, a main triangle and a paired rear triangle...
builder.
Dave Moulton studied at Luton Technical College in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and learned bicycle frame building from Albert "Pop" Hodges in Luton, beginning in 1957. He opened a frame-building business around 1975 in Worcester
Worcester
The City of Worcester, commonly known as Worcester, , is a city and county town of Worcestershire in the West Midlands of England. Worcester is situated some southwest of Birmingham and north of Gloucester, and has an approximate population of 94,000 people. The River Severn runs through the...
, England. In 1976, Paul Carbutt
Paul Carbutt
Paul Anthony Carbutt was an English professional racing cyclist. He died in May 2004.Carbutt has an exceptional range of achievements - from a silver medal in the short-distance national hill-climb championship in 1975 to breaking the near-1,000 miles of the Land's End to John o' Groats road...
rode one of Moulton's bicycles in the Olympics
1976 Summer Olympics
The 1976 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event celebrated in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in 1976. Montreal was awarded the rights to the 1976 Games on May 12, 1970, at the 69th IOC Session in Amsterdam, over the bids of Moscow and...
in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The bike frames were marked with Moulton's name, "Dave Moulton" in large lower-case letters.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
due to the increasing popularity of cycling as a sport and the scarcity of master frame-builders there. Moulton emigrated to the United States in 1979 and went to work for Vic and Mike Fraysse in Ridgefield Park, New Jersey
Ridgefield Park, New Jersey
Ridgefield Park is a village in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. The population was 12,729 at the 2010 United States Census. Of 566 municipalities statewide, Ridgefield Park is only one of three with a village type of government in New Jersey, along with Loch Arbour and Ridgewood.The...
. He built bicycles for them under the Paris Sport brand that were used by the US Olympic Cycling Team. In 1980 he went to work for Masi Bicycles
Masi Bicycles
Masi Bicycles is a manufacturer of road, track, cyclocross and commuter bicycles based in Vista, California, United States.-History:Faliero Masi commenced making bicycle frames at the Vigorelli Velodrome in Milano in the 1950s, after a career as a professional racer and team mechanic...
in California until 1981. Shortly thereafter he rented space from Masi to start his own frame-building business. By 1983 he was doing well enough to move his business to a stand-alone location in San Marcos, California
San Marcos, California
San Marcos is a suburb of San Diego in the North County section of San Diego County, California. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 83,781. Outside the San Diego region, it is best known as the home of California State University, San Marcos...
. That year he went into partnership with Olympic cyclist John Howard
John Howard (cyclist)
John Kennedy Howard is an Olympic cyclist from the United States, who set a land speed record of 152.2 miles per hour while motor-pacing on a pedal bicycle on July 20, 1985 on Utah's Bonneville Salt Flats...
and manufactured bicycle frames under the John Howard name until 1984. In 1984 he began making frames under the Fuso label (Fuso is the Italian word for Molten), and, between 1985 and 1987, a small number under the Recherché label. The bicycles sold from US$1,500 to $3,000 in the late 1980s.
Moulton retired from frame building in 1993. However, many of his bicycles are still in use. Moulton's bicycles have been ridden in more than 20 world championships, in major races including the Tour de France
Tour de France
The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...
, and in Olympic events. The business was taken over by his former apprentice, Russ Denny, who manufactured his own frames under the Fuso name until 1997. Denny now markets frames under his own name.
Moulton now lives in Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
with his second wife Kathy and has become a writer and songwriter. He published his first book in 2003, Prodigal Child. (ISBN 0-9726693-4-5)