Gotta play the devils advocate here and disagree. Anyone going to suggest Moultons arent good touring bike? As a mostly tarmac tourer with say no more than three days in between water i think they are great touring bikes. So good in fact I've retained one for approx 17 years.
Not much cop for challenging off road conditions though which is why I've just bought a Surly Ogre frame to build up and explore some Australian outback conditions where the Moulton couldn't cope nor carry enough water for me for the extended durations in between settlements/water.
The Moultons one size fits all frame, has a relatively short cockpit. The effective top tube is only 55.5cm which makes for a very upright position for my 5" 11' height and my inseam of approx 87.5cm or 34 inches when I do the book between the legs thing and mark against the wall.
Comparing Moulton to the Ogre, the Surly's smallest size frame has a ETT of approx 57.6cm. The size large frame which I've taken loads of advice on before whipping out the credit card is much larger with an effective top tube of 616.3 so the stretched riding position is going to be a shock and take some getting used to after the Moultons very upright position.
I've been very very comfortable on the Moulton whose wheelbase is longer than the Ogres but I need the water baring and off road ability that I'm confident the Ogre can provide.
I'm going to have to shorten as much as possible the Ogres cockpit by using a short upright stem, straight seatpost and short railed saddle (Brooks B17 Special) and whilst I have no doubts that it ticks the boxes for off road expedition, I have serious misgivings about my riding comfort.
Last edited by rifraf; 02-18-13 at 08:39 AM.