The Navigator folding bike on a business trip with a Montague rider at the Salt Lake City Library. Photo courtesy of S. Godwin.
Montague folding bikes not only ride well, they’re also easy to fold and easy to store. You can fit a folded Montague in even the smallest spaces – a cramped apartment, a car trunk or even… a tour bus? Because of this, Montague folding bikes are really popular, not only with city dwellers and commuters, but also amongst people who work and live on the road. Whether you’re a trucker, a travelling salesman, or a musician, a folding bike is a great way to get some exercise and to check out your new surroundings – wherever you happen to find yourself.
Roadies with Folding Bikes
A Montague folding bike on tour with Judas Priest. Photo courtesy of Jude Aflalo.
A roadie is one job that’s constantly on the road (the name is, perhaps, a give-away). Roadies travel with a band and are responsible for setting up the stage, lighting, sound, and any other special effects equipment for the shows, and taking it all down again when it’s time for the band to move on to the next city on the tour. Moving from city to city by RV or bus, space is definitely at a premium, which is one reason these guys love our bikes so much. The other is that with a full-size folding bike, they can get around in, or even outside, the city, taking in the sites and getting some exercise at the same time.
Montague folding bikes have found themselves on tour with Judas Priest and Roger Daltrey (of the Who). Talking Heads singer, David Byrne, has also been known to ride a Montague folding bike.
Montague Folding Bikes travel the country with Broadway Across America
Broadway Across America is a theatre company that brings touring musicals and plays to over 40 cities across the United States. The run in any given city ranges anywhere from a week to a month. We recently caught up with the Assistant Production Manager for BAA’s production of West Side Story, who rides a Montague Navigator. “They’re really great when we’re in town for a show. We stay in hotels, and there’s not always a lot of space; folding bikes are perfect, because we can keep them in our rooms and are still able to walk around,” she said. “And when the show moves from city to city, we stash them in the trucks [Ed. The sets, lighting, props etc. for the show fit in 4 large trucks]. That’s another reason so many of the cast and crew ride folding bikes – there’s no way we could take them all with us otherwise, they just wouldn’t fit!”
Folding Bikes and Long Haul Truckers
Montague folding bikes are also growing in popularity with long haul truckers – largely because they ride like full-size bikes, but also fold to fit in the cab of a semi or tractor trailer. For truckers, who spend a lot of time driving, taking a quick ride at a rest stop or once they’ve reached their destination can be a welcome break for the legs. It’s also a great way to get or stay in shape, which can be difficult with all those hours spent behind the wheel.
Do you Travel with your Folding Bike?
If you do a lot of travelling and don’t have a folding bike yet, it’s definitely something you should look into. Cycling is one of the best ways to get to know a city, and also one of the fastest ways to get around. As more cities work on their infrastructure (bike paths, bike lanes, etc.) there are fewer excuses not to get out there. Do you travel a lot with your job? Do you travel with a folding bike? Tell us how it is working for you!
