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Hi Folks!
Planning to take plunge in cycling. I request for a review of Montra Rock 1.0/1.1 and Firefox Trek 3500 from someone who has been using them. Also I request if someone can bring out the differences between the two?

Hey, taking a plunge in cycling, went to the local store; TI store to be precise. The Cannondale 5 is offered at 36500, the Cannondale 6 for 34000. Should I go for it?

Checked out several bikes.

1. Btwin 7s my bike. Value for money.
2. Btwin rock rider 5.0. Good bike but a very aggressive riding posture.
3. Montra Trance Pro. Good bike but seemed small even large frame size.
4. Falcon zip-ryder. Surprisingly good bike. Unknown brand.
5. Giant Cypress. Wondering why it is so expensive even though zip-ryder (4 above )
has better components. The Flacon and Giant seem to have better riding posture for me compared to 1,2,3 above.

A thought crossed my mind what if I buy mybike 7s and then upgrade components /later on ? Or will an entry level bike will kill off my beginner's enthusiasm for cycling ? I am going to use the cycle for home office commute which is ~4.5 km one side.

*Sorry to be replying late*.

I've been using a Montra Rock 1- since 2012. Initially, the seating position might seem to be a little weird- but you get used to it. Then- the tyres. Since my useage was pure road- wore out two sets of MTB tyres (Kenda SmallBlock Eight)- and changed over to slicks.

Now- I'm currently at ~9k kms. Service @ 2k km intervals, and I guess I've worn out one (or 2?) rear dieralleurs so far.

The 2014 Ones- I never liked them so much. Gawdy paint scheme- the plain red on my 2012 looks far better. I would recommend the Montra Blues, if you plan to ride mostly on roads. A real beauty- that's what she is.

Another thing to mention is: Initially, the cycles might prove to be a bit nigglesome. Over time, as you learn, and as you become well versed in the tricks-of-the-trade, make alterations, change components, et cetera, the damn thingy just keeps on getting better.

I'm @ 9k- seriously, when you have a cycle set up properly, cycling becomes damn addictive. Trust me. For Trek 3500 reviews- PM BHPian graaja- aka the #JettaGuy. :D
Madness to and take the plunge- and buy the Cannondale Trails- IIRC in 2012, my 18k Monttra was far more VFM than the 31k Cannondale, with the SAME Components.

In the longer run- mine has proved to be a lot reliable, and when you buy an understated bike (like I did)- You also gain, on terms of depreciation, and lower chances of the thing getting flicked.

Mind you- the last point I mentioned was very important. Limit your budget to 20-25k. Peace. :D
Go for geared. Honestly. And I would say- Avoid unknown brands. What if you're freewheeling along @ 60kmph- and then one of the frame welds comes apart?

Stick to BTwin (good!)- or Montra (very recommended!)- or Firefox. And fiddle with the gear and tyre components as required.

I too am thinking of buying either Montra Trance 2015 or Montra Blues (1.1 2014 or 1.2 2015).Cant decide between these 3 models.

I am also toying with an idea of customizing a bike.I really like the looks of Cannondale bad boy,so i am thinking of getting 1 built from a guy here in mumbai who is into bike customization,with top Hybrid bike specifications.You are into it so you would know how much approximately would it cost to build one? I would like to get an idea and would approach him only after i am clear from my end about its feasibility part.

Would you be able to give me an idea as to go for either of the models from Montra mentioned above OR build a hybrid bike with good specifications and how much would it cost?

My budget as you mentioned in your post is 20K.

Waiting for your suggestions.

Honestly speaking- I went to buy a Cannondale Bad Boy in 2012 ( I swear! :D), and came back with the then new Montra Rock 1- Now @ 9k km (:D)

I still am considering it as an upgrade- and am still in love with the matt black frame. Tell you what- share the details of this bike customizing guy in Bombay.

I'll give a more detailed post tommorrow- I'm a tad busy at the moment.

Haha, our tastes are alike ;). I haven't met this guy but just heard about him. His name is Faisal Thakur and he's in Bandra.

Just wanted to know the estimate of customization. Share your thoughts on it.

With that minor difference, I'd suggest the Quick 5 - I'm assuming you are talking about the Quick series. The Quick 6 is a recently new offering, I don't know what they "downgraded" on the Quick 5 to get a 6th version.


A difference of opinion here, but there's a lot more to the bike than just components. I tried both the Montra (hybrid) and Cannondale, I found the latter far far better.

The Montra bikes might be more VFM, but then so is Btwin compared to Montra and so on. Money is not (generally :D ) everything!

P.s. Assuming the discussion is on hybrids than MTB. Not 100% sure on the MTBs but I would exptrapolate the same there :)

Hows the Urban Trail HT-1 feedback?

+100.

That said, this customization business is pointless with a new purchase in India. Given the duty on components, I've almost always found it cheaper to just buy an upgraded bike (esp from vfm brands like Fuji etc) than upgrade components. Ditto about tyres. Most international manufacturer models come with pretty good tyres. Upgrades aren't often worth it or are expensive.

Hey ohc bro, do you have any specific quotes?

Customization will work out costlier than a full bike but then you have an option of going in for better parts like wheels,saddles etc.Usually on full bikes to keep the cost low some comprises are done like mix and match of drive trains and ofcourse the wheels,even on road bikes costing more than a lac the wheel-sets are not that great.

See- let's acknowledge that this one is for a newbie to our trade . I'll refrain from fanboyism here.

If he is okay with the price- Well- nothing beats the Cannondale BB. Only thing- The intent to customize it seems a tad pointless. Now- what are the practical uses of cycling? If he intends to use it as a commuter- I'm afraid, living with a Montra is far better in the longer run- particularly given the somewhat ease of maintainence, and another factor- Cost effectiveness, and the theft factor.

If a 30k + bike gets stolen- trust me, I've seen owners reactions to be : :Shockked:

And- IF&F he is willing to live what is a very expensive bike, and has taken enough precautions pertinent to it's safety (viz safe parking et cetera)- He may go for the Cannondale. No denying that is superior, but peace of mind, and practicality in a hobby is very much needed.

Thus, I conclude: If you think you can handle the BB, go for it, while taking more than adequate precautions. If you intend to commute/ use it daily (as is my case)- better forget it- Unless....

And since we were on the C-BB customization anyways, my pet dream until recently used to be this:

The BB-


Looks err....awesome in Matte Black! :D



Install a whitewalled slick (Continental TourRides, as an example)- and see how the looks improve. Ah! Workable idea- But I've only seen one set of WW TourRides on road- to date.

It helps- If your father is cycling crazy as well. Who didn't agree with : Good things come in small packages? I certainly agree!

Have been into cycling for 2 years now. Was sceptical in the beginning, hence brought a basic RR 5.0. It turned to be a fantastic bike. The result of 2 years of cycling:

1. Has done close to 5000 KM
2. Lost 10 KG
3. My HBA1c for the last two consecutive years is Less than 5. Now for two years not taking any ant diabetic drugs (has been diagnosed with diabetes before).
4. Lipid profile also back to normal

Specs looks good right. Time to treat myself, brought a Scott 50 Speedster!!

Met a member (and partner of Crank Cycles) of Trivandrum Cycle club. They seem to be a very active group. Last week they did Trivandrum-Kollam-Trivandrum; they guy I spoke to covered it in 6h15min but said there are people how do it on 5ish. Plan to join them ( their beginners group) once I get my bike back after service.

Good job Shijin!

Excellent bike and even better improvement in your health. BTW what was your hba1c and lipid levels earlier when you were diagnosed as diabetic?