Ed’s note – Kaz was so impressed with this gadget that she bought it immediately after the trial!

When I signed up to write a review for a folding mountain bike, my first thought was that the bike is perfect for storing in my small apartment and great to put in the back of a taxi or car with limited space.

This was especially important to me to be able to store the bike inside because the last mountain bike I had, which was a present from my ex for my 30th birthday, was stolen from right out front of my home!! I remember being absolutely gutted having only ridden it twice and having all the kit to ride in the treacherous and temperamental London weather. After that happened I became disillusioned with the idea of owning a bike in this city that has over 50 bikes a day stolen and hadn't given getting a new one another thought until I jumped onto the Montague to take it for a spin.

Before we get to that, let's walk through the process of folding and unfolding the bike. The first time you do this, like anything else done for the first time - it requires your undivided attention, especially if you have never used a folding bike before, which I hadn't. The instructions for the initial unpacking were very straightforward and easy to follow. Unlike most instructions these days, the diagrams made sense and it was quite simple to unpack and assemble. The bike is 95% assembled for you and all the tools you need (apart from scissors to cut the ties) are included.

The first thing I did after unfolding and assembly was to lift and get a feel for the weight of the bike. Given that I am a woman albeit a strong one, this is important when you are carrying a bike up stairs. I have been caught out by a heavy bike in the past and it is a royal pain in the butt, especially if you have spent a good couple of hours cycling up and down hills!! The Montague is easy and light to carry on the shoulder unfolded but a little cumbersome if not, though I understand that there is a carry case that you can get which has a shoulder strap that I would imagine to make the process much more to my liking. Without this bag the folding mechanism does not lock or latch the rear wheel to the frame, so I would highly recommend getting the case to ensure easy of mobility and also for storage.

So how does the bike hold up on and off the road I hear you ask? Well, let me just firstly say that I am by no means a mountain bike expert but I am known to be hardwearing on my toys!! It was a fine winters morning, clear blue skies but air cold enough to snap body parts and I took the bike for what I thought was going to be a quick trip to the local shop. Much to my amazement, it was such a pleasure to ride that I continued through the back streets close to home, up and down gutters, through the park and in and out of traffic. I was in love, having forgotten the freedom that riding a bike affords you; I couldn't and wouldn't get off. Instead, I called some friends and invited myself over for breakfast giving them half an hour to expect me. They (and I) were obviously shocked when I arrived in half the time glowing and grinning from my experience. The Montague is not only a handsome l ooking piece of machinery but was an absolute pleasure to ride. The Shimano gears, disc brakes and front shocks along with a very comfortable saddle (very important!) made for an enjoyable ride that handled potholes, gutters and pedestrians with ease and inspired me to get back out there and on a bike.

Caught Short
If you intend taking your bike for a ride to see friends and then become coerced into drinking and taking a taxi home make sure you are well versed in the folding process before trying this drunk and a little disorderly - or make sure you have a taxi driver with more co-ordination than you! Needless to say, it fit snug as a bug in the back of my taxi with a little help from my taxi driver - the perfect way to get your bike home rather than leaving it behind.

All in all, I was so happy with my experience that I bought the bike!!
If you're looking for a hard wearing, comfortable ride that is easy to store and travel with (Folds and unfolds without tools in 30 seconds!) then get out there and test ride one. You won't be disappointed.

RRP: £695
See details of the LX and others in the range at www.montague-uk.com, www.swissbike.com and www.militarybikes.net

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