Commuting With My New Folding Bike.
 

Been lurking around these forums for awhile, and you guys have
unwittingly helped me jump on the folding bike band wagon. Thought I'd
share my experience with you.

I decided I needed a folding bike because I travel by car a lot and also
wanted to start using the train in conjunction with the bike for
commuting purposes. With a folder I can just toss my bike in the trunk
and avoid dealing with racks / take it on the train without (much)
hassle.

It took me some time to really figure what I was looking for in the bike
I would buy:
* I'm generally a city rider, but I do like to get out
occasionally riding dirt paths through more rural areas, so I wanted
a bike with durable wheels and tires that could handle different types
of terrain. I was thinking along the lines of a "Cross" tire.
* I wanted a bike that wouldn't compromise its strength and geometry
just because it could fold.
* Having space for a rear rack and panniers was also important for
longer trips and commuting.
* Of all the deciding factors, I determined that having something
full-sized was very important as I am quite tall, am running on a
specific budget, and am very much interested in ride quality over varied
terrain.

After looking around here and (admittedly) some other forums I narrowed
it down to a Montague CX Comfort and a Dahon Cadenza. I also considered
Dahon's Matrix and Expresso as well as Montague's Paratrooper and
SwissBike TX. After heading out on some test rides at the lbs, I ended
up on the Montague CX based on the components, the price, and the easy
geometry. Also, turns out that Montague is now using a stem called the
"Octagon" that's pretty cool. I asked about it for my non-folder but
there was no word on aftermarket sales.

I have been riding the CX for over a month now, and it's working out
great. The change from a non-folding bike to a folder has been huge.
It's an unreal feeling being able to leave your car on the street with a
bike in the trunk rather than on the roof. Next month I'll be trying it
out on the train. Loving the riding position the CX gives. No regrets!

Will keep you posted. Pics to follow from the commute.

I didn't even know such an animal existed. I thought all folding bikes came with 20" wheels. I stand corrected; this 26er is a novel idea:
http://www.onlinesports.com/images/mnt-443183.gif
I added a link to the Montague here so that others could see it. Congratulations on the purchase. I hope you love it!

All I'd suggest is abandoning the 'cross tires for city riding. They I'm a bit evangelical about this, but I firmly believe that unless your bike sees a substantial amount of trail time, it's not worth anything but slick tires. It's a bit of a myth that you need knobs to ride on trails. Unless it's loose dirt, or mud, a slick tire tire works 90% as well as a knobby tire. On hard packed dirt a slick tire can actually roll better. Even in mud, a slick tire can do reasonably well, it just takes a bit more body english to make the bike go where you want it to.

Does the folding mechanism require the front wheel to be removed in order to fold the bike? I looked at some close up pictures and it looks like there is enough clearance between the rear wheel and the handlebars to keep both wheels on the bike. I think for commuters on the train it is a huge disadvantage to have to manage two items vs. just one. The Dahon Jack is designed to have the handle bars removed during the folding process, but I've noticed that you don't necessarily have to if you're in a rush. I hope it's the same with the Montague!

Folding bikes are available with 8, 12, 14, 16 (actually two different 16s), 17, 18, 20 (actually two different 20s), 24, 26 inch and 700c sized wheels.

tcs

Many congrats. I love my folding bike, a Downtube, which I use when camping. It's a piece of cake to fold it up and go.

Cool. If I ever decide I need one I guess I'd have a lot of test riding to do. I can see how they would be great for camping/cottage type excursions where space is at a premium.