Angel, having seen our post about his racing, recently got back to us with updated facts for his 2007 racing season.

He reports having “raced and traveled to 8 different locations last year” and logged over 2000 race and training miles doing so. All said and done Angel reported an average $180 in savings per trip. This computes to a staggering $1440 saved throughout the year by using a folding race bike opposed to a standard triathlon bicycle when traveling. Coincidently, Angel offers that this amount is “more than the total cost of my Triathlon Montague” (or 2 brand new SwissBike TXs for those of you counting). Even for us at SwissBike, who live and swear by the benefits of a folding bike, this seems like an incredible amount.

Regarding his bike, Angel notes that currently with a new carbon fork and other goodies, the Triathlon Montague weights in at a cool 19.5 lbs. A weight comparable to many competitive racing bikes, an observation to which the athlete responds “I am not the fastest rider of the bunch, but certainly enjoy the ride as much as the guys on the $4000 bikes.”

So with inspiration from Angel, I went off looking for other people who compete with their Montagues or SwissBikes. What I found was another great application for our folding technology; ADVENTURE RACES!

Typical adventure races run between 6 and 24 hours and involve various activities including cycling, paddling, climbing, running, and orienteering. Contestants in these races will navigate along a predetermined course completing challenges using various modes of advancement along the way. In many cases contestants are paired into teams, working together to complete the race. Most of the time, these teams are required to carry specific gear with them, in many cases this includes their bike. If you think about it, carrying 2 full size bikes in an unstable canoe could be a harrowing experience. However, we found at least one team doing things right.

Right out of Montreal, Canada, this duo took 2nd overall in the Mountain Hardwear Raid adventure race using both a kayak from Canada Portable Kayaks and a pair of Montague Paratroopers. Just look at how well the Paratroopers fit in a small 2 person canoe compared to the bikes in the other canoe. Perfect.

For more information on adventure racing in your area check out the United States Adventure Racing Association.

Travel Easy,

Swissbike.