# Rescued from skip.. Moulton :)



## bonk man (1 Dec 2008)

Excellent find at the local recycle centre, I was chucking some bent frames in the metal skip and spotted a Moulton Standard buried under an old radiator and rusty car wheels, the skip master dragged it out, a bit rusty but straight and the wheels go round plus the Sturmey seems ok. 
Will blow the tyres up tomorrow, set up the 4 speed and go for a pedal..
what a treat


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## palinurus (2 Dec 2008)

Oooh, lucky.


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## bonk man (2 Dec 2008)

Just been for a pedal on it, tyres stayed up and the gears work. It also boings up and down smoothly Unfortunately the saddle was full of water.....


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## John the Monkey (2 Dec 2008)

By gum that's very lucky indeed - photos in the gallery once you have chance...


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## bonk man (2 Dec 2008)

Pics can be found at this address [ if all goes to plan ] 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/67774599@N00/sets/72157604848282595/detail/?deleted=2499037683

enjoy and don't get too envious


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## PrettyboyTim (2 Dec 2008)

bonk man said:


> Pics can be found at this address [ if all goes to plan ]enjoy and don't get too envious



Too late!


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## Flying_Monkey (2 Dec 2008)

Lucky bugger! Enjoy it, and let's see some more once you've restored it to its former glory!


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## mickle (2 Dec 2008)

A friend of mine spent an age and a fortune doing up a Moulton for his brother's 40th, took it for a test ride, rode gently off a kerb and the steerer failed. Worth checking before you go too far.


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## Disgruntled Goat (2 Dec 2008)

Isn't it nice when something like that happens?


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## dodgy (2 Dec 2008)

Beauty surely is in the eye of the beholder. But nice find, will be an interesting (though no doubt costly) project to restore it.


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## bonk man (2 Dec 2008)

mickle said:


> A friend of mine spent an age and a fortune doing up a Moulton for his brother's 40th, took it for a test ride, rode gently off a kerb and the steerer failed. Worth checking before you go too far.




What part of the steering failed? Stem or forks and why?  I had the steering go on a Chopper when I was a kid, 30 mph at the bottom of a hill, nasty, big elbow hurty


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## mickle (2 Dec 2008)

Water collects in the steerer and rots it from the inside. The crown falls off the steerer.


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## bonk man (2 Dec 2008)

A ha ,,, will have look at that before taking part in the xmas freewheel competition down the British Camp [ its big, its long and its 50 mph ]


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## xpc316e (2 Dec 2008)

I am so glad that this bike was saved at the last minute by someone who knew what it was.


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## bonk man (2 Dec 2008)

Actually it is not the first Moulton I have got from that tip, I had one about 15 years ago. It has been a bit of a gold mine of old bikes over the years, the best one possibly was a 40's New Hudson Racer in working order ! 

I have had a Viscount Aerospace, Peugeot 1960's tourer frame [ anyone fancy it it is for sale ] lots of granny bikes, the earliest going back to the 20's. Choppers, Grifters, 20's, and allsorts of odd folders, unicycles and numerous 531 framed bikes passed on to new homes. I only wish I could intercept all the treasure that goes to the scrappy...... my wife would blow her top, in a previous life I accumulated maybe 200 bikes and frames..... a mental illness but a harmless one

Current collection of odd stuff [complete bikes] not including "normal bikes"..
Moulton, 40's delivery bike, couple of 50's granny bikes, Fred Grubb tandem so fairly sane at the moment but I do have a 20'x12' shed so plenty of expanding room


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## Arch (3 Dec 2008)

Not only have you got a Moulton, but you've got a 4 speed changer, which I gather are like hen's teeth...


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## bonk man (3 Dec 2008)

Arch said:


> Not only have you got a Moulton, but you've got a 4 speed changer, which I gather are like hen's teeth...




Blimey.... I have a large box of un-used ones in the shed....

only jesting ...

I bought some tyres and tubes from Spa Cycles [ 16 inch Primos are on offer at the moment.. ] . 
Might try and do some tinkering on it tomorrow if we are snowed in.


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## tyred (3 Dec 2008)

Lucky b*gg*r! Sounds like a nice project.


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## bonk man (11 Dec 2008)

Well, it has had its first outing round the lanes..... 35 miles...bloody hell that was hard work  .... nah, it was ok really, my mate twentysix by twentyfive was on his Holdsworth and seemed to enjoy beating me to every 30mph sign, something he struggles to do if I am on a bike with sensible big wheels ...
Had a couple of mechanicals, the chain jumped off [ I have now bought a new one from my lovely friends at Chain Reaction, they sent me some sweeties ] and of course I had a p*nct*re just as the drizzle started and the sun went down 1 inch thorn, no way anything would have stopped it skewering the tube, what a monster... 

It now has drop bars and decent [Ultegra] chainset fitted... new chain and some good brakes will get fitted when I get the chance. 

I did discover it is a bit out of track, probably having a pile of scrap metal dropped on it in the skip .... 

Anyway, a most enjoyable experience.... do I have to do it again???


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## mickle (11 Dec 2008)

They do seem to suffer from tracking issues, my Deluxe used to travel sideways and I've followed a couple of Moultons which were crabby. It's the rear swing-arm I think. Although (I've just remembered..) that the dishing was also well out on my back wheel. I remember wheel builders having trouble with 16" wheels because standard dishing tools are too big.


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## spandex (11 Dec 2008)

Some one in York was going through a metal skip at the council depo around 5 years ago and found a Brompton which had nothing wrong at all with it!!!! He told the police he had it and 30 days or what ever it is they told him he can keep it.




So it dose pay to be a skip bum


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## spandex (11 Dec 2008)

mickle said:


> They do seem to suffer from tracking issues, my Deluxe used to travel sideways and I've followed a couple of Moultons which were crabby. It's the rear swing-arm I think. Although (I've just remembered..) that the dishing was also well out on my back wheel. *I remember wheel builders having trouble with 16" wheels because standard dishing tools are too big*.



you are right on that one 

The last time I had to dish a 16" wheel I just taped some metal to the dishing tool. It worked but it was far from ideal.


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## bonk man (18 Dec 2008)

One thing I forgot about little wheels..... they like to get stuck in ruts, I got chucked on the road after the front wheel decided to follow a crack in the tarmac....
I think its going to be alrightttttttt,,, no its not.... hole in my knee, bruises and general wrenched limb attachments..The bike received a good scrapping on the road, the gear toggle got destroyed so had to ride 15 miles in top gear, thankfully not too hilly.. I have sent off for a claim form from the council, the hole-crack has been there for at least 2 years and probably has grass growing out of it. I suppose I ought to take some pics of it and ask the locals how long it has been there,, etc etc.. 
Oh well the Moulton was going fine up till then, new chain and sprocket so it had stopped making hideous noises and jumping off the cogs. 
I have some spare toggle chain so will have to go in the shed and find it, does anyone know how to join the links on these things?


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## mickle (18 Dec 2008)

Don't think you split em bonk man. Sorry to hear about your off.


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## bonk man (18 Dec 2008)

Do you really think they can't be split and joined? I have some unused bits that are not attached to the threaded bit... I was given a big box of Sturmey odds and ends and there was some lose chain links. 
Maybe there is a special tool no doubt it is loads of money on ebayyy


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## bonk man (18 Dec 2008)

HAH HAAA...

from the Moulton club site "Most shops will inform you that the 4-speed rod and chain are obsolete: true, but they can remove your worn or broken chain and re-rivet one from a new, readily available, 3-speed. They can carefully pinch one of the little riveted chain links, replace the chain and re-rivet by splaying out a rivet head with a small punch."


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## mickle (19 Dec 2008)

Well well! Id love to see the ickle baby rivet tool for that job. Bless!


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## bonk man (26 Dec 2008)

Ha haa.... went and did the Boxing Day 10 time trail on the Moulton.. it was hell and I didn't win , but hey.... I didn't crash

My time..... 32.50, I wasn't last though.


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## palinurus (26 Dec 2008)

Perfect approach to a boxing day 10 I'd say.


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## bonk man (26 Dec 2008)

Pic of the famous Moulton in time trial mode..
http://www.flickr.com/photos/67774599@N00/3139404382/


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## bonk man (30 Dec 2008)

Video footage of the Moulton plummeting down the British Camp on the A449 during my clubs Freewheel competition on Sunday. The camera is mounted on the bars so is a bit shaky at times but you can smell the fear  

View: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=fJ5ZWiPwL4o


make sure you have it on high quality for the full experience


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## bonk man (9 Jan 2009)

Now uploaded, slightly amusing pic of Moulton getting thrashed on the Boxing Day 10..... 2 miles in and already about to get caught for a minute

http://www.flickr.com/photos/67774599@N00/3182776855/


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## EYE-TYE-MAD (14 Feb 2012)

bonk man said:


> Excellent find at the local recycle centre, I was chucking some bent frames in the metal skip and spotted a Moulton Standard buried under an old radiator and rusty car wheels, the skip master dragged it out, a bit rusty but straight and the wheels go round plus the Sturmey seems ok.
> Will blow the tyres up tomorrow, set up the 4 speed and go for a pedal..
> what a treat


Is it only me that thinks a skip is the rightful place for a Moulton???


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## mickle (14 Feb 2012)

EYE-TYE-MAD said:


> Is it only me that thinks a skip is the rightful place for a Moulton???


Yes.


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## EYE-TYE-MAD (14 Feb 2012)

mickle said:


> Yes.


I doubt it!...


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## HovR (14 Feb 2012)

Nothing quite like resurrecting a 3 year old thread.


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## EYE-TYE-MAD (14 Feb 2012)

HovR said:


> Nothing quite like resurrecting a 3 year old thread.


It's well worth it with such an illustrious mark..


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## mickle (14 Feb 2012)

Marque.


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## Norm (14 Feb 2012)

EYE-TYE-MAD said:


> I doubt it!...


Not looking good for you so far.


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## EYE-TYE-MAD (15 Feb 2012)

Norm said:


> Not looking good for you so far.


I don't know, over 17,000 idiots also bought the Sinclair C 5.


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## EYE-TYE-MAD (15 Feb 2012)

mickle said:


> Marque.


No, mark as in target or object of criticism & ridicule.


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## StuAff (15 Feb 2012)

Yes, why would anyone want a beautifully crafted, fast-accelerating, comfortable bicycle?


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## EYE-TYE-MAD (15 Feb 2012)

StuAff said:


> Yes, why would anyone want a beautifully crafted, fast-accelerating, comfortable bicycle?


Let's be completely candid, when the mad doctor first unveiled this ingenious device set to revolutionize the cycling world, his only achievement at best, was to produce a solution in search of a problem. Despite the fact that the rest of the cycling industry chose not to follow the principle of this ill conceived piece of nonsense, the Don Quixote of an invention pressed on regardless. Further, Just because the eccentrically minded may think that a Moulton is some how cool & progressive, I'm afraid the rest of us, not on the waiting list for a lobotomy, have yet to be convinced. I believe that Moulton have now been soaked up by those masters of innovation, Pashley, a marriage made in heaven!


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## StuAff (15 Feb 2012)

EYE-TYE-MAD said:


> Let's be completely candid, when the mad doctor first unveiled this ingenious device set to revolutionize the cycling world, his only achievement at best, was to produce a solution in search of a problem. Despite the fact that the rest of the cycling industry chose not to follow the principle of this ill conceived piece of nonsense, the Don Quixote of an invention pressed on regardless. Further, Just because the eccentrically minded may think that a Moulton is some how cool & progressive, I'm afraid the rest of us, not on the waiting list for a lobotomy, have yet to be convinced. I believe that Moulton have now been soaked up by those masters of innovation, Pashley, a marriage made in heaven!


 
Libelling Alex Moulton doesn't exactly strengthen your (non-existent) argument.


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## mickle (15 Feb 2012)

EYE-TYE-MAD said:


> Let's be completely candid, when the mad doctor first unveiled this ingenious device set to revolutionize the cycling world, his only achievement at best, was to produce a solution in search of a problem. Despite the fact that the rest of the cycling industry chose not to follow the principle of this ill conceived piece of nonsense, the Don Quixote of an invention pressed on regardless. Further, Just because the eccentrically minded may think that a Moulton is some how cool & progressive, I'm afraid the rest of us, not on the waiting list for a lobotomy, have yet to be convinced. I believe that Moulton have now been soaked up by those masters of innovation, Pashley, a marriage made in heaven!


 
Who died and left you in charge of deciding which wheel size is cool or not?

Brompton, Dahon, Airnimal, Bernds, Bike Friday, not to mention millions of Raleigh Shopper/20/Stowaways and Euro 'Klaprads'. All of which do a perfectly good job of being _bicycles._

Soaked up by? No, Pashley made/make some models under licence.

You Sir, are a snob.


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## EYE-TYE-MAD (15 Feb 2012)

StuAff said:


> Libelling Alex Moulton doesn't exactly strengthen your (non-existent) argument.


OK, you win, I take it all back, I, together with the rest of the world got it wrong! Just kidding, ... MOULTON, SKIP, END OF.


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## EYE-TYE-MAD (15 Feb 2012)

mickle said:


> Who died and left you in charge of deciding which wheel size is cool or not?
> 
> Brompton, Dahon, Airnimal, Bernds, Bike Friday, not to mention millions of Raleigh Shopper/20/Stowaways and Euro 'Klaprads'. All of which do a perfectly good job of being _bicycles._
> 
> ...


Wow!.. is this distinguished array really made here in Britain.


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## 400bhp (15 Feb 2012)

Blimey Eye-TYE, you sure you have not been fiddled with by a Moulton owner when you were a kid?

It's a bike - end of.


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## StuAff (15 Feb 2012)

EYE-TYE-MAD said:


> OK, you win, I take it all back, I, together with the rest of the world got it wrong! Just kidding, ... MOULTON, SKIP, END OF.


Have you actually managed to make a coherent argument yet? Nope, because you're still relying on ignorance and prejudice.

As for the 'rest of the world', that's plain idiotic. Moulton was second only to Raleigh in UK bike sales in the early 60s. The UCI banned small-wheeled bikes back in the mid-60s, after Moultons had won numerous events. Multiple records set by Moultons stand to this day and they remain popular for long-distance events such as PBP. The only reason Trek, Specialized, Colnago et al don't have small-wheeled racing models is that UCI ban. They not unreasonably base their marketing their bikes to Joe Public on the basis that 'so-and-so wins races on it'. Unless you're seriously going to argue that a lighter, stiffer, more aerodynamic wheel would be of no advantage?

Next up, ETM will try to convince us that his beloved Italian racers are faster than recumbent HPVs.....


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## EYE-TYE-MAD (15 Feb 2012)

400bhp said:


> Blimey Eye-TYE, you sure you have not been fiddled with by a Moulton owner when you were a kid?
> 
> It's a bike - end of.


No, just rode one, but a guess the end result is the same, both have the capability of leaving you traumatized for life.


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## 400bhp (15 Feb 2012)

You rode a Moulton owner?


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## EYE-TYE-MAD (15 Feb 2012)

StuAff said:


> Have you actually managed to make a coherent argument yet? Nope, because you're still relying on ignorance and prejudice.
> 
> As for the 'rest of the world', that's plain idiotic. Moulton was second only to Raleigh in UK bike sales in the early 60s. The UCI banned small-wheeled bikes back in the mid-60s, after Moultons had won numerous events. Multiple records set by Moultons stand to this day and they remain popular for long-distance events such as PBP. The only reason Trek, Specialized, Colnago et al don't have small-wheeled racing models is that UCI ban. They not unreasonably base their marketing their bikes to Joe Public on the basis that 'so-and-so wins races on it'. Unless you're seriously going to argue that a lighter, stiffer, more aerodynamic wheel would be of no advantage?
> 
> Next up, ETM will try to convince us that his beloved Italian racers are faster than recumbent HPVs.....


OH, HOW WE LAUGHED!..


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## StuAff (15 Feb 2012)

EYE-TYE-MAD said:


> OH, HOW WE LAUGHED!..


Nope, still nothing rational there. Are you actually capable of arguing a case?


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## EYE-TYE-MAD (15 Feb 2012)

400bhp said:


> You rode a Moulton owner?


No, getting on their nerves will suffice.


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## HovR (15 Feb 2012)

Guys, he revived a 3+ year old thread, and is now disagreeing with every sensible point you make. Ignore the troll, nothing to see here, move along.


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## EYE-TYE-MAD (15 Feb 2012)

StuAff said:


> Nope, still nothing rational there. Are you actually capable of arguing a case?


Rational! that's rich.


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## StuAff (15 Feb 2012)

I think HovR's nailed it. And you. You haven't made any valid points.


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## EYE-TYE-MAD (15 Feb 2012)

StuAff said:


> I think HovR's nailed it. And you. You haven't made any valid points.


On the subject of nails....


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## guitarpete247 (15 Feb 2012)

I had a Moulton when I was a kid. I passed my Cycling Proficiency Test on it. 

I'd definitely like to find one, in a skip or wherever, must start looking.


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## mickle (15 Feb 2012)

EYE-TYE-MAD said:


> Wow!.. is this distinguished array really made here in Britain.


Of what relevance is their country of origin to your 'argument'?

De Rosa's and Colnagos are mostly manufactured in Taiwan by the way.


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## Blue Hills (24 Mar 2012)

I briefly had one of those Moultons when I was a kid - far too big for me but my dad said I'd grow into it. Wish I'd kept it.

Interesting points by Stuaff and Mickle

The Italian bike shop that keeps my Speed Pro going is a very good place but they don't seem to be aware of the pedigree of small wheeled bikes - every time I take it in (admittedly too frequently - my Speed Pro is a delicate beast) they say that it's not meant to be ridden more than a few miles across town.

Mickle's last point interesting - in my experience rather a lot of Italians think their bikes are made in Italy. Someone from the north told me that their mid-price mountain bike was made by a local manufacturer and several bike shops have told me that their low/mid price bikes are built on Italian frames. Basic economics tells me that this is virtually impossible. I can't quite decide whether they are stupid or cycnical - tend to think the latter and that they think me stupid.

Edited for appalling grammar slip.


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## Ivan Ardon (24 Mar 2012)

Italians LIKE things to be made in Italy. Apart from the high end, expensive stuff they're just not very good at doing it.

For example, building small Fiats in Poland - great idea. Bringing production back home to Italy - oh dear....


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## bonk man (15 May 2012)

a short 26..... I am not this fat anymore either....


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## dan_bo (15 May 2012)

look at that gear!


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## dan_bo (15 May 2012)

I meant the ratio, not your cycling kit......


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## srw (15 May 2012)

It's less extreme than it looks, given the small wheel size. Conventional Brompton gearing is 54T x 13T


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## bonk man (15 May 2012)

60x13...... and still not enough,,,,,.....


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