Montague Corporation (USA) - the world’s largest manufacturer of full-size foldable bikes - have appointed Montague Bicycles (UK) Ltd as their exclusive distributor for the UK and Eire.
Discussions with Montague UK were started earlier this year and agreement in principle was reached during a meeting at Eurobike. Arrangements are now all confirmed and Montague UK will start bringing the unique foldable bikes in for spring 2008. In addition to traditional cycle industry sales, the company plans to focus on the public sector and corporate arenas with the Montague range.
Montague UK managing Director Jim Griffiths comments:
“We have seen the tremendous potential that Montague bikes offer in so many areas. Obviously there is a great future within the trade generally, especially with the current popularity of folding bikes and Montague simply takes that a step further with great ride quality and a simple and reliable folding mechanism. We also see the bikes being ideal for the emergency services, as both bike and rider can easily be transported to and from areas of patrol without the need for racks or trailers.”
“ Another major area of interest for us is in corporate and promotional sales. The deep, flat-sided top-tube on most of the Montague range is perfect for branding. We will be bringing some bikes in without decals and have the facilities in-house to add corporate graphics and marketing messages to create a bespoke product in very small numbers. Alternatively, we can brand the bikes at the factory for OEM or bulk promotions and partnership deals. A good example of this is the HUMMER branded Montague bikes that were successfully sold through the vehicle maker’s dealer network worldwide”
The Montague Corporation has an interesting history; Headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the company is devoted to the design and production of bicycles that incorporate Folding Integrated Technology (FIT). Their revolutionary and patented folding mechanism means that the structural integrity of the frame is not compromised by cutting through main tubes and there are no hinges to wear and work loose over time. This is achieved using a patented Concentrus system, which unites the two parts of the frame with concentric seat tubes, nested one inside the other and a spring loaded quick-release mechanism that ‘locks’ the frame open (even if left unclamped).
In 1997, Montague won a two-year grant from the US ‘Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’ (DARPA), who recognised the importance of the folding technology for a military application. Montague worked with the United States Marines to develop the Tactical Electric No Signature (TENS) Mountain bike. For this project Montague designed a completely new folding system which enabled Paratroopers to exit from military aircraft with a full size mountain bike that had significant load bearing capacity.
In 1999 Montague launched a consumer line of bikes - the ‘X-Series’, based on the original Military Bike design. Due to the success of this program and the publicity surrounding the DARPA development there was great demand for the original Military Bike. Montague decided to manufacture and launch the original military bike for professional and civilian use, giving rise to the ‘Paratrooper’, the non-electric Military Mountain Bike.
Montague is continually expanding its product line and is rapidly folding its way into car boots, planes, boats, closets, and other compact storage spaces around the globe.
Montague UK Contact information:-
Contact Name: Jim Griffiths
Tel: (01730) 711140 (office) / 07854 959211 (mobile)
Email: info@montague-uk.com
Web: www.montague-uk.com
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