Anyone Ever Used a Folding Mountain Bike?

[TomH]

Montague makes 5 models, some of which are used by the USMC and also Army paratroopers:

http://www.montaguebikes.com/folding-mountain-bikes/

(Prices are MSRP; Amazon and others offer same models for considerably less.)

Also, Tern makes the Joe D24, but it seems not to have shocks:

http://www.ternbicycles.com/us/bikes/joe-d24

We are looking for something we can store inside a Provan Bengal Tiger when we travel.

[Jay H]

Some of the parts spec'd on the the montague paratrooper pro are cheezy, ex fire shifters and acera derailers are not quality equipment. Even for a lot less than MSRP it does not seem like a deal to me compared to a non folding bike.

If spending 1200 or more on a good quality bike here is my advice.

Get a good quality steel framed mountain bike form a reputable local bike shop and have it sent out to a frame builder to have S&S couplers added. Or get one that comes with S&S couplers. Also any mountain bike with quick release (which is practically any bike) gets pretty small if you just pull off the wheels.

Unless space is a HUGE premium you probably dont even need a folding bike.

With proper technique and practice one can remove wheels and put a bike in and out of a toyota corolla trunk in 3M flat.

You can also get a white industries crank that alloys your pedal to quick release on and off.
http://whiteind.com/cranks/quickreleasepedalcrank.html

Go to a good bike shop and see if they will wheel out a bike take the wheels off and see how it fits in the space.

[Flounder]

I agree with Jay, 100%. The Montague uses parts often found on the cheapest of bikes, and I do mean cheap. I've spoken to people who love their Montague bikes, but I also gather that those people not only do not use them often, but don't use them as you would a normal mountain bike. I think that's the key. How do you want this bike to perform outside the vehicle? If you just need an escape pod, or short trip transportation the Montague or Tern would be fine. If you want something to actually ride on trails for the enjoyment of riding - follow Jay's advice regarding buying a normal bike and just taking the wheels off.

By the way, I have those White Industry quick release cranks on the ExPo Fargo project bike and they're fantastic.

[DaveInDenver]

A buddy of mine has a Ritchey touring frame with S&S couplers. Those are pretty awesome if you want super compact and very (and I mean VERY) high quality.

Nothing wrong with folding bikes for their task of commuting in the city (criteria being small space and worry of theft), but they are not a good solution for general purpose bikes IMHO. With a little work it's not hard to get a regular bike to fit into the space of a large suitcase as suggested. Bikes with couplers even more so.

[agavelvr]

I had a montage paratrooper for a few years. During that time, I used it as a commuter, some 15 or so mile trail rides, and just for fun...one lap in the 24 hours at the old pueblo a few years ago. It was not my preferred bike, but it is great for a folding bike and fine for aggressive trail riding.

If you need a folding bike, they are great. While the components may leave a little to be desired, just replace them if you wear them out.

[Saguache]

In addition to the chep comp they tend to ride like poorly fitted junk ad well. Imagine riding steep single tack and feeling looseness in the fame arou d the bottom bracket. If all you ever plan to do is ride FS roads and pavement you'll be ok, but you'd be far better off with some nice steel and SS couplers IMHO. Get something really nice this way.

[HelaJames]

My buddy has one from a company called Dahon and it is really good quality. I do not know if they make them any more but they were expensive too.