Is this folding 700c bike a good candidate for conversion?

[jonathan75]

The 12.2kg Montague Urban. Here http://www.montaguefoldingbike.co.uk/uk/folding_bikes/pavement/urban

Upside is light weight, battery can hang off downtube (here someone's done it http://www.bikefold.com/bionx-montague-electric-bikes/ ), folding capability obviously.

Biggest downside is that the max tyres for the brakes are 30mm. Oh, and as I'd be putting on some Dutch-style relaxed handlebars in order to sit upright, there might not be enough weight on the front wheel (?) as it looks like it's built to be leant forward on.

Be really grateful for any thoughts.

 

[selrahc1992]

The 12.2kg Montague Urban. Here http://www.montaguefoldingbike.co.uk/uk/folding_bikes/pavement/urban

Upside is light weight, battery can hang off downtube (here someone's done it http://www.bikefold.com/bionx-montague-electric-bikes/ ), folding capability obviously.

Biggest downside is that the max tyres for the brakes are 30mm. Oh, and as I'd be putting on some Dutch-style relaxed handlebars in order to sit upright, there might not be enough weight on the front wheel (?) as it looks like it's built to be leant forward on.

Be really grateful for any thoughts.

OK, this is biased - but in short: dont do it. I converted a btwin triban with 700c (max 28mm) tyres - big mistake. a pedlec doesnt need teh reduced rolling resistance of thin tyres. once converted you will average higher speeds and all teh disadvantages of this kind of setup (jarring ride, bent wheels due to lack of suspension, from tyres or shockers etc) become very apparent. in my case theres teh lackl of disc brakes too. soon as i have a few hundred spare i'm getting a decent 29er with fat tyres and shocks.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

Why did you choose that one rather than one of their disv brake bikes?

 

[jonathan75]

Why did you choose that one rather than one of their disv brake bikes?

It does have a rear disc mount but the main reason is I've got two 700c motor wheels built (this is virtually the only 700c folder available) and it seemed a good way of avoiding additional cost. Though I've started to research Dahon 26 inch bikes of which there seem a lot of used models around,some with discs.

 

[jonathan75]

OK, this is biased - but in short: dont do it. I converted a btwin triban with 700c (max 28mm) tyres - big mistake. a pedlec doesnt need teh reduced rolling resistance of thin tyres. once converted you will average higher speeds and all teh disadvantages of this kind of setup (jarring ride, bent wheels due to lack of suspension, from tyres or shockers etc) become very apparent. in my case theres teh lackl of disc brakes too. soon as i have a few hundred spare i'm getting a decent 29er with fat tyres and shocks.

Thanks. I wondered if that might be the case. I could mod it for fatter tyres but it's mega faff. Shame. Oh well.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

I wouldn't rule it out. I converted a lightweight bike with narrow 700c wheels and a lightweight aerodynamic frame. I could maintain a higher average speed than a MTB. It felt much more efficient all round. If you just wanted a fast commuter, that type of bike could be a good solution, but for touring, shopping, trails or anything like that, a different style would probably be better.

What motors do you have in the wheels?

 

[jonathan75]

I wouldn't rule it out. I converted a lightweight bike with narrow 700c wheels and a lightweight aerodynamic frame. I could maintain a higher average speed than a MTB. It felt much more efficient all round. If you just wanted a fast commuter, that type of bike could be a good solution, but for touring, shopping, trails or anything like that, a different style would probably be better.

What motors do you have in the wheels?

I've got a 3kg SWXK 250w front and a 4.5kg Bafang CST "250w" rear. However I think the main purpose of the folder is for tourism in the UK and abroad, possibly involving long journeys. I've got quite a nice 700c commuter already thankfully. I've noticed that the Montague 700c folds much more bulkily than the 26 inch Dahon Cadenza (the Dahon Jack and Espresso may not fit my bottle battery after front mudguard is installed, although I could drill the downtube). My purpose was to get on bus storage areas and in car boots: I want to explore the low countries and their neighbours and you can get a trip from London to Calais for £6 on Blablacar (a lift sharing website). If I do it by any other means of transport the costs add up much more quickly.

 

[selrahc1992]

Thanks. I wondered if that might be the case. I could mod it for fatter tyres but it's mega faff. Shame. Oh well.

to be fair, i live in the most potholed place imaginable (reached the point where i have a mental map of the significant potholes of my commute). You may be in a part of the UK with better roads

 

[jonathan75]

to be fair, i live in the most potholed place imaginable (reached the point where i have a mental map of the significant potholes of my commute). You may be in a part of the UK with better roads

Good call. Actually yes the roads my way are rotten, ironworks are excessively sunk as a rule, crumbling, you name it. Tbh the bike is mainly for exploring so that makes it even worse.

 

[jonathan75]

for touring, shopping, trails or anything like that, a different style would probably be better.

I've had my eye on the Dahon Jack which is a 26" folding mtb, but it doesn't have a proper bottle mounting. Do you think the downtube could be drilled?

Dahon also do the Cadenza which does have a proper bottle mount, but it's much more boring to look at.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

You can convert any bike if you have the skills, knowledge, experience and determination. For a first build, you should choose one that is simple to convert.

Out of thse two, the Cadenza should be fairly srtaight forward. Disc brakes are much better than rim brakes.

 

[cwah]

are you planning to put a 700c wheel bike in a bus?

 

[jonathan75]

are you planning to put a 700c wheel bike in a bus?

Well I thought just in the boot of long distance coaches but now that you mention it, it would be useful to have it go on regular buses. I gather that you can put it folded in a £10 massage table bag, so I might get away with it on a bus that way, as long as it wasn't rush hour. Just for holidays not commuting.