Comments on: New bike to test ride

By: paul evans

paul evans — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 00:18:14 +0000

I own a paratrooper ,it is probably about the 50th bike I’ve owned in my life (58 years old) I have begun a new love of cycling because of it.Love the hard tail with v-brakes and amazed by the stopping power of mechanical disc on front.The Clix QR system is great , better than any of the old style skewers i’ve had.About to start two tours soon, one to the Otago trail in NZ and the other a 3 month tour of Japan all on my lightweight Paratrooper ,will keep you posted.

By: Michael

Michael — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 22:03:12 +0000

Excellent suggestion! I have thought about it but haven’t made the switch. i have always wanted a single speed and now that the Montague is a backup I can justify medeling with it. I’ll let you know if/when I get started.

By: Moe

Moe — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 17:13:25 +0000

Hey Michael,

Yeah, the components are kind low end, they work fine, but durability is my concern. I do think that this bike would be a good candidate for a Single Speed conversion, since you have a flat commute I would look into it. The bike would lose some needed weight and the simplicity of a single speed will make it more reliable.

By: Michael

Michael — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 12:20:49 +0000

Hey Moe, my commute is 9.0 miles round trip and living in Houston the route is very flat. My biggest challenge is the roads I take require hopping a few curbs and its really nice to know that this bike can handle it. My other challenge is to arrive at work without getting overheated and the only way to do that is to have a bike you find comfortable at slowers speeds without having to make you work so hard. My only complaint would be about the components. Both of my folders came with very entry level parts and so I’ve had to make a few substutions such as the cranks, pedals and one rear derailleur. I had a lighter set of rims and changed the stem to fit me better but I have had no issues with the sturdiness or comfort of the bike at all. I have really enjoyed it.

By: RL Policar

RL Policar — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 19:18:36 +0000

James,

That’s an odd argument about disc brakes. There are many riders that have their bikes set up like that.

By: Moe

Moe — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 18:48:23 +0000

Hey Michael, I saw that you owned this bike on Bikejournal.com. I’m also interested on what you have to say about the bike. How long is your commute? Is it hilly or flat? I rode it to work this morning, I need to do some minor adjustments but the bike felt great.

By: Michael

Michael — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 17:23:14 +0000

Sorry, I meant Moe’s report not RL’s.

By: Michael

Michael — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 17:22:07 +0000

I have a Swiss Bike as well as a Montague MX. One with a regular QR and the other with the Clix system. I would like to hear what RL has to say about it first before I chime in but I have had no problems with either system.

Dman, that sucks! I hope you find what caused the problem. There is nothing worse than getting back on the bike not knowing if it might happen again.

By: Dman

Dman — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 17:00:24 +0000

You know, I’m not sure about the axle lock nuts. I know they’re on correct now though. After the wreck I bought a regular bolt on axle and tried to put it in, but the thread pattern was just slightly different than the stock axle, so the “cones” wouldn’t fit, so I put the stock axle back in.

Good thought tho…

By: Ghost Rider

Ghost Rider — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 16:33:37 +0000

Ok. I was trying to rule out the “wingnut” tightening technique, but you’re experienced enough with bikes not to do THAT!

Here’s a weird question: what about your axle locknuts? Could they be on backward (serrated side facing the hub rather than the fork ends)?

In any case, we’re all looking forward to reading about this intriguing (if a bit porky, weight-wise) “mystery bike”…