| What an innovative, practical thing a
folding mountain bike is! If space
is an issue and leaves your regular
bike out in the cold, one of these
bikes will be your solution. There
are many versions of the folding
mountain bike. They vary from
heavier and less portable, to
lightweight and tough. Transporting
them in buses, trains, or airplanes,
is easy. At your destination,
you have your means of transportation
at your beck and call. The Hummer
is a state of the art folding
mountain bike, manufactured by
Montague. This is the world's
leading manufacturer of folding
bikes. It is modeled on a line
of full sized folding bikes originally
designed for the U.S. Marines
as a military bike for tactical
use. The Hummer has full size
wheels and knobby tires, usable
on any terrain. To fold the Hummer
takes under 30 seconds, and involves
no tools. This mountain bike folding
system is a patented military
design. The Hummer bikes are strong,
durable, light, and tough. It
is rumored that they have been
made to be dropped from a plane,
without sustaining damage! You
know that a Hummer folding mountain
bike is sturdy, when it boasts
extensive testing by the Marines.
Other pluses to the Hummer include
Shimano precision index shifters
for a quick gear change, front
suspension with a front disk brake,
and 24-speed Shimano drive train.
The folding size is 36" x 28"
x 12". Another folding mountain
bike in the Montague stable, is
the Paratrooper Mountain Bike.
This rugged rider unfolds without
the need for tools. The use of
standard mountain bike wheels
and components, simplifies maintenance.
Jumping obstacles is fun for this
soldier! It has superb braking
power. The innovative engineering
behind any Montague folding mountain
bike, ensures structural integrity
and strength. The Paratrooper
folds in less than thirty seconds.
Montague doesn't stop at their
unique folding mountain bikes.
A range of accessories add to
the pleasure of using a Paratrooper
or Hummer bike. A soft carrying
case, made of 420 Denier nylon,
protects your bike while in transit.
When you are in a really tight
squeeze, folding pedals which
reduce the width of the bike,
are available. The folding features
of the Montague folding mountain
bike, allows for the optional
use of a steel kickstand. For
extra protection, a hard case
has now been added for airline
travel. This case allows your
folding mountain bike to travel
as luggage, leaving your hands
free. In another class altogether
are the Bike Fridays. These would
probably be classified as collapsible,
rather than folding, but has a
complicated and slow mechanism
for assembling and disassembling.
They are nevertheless a line of
excellent quality folding mountain
bikes, comparable to custom bikes.
Another folding mountain bike
is the Airnimal Rhino which is
Airnimal's first official off-roader.
It has 20" wheels, and front and
rear suspension as efficient on
city potholes and kerbs, as on
rough off-road terrain. A completely
new approach to folding mountain
bikes, is apparent in the Giatex
Stretching Bike. Its steering
column folds down, but the frame
doesn't fold in the middle. Instead,
it has a large stainless steel
bar, along which the back part
of the bike slides. The resulting
length is about 37 inches. If
the front wheel is removed, this
can be reduced to 30". The Giatex
has good components and rides
well, with lightweight portability.
The Giatex also features a 6 speed
Shimano rear derailleur, which
is considerably more useful than
the 3 speed gear inside the rear
hub of most other 16" bikes. The
gearing isn't aimed at speed,
as much as at making the bike
easy to ride. A folding mountain
bike may not be sturdy enough
for serious bikers, or on very
rough terrain, but it has its
place and sure comes in handy
at the most unexpected time. If
you'll excuse me, I'll now bag
my bike and be off... For more
information visit Best-Mountain-Biking.com
Rika Susan of Article-Alert.com
researches, writes, and publishes
full-time on the Web. Copyright
of this article: 2006 Rika Susan.
This article may be reprinted
if the resource box and hyperlinks
are left intact. |
