For the last year, Neill Hogarth and his partner Heidi have been living out their dream of sailing the world. Last April, they set out from Scotland in Artemis, a 36 foot Rustler sailing yacht equipped with everything they would need to live ⁠— including two Montague X90 folding mountain bikes. Having bikes aboard provide transportation and recreation for when they drop anchor and come ashore. Their journeys have brought them to some of the most beautiful landscapes in the world, from the coast of Brittany to North Africa, and on to the Caribbean. Having off-road capable bikes that fold to store on-board allows them to get into the heart of nature reserves, to the top of volcanoes, and to the remote villages few tourists get to visit.

After starting their trip by heading north into the Shetland Islands of Scotland, Neill and Heidi headed south in search of warmer weather. Their first mountain biking excursion was the island of Guernsey. Located in the English Channel along the French coast, Guernsey is known for cliff-side views along its rocky coastline. After starting on a known bike route, Neil and Heidi decided to put their Montagues to the test by cutting their own path for a better view.

“Bikes are the perfect way to see the Island. Almost all our route was inaccesible to cars and it was much too far to walk in an afternoon. Once again we were so thankful to have our bikes with us,” writes Heidi.

After a stop in Brittany, it was on to the Spanish coast, leaving behind the English channel and entering the Atlantic.  Pristine beaches sprawled out in front of high desert dotted with scrubby vegetation and winding rocky trails.

Pictured above is Heidi looking out from Cape Finisterre, a rock-bound peninsula on the west coast of Galicia, Spain. In Roman times it was believed to be the end of the known world.

Neill and Heidi had custom bags made for transporting and storing their Montague folding bikes. The material provides superior water resistance, and the design separates the wheels for more compact storage aboard the Artemis. Below you see Neill lowering one down to a dinghy during low tide from a particularly high sea wall. Impressive!

The next leg of the journey brought them along the coast of northwest Africa, where they stopped for more riding in the Canary Islands and the Cape Verde Islands. Graciosa in the Canary Islands provided a noticeable change in scenery with red sandy terrain and distinct volcanic formations.

The Cape Verde Islands are also the product of volcanic activity, but offer a different riding experience with ocean-side cliffs, deep valleys, and mountainous rocky trails surrounded by vegetation. These climbs and descents put the Montague bikes and the legs that powered them, to the test.

After each of these excursions, Neill and Heidi’s bikes always fold and pack away to sail on to the next adventure. With full-size wheels and standard components, Montague bikes are the only folding bikes made for true off-road riding, making them ideal for travel, allowing you to reach areas not accessible by car and too far off the beaten path for walking.

After leaving the Canary Island, Neill and Heidi set sail for the Caribbean, spending two weeks at sea crossing the Atlantic. Stay tuned for their next update from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

4 Comments

  1. Paul Tisher

    Would like to see a marine version of your mt bikes. I’ve had some problems with corrosion, more than with our 20″ mariner folding bike.

    Reply
    • Montague Bikes

      Our Allston model is extremely popular with boat owners, and has been featured by several marine media outlets, including Boating and Yachting Magazine. It comes equipped with a belt in place of a metal chain and a sealed internal gear hub, which make it almost entirely corrosion resistant.

      Reply
      • Dale Conlin

        That’s nice there a model with a belt drive. Unfortunately, you can’t retrofit a belt. I had my paratrooper custom made with schlumpt drive, belt drive, Rohloff speed hub. All on a $5000 titanium paratrooper. The best bike you never made.
        Like your design, couldn’t wait for Montague to make it.

        Reply
  2. Sherm

    So no shortage from me on the excitement of Montague Folding Bikes. The 3 bikes I own and ride a couple times a week are
    1. Cannondale Road frame with Cross Wheels & Treads (just enough aggressive knobby tread to grab most any terrain) My favorite type of ride is 2-3 hours of on & off road terrain.

    2. My TREK Off Road Bike is Front Susp with standard brakes and serves my purposes well in the forested Single Track I ride frequently.

    3. My original very old school “bone crusher” hardtail & straight forks stays on the Indoor Trainer for the longer winter months in the Northeast.

    So my big dilemma is finding the right folding Montague bike that most resembles the type of riding I do on the Cannondale Cross bike I mentioned first (#1). Constantly altering terrain; on and off pavement. If I could find such a bike that is also a folding bike; that is, it will pretty much travel with me in my vehicle All The Time allowing me to essentially always be able to ride on any short notice.

    Any thoughts ?

    Reply

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