A folding fixie

[Zipperhead]

The first available 700c single
speed folding bike...

[clarion]

Montague do make some good folders.  My erstwhile Rudge Biframe was one, and their more recent ones (marketed as Swissbike or some such) are pretty good.  There's a chap commutes by train from Carshalton with one.  Doesn't fold very small, but it's OK.

[oncemore]

I had a close look at a Swissbike mtb folder a few weeks ago - nicely put together.

[rogerzilla]

Nothing between the head tube and the BB suggests mega-flex.

[Greenbank]

Excellent, a solution to a problem that doesn't really exist.

[Wobbly John]

Nothing between the head tube and the BB suggests mega-flex.

You make it sound like that's a bad thing... 

[red marley]

Just saw one of these (that's a  Montague Boston, not John's WobblyBike) at the London Bike Show and was rather taken with it. Full size wheels, fixed but easy to pop on a train or tube without special arrangements. The fold/unfold seemed to take about 20 seconds, although you are left with a loose wheel unless you bag it.

The salesperson (inevitably) said there was no flex in the frame because the folding is entirely rotational around the seat tube and there is a double top tube. Does anyone have any experience of riding one?

[rogerzilla]

The salesperson (inevitably) said there was no flex in the frame because the folding is entirely rotational around the seat tube and there is a double top tube. Does anyone have any experience of riding one?

Given that the torsional forces between the head tube and bottom bracket are mahoosive, I don't think he's an engineer.

[Oaky]

I thought about one of those, but decided against for a few reasons:

• cost relative to the bike I eventually bought (the Dahon Cadenza Solo)
• difficulty of fitting a rack (not sure if it will take standard
• they hadn't quite become available over here when I wanted to buy

I didn't even think about the possibility for frame flex (although I guess it's a rare folder that doesn't compromise stiffness in some way).

Another plus for the Dahon is that if you don't do up the hinge bolts, it doubles as a wobblebike (although the frame only hinges one way )

[LittleWheelsandBig]

Montagues with pivoting seat tubes have been around since the 1980's in various designs. I've not ridden the double top tube version but the very oversize single top tube version rode quite well when I tried it a few years back.

Slingshots have no down tube and a hinge in the top tube but still track well when riding out of the saddle. A big down tube isn't the only way to transfer torsion through a frame.

[Kevina9]

• cost relative to the bike I eventually bought (the Dahon Cadenza Solo)
• difficulty of fitting a rack (not sure if it will take standard

I picked up my Montague Paratrooper and my wife's Dahon Matrix (similar to Cadenza) for about the same price (both around 300 notes, as new, sniped from eBay). The Dahon is fine for my wife, but creaks like a good 'un when someone my weight rides it. I would not trust it to carry me any great distance. In comparison the Montague is solid as a rock - very solid for a folder, even off-road. The Dahon has a much neater fold though because its hinge's axis is vertical, whereas the Montague's seat tube hinge is not.

It is easy to fit a standard rack to the Montague, but you need to spend about a tenner for a seatclamp incorporating braze-ons for attaching a rack - the rear triangle lacks rack attachment points on the seat stays, but does include M5 threaded holes for rack/guards near the drop-outs.

[Oaky]

I can vouch for the fact that the Dahon Cadenza creaks at the hinges.

It is easy to fit a standard rack to the Montague, but you need to spend about a tenner for a seatclamp incorporating braze-ons for attaching a rack - the rear triangle lacks rack attachment points on the seat stays, but does include M5 threaded holes for rack/guards near the drop-outs.

Doesn't that prevent the fold?  (or do you undo the seat clamp and have that rotate with the rack/rear triangle?

[Kevina9]

No, the rack (a Topeak Super Tourist) does not interfere with the Montague's fold. The top tube makes contact with the 2" knobbly rear tyre before the rack.

[citoyen]

Excellent, a solution to a problem that doesn't really exist.

Au contraire. A folding fixie would suit my needs very well.

I don't know that this particular machine is the bike for me though.

d.

[Buzz]

Raleigh 20's make fun fixies.