-#4 Montague Boston - my folding fixie (so far adjustments include knocking 12cm off my handlebar width, removing the rear brakes, switching the wheels from bike #3 to this one - I plan on getting new wheels for bike #3, and putting on the new orange Fyxation Session tires)
I've enjoyed these new wheels for a few months now, coming in super handy over here as it works great for covering distances, rides well, and cost nothing to take in the train (conventional bikes require a 6€ day pass for a bike, and can't come on the train until after morning rush hour).
Next up:
-fix the Sparta back up (and possibly sell it)
-(quite) possibly buy a Joep Bike after vacation to replace my city bike.
-#5 (too be) - Joep Bikes - I really really want to get the dark grey one with the brown tires
8 comments:
Hardcore.. folding bike.. I like it.. I have only seen pictures of such things. Hope you continue to like it..
ahh yes.. i do read your blog.. just very very seldom comment.
Stacey
I am considering to buy a montague Boston singlespeed and use it before and after my daily commute by train. As I am also in the Netherlands and want to use it during the typical dutch rainy weather also, I need "full" wrapping fenders at front and back. Do you think this is a feasible / practicle thing? Is it possible to fold the bike with the front wheel attached and stow it in a stable position on the train? If this stable stowing position can only be achieved when front wheel removed, the front fender might be hamper leaving it in a stable position. Would you be able to give some advice? Thanks a lot, Richard
Hi Richard, sorry for the late response.
I used it in the train for my daily commute, and found it quite practical and feasible for sure. As far as folding goes, yes, I did remove the front wheel all the time, as not doing so, leaves the bike kind of awkward when folded, not standing up so well on it's own. It works much better when you actually take the wheel out, which is very easy, and little effort, as they have special dropouts, that don't require you to unscrew the dropout, but work with a special eccentric principle, allowing for you to just flip open, and pop out.
I bough a set of SKS Raceblade 700c fenders for when it did rain, and only put them on when I knew I needed to (I think the bike looks much nicer without). As such, that did require me to also remove the front fender pretty much when I removed the front wheel.
Also, I find with the uniqueness of the Boston's frame, the fenders aren't the most suited, and don't have the geometry that matches them super nicely to the wheels. But again, it works.
I know it's less then ideal, but it worked for me for the time. I tried to contact Montague about the fenders on the Navigator, but got no response. Maybe you could try to do a follow up there? I've noticed it looks like they put the same ones on the Boston 8 (but I think they cover less then the SKS fenders).
It would be super nice to have fenders that snap on like what Fixie Inc has done on their Peacemaker model (http://www.cycles-for-heroes.com/bikes/singlespeed-fixed-gear/peacemaker) - see the video.
Hope this helps.
cheers
Hi William,
Thanks for your response to my queries. in the meanwhile I have purchased the Montague singlespeed for my commute between utrecht and Leiden.
So far I kept the bike standard except for adding fenders and changing the tires to 25c size to create space for the fenders.
I have choosen to put Curana - C Lite fenders, as these look sleek. They do not allow to be removed, so I normally do not remove the front wheel when I store the bike on the train. (which works fine, except when trains are overloaded like the last 2 weeks during winter train schedule)
I noted you have mounted a hebie chainglider on your bike. I was also considering to do so. Maybe you can give some advise on following also:
-Does the hebie make noise?
-Which size and type to use?
-When your fold the bike, normally it "stands" on the chainring. When using the chainglider it would sit on the chainglider. Is that a problem?
Cheers,
Richard
Hi Richard,
On the chainglider, I bought it at Kok Fietsen in Utrecht. -does it make noise - well, a little bit, as the chain glides over the plastic, but depending on the tension in the chain and everything also, and I don't find the minimal noise that it does make very loud, and the usefulness of the chainglider also makes it worth it, in my opinion (although I am contemplating the idea of converting the Boston to a belt drive sometime, as I would see that as the ultimate mod to the bike)
-which size and type - I think it was just chainglider 44 (I think just the largest size they have available)
-when I fold the bike normally - well, my setup is with fixed gear, and so I was always having it rest on one of the cranks and not the chainring, I don't think having it rest on the chainglider would be a problem though, as the bike is relatively light, and the chainglider is pretty robust, and made from PP (polypropylene).
All in all, I think I'd recommend going for the chainglider. A nice way to get a closed in chainguard, allowing you to not have to worry about shoelaces or pant sleeves anymore.
Sad to hear the Gazelle didn't work out for you. It was a great looking bike, I would have loved to have made mine to look like yours (although I use my rear rack a lot).
Hi Hans
I'm not sure what you mean about the Gazelle not working out for me? Have you looked further in my posts where I finished that project?
See http://idealist-realist.blogspot.se/2011/06/my-ride-5-finished.html
Also - I did find a rear rack that fits the aesthetic (roughly) that I was going for, but just didn't get around to having it blasted and powder-coated as well.
Another thing for the to-do list.
Although I much prefer the 'roadster' aesthetic of the bike without the rack.
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