A Swedish postal stamp
celebrating the Primus Stove
Many British touring bikes famously included a braze-on designed to stow a Primus stove. Colin Martin's 4-speed 'round the world Moulton Marathon was equipped with a carrier sporting a mess kit braze-on underneath. The stove was nested behind the head-tube between the panniers. This is a true retro ride—canvas bags, steel carriers and Corol bottles all around.
As a side note I was told by one of my Moulton customers that the Moulton Day Bag was designed to carry a "Primus" and whole tea set for a roadside cuppa on chilly (or not so) mornings. The Weekend Bag is very similar and will hold three Primus stoves (without stacking them) for a real Brew Up!
Long before becoming a popular destination for British and American soldiers, Afghanistan was a wild place, where W.C. Fields claims to have lost his corkscrew and survived for weeks on nothing but food and water. Colin, unsure that his two-speed kick-back Sachs hub would last the journey, carried a spare hub. Over time, many cyclists tend to shed gear, for simplicity. Likewise, in 1970, Colin buried his spare hub somewhere along the road to Kabul. At a recent Moulton gathering, Dr. Moulton speculated that the US Marines might have discovered this artifact while searching for landmines. In better times a casual search for the wayward hub and corkscrew might be a good excuse for a bike ride.
Colin incidentally was sidelined on his 'round the world journey when his bike was stolen in Australia. He was diligent and did manage to complete his circumnavigation in 2002. Thirty-two years is a long trip!
P.S.: The truly stove-obsessed will be interested in perusing Classic Camp Stoves at SpiritBurner.com, an online venue for collectors & users of vintage camp stoves such as those made by Primus, Optimus, Radius, Svea & many others. I've got half a dozen stoves I'll bet, and that website makes me want to buy 10 more!
Yours in Cycling,
Gilbert Anderson
North Road Bicycle Imports
P.O. Box 840
166 Courthouse Square
Yanceyville, NC 27379
USA
toll free: 800-321-5511
local: 919-828-8999
e-mail: cyclestore@aol.com
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