Thanks to one a Montague rider for sending in pictures of his customized Paratrooper.
Looks like he’s changed up the handlebars, fork, and saddle, and added a fender. He’s also put in a belt drive and Rohloff internal hub – a good choice looking at the sand he rides in.
No – those aren’t beige balloon tires…it’s all mud and sand.
He tells us he’s logged over 3200 miles on this bike.
If you’d like us to feature your bike on our blog, just send us in some photos and let us know if you’ve done any customization and what kind of riding you do.
Looking forward to hearing from all the Montague riders out there!
(Oops, sorry, I first posted this comment on the wrong page, i.e. “AWESOME DAY FOR A RIDE!!, February 17, 2012”)
Cool modifications! I’m thinking of getting a Rohloff for my Montague Paratrooper. I DO wish Montague sold a Paratrooper version with internal gear hub already included. Quebec City is a disaster for bicycles in the wintertime, because of road salt, sand, etc. I’m guessing an internal gear system would be a lot less vulnerable.
Is there anything in the Montague product pipeline for us poor souls who are not always riding in pristine conditions?
Thanks!
Hey Stefan,
We don’t currently have any plans for a mountain bike with an internal gear hub but we do offer the Boston 8 with a Shimano Nexus internal 8 speed hub. It’s part of our ‘Pavement’ line of bikes so it uses 700c wheels and a narrower, slick tire. But the frame is just as strong, uses the same folding design and it offers all the advantages of the internal gear hub!
Though not a regular bike rider, this post looks interesting, also with a cool bike!
this bike looks like a motorbike, KTM tires- like my old motocross
Benny
Interesting… I’d like to fit a belt drive to mine, but not sure how to go about getting the frame cut without weakening it.
@Sean
I’m not sure of the exact procedure that went into modding this one but it looks like the frame was cut right at the dropout. That way the entire seat stay remains in tact. Unfortunately, making mods like this does void the frame warranty so if you want to experiment, be careful! And you should definitely find a local frame builder who works with aluminum to help you out.
This is an awesome bike. I just ruined mine going down a trail in the Poconos by sliding off a wet wooden bridge, and crashing into a tree. Luckily, my body missed the tree by a hair. I can’t wait to get my baby fixed so I can start riding again. I just got my truck raised at Rocky Ridge Trucks. Now, I will have the ability to find some harder and more distant trails. I can’t wait!
I love the look of that rear fender! This is a great custom job of a finely engineered machine. Keep up the great work! Thanks for sharing.
I wish Montague Bikes provides that frame cut, unfortunately I have to cut the frame. I am caught in between strong interest in Montague frame and carbon belt drive. ..wish from Norway
Hey sachin,
Creating a belt drive model is something we are definitely looking at. I don’t have any definitive information at this time, but keep an eye out as it may be available in the future!
I also would *LOVE* a belt drive model. It would make your bikes even more portable. I could fold a bike up and carry or pack it anywhere, without worrying about grease stains from a chain.
I would love a belt-drive model, also a manufacturer-specced rohloff would be amazing!
The option of proper, full mudguards, a custom pannier rack that can allow folding but support heavy weights would make a huge amount of sense too. No one likes getting sprayed with road crud by an inconsiderate person without full mudguards in winter, nor do we want ugly or flimsy racks attached to our beautiful Montagues. I know many others have asked for those two features before.
I really think you should look to the upper end of the market & try to compete with people like Birdy who charge more, but include high end, fully featured options.
I would also like to see integrated lights with dynamo hub and USB plug for phone charging whilst using GPS to navigate (preferably with removable cache battery)
An easier, neater way to integrate an electric pedelec would also make sense for those of us who live in hilly cities but want to commute with ease, or have bad knees, or primarily like the downhill part of mountain biking! 😀 Options would include a larger seatpost that could support the retrofitting of the Vivax assist, or an option with the Bionx IGH3 which has a threespeed gear hub and combined motor running through the gears. Another great option would be the Pinion E1.8 which looks like an incredible system with gears and motor integrated in a balanced way into the middle, suspended weight of the bike: https://www.electricbike.com/pinion/
What about a titanium frame for lighter weight?! Mmmmmm…. 🙂
Create a high-end well-specced option that includes the above, and you would have people like me paying substantial sums of money for the well-thought out convenience. People in cities like London have tiny living spaces or want their bikes to be easily stowable away from theives – hence the ingenious and strong Montague would be perfect… but they also want these sorts of luxuries if they are ever to consider giving up their gas-guzzlers in enchange for congestion dodging, health-improving bicycles. 😀
Also would like Paratrooper Pro with Rohloff 500/14 and belt drive.
How quick can you get this ready for me?
This is not a bike model we produce. The bike shown here is a custom build. We do offer the Allston model which is belt compatible. It comes with a Shimano Alfine 11 speed hub but would be able to accept a Rohloff if you’d like to change it.
Can you fit 2.4 on those??
Our current Paratrooper frames can fit a 2.4″ tire. That’s definitely the widest it can handle, and honestly it might depend on the exact tire model and tread since they can vary so much even with the same labeled size.
Is there anymore info on this?
I’d like to try a Rohloff and Veer belt drive on my 2020 Paratrooper.
Also need to want to know the wheel and tyre ranges that will fit.
We don’t have too much info, but the frame was modified by this customer in order to accommodate the belt. Since a belt can’t be “broken” for installation like a chain, you typically need a frame that was designed for belt drive with a removable dropout or an opening in the seatstay. We don’t recommend modifying the frame, and it will certainly void the warranty, but I believe this rider worked with a local frame builder who had experience with aluminum frames. If you were to attempt it, you definitely should seek a professional for the modification.
Even without the belt, you could certainly put a Rohloff hub on your Paratrooper as long as it has a 135mm width. Since the frame has vertical dropouts like most traditionally geared bikes, you would need to add a chain tensioner (or try to achieve the exact chainring to rear sprocket ratio to have a relatively tight chain, which I believe is what was done with the bike in this post).
can this bike use boost rear hub ?
All of our geared bikes are built for 135mm rear hubs. Boost 148 hubs will not fit in the frame.