Going Insane!

[bazzadigz C+]

Hello Folks,

Looking for some advice from seasoned professionals.

Back in April 2010 I moved house and my commute increased from 50mins(car)/80mins(bike) to 90mins(car)/75mins(bike & train combo), which was a decent result. Unfortunatly due to the train company involved I cannot take my steed onto the train at peek times (0730-09:30 arrive at liverpool street and leave 16:30-18:30), so although i can get the early train and arrive at 8am I cannot leave work until 17:45pm which is a long day.

In may to solve the problem I decided to use the Ride2Work scheme through work, they use Evans Cycle who from past experience are not all that bad. I decided to use the full budget of £1000 which would buy me a decent folder with hopefully a bit spare for accessories.

On the 14th May 2010 I decided to go for the Monague Paratrooper with upgraded tyres and pedal with some other item of clothing. The order time for this was 7-10days, so I ordered in the hope that within the following 2 weeks it would arrive.

Since that date there have been several delays and in July I found on the website that there wasnt going to be any stock until late august. As I had reptured a tendon in my foot I decided that I would wait and in the meantime look for alternatives, when I got out of my cast I visited Evans in Lakeside and tried out a Brompton, a Montague FIT and a Dahon Vitesse P8.

I have now been in contact with Evans again and they admitted that they didnt have a clue when the Paratrooper would be in stock so its time to choose a new bike.

Im 6ft tall and weigh 18st (hence the reason I went for a full sized folder in the first place)

I have tried the brompton and have decided that its too small

The bike I now have to chose between is the Montague FIT, Dahon Vitesse P18 or Jetstream P8 and have a few questions.

1, The montague FIT has 700c tyres, and Vitesse has narrow Kojak tyres, am I too heavy for them?
2, Im worried that the 8gears on the Jetstream are not enough for the sydenham hills, should i be?
3, The Montague FIT has the added advantage of extra gears but the spoke design worries me a little (is the wheel weaker)?

Sorry for the Essay but im so FFF-INNNN mad at Evans/Montague right now that I have to get this off my chest

Many Thanks in Advance

 

[GrumpyGregry]

out of interest what made you decide a brommie was too small? at 6' 2" I found one (with the extended and then telescopic seatpost) fine.

 

[sparkyman]

Monague Paratrooper... That quite a cool looking folder...

 

[RecordAceFromNew]

I believe most if not all Dahon's have a manufacturer recommended weight carrying limit of 105kg = 230lbs = 16.4 stones and so may not fit your need. The paratrooper is a stout (albeit relatively heavy) bike in comparison.

 

[bazzadigz C+]

The Brompton is a fun ride but for me I was feeling very top heavy, the plan is to loose weight and buy a Brompton in a year or so.

I had seen the weight restrictions on the Dahons using the Lockjaw hinges but didn't realise that they had the same restrictions on all Dahons, I always thought that the "normal" folders were stronger

The paratrooper does look a cool bike but I doubt ill ever get one

 

[beastie]

i used to commute from St Albans to Canary Wharf and back. Lasted 9 months. I now commute by bike to and from work twice a day( i work split shifts).
If it is very wet/cold/snowing then I go the short route- 1.8miles. It takes 6mins to get to work and 4 to get home.

I don't know how you can face such a long commute.

 

[MacB]

What would be the full distance if you cycled home to work, or vice versa? Would it be feasible to cycle one way and train the other? Would work accomodate more flexible hours, maybe cycle in after the rush hour and work later so that you could get the train home. This could allow for reduced fares via off peak rates as well. I've seen guys bigger than you on Bromptons as well.

It may be too far and not feasible, but it would certainly shift the weight and improve the fitness.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

I was 17 1/2 stone when I first got my Brompton. It coped with me admirably, and I used it for day rides, weekend touring and all sorts of mixed mode stuff. You just have to be sensible, keep the tyres pressure up, don't ride through potholes and be vigilant and unweight the seatpost over rough stuff. Bunnyhopping onto the kerb even in extremis is to be avoided, that darned back wheel just won't lift. I came off it a few times in London (Clapham Junction - Brixton was my daily run) and nothing broke or wore out.

 

[TheBoyBilly]

+1 for a Brompton. I have had my M6L for nearly a year and it has done all sorts of riding, even fitness runs. It gets a bit of a hard time I can tell you (but is always kept clean and chain regularly lubed). I have just had it serviced so it's ready for winter and had a broken rear spoke and a worn chain and 13-tooth sprocket replaced. It is my bike of choice now - commuter, leisure and shop/pub bike. my other two bikes only sem to come out when the mood takes me nowadays.

Bill

 

[Vikeonabike]

Monague Paratrooper... That quite a cool looking folder...

I tested one for work....brilliant bit of kit for what i needed.
Ta Da!

 

[steveo03]

I tested one for work....brilliant bit of kit for what i needed.
Ta Da!

A folding bike is usually a compromise but the Bromptons do an excellent job of being small and portable, but also ridable and usually have create equipment included (racks, mudguards lights etc).

The Montagues are great if you want something different visually and to take on tracks and offroad trails. They maybe a little heavy for serious off-roading or hill-climbing.

Pick a bike you're comfortable with. If you don't enjoy it because you dont feel stable or comfortable, you will be less inclinded to carry on riding. Some local shops (or Evans come to think of it lol ) offer trial period rides.

The worse case is you pick a bike and don't like it. Sell it for another - a hassle but not impossible.

 

[bazzadigz C+]

Sorry for the delay in replying, I have a lot of work to catch up on after being off for 8 weeks L



Beastie – Its not that far, I know a lot of peeps that travel further. Still I do tend to miss out on Flexi and Overtime L



Greg - Full distance is 27miles, so not that bad really just too far for a 2 way commute for me, I wouldn’t mind doing one way each day but that’s something for the future.



Vikeonabike – Not a bad review mate, was the one you reviewed the new 2 disc version?



Update



A lot has happened in the week since I was last on here. Evans told me last week that there were 3 paratroopers that were going to be allocated to the first 3 people in the queue, of which I was the 2[sup]nd[/sup]. After chasing the order daily I eventually discovered that I was not one of these and that the next lot of stock would be due in October. Obviously being very angry at this I was prepared to cancel the order, I then spoke to a very helpful chap in head office who explained what had happened (order not being processed correctly in the first place), he offered his sincere apologies and said that if I was to chose a different bike then Evans would meet the difference.



Not to be too greedy I decided at the time that a Montague FIT would be the best replacement for the paratrooper. This was priced at £999.99 compared to the paratroopers £659.99 and a difference of £340. The guy from head office said that he would get in contact with the store and that they would contact me back.



Later in the day the manager from the store called me and said that he would meet me half way on the price which means I now get the Montague FIT, Muvi Camera (w sports pack), foldable pedals & a bike bag for £1000 J



Now funny thing is I have to wait 5 days for the bike to be ready…….